Latest Gardening News
Why you should take steps if you see a grayish powder on your plants. It's powdery mildew
As the growing season progresses, keep an eye out for a white or grayish-white powder on your plants. That’s powdery mildew, a fungus that affects a wide range of fruits, vegetables and flowers, coating their leaves, stems, blossoms and, in severe cases, entire plants. It isn’t pretty. ...
If your soil's no good or you don't have any, grow your garden plants in straw bales
If you’d like to install a raised bed but don’t have the resources to build one, you can achieve the same effect by growing your plants in straw bales. It’s also a great option for those with poor soil or who don’t have a patch of dirt to call their own. Typically used as...
How to turn a supermarket bouquet into a lusher, more personalized flower arrangement
If your heart is telling you to give someone a luxurious bouquet of flowers, but your wallet is telling you to shop at the supermarket, fear not: With a bit of imagination and creativity, you can transform a simple, low-cost bouquet into a stunning floral arrangement. Jennifer...
Making cut flowers last well beyond Mother's Day
There’s nothing quite like receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. They can cheer up a room, bring a bit of nature indoors and, if you’re lucky, release a heavenly fragrance. But nothing kills that vibe quicker than stinky, slimy, wilted flowers poking out of a vase full of...
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
NEW YORK (AP) — The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage. Lopez went for silver leaves in a second-skin goddess gown and Zendaya...
Flowers aren't the only way to add color to a garden. How to paint with foliage
When we want to add color to the garden, most of us set our sights on flowers. But many leaf-forward plants can outlast and even outcompete those with colorful blossoms. For starters, foliage plants don’t wax and wane or have a limited bloom time. In addition, many can brighten up...
Book Review: Novelist Amy Tan shares love of the natural world in 'The Backyard Bird Chronicles'
Birdwatching has become a cherished pastime for many since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people stuck at home for months looked out their windows for entertainment and immersed themselves into the natural world, many of them for the first time. Best-selling novelist Amy...
The problem with leaf blowers, and what you can do instead
When I was a kid, I used to help my mother clear leaves the old-fashioned way — with a rake. These days, I don’t see many rakes in my neighborhood. It seems everyone has a leaf blower or a landscaper who uses one, often at ungodly hours, which disrupts humans as well as...
'Foodscaping' slips vegetables in among the flowers for visual appeal in the garden
I recently started my seeds – tomatoes, cucuzza squash, climbing zucchini, golden beets, Florida cranberries, nasturtiums, zinnias, edelweiss, various herbs and Roma beans. They barely fit on my kitchen counter, which becomes a transient nursery every spring. Come planting time,...
The garden's waking up again. Spring chores to tackle first
As trees, shrubs, perennials and insects enter a new phase of life in our gardens, we, too, emerge from a type of dormancy in spring, a pause from yard work. Well, buckle up, buttercups. It’s showtime. First, inspect and assess the garden for safety. Have any tree...