Down with Spider Mites!
Spider mites (or red spider mites, Tetranychus urticae) are everywhere: on our outdoor plants in the summer and on our houseplants inContinue 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.
A Stake With That?
If there’s one thing I hate doing in the garden, it’s staking plants. I love planting and sowing, don’t mindContinue Reading
Longer Days Awaken Pests
You may not have noticed, but if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, many houseplant pests have been less visibleContinue Reading
The Sensitive Plant Likes to Shake It Up
Plants are not the immutable objects people usually think they are. In fact, they all move, although too slowly forContinue Reading
Strange Cuttings
You’ve probably seen them in a garden center or even a supermarket: pointed tubular stems perfectly aligned in a pot,Continue Reading
The Little Tree That Became a King
Once upon a time, there was a little fir tree growing on a large farm with thousands of other trees.Continue Reading
Christmas Roses in Bloom Soon?
Yes, hellebores (Helleborus spp. and especially the very early H. niger) are often called Christmas roses. That’s because, in mildContinue Reading
The Grandes Dames of the Cottage Garden
The history of gardens is full of men’s names: André Le Nôtre, creator of the formal French garden, Capability BrownContinue Reading
Taking Care of Your Christmas Plants
It’s the holiday season. Yes, I know. I also know that the whole family’s in town, that you’ve got aContinue Reading
How to Save the Life of Your Gift Plant
The holiday season is by far the most important time of year for the sale of flowering potted plants: poinsettias,Continue Reading