Answers to Your Questions: My Maple Is Losing Its Branches
Question I have a magnificent ‘Crimson King’ maple that is 20 years old and looks healthy from a distance. However,Continue 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.
Let Sleeping Clematis Climb
Some older gardening books recommend taking clematis down off their support for the winter, laying them on the ground and covering themContinue Reading
A Poinsettia for Christmas
One of the questions I receive most often concerns how to get a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) to bloom again atContinue Reading
What Can You Store in a Garden Shed Over Winter?
If you live in a climate where winter means freezing temperatures, it’s worthwhile going through your garden shed before itContinue Reading
How Do You Clean Up When the Flowerbed Keeps Blooming?
Question I don’t mind tidying up my flowerbed for winter, but last year the flowers lasted until the end ofContinue Reading
Getting your Christmas Cactus to Rebloom
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is a short-day plant, that is to say, it blooms only when there is less than 12Continue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Holey Spruce!
Question When I opened my summer home, I was surprised to see that 4 cavities had been dug into myContinue Reading
Can You Really Bring Herbs Indoors for the Winter?
Lifestyle magazines love to show pictures of fabulous herbs growing in color-coordinated containers on a winter windowsill. It just seemsContinue Reading
To Have the First Flowers Next Spring
Would you like to be the first person in your neighborhood to have flowers in their garden next year? ToContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Radical Pruning of a Cedar Hedge
Question Following a complaint from a neighbor and a visit from a municipal inspector, I’m obliged to reduce the heightContinue Reading