Lambsquarters: Edible, But Don’t Let It Near Your Veggies!
Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), also called goosefoot, is a common weed found all over the world. It has the advantage of beingContinue 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.
Eat Your Thinnings!
As your spring vegetable garden begins to fill in, you soon reach the stage where you’ll need to thin theContinue Reading
Dividing Perennials: Only When Needed
Many gardening books and Web sites insist on the importance of dividing perennials according to a specific schedule. For eachContinue Reading
A Gardener’s Guide to Avoiding Ticks
As warmer weather arrives and gardens burst into bloom, something not nearly as nice begins to threaten home gardeners: ticks.Continue Reading
20 Surprising Facts About Ladybugs
1. Ladybugs, also called ladybirds, are not true bugs (Hemiptera family)… and certainly aren’t birds either! They’re small beetles ofContinue Reading
Pre-Sprout for Easier, Earlier Carrots
You’re tired of waiting and waiting and waiting for carrot, parsnip or parsley seeds to sprout (they can take upContinue Reading
Are Coffee Grounds Too Acid for Compost?
Question: I just read that, contrary to what we think, it is not advisable to add coffee grounds to theContinue Reading
Fertilize Weekly… Weakly
Here’s an easy fertilizing tip for container plants, either indoors or out. Rather than fertilize monthly, the frequency usually recommendedContinue Reading
The Best Place to Grow Herbs
I’ve done the following several times when I give gardening lectures about herbs. I ask participants how many planted herbsContinue Reading
No Bees, No Fruit!
Growing your own fruit trees and small fruits is an exercise fraught with unexpected complications and one of the mostContinue Reading