Lots of new houseplants (gift and otherwise) show up in living rooms this time of year, which can spell bad news for curious pets. And I’m not talking poinsettias either. Many popular holiday plants are toxic to dogs and cats, including peace lily, amaryllis, mistletoe, cyclamen, and lilies, says Anastasia Zygarowicz, who writes […]
Two springs ago, I took a shot at growing what’s known as “sedum carpet” – a tray of short, dense, perennial, creeping sedums of several varieties. They’re cut into pieces and intended as a fast, weed-preventing way to cover the ground, especially in hot, sunny areas where you need something short, such as […]
If you’re back in the traveling game again, you’ll find several good gardening destinations on a trip into America’s Midwest. I’m just back from leading a Lowee’s tour that took us through Nashville, into St. Louis, and back through Louisville and Columbus. We ogled a diverse group of visit-worthy gardens at each place. […]
Runoff from farms and factories is a key source of water pollution that ends up draining into the Chesapeake Bay, where it’s long harmed the health of aquatic life. But runoff from the fertilizers that go on our ample acreage of home lawns also is a contributor – an estimated 14 percent of […]
When we last left the new “mini-meadow” experimental planting on my backyard bank in late May, the seeds were just sprouting. Germination of the 27 different seed varieties was good, and the bed looked promising. By the first week of June, most everything was up and growing at about two inches tall. […]
Last week I zeroed in on my list of gardening jobs that I’m not too crazy about doing – the ones that will be the first that I farm out as age forces me to scale back. This week it’s time to look at the seven jobs that I like most – in […]
As I was finishing off the last few bucketfuls of my most recent 10-yard load of mulch, my back reminded me why I’m not a fan of this labor-heavy activity. Mulching might be great for discouraging weeds and keeping moisture in the soil, but it’s not much fun. “Brutal” better describes it […]
Those of you who wanted the Philadelphia Flower Show to go back inside after two years of COVID-forced outdoor shows will be getting your wish. The 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show will take place March 4-12, 2023, inside its former home of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets in center-city Philly. […]
Deer-plagued gardeners employ lots of tricks that supposedly work to keep deer from devouring the landscape. I’m here today to cross three more of them off the list. I don’t know if my deer are smarter, hungrier, or more persistent than the average deer, but my furry eating machines seem to be […]
One of the best ways to continually improve a landscape is to take stock of how things are going each year and then make changes and additions based on what you like – and don’t like. September is an excellent time to do this “inspecting of the troops.” It’s good timing because […]