Any day is a good day to be in a garden so far as I’m concerned, but for “normal” people, there’s no better time than the next few weeks. May’s weather is usually warm but not yet into hot, and so much of the plant world here has decided that late spring is […]
Soon after my daughter – then a junior in high school – left for a year-long exchange program living in the Netherlands, I found myself spending a lot of time in a particular corner of my back yard. I’d go back to this shaded far corner under a wild black cherry tree and […]
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 […]
Once a year in May, the plant-loving residents of the Portuguese island of Madeira go wild with flowers and stage an event called the Madeira Flower Festival, which features flower-filled parade floats and sidewalks that are carpeted with cut blooms. It’s a great place for any flower-lover to be on a warm spring […]
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 […]
Some of my favorite times on this planet are when it’s just me and my plants in the yard on a warm, sunny day. Words such as “peaceful,” “fulfilling,” “refreshing,” “rewarding,” and “joy” come to mind to describe these days, which also offer the physical benefit of exercise in the fresh air. […]
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, […]
If you’re interested in native plants, a new chapter of a national native-plant group is taking root in 11 counties around south-central Pennsylvania. The group is known as the “Wild Ones,” and it’s a Wisconsin-based not-for-profit that aims to encourage people to plant more native plants in their yards. The local effort […]
Some gardening jobs can be done most any time. But others need to happen at certain times if you don’t want to, say, freeze your tomatoes by planting them too soon or cut off your hydrangea flowers by pruning them at the wrong time. As we approach another new gardening season, it’ll […]