We buy September mums because nothing says “healthy coping mechanism” like adopting something guaranteed to break your heart by November. Here are nine things I do to keep the flowers going as long as possible and give hardy mums a better shot beyond fall. Task 1: No More Pinching the Stems Pinching stem tips in…
Why did the spider mite cross the street? To get to your crisp, green cucumber patch, suck the sap from the leaves, and turn the leaves into a bronzed, webbed mess before you realize your harvest is slipping away. You expected a joke? No joking with August cucumber tasks! So here’s what I do to…
Your pepper patch worked hard all summer, and by August, I shift from simply keeping plants growing to helping them finish the season strong. Now it’s time for supervision, revision, and provision! The common thread through all these August pepper care tasks? Having a vision. (Also a guide, but it doesn’t rhyme.) Do-It-Right-Now Damage Control…
Once upon a time, there was a girl shorter than a hydrangea bush who asked her uncle how he turned the pink flowers blue. He told her he uses blue spray paint. Thirty-plus years later, she writes gardening guides. Thankfully, hydrangeas are a little less mysterious to me these days, and by the time you’ve…
In the pre-internet era, Victorians sometimes used flowers to send messages they didn’t want to put into words. According to some Victorian flower dictionaries, handing someone an azalea meant “Take care of yourself for me.” Turns out, old-timey suitors had the right idea. Azaleas demand that exact same protective energy right now. And in August, a…
Snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria trifasciata) are famous for putting up with a lot. Low light? Fine. Forgot to water for a while? They’ll probably forgive you. Ignore one in a corner? Somehow, it’s still alive and judging you. But surviving and actively growing are two different things. If you want yours to start producing pups,…