Water 600 Plants in Less Than an Hour, a Minute, a Second!
No, no, there’s no fire! But there are hundreds of plants that need watering! I’m a houseplant maniac. I’m toldContinue 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.
Answers to Our Questions: To Prune or Not to Prune Shrubs After Flowering
Question Should I prune shrubs after they’ve bloomed? Answer In some books, you’ll be told, for almost any shrub, toContinue Reading
A Blue Christmas…
Or purple. Or yellow. That’s what’s on offer from the most unusual colored poinsettias – blue, purple, yellow, orange, candyContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Moving a Weeping Fig Tree
Question My weeping fig tree (Ficus benjamina) was moved for the second time in July and is in a badContinue Reading
Living Dead Amaryllis… on Sale Now!
There seems to be no limit to the atrocities to which merchants will subject plants in order to make aContinue Reading
An Amaryllis for Christmas
One of the most alluring flowers we can grow in our homes is the amaryllis (Hippeastrum), a large bulb thatContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Is Pruning Dappled Willows Necessary in Autumn?
Question I’ve planted a dappled willow (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’). Should I prune it in autumn? How much fertilizer shouldContinue Reading
To keep your pots and planters in good condition
Flowering is essentially over for the season… at least outdoors! But there are still a few things to do inContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: What to Do With an Old “Cedar” Hedge?
Question We have a cedar hedge that was probably planted when the house was built 40 years ago. It reachesContinue Reading
Winter Protection for Bigleaf Hydrangeas
I get a lot of questions about bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), which people here call blue hydrangea, because that’s itsContinue Reading