Latest Gardening News
Fall cleanup in the garden doesn't mean what it used to
Cleaning up the garden — or “putting the garden to bed” — has traditionally been a fall endeavor. In recent years, however, as information about the migrating or hibernating habits of birds, pollinators and other beneficial wildlife has seeped into the mainstream, many gardeners are...
Summer vacation is over for houseplants, too. Time to repot them?
The best time to repot a houseplant is in spring, when its root system is actively growing and can quickly establish itself in its new home. But a fall repotting could be warranted if a plant has spent the summer outgrowing its container outdoors. Most species we consider houseplants...
Fall's the time to renovate your lawn. Here's how
If you’re growing cool-season grasses, like Kentucky or Canada bluegrass, ryegrass, or tall or fine fescues, and your lawn has been thinning, patchy or discolored, now is the time to do something about it. Those hardy turfgrasses, commonly used in Canada and the northern two-thirds...
Got pruning remorse? How to fill in those bare spaces
After 20 years of growth, some of the ever-widening, 40-foot-tall Leyland cypress trees running along my backyard property line are blocking the walkway. A simple trim is not an option because only the outermost foot or two of each branch is needled, and more than that would have to...
AP PHOTOS: Partial reopening of the Rubens House in Antwerp gives glimpse of painter's life
ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — The city palace of Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens is partly reopening this weekend, allowing Antwerp to show off the life and work of perhaps its most famous citizen. The Rubens House may not have as many paintings as Madrid's Prado museum or the canvas...
Archaeologists in Virginia unearth colonial-era garden with clues about its enslaved gardeners
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Archaeologists in Virginia are uncovering one of colonial America's most lavish displays of opulence: An ornamental garden where a wealthy politician and enslaved gardeners grew exotic plants from around the world. Such plots of land dotted Britain’s...
Summer may be winding down but the otherworldly shrub known as buttonbush still has time to shine
Fall is just around the corner, and some of my summer bloomers are beginning to wind down. But birds and other wildlife continue to need sustenance from plants, and I continue to need focal points in my garden. Fortunately, buttonbush, a sadly underused shrub, is filling both of our needs. ...
In many regions, it's time to start turning some of the garden over to fall vegetables
As I was digging up my golden beets last week, I realized it’s time to plant more, both here in my Zone 7, suburban New York garden and just about anywhere with at least three seasons and no freeze until after September. It’s time to harvest not just beets, but any remaining...
A greener getaway? Danish capital tests climate reward scheme for tourists
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Tourists visiting Copenhagen this summer are encouraged to participate in unusual kinds of vacation fun, including plucking floating trash from the Danish capital’s waterways, cycling to museums instead of going by car, or volunteering at an urban garden. ...
Playing matchmaker for your zucchini, and other tips for a summer garden favorite
Some of the most common questions I’m asked by backyard vegetable growers concern zucchini. The plants either produce like crazy, inspiring memes about gardeners anonymously leaving overflow harvests on their neighbors’ doorsteps, or they don’t produce any zucchini at all. ...
