A (part of the) secret to a low-effort yet beautiful garden lies in a concept called “hardiness,” which is a fancy way of asking, “Will this plant survive winter?” For us resourceful gardeners, it is the foundation of planting native. Native wildflowers are meant to succeed in your space because they’ve been there for centuries….
The sun is ghosting us, the days are shorter, and most garden coaches are screaming, “Stop feeding your plants!” Why? When the light is right and the temperatures stay steady, many indoor tropicals look at the calendar and scoff at the mere idea of dormancy. Forcefeeding a sleeping plant is rude, but starving a wide-awake…
As temperatures drop, a dangerous grandmotherly impulse takes hold of many gardeners. The infamous urge to stuff their beloved (plants) with one last, huge meal before they go dormant. Stop right there, Gramma! Put down that fertilizer shaker now. Save the heavy feeding for the select few who are actually still working. Why Most Plants…
As the last colorful petals drop, your chrysanthemums begin their slow descent into plant purgatory. Most people would see this as a sign to say goodbye, but not you. Instead of tossing them on the compost heap with the rest of this year’s bad decisions, what if you could give them a second life? Now…
Some people say good things come to those who wait, but some apparently haven’t tried cheating nature. Forcing branches is the clever technique where you snip dormant limbs from your yard, bring them inside, soak, and watch blossoms appear right on your kitchen counter. Consider this your official invitation to skip the line to spring….
Autumn arrives, and suddenly, everybody wants to nap. The trees are shedding, the garden’s giving up, your cat is already in snail-mode curling up, and the world is demanding a six-month break. Not on your watch! Why wait for spring when you can stage a Crocus d’état right now? Get ready to discover which bulbs…