I see hydrangeas in so many gardens lately. Did they become a new status symbol while I was outside… taking care of my own hydrangeas? Everyone seems to have one now, but not everyone knows what to do with it once May shows up with warmer days, fast new growth, and the first signs of…
What do we do when we’re desperate for a reset? I declutter my closet. You get a haircut. Our plants aren’t much different. By May, some are begging for a tidy-up, a little shaping, or a fresh start. It’s not just a spring thing, but it is about renewal. And let’s be honest, we all…
Plants are biologically programmed to reproduce and then retire. To keep the show going, you must intervene. When we deadheading, we’re removing the spent blooms before the plant can focus fully on seed production, encouraging it to make more flowers instead. Is it a form of garden gaslighting? Darn, I think it might be. Now…
A peony without support is like a celebrity without an agent, a total catastrophe. Come spring, they crave attention, nutrients, and a bit of firm discipline. Feed them, prop them up, and hope they forgive your intrusion as they chase their moment of glory. Here are the eight tasks I do on my peonies each…
Waiting for perfect weather is an April fool’s errand. You can either get in the dirt now or spend the rest of the season apologizing to your empty dinner plate. Anyway, a shovel in hand beats a grocery store receipt every time. Here are some of the best cold-hardy vegetables to plant in April before…
I spent too much money at the nursery just to go home and pinch the tops off. It feels wrong. It feels wasteful. Yet, here we are. Early-season pinching is often the only thing standing between us and a floppy garden later on. If you’re not sure which plants actually benefit from this, we put…