Hydrangeas wilt because they lose water through those massive leaves faster than their roots can replace it, especially during hot, sunny afternoons. It happens almost as quickly as my favorite uncle can empty a bottle of brandy, so I know exactly how you feel right now. Nothing can replace proper hydration, but there are a…
Midsummer gardening isn’t a nurturing hobby; it’s a corporate restructuring. Once their first round of blooms fades, plenty of perennials start sending resources into seed production instead of fresh flowers. Fire the spent upper growth on the right plants now or face a fall bankrupt of flowers. The Three Degrees of Pruning Violence To make…
Are your summer beds looking a little re-seed-ing? Between the scorching sun, spent blooms, and stems sagging into their neighbors, no wonder things look ready to bolt. I’m going to show you how cutting the right plants back after their first flush can encourage fresh basal growth, tidy up the border, and sometimes bring on…
There are two types of clematis: dead ones and those owned by gardeners who know how to keep them happy through summer. Whichever kind of plant parent you’ve been, you’re here now, so there’s still hope. We also wrote a guide on spring clematis care so you can get the vine off to a strong start before…
Nasturtiums are edible, water-repellent oddballs, famous for making raindrops bead up and roll across their leaves like tiny marbles. They’re keepers. I advise taking a few home. They don’t even expect dinner first. In fact, feeding them too generously is one of the fastest ways to end up with a mountain of leaves and hardly…
Summer’s in full force, and your cosmos are tall enough to swat down drones. Does it look like six-foot radioactive celery? No flowers, just aggressive green entitlement? Or claims AncestryDNA results of 50% Daisy, 50% Shrek? Gotcha. Here’s how to get them back on track. Why Are My Cosmos All Leaves? Your plants look healthy…