Pruning hydrangeas has somehow earned a reputation for being ridiculously complicated. It really isn’t, once you know what kind of hydrangea you’re growing. Some bloom on old wood, some on new wood, and some on both. Get the timing wrong and, yep, you can accidentally cut off next season’s flowers. So let’s make this simple. I’ll…
Some perennials look completely harmless when you first plant them, but give them a few seasons and you may start wondering why they’re suddenly showing up everywhere except where you wanted them. Not all of these are invasive everywhere in the U.S., but they can still become a real headache. So, let’s look at 9 perennials you…
You spent all of July and August strutting around the yard showing off your fiery tropicals like you personally invented photosynthesis. But bragging season is officially winding down. By September is where real gardeners prove their worth, and to save the rhizomes for next year, you need to step between them and the first frost….
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…