Today we’re off to Laufersweiler, Germany, to see Dani’s beautiful garden. I am sending some photos of my little rose garden. I am an American living in Germany and have become a plant hoarder. My garden is 15 years old, only one-tenth of an acre, and already is stuffed with 385 roses, hundreds of bulbs,
Garden Design
It’s best to let seeds ripen on plants until they are almost ready to disperse on their own. Any seed harvested too early will not be viable. Seeds usually change color (from light to dark) when they are ready to be harvested. Cut off the entire stem containing the spent flower head or the entire
We’re out on the road again with friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong, who has sent in photos of another of the many beautiful gardens she’s had the chance to visit this year. Today I’m sharing some photos of this charming garden we serendipitously found on our road trip on Vancouver Island this August. The
Nothing says fall in the garden more than the sight of ornamental grasses pluming. It goes right along with all other things that signal the season change—the kids going back to school, pumpkin spice everything, and turning the heat on for the first time. Gardeners seem to have a love/hate relationship with ornamental grasses. They
One of the first chores to undertake in the spring garden is cleanup. For perennials, this mainly consists of cutting back any spent stems and foliage from the previous year and clearing away debris that might have accumulated. You can do this anytime, really, but if you are a bit unsure, wait until you see
Winning Tip: Propagating winter basil plants from cuttings Before my basil plants succumb to freezing temperatures, I take several cuttings about 4 inches long and remove all but two or three of the leaves. I place the cuttings in a clear drinking glass with filtered water that I refresh every few days, and in less
My name is Mary Harkacz, and my garden is located in northeastern Ohio. I’ve been gardening for over 30 years, but I’ve worked on this one for over 20! It really is one of my greatest passions. The patio is our favorite backyard lounge spot. I love trying something new here every year. In the
Hello, this is Peggy Rupert from Brookings, Oregon, on the coast. You have twice published my garden (Giant Snapdragons!, and Gardening on the Oregon Coast). I am sending you photos of a friend’s garden because I believe you and your readers will be as amazed as I am how my friend, Vickie Jewell, 70 years
Cherry Ong, friend of the GPOD, has enjoyed traveling to wonderful gardens lately and sharing incredible photos with us, so we’re starting today what is going to be a semi-regular Friday feature, “Where’s Cherry,” featuring her visits to inspiring gardens. Today she’s taking us to Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia—more specifically, the Japanese
My name is Hayden Brown, and I am a 28-year-old gardener in Hillsboro, Oregon, Zone 8. Having grown up on a farm, gardens and the outdoors were a huge part of my childhood. I was often tasked with weeding the vegetable patch and spreading mulch, so it was a special treat to accompany Grandma to
My name is Linda Corinaldi. This is my second year sending my photos to you (previous post is here: Putting Down Roots, at Last). In a normal year here in West Vancouver, British Columbia, we have summers with pleasant temperatures, never very hot. This summer we had heat like the West Coast has never felt
Today we’re visiting Kathleen Hooper’s garden. When my family and I moved from two acres in Connecticut to our Winnetka, Illinois (near Chicago) house, I inherited a small landscaped yard. My plan was to turn the space into a garden where my family and friends could enjoy sitting around the fire and dining outdoors. There
Today we’re visiting with Carol Verhake. Here in Berwyn, Pennsylvania (Zone 6b/7a), I continue to expand my 21-year-old garden. I have replaced the lawn with planting beds in many areas and changed the design in some spots to include new plants and to reorganize existing ones. My favorite new space is in the front of
Since the Let’s Argue About Plants podcast is based in New England, we know all about fall color. This time of year is a favorite for most of our staffers, with the native sugar maples turning bright red and the birch trees shifting to brilliant yellow. But this episode is all about the unsung heroes
Today we’re in Cincinnati, Ohio, visiting with Erin Houlihan. This garden has developed over 34 years in a very small urban lot. It has evolved from challenges, and it is very unique. I have no grass and tend it all organically. The backyard has been challenged by the large pin oaks in back, which provide
Today we’re in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, visiting Susan Simperfender’s garden. I’m a self-taught gardener who has benefited from advice from locals, friends, and our local nursery—and Fine Gardening! It’s been about 15 years of cultivating all you see here. I got especially passionate about 2010 when things were quite hard and
My name is Teresa Cody. I live in the mountains of North Carolina. When I first started gardening I didn’t know a perennial from an annual. I just knew I loved flowers and wanted to learn all I could. My garden is where I can escape for 15 minutes or six hours. It’s my happy
Today we’re visiting with Kim Herdman, in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada, who has had a difficult gardening year. Fortunately, many of the plants managed to pull through and perform anyway. This year was again a series of challenges in the garden. We had a cold spring with late frosts. There were quite a few
Many modern landscapes are small. The amount of space we have to garden is shrinking as people want the blend of suburban life along with the conveniences of city living. Even where space might be available, a lot of avid gardeners still have other interests and obligations leaving less time to cultivate a large plot.
