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
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.
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
My Journey From Asphalt to Greenery
A very long time ago, I wrote about a little complication in my life: I’d just bought my first house,Continue Reading
This Halloween, a Carved Pumpkin… Asian Style
On the eve of Halloween, many children, and adults too, will take great pleasure in carving pumpkins into gargoyles: sometimesContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Bitter Cucumbers
Question I’d like to know why cucumbers are so bitter. I’ve noticed a difference in taste depending on the timeContinue Reading
Tips for Chopping Up Your Leaves
The leaves fall, fall, fall… and many gardeners still have the very bad habit of putting them in plastic bagsContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Hardy Hibiscus That Doesn’t Bloom
Question I have a Swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) that grows 2.4 meters (8 feet) tall and will be inContinue Reading
Yes, You Can Compost Black Walnut Leaves
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) and, to a lesser extent, other walnuts (Juglans spp.), as well as their close relatives, theContinue Reading
Bulbs That Succeed
I’m a big consumer of bulbs. I buy thousands (every year) and plant them everywhere: in pots, in flowerbeds andContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: A Mock Orange That Doesn’t Flower
Question I bought a mock orange (Philadelphus) three years ago and placed it in full sun and out of theContinue Reading