Latest Gardening News
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...
How to care for a potted lily and other gift plants
If you celebrated Easter last weekend, you might be reading this beside a cellophane- or foil-covered pot of lilies, hydrangeas, hyacinths or daffodils. Typically, spring gift plants like these are enjoyed until their flowers fade, and then are thrown away like stale Peeps. But, if...
Not all vegetables are annuals. Here are some that come back year after year
Most vegetables grown in home gardens are annuals. They wither and die at the end of the season and need to be replanted every year to reap more crops. But if you’re short on time or money, don’t want to be bothered with yearly planting or want to try something new, I’ve got...
Just-introduced annuals and perennials add something new to the garden
It's a special kind of joy that only a gardener could understand. I always get an extra spring in my step when nurseries begin stocking the year’s new plant introductions. 2024 brings new annuals and perennials that will make any plant lover bloom from ear to ear. These are some...
It's not what St. Patrick used, but today's three-leaved shamrock can make a nice houseplant
St. Patrick is believed to have used a three-leaf clover to explain the complexity of the Trinity to nonbelievers in 5th century Ireland. Ever since, the shamrock has been revered by the Irish and held as a symbol of good luck. The word shamrock is derived from the Celtic word...
