As temperatures drop, a dangerous grandmotherly impulse takes hold of many gardeners. The infamous urge to stuff their beloved (plants) with one last, huge meal before they go dormant. Stop right there, Gramma! Put down that fertilizer shaker now. Save the heavy feeding for the select few who are actually still working. Why Most Plants…
As the last colorful petals drop, your chrysanthemums begin their slow descent into plant purgatory. Most people would see this as a sign to say goodbye, but not you. Instead of tossing them on the compost heap with the rest of this year’s bad decisions, what if you could give them a second life? Now…
Rose care in the fall is a thorny subject. If your rose had its way, it would probably whisper, “I’ll never let go, Jack. I’ll never let go”. Should you, by chance, prune incorrectly, you will soon feel like you are standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of your lungs, and no…
A moldy fruitcake leftover? That’s hardly the peak of holiday disappointment. The true Christmas anticlimax is when your Schlumbergera refuses to Schlumbergera. It’s not for lack of trying, though. It’s for lack of darkness, proper temperature, and perhaps too little (tough) love. If a stern talking-to, then begging on your knees hasn’t worked, welcome to…
At one moment, your poinsettia was whole and bold, and now it looks like it’s gone through a hole and is bald. What happened? Poinsettias are overly sensitive to their surroundings, like an introvert with social anxiety. Before you too panic and toss the poor thing into the compost heap, know this. They are not…
Perennials are the good kids of every garden. Reliable, low-maintenance, appearing clean and nice smelling in the spring with no fuss. Then they hit their version of puberty, the annual growth cycle, and suddenly things get complicated. While you cannot simply wish away the winter, ten common plant parenting mistakes keep your sweet garden kids…