Welcome to Dale Coulter’s garden in Sutton, Massachusetts. I have always wanted a greenhouse to be my next gardening challenge. I have been an avid gardener for years, starting simply after going on a garden tour with a friend. Then, over the years, my “I can do that” brain took over. I have multiple garden
People flock to fall color hot spots every year to experience the best the season has to offer. The deciduous trees that grow across North America rarely disappoint. Year after year, expectations are met as familiar colors usher in the end of another season. We admire the fall displays in our native forests partly because
Having grown up in New England, I realize I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to the notion of “fall color.” The native forests covering much of the area can generally be counted upon to put on quite a show. I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t know here, but the fact remains
Most insects raise no concern when spotted in the garden. In fact, many are welcome guests that we invite with an array of plants they love to visit. But we gardeners know well that there are insects that can do some major damage to plants, some even on a massive scale. No matter where you
Regular GPOD contributor Cherry Ong has been sharing some incredible gardens she visited this year. I had a chance to visit some gardens on Vancouver Island this August. One of them was Milner Gardens, an impressive natural estate garden. This garden has a different flavor from the usual floriferous gardens that we see, and I
We’re visiting Patsy Lahue’s Colorado garden today. This garden is built in several levels with these beautiful brick retaining walls. I love how this allows all the plants to shine, because those in the back aren’t blocked by those in the front. Looking along the garden from the side, you can see just how lush
This video shows how to make a sustainable hypertufa container. These troughs are typically molded using a mixture of portland cement, perlite, and peat moss, but in this tutorial, I’ll be working with coconut coir as a more sustainable replacement for the peat moss. I’ll also be using a sand mold method to shape my
Today’s photos are from James Mahar. We own 21.5 acres in Washington State dedicated to wildlife, including a 20,000-square-foot spot specifically for pollinators. Here are a few photos. This area is packed with flowers that pollinators love. You don’t have to choose between a garden that is beautiful and one that is good for pollinators,
Today we’re in Raleigh, North Carolina, visiting with John Matthews. I have put together an entire deck on the garden, going from muddy grass to what it is today. There is even an 85-yard golf hole on the property that I have built in the last few years. It’s hard to imagine this was muddy
My name is Katy, and I garden in Zone 7B, in Tsawwassen British Columbia, Canada, just south of Vancouver. We have a modified Mediterranean climate with heavy winter rainfall and hot, dry summers—this year, complete with a heat dome. I have gardened on this suburban plot for 20 years. Our soil is sandy and free-draining,
Who doesn’t love buying the flashy new plant that catches everyone’s eye at the nursery? Or the plant that’s just outside your hardiness zone but has always taunted you with fantastic foliage and/or out-of-this-world flowers? Gardeners aren’t ones to always play it safe, but as Richie Steffen mentions in his article on tough perennials, “Planning