Higher Humidity Means Happier Houseplants
If the # 1 houseplant problem during the winter months is giving them enough light, the # 2 problem is makingContinue 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.
Shriveled “Leaves” Mean Your Holiday Cactus is In Trouble
In general, home gardeners do pretty well with Christmas cactus, both the real thing (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) and its closeContinue Reading
Things to Remember on Poinsettia Day
I’ll just bet you didn’t know that December 12 is Poinsettia Day. So many people don’t. How did that comeContinue Reading
4 Other Plants With Weird Foliage
I recently wrote a blog called 5 Plants with Weird Foliage and promised more. Here’s a second blog on theContinue Reading
When Mother Nature Does the Pruning
Mother Nature doesn’t put up with weakness. She ruthlessly roots out unfit animals and plants. In the winter, she sendsContinue Reading
New Book About Community Gardening
I was involved in community gardening for many years. At first, only as a lot holder, then I joined theContinue Reading
To Stand Tall, Grasses Need Sun and Wind
Ornamental grasses like maiden grass (Miscanthus spp.), feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora), fountain grass (Pennisetum spp.) and switchgrass (PanicumContinue Reading
Don’t Kill House Spiders: Move Them to Your Houseplants!*
When you find a spider in your house, don’t kill it! Instead, put it on one of your houseplants. ThatContinue Reading
When a Houseplant Gets Frosted
Normally, you shouldn’t expose houseplants to frost. The vast majority are tropical plants, incapable of supporting even light freezes. AndContinue Reading
Botany 101: Flowers
We probably all learned some basic botany back in school … and have almost certainly forgotten some of it. InContinue Reading