This month I’m looking at what can happen when private gardeners take their passion public. Streissguth Gardens is a private/public enterprise that could be duplicated in neighborhoods all over the country. Recently, I went for an urban hike with friends on the east side of Seattle’s Lake Union. On Blaine Street, we arrived at a […]

Mulch: the magic M-word that every gardener should know and practice, in the garden and even in the conservatory. Why mulch? Some may think that mulch is just cosmetic, improving the looks of a garden. That it does, but it’s main attraction is far more complex­­—and interactive set of attributes that keep the garden looking […]

Gardeners have a different perspective on the weather than most people. We are cheered by July downpours and winter storms that spread insulating snow. We love cool, wet springs that lengthen bloom time, while other people are anxiously waiting for the year’s first shorts-and-T-shirt day. Stretches of hot summer days may delight children and beachgoers, […]

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow” is an old adage loaded with meaning, but one with special significance, I think, for us gardeners, knowing as we do that every garden begins with a seed. Seed can be “seed money” that lets us purchase a plot of land or rent space in a community garden. Seed […]

When summer arrives in Rhode Island, I move everything out of my greenhouse in preparation for a cleaning blitz, including window cleaning. It’s easy to clean the outside of the windows year-round because no plants are in the way. But when the greenhouse is full, cleaning the inside of the windows is difficult because access […]

South Africa is a cornucopia of exciting plants, perfect candidates for the greenhouse or the garden in warmer parts of the U.S. Knowing and growing these rarely featured varieties opens up a whole new world of interesting designs. This month I’m talking to Sylvia Lukach, founder of Cape Lily, Floral Design and Travel. She’s originally […]

Who watched the Royal Wedding? Who felt a tear in their eye as we learned that Meghan Markle’s simple-bunch bouquet contained flowers that were favorites of Princess Diana, picked – and here’s the kicker – in the castle garden by Prince Harry? Now that is saying something! Flowers have long had all sorts of symbolic […]

One of the first things you learn when working in a greenhouse is that long-handled tools can be a problem in such an enclosed space. While the tool’s working end is where you want it, the other end may knock pots off shelves, damage plants, or even break window panes. The only long-handled tool I […]

People rejoice in the summer sun and plants respond with lush growth. But there can be too much of a good thing. I’ve recently been reminded of that. My houseplants spend the summer every summer in the fresh air and sweet breezes of my yard, in the shade of buildings and trees. This year, I […]

It’s the season when our gardens are overflowing with flowers. So, I asked garden writer and photographer Janet Davis to share her delightful tips for creating wearable floral art. And with a greenhouse, you don’t even have to wait for the bountiful season. You could get this look year-round. Here’s how she does it.   […]

Spring has finally sprung and the plants are springing out of the soil. Some will spring farther than others, so this is the time when I’m thinking about tying and support. Inside the conservatory, climbing plants are relatively easy to deal with. They’re in pots, so you can stick a little trellis right in the […]

Gardening in the steppes of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region is a constantly rising learning curve. I dream of a garden-enclosing greenhouse along the lines of the Eden Project, or maybe a dome like the one at the fabulously revived Des Moines Botanical Center. May has been a particularly trying month, with an endless […]