Oriental Poppy: Dormant but not Dead
The superb Oriental poppy (Papaver oriental), with its huge red, orange, pink or purple flowers, is spectacular when it blooms in late spring/earlyContinue 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.
Using a Weed to Your Advantage
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a very invasive fern (yes, botanists have recently decided that it is no longer a “fernContinue Reading
Slug Resistant Plants
The true secret to controlling slugs easily is not to battle them with egg shell barriers, beer traps, or otherContinue Reading
Slug Treatments that Really Work!
Over the last two days, I presented two slug treatments of varying effectiveness. The eggshell barrier treatment does not work at all.Continue Reading
Trapping Slugs with Beer: Myth or Reality?
In yesterday’s blog, I explained why an anti-slug barrier made up of crushed eggshells is not effective. I received plenty of flackContinue Reading
The World’s Best Moisture Meter
You’re not sure whether it’s time to water your vegetables, your flowerbeds, your houseplants, etc.? I know the perfect moisture meter, oneContinue Reading
When A Conifer Loses Its Head
Many conifers have a naturally pyramidal shape. This is the case of, among others, firs (Abies), spruces (Picea), pines (Pinus)Continue Reading
Why Does My Fleeceflower Flop?
Question: I have a problem with a plant that collapses every year at the slightest gust of wind or rain:Continue Reading
Plants Can’t Read Fertilizer Labels
There is a wealth of fertilizers on the market, each more extraordinary than the next, specifically designed to suit anyContinue Reading
250 Deer Resistant Plants
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are causing more and more damage to gardens, not only in the countryside,Continue Reading