The Fascinating History of Quebec’s Floral Emblem
Today, June 24th, is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, honoring Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of French Canadians. It’s a public holiday 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.
Two Vegetables in the Space of One?
Did you know that you can graft a tomato stem onto a potato plant and thus produce both tubers andContinue Reading
Stinky Herbs Repulse Pests
Have you ever noticed that herbs are rarely affected by insects? Or even by mammals (groundhogs, deer, etc.)? There’s aContinue Reading
When Fairies Dance on your Lawn
One of the most common types of mushroom seen in a lawn (and the one that most irritates the average gardener) is theContinue Reading
Disease-resistant Tomatoes
Tomato diseases are so confusing! First, there are so many of them, plus their symptoms tend to be similar… and theyContinue Reading
Mutations in Your Garden
The word “mutation” often evokes images of evil, slimy creatures slithering out of nuclear waste ponds in one of those B-class scienceContinue Reading
Ants in your Plants? It’s a Good Thing!
Every June, I received dozens of emails from panicked gardeners saying something like: “Ants are eating my peony flowers: whatContinue Reading
Trees and Shrubs that Get Around
Most trees produce only a single trunk over their entire life. The average shrub, too, produces all its branches from aContinue Reading
The Easiest Water Garden
You’ve been dreaming of a water garden, but can’t find a place in your budget for such a massive installation? Or youContinue Reading
The Forest: the Ultimate Landscape for the Laidback Gardener
The beauty of a natural forest for the laidback gardener is that it requires almost no intervention on your part. Finally,Continue Reading