Getting Rid of Goutweed
Whether you call it goutweed (as we will here), ground elder, bishop’s weed or any one of over its dozenContinue 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.
Bud-Hardy Forsythias for Northern Gardeners
The spectacular spring bloom of the forsythia (Forsythia spp.), with its countless yellow bells stretching right to the tip ofContinue Reading
The Myth of Starter Fertilizers
When scientists first started studying how minerals affected plant growth back in the 1940s and 1950s, they discovered that theContinue Reading
Pelargoniums against Japanese beetles?
Not that I want to scare you, but… Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) season starts in late June/early July and ifContinue Reading
Pears for Cold Climates
Gardeners in Canada and the Northern USA often have a hard time growing pears. While most pears do fine inContinue Reading
Seeds to Sow in Mid-May
The growing season is picking up speed! Nights are generally still cool, although warming up… and frost is far from impossible inContinue Reading
Make Your Own Seed Tape
Many gardeners find seed tape very practical. It’s thin biodegradable paper tape on which vegetable or flower seeds have beenContinue Reading
Hosta of the Year 2016
The hosta of the year 2016* is… (drumroll please!)… ‘Curly Fries’ and it’s probably the most unusual-looking hosta you’ve everContinue Reading
Asparagus: Anywhere But the Veggie Bed
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), along with rhubarb, is one of the few truly perennial vegetables. Hardy to zone 2, it isContinue Reading
A Plastic Bin Garden
If you want to create a big container garden, any garden center offers plenty of choices of large containers designedContinue Reading