Nature spares no mercy for beginners, yet zinnias are on your side. They want to live, bloom and outshine just about everything else you’ve planted. I’m sharing the eight tips that’ll make your neighbors wonder what kind of flower wizardry you’re pulling off. Here’s a bonus tip: stop overthinking it. Tip 1: Variety Selection Most…
I suppose the bulb growers have already done their part once those tulips land in your cart, and your local garden center probably feels the same once they hand you the receipt. But I do care what happens next. Let others treat tulip bulbs like a one-season fling. If you want to give yours the…
I see hydrangeas in so many gardens lately. Did they become a new status symbol while I was outside… taking care of my own hydrangeas? Everyone seems to have one now, but not everyone knows what to do with it once May shows up with warmer days, fast new growth, and the first signs of…
What do we do when we’re desperate for a reset? I declutter my closet. You get a haircut. Our plants aren’t much different. By May, some are begging for a tidy-up, a little shaping, or a fresh start. It’s not just a spring thing, but it is about renewal. And let’s be honest, we all…
Plants are biologically programmed to reproduce and then retire. To keep the show going, you must intervene. When we deadheading, we’re removing the spent blooms before the plant can focus fully on seed production, encouraging it to make more flowers instead. Is it a form of garden gaslighting? Darn, I think it might be. Now…
A peony without support is like a celebrity without an agent, a total catastrophe. Come spring, they crave attention, nutrients, and a bit of firm discipline. Feed them, prop them up, and hope they forgive your intrusion as they chase their moment of glory. Here are the eight tasks I do on my peonies each…