Every October, millions of homeowners spend a Saturday wrestling leaves into bags, hauling them to the curb, and paying (with…
If there’s one task that quietly separates the gardeners who eat home-grown garlic next summer from the ones buying the…
Every October, garden centers roll out their bulb displays and everyone rushes home to jam tulips in the ground the…
Dahlias have been showing off all summer, and if yours are anything like mine, they’re still going strong right now.…
If your bearded irises bloomed like champs back in May and then just sort of sat there sulking all summer, there’s a good chance they’re overdue for a haircut — and I mean a real one, roots and all. Late July through August is prime time to dig up and divide bearded iris rhizomes, and…
You water in the morning, the soil is dark and damp, and by 3 p.m. your hydrangea looks like it’s begging for mercy. Leaves drooping, flower heads hanging low, the whole plant looking one bad day from the compost pile. Then you check it again at 7 p.m. and it’s perked right back up, like…
Every year I see the same thing happen: gardeners assume fall crops are a September project, then wonder in October why their broccoli never sized up before frost. Late July into early August is actually the window for a huge chunk of fall vegetables, especially if you’re direct-seeding instead of transplanting. Miss it and you’re…
Late July is peak watermelon season, and if you’ve got vines sprawling across a third of your garden right now, you’re probably standing over them at least once a day asking the same question: is it ready yet? Thumping it and hoping for the best is a time-honored tradition, but it’s also basically a guess…
If your lavender bloomed its heart out in June and is now looking a little tired and gray-green, that’s not a sign of failure. That’s just lavender being lavender. But the window you’re in right now, right after the main bloom flush and before fall’s cool-down really kicks in, is the single best time all…
If your rose bushes suddenly look like lace doilies, you’re not imagining things and you’re not alone. Late July is peak Japanese beetle season across most of the country, and these metallic little jerks have a very specific taste in real estate: roses, grapevines, linden trees, and anything in the rose family gets hit hardest.…
