Since most roses are grafted, they can need some extra TLC to make it through the vagaries of winter, like cold, harsh winds, ground that freezes and thaws... and freezes ... Read More

I've always thought that fall was the easiest season to decorate. There are such beautiful colors and textures and almost everything is dried and everlasting. Even a bouquet ... Read More

Maybe it’s just my memories of Cinderella’s coach, but pumpkins always look to me like they’re about to come to life. They have a real fairy tale quality about ... Read More

I’m getting ready to fence in the plants that need protection for the winter. My blueberries get eaten to the ground, if I don’t enclose them. The same ... Read More

It was my dislike of clutter that first got me reading about feng shui. More to the point, it was an excuse to push me to get rid of ... Read More

dsl6625 was given some bags of pine sawdust and asked how long sawdust needs to compost before it’s garden ready? I can’t really give a length of time. ... Read More

Why wait until fall to have great fall color in the garden. Foliage has taken center stage in garden design and plant breeders are making sure we have plenty ... Read More

I mentioned last week that I like the tidiness of yew clipped yew shrubs, even if they’re shaped like meatballs or cupcakes. I saw some lantana plants trained ... Read More

It’s easy to become distracted in the fall, watching your plants go dormant and seeing summer slip away. But you’ve got to summon up a bit more enthusiasm before ... Read More

I’ve been so busy cleaning up in the garden I almost forgot to plant any bulbs, including garlic. At least I have plenty of open spaces for them, now ... Read More

I was pleased to see that the majority of people who responded to the poll “Are Mums Disposable Plants?” didn’t think so. So far, 67% of respondents plant their ... Read More

Never comment on how beautiful the hips are on a rose bush, unless the person you are with knows what rose hips are. They can become very insulted. ... Read More

Thank you so much, to everyone who sent in photos of this year’s gardening triumphs. It’s always fun to see what other gardeners are up to. Sometimes it’s ... Read More

Mums have taken over the gardens. It is amazing the way they suddenly start popping up here and there, until finally every house you pass has its blanket of ... Read More

No, I’m not pushing the seasons here. Tonyone wrote into the About Gardening Forum asking about a source for poinsettia seeds and I haven’t found one. Has ... Read More

Being a green gardener is even harder to define than being an organic gardener. Most of us love being out in nature, or we wouldn’t be gardening in the ... Read More

Fall can be such a sigh of relief. If you’re thrilled when the heat lets up, just think how your plants feel. There’s no central air conditioning for ... Read More

Most gardeners can’t resist the idea of a colorful or fragrant garden right near their entryway. So it seems odd that so many of us completely overlook the span ... Read More

Pansies are one of the joys of cool season gardening. We expect them to be one of the first flowers on the nursery shelves in the spring, but they're ... Read More

It’s time to plant the bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs are such a welcome sight after a long winter. But for that to happen, you have to plant them in ... Read More

Diana emailed me with an interesting question: “I save my geraniums from year to year in the basement. They tend to get misshapen and straggly. How often can I cut ... Read More