Now Is a Great Time to Improve Your Lawn
With the disappearance of lawn herbicides, it’s time to rediscover the traditional method for achieving a beautiful lawn: top dressingContinue 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.
Gardening Myth: De-leafing Tomato Plants
At the end of the summer, my father always stripped the upper leaves off his tomato plants so the fruitsContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Tomatoes That Aren’t Growing, Spirea to Be Moved
Tomato That Won’t Grow My tomato plant is sick. What’s wrong with it? Is the soil contaminated? Is excess moistureContinue Reading
Tomatoes and Peppers: How to Avoid Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot is a common disease on tomatoes and peppers. It is characterized by a lesion that forms on the tipContinue Reading
A Little Guide for the Laidback Colorist…
You’ve probably heard of the rules of color in gardening: colors that push things away, colors that bring things together,Continue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: Home Remedies for Dealing With Lily Leaf Beetles
When talking about stubborn garden pests, the lily leaf beetle often comes up in conversation. This small bright red beetleContinue Reading
Watering in Full Sun Doesn’t Burn Leaves
Among the most persistent of the numerous gardening myths is the one that insists you should never water plants, andContinue Reading
How to Store Herbs
Edible plants are particularly popular: vegetables and fruit trees, of course, but also herbs. And it’s peak harvest season forContinue Reading
Answers to Your Questions: An Aspen Attacked, a Rose Transformed
An Aspen to Be Saved We have a beautiful trembling aspen at our cottage. About three years ago, a beaverContinue Reading
Ouch, That Stings!
Many plants have thorns or needles… but that doesn’t stop them from being beautiful. Think of roses, spruce trees, andContinue Reading