Horticulture

Have you ever said to yourself “I’d love to get a computer, if only I could figure out how to use it.” Well, you’re not alone. Computers were supposed to make our lives simpler, but they’ve gotten so complicated that they are not worth the trouble. W

IS IT POSSIBLE to fall in love with a plant? I think it is, because Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) have charmed me since the first time I saw them one late April morning as I was driving a country lane in Berks County, Pa. A flash of blue o

IF IT’S HARD for you to push a shovel into your garden’s soil, it’s even harder for plant roots to penetrate it. Soil scientists refer to this as soil compaction, or compressed soil that is reduced in volume. Soils are composed of three major things:

THE CUCUMBER is a heat-loving vegetable that is seeded or transplanted after the last spring frost. For many gardeners, that’s their only planting of cucumbers. In my garden, I plant cucumbers two to three times for the longest season of high-quality

IN 2016 AND 2017, my corner of the Internet was brightened by the delightful story of Tim Wong, a young scientist who devotes his off time to restoring the California pipevine swallowtail to San Francisco’s parks and gardens. Following his efforts, p

FOR MOST OF MY LIFE I have driven past assorted turf farms in the South County area of Rhode Island, where I live. They are pleasant to gaze upon in all seasons of the year but look especially vibrant in spring and fall. Though my lawn has always bee

I love gladiolus. I freaking adore them. I grow them by the hundreds. I cut armloads of them and fill vases with them. Now, I know what you are thinking. For real, I do, because I spend a lot of my time giving talks to garden clubs, plant societies a

Meditation, the ancient practice of gaining clarity through mindfulness, is quickly taking root in popular culture. There are apps that remind us to breathe, yoga poses to connect mind and body and podcasts to help center our thoughts. Though there a

The fact that Treetop offered no place to “dig in” was fine with Roxana Robinson when she was just a summer visitor to the Litchfield County, Conn., property. But ownership opened up a whole new relationship. Standing back and looking at her beloved

Quite visible on the underside of the lower wing of this dark-form female is a large patch of pollen that has become attached, most likely while the butterfly flapped her wings as she sipped nectar from a flower. Nearby this phlox cluster grew a grou

IT’S ASTONISHING how little effect the ravages of time and the daily travails of living with me have had on my very sweet but legendarily stubborn wife, Michele. Any marriage expert will tell you going in to never expect to change your spouse, and in

For some gardeners, snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) is one of those flowers that evokes memories of their parents’ or grandparents’ garden. It is a nostalgic plant that can foster an emotional tie to the past, and it’s also quite useful. Tall varietie