Chestnut Trees for Canada
Fruits of the common chestnut (Castanea sativa). Photo: Exeter Trees Question: When I lived in France, we always collected chestnuts inContinue Reading
Author: Larry Hodgson
Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career.
Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.
Soil Your Underwear to Test Your Soil
Did you know that you can check the biological activity in your garden soil by burying cotton underwear in it?Continue Reading
SMA Urban Tree of the Year 2020
A huge specimen of common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). Photo: chadwickarboretum.osu.edu Every year, members of the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) nominate and voteContinue Reading
A Kitchen Tool for Your Cactus
Ill.: clipartmax.com & pikpng.com Spiny houseplants like cactus and euphorbias are awkward to handle. You reach you hand down toContinue Reading
Clover in the Lawn: From Friend to Weed to Friend Again!
How did such a wonderful plant as clover come to be considered a weed? Photo: life.shared.com Here’s a quick overviewContinue Reading
Terracotta or Plastic Pots for Succulents?
Ill.: leafandclay.co, montage laidbackgardener.blog Question: Is it better to use plastic or terracotta pots for succulents and cactus? C.T. Answer: This anContinue Reading
What is Urban Ecology and Why is it Important?
An article by Ryan Taylor of Colorado State University and representing the Sustainable Secure Food Blog In the summer of 2007,Continue Reading
Sansevieria: The November 2020 Houseplant of the Month
Photo: Thejoyofplants.co.uk, Styling by Elize Eveleens, Klimprodukties The Story of the Sansevieria The snake plant or sansevieria (Sansevieria trifasciata) isContinue Reading
The Toxic Plants Garden: A Halloween Discovery
A toxic tree, poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), rises above the Toxic Plants Garden in its striking Halloween colors. Photo: JardinContinue Reading
Help! My Bulbs Are Upside Down
Even if you plant bulbs upside down, they won’t grow downward. Photo: pngfind.com, freepsdfilescom & wayfair.com Question: I planted 40 tulipContinue Reading