2020: Year of the Lantana
Every year, the National Garden Bureau, a non-profit organization promoting the pleasures of home gardening, selects one annual, one perennial, oneContinue 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.
Will the Real Marigold Please Stand Up?
Both of these are marigolds, but are in fact very different plants. Tagetes patula (left) and Calendula officinalis (right). CommonContinue Reading
Moths: The Forgotten Pollinators
Moths often pollinate the same flowers as bees, but at night. Photo: Aditidutttyagi10, Wikimedia Commons One side of the LepidopteraContinue Reading
Firefighters Save Rare Wollemi Pine From Extinction in the Wild
Firefighter working to save the Wollemi pine. Photo: Sydney Morning Herald The horrible brushfires racing through Australia in late 2019/earlyContinue Reading
Grow Stevia and Stick It to the Man!
Photo: www.splenda.com I recently saw a very funny television commercial about Splenda Naturals brand Stevia called “The sweetest thing youContinue Reading
Seed Swap Day
Photo: Shuswap Seed Swap Yes, today, January 25, 2020, is Seed Swap Day … and I just found out aboutContinue Reading
Night Breathers: CAM Photosynthesis
Ill.: www.sublimesucculents.com & www.clipart.email, montage: laidbackgardener.blog Do you remember how photosynthesis works from your biology class in high school? If not, here’s aContinue Reading
White Walls Make Plants Happy
With white walls, plants profit from abundant light. Photo: Le Sirenuse Do you feel your houseplants aren’t getting enough light?Continue Reading
Quiz: Name That Seed!
Photo: www.rp-group.bg Every seed is different. There are some 300,000 seed-bearing plant species (angiosperms and gymnosperms) on this planet and each one hasContinue Reading
Houseplants That Won’t Poison Kids or Pets
Ill.: clipart-library.com, montage: laidbackgardener.blog The following plants are considered non-toxic for humans, dogs and cats and can therefore be safelyContinue Reading