Flower Council of Holland photo of potted plants

Houseplant styling. Seriously.

March is slowly coming to an end but for gardeners in many parts of Canada actual gardening is still a good month or two away. So who among us, itching to get our hands on plants and dirt, have turned in desperation to our houseplants? There they sit, oblivious, while you come to the conclusion…

Now we can see plants communicate

We know that plants communicate. Childhood fairy tales taught us this way back in the day. And, in the last four or so decades, hard core, just-the-facts-ma’am researchers have proven that plants of all sorts, from weeds to willows, have means of transmitting chemical signals in order to attract pollinators or defend against predators. But…

Warming up to the why of gardening

Heat is important when you want to grow things in your garden. That’s pretty self evident, particularly when you’re staring out a window at a world covered in snow and ice. But I didn’t realize just how much heat affected growing things until digging deep (har, har) into my latest course on organic horticulture through…

Romancing the Limelights

There aren’t many “Top Performing Flowering Shrubs” lists these days that don’t include Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’. And for good reason. They’re easy to care for, widely available and offer a lot of shrub for the money–growing up to 8′ high and wide. But when it comes to ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas, there’s so much more to love. Let me…

Have s’more hellebores

Some people never have enough shoes. I believe you can never have enough hellebores. What’s not to love? They’re one of the first plants to bloom in early spring with elegant, long-lasting flowers, they have richly textured leaves and, once they’re established, are virtually care free. And did I mention you can grow them in…