How do soil microbes influence nutrient availability?*
There are hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of organisms in just a handful of soil. The Soil Science Society ofContinue 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.
Garden Myth: You Can Kill Slugs With Cornmeal
Here’s a garden myth that just keeps circulating: that you can kill slugs by feeding them cornmeal. The idea isContinue Reading
Don’t Get Soaked with Soaker Hose
I’m a big user of soaker hoses. It’s an easy way of watering without waste, as they apply moisture directlyContinue Reading
Trap Wireworms With Potatoes!
Wireworms are frequently found in gardens, causing the most damage in vegetable beds where they attack the roots of seedlings,Continue Reading
What’s Eating My Columbines?
The columbine (Aquilegia spp.) is a highly attractive perennial and very popular as well. With its exotic-looking flowers, usually bicolored (theContinue Reading
Allium ‘Millenium’: The 2018 Perennial of the Year
The Perennial of the Year program, organized by the Perennial Plant Association, has come up with some truly stupendous plantsContinue Reading
Think Twice About Preventative Pesticides
I’m a very reluctant user of pesticide sprays and powders. I try to avoid using them at all and evenContinue Reading
No-Spray Apples
Gardeners are so used to spraying apples (Malus pumila) over and over with all kinds of pesticides (commercial nurseries spray ‘Macintosh’ applesContinue Reading
How to Choose the Best Bedding Plants
When you’re shopping for bedding plants for your gardens and pots, do you know what to look for? Of course,Continue Reading
Vegetables and Herbs for Shade
The title above is nearly an oxymoron. There really are very few vegetables and herbs that enjoy shade. At the veryContinue Reading