December was a month of trying to get my winter garden tasks all done before the end of the year. Here it is January, and I have not completed all my December tasks. Getting everything done is something that I have never been able to do because a garden…
The National Garden Bureau has decreed that 2024 is the “Year of the African Violet”. Coming in January, generally a dark, cold month, this boost for a cheerful little plant couldn’t be more timely. Plant names can be great deceivers, but in the case of African violets…
Orchids will add a touch of glamour to those winter blue periods when you start counting the days until spring just for something to do. Most people have had only a passing acquaintance with an orchid, possibly as part of a corsage worn by you or your…
It seems as though many gardeners, including myself, are always on the lookout for a new and/or unusual plant. Even plants that might be known as not being winter-hardy are often worth a try. Gardeners living in the Pacific Northwest, and probably elsewhere as well, often use the phrase,…
Some apple varieties are just made for baking into pies. All good pie apples share several characteristics. Perhaps most crucial is a crisp firm texture that holds up well in the oven rather than melting into mush. A good baking apple also needs robust flavor that can compete with…
Halloween is over, except for a few stray candy bars and other remains. So why not get a jump on next year’s grotesquerie! Maybe what you need is a haunted perennial border, populated by plants with connections to the dark side. Plant some of the following, and you’ll have…
The five-alarm fall color of burning bush (Euonymus alatus) has won it a prominent place in gardens and landscape plantings throughout much of the U.S. since its introduction more than a century ago. Unfortunately, this large exotic shrub has also bullied its way into numerous natural areas, sometimes crowding…
The holiday season is the best and worst of times for gardeners’ friends and relatives. The list of potential gifts is large, but choosing presents that the gardener actually wants or needs can…
“What is the best soil to use when planting a container herb garden?” Question from Joanne of Ocala, Florida Answer: You are in luck! Herbs are some of the easiest plants you can grow, if given the right…
“What is the best practice to ensure a window-sill cilantro plant will thrive? I have a green thumb and can grow or rehab practically any plant/flower/herb/garden. However, each time I’ve purchased a cilantro plant, it wilts after a few months. I only water when dry. Thank you!” Question from…
“I am growing the same cucumbers this year as last year. Every cucumber this year looks beautiful but tastes very bitter and is inedible. I believe I am providing adequate water, though due to the heat the plants still wilt during the day. What can I do to improve…
“Is it possible to grow any vegetables indoors in a sunny room with a grow light? I live in NE PA, and we have long cold winters. I would love to grow veggies over the winter. I have a room that I think would work.” Question from Melanie or…
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