I remember being younger and watching my mom go out into the garden in January and February, pruning plants while it was freezing cold. At the time, it made no sense to me. Everything looked dormant and lifeless. Now I do the exact same thing… Winter pruning isn’t about forcing growth early. It’s about lightly…
Your fruit trees are your friends who need a pro stylist but insist they can do it themselves. Of course, they can’t. By late February, their branches look like a jumbled collection of poor decisions and vertical ambition. You need to intervene. Or not, if you own a jetpack and prefer compote that tastes like…
Orchids don’t bloom well by accident. Over the years, I’ve learned that consistent feeding matters far more than occasional watering or guesswork. A quick splash of tap water isn’t enough to support healthy growth or reliable flowering. Orchids need nutrients delivered in the right way, at the right time, and in the right amounts. What…
Look closely at the detritus currently occupying your yard: tangled, brown, leggy. Left to their own devices, certain tenants of your garden believe they are popular enough to drag that look into summer. The audacity of nature. Besides, they’re wrong. They require a rigorous lesson in sophistication before springtime. Time to sharpen your pedagogical approach….
When January rolled around, I used to think gardening was completely on hold. Cold weather and frozen soil made it feel like there was nothing to do. That turned out to be far from true. After experimenting with indoor seed starting, and comparing notes with family and friends in different zones, it became clear that…
Ancient civilizations probably didn’t obsess over hosta crowns, and thankfully, we don’t have to either. What matters is knowing how winter conditions affect your plants and what simple February tasks help hostas emerge strong in spring. I’ve learned through years of growing hostas in cold, wet winters that a few simple February checks make the…