One of the keys in Nicole Burke’s “Kitchen Garden Revival” strategy is grouping different vegetables into their plant families. Nicole says that when she first started gardening, like so many other beginners, she was overwhelmed at the thought of how to grow the many different plants. Her “ah-ha” moment came when she […]
Peat moss has long been our go-to, store-bought, plant-growing medium, useful for everything from starting seeds to growing potted plants to “lightening” our lousy clay soil. But its widespread use is under fire lately as some argue that gardeners should move away from peat moss altogether for environmental and climate-change reasons. The […]
Which plants will work best in your yard? One strategy is considering plants that have won awards from various plant-trial and plant-selection programs. Each year, organizations of growers, horticulturists, researchers, and other plant experts bestow awards on top plant performers – some new, some old but just under-used. Here’s a look […]
One of the tricky parts about vegetable gardening is knowing exactly when to plant each crop. Some need to go in the garden early so they’re done and ready by the time the weather gets hot. Others will croak if you plant too soon. Still others have two different planting windows, […]
Five hydrangeas with new twists, a compact new native Virginia sweetspire, and a “baby brother” to the popular ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae are among the best new trees and shrubs hitting the market for the 2022 growing season. Growers, local garden centers, and other plant experts picked the following dozen woody plants for the […]
Compact versions of two popular native plants, three new ornamental grasses with golden blades, and two new dark-leafed flowers top the list of interesting new perennials debuting in the 2022 growing season. Growers, local garden centers, and other plant experts picked the following 14 perennial-flower choices for the annual four-part, best-new-plants series I […]
A new heavy-blooming petunia with petite white flowers, two new flowers you’ve probably never seen before, and the world’s first trailing salvia are among a banner slate of interesting new annual flowers debuting in the 2022 growing season. Growers, local garden centers, and other plant experts picked those and more for the four-part, […]
The COVID-fueled boom in vegetable gardening continued in 2021, and research is showing a high percentage of newbies say they plan to stick with this dirty (but healthy) habit again in 2022. Plant breeders and seed companies are riding the wave by rolling out lots of new edible-plant introductions this year. Let’s […]
Will we stick with it? That’s the big question the gardening industry is wondering after some 18 million new gardeners took to the soil in 2020 as COVID forced people to stay at home. At least so far, the gardening boom is showing no sign of a let-up. Seeds and plants […]
If you wonder why Japanese barberries aren’t in garden centers next spring, it’s because Pennsylvania has banned the sale of this popular little thorny-stemmed shrub as a harmfully invasive plant. Japanese barberries have been a landscape staple for decades because they’re heat- and drought-tough, deer don’t like them, they’re compact, they aren’t commonly […]