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Fall-Blooming Heathers for Autumn Color
In all the time I’ve been designing gardens, I have never had anyone tell me, “please, no heathers!”. Thank goodness, because heathers are my secret weapon for extending any season’s interest. By the end of summer many perennials have stopped blooming, but the winter bloomers and fall colors haven’t started in earnest to continue the…
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Rubber Mulch: Where the Rubber Meets the – Soil?
At Costco recently, I was happy to see some acquaintances coming out of the garden section, until… what in the WORLD was in their cart? It looked like bags of mulch, but… wrong somehow. They patiently explained to this landscaper that recycled rubber mulch is the newest thing and would look very pretty in their…
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How to Summer-Prune a Floppy Miscanthus Grass (Video Tutorial)
I’m a big fan of ornamental grasses because they add so much motion and life to a garden. If you use multiples, they’re an easy way of bringing a sense of continuity to a busy or scattered-feeling garden, because the effect of their foliage is so soothing. Miscanthus is a favorite because it grows so…
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How to Prune Hydrangeas (Video Tutorial)
I love Bigleaf Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla), the traditional garden Hydrangea with either big mophead flowers or the subtler lacecap flowerheads. Most gardens have a Hydrangea or two tucked in, and why not? As long as they have composty soil and get watered regularly, they make a fantastic show of blooms with very little effort on…
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Worthy of a Re-Read: Seven Favorite Articles From Around The Web
(Photo inspired by Luke of Callus and Chlorophyll, below!) Daffodil Planter, one of the funniest new writers on the garden blogging scene, tagged me to write a list of seven things about myself. Not wanting to hog the spotlight, I instead decided to shine the light on seven of the gardening articles I have read…
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How to Deadhead Mexican Bush Sage or Salvia leucantha (Video Tutorial)
I shot this video in December, when this Salvia was at the end of its blooming season and just starting to think about going dormant, but the advice for how to deadhead and prune it is still great for summer. Right now, many of the Mexican Bush Sages in the gardens that I maintain are…
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Your Gardening Body: Using Loppers Safely Without Pain or Strain
Anne Asher, a movement specialist from The MOVE! Blog, has been kind enough to answer some common questions about how professional and/or passionate gardeners can reduce the strain that comes from repetitive gardening tasks. Here’s the first one: Dear Anne, By September, many trees and shrubs have grown out of bounds and finished blooming, so…
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Amy Stewart’s Wicked Plants Talk at Arcata’s Northtown Books
I had a blast recently seeing Amy Stewart speak in person at our local bookstore about her book, Wicked Plants. I’d seen her previously at our local garden show, but this was even cooler because the bookstore owner provided some wicked drinks for us all – gin and tonics using a fancy tonic water with…
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Plants VS Zombies: An Addictive Gardening Video Game
I think of video games as mostly time-wasters and try to avoid them, but every so often one comes along that is so extremely fun that it’s hard to resist. Plants VS Zombies hits two of my favorite things – the ridiculous charm and kitsch of zombies combined with the over-the-top sunniness of plants. You…
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Time in a Garden and Seasonal Changes
Gardening Gone Wild is holding their monthly Garden Blogger’s Design Workshop, and this month’s topic, Time in a Garden, gave me a great excuse to go through some of my pictures and see how things evolve and change over the seasons and years. What did I discover? Well, for one, I don’t usually take photos…
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Dr Leda Horticulture: Dr. Leda and the Rose Snobs
I’m honored and pleased to be able to share with you the writing of my favorite garden humorist, Dr Leda Horticulture. Regan Nursery, the finest place to buy bare root roses online, and a gorgeous full-service garden center serving the San Francisco Bay Area, has given us permission to reprint Dr Leda’s articles from their…