Year of the Monarda
Every year, the National Garden Bureau, a non-profit organization promoting the pleasures of home gardening, selects one annual, one perennial, oneContinue 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.
Is It True You Can Grow New Carrots From Carrot Tops?
By Larry Hodgson Question: I saw on Facebook that you could grow new carrots from carrot tops. The claim is youContinue Reading
My Wildflower Meadow
By Edith Smeesters, biologist, author and speaker A wildflower meadow is a wonderful alternative to a grassy surface, but it does requireContinue Reading
How to Recognize Butterfly Flowers
By Larry Hodgson Like all good pollinators, butterflies have preferences about the flowers they visit. In particular, most are lessContinue Reading
The Masked Marauder Strikes Again!
By Larry Hodgson The raccoon (Procyon lotor), the nocturnal masked bandit, is not only a problem for gardeners: it generallyContinue Reading
Variegated Plants: So Much to Discover!
By Larry Hodgson Variegated plants are very popular in our gardens. But what is variegation? And why does it attractContinue Reading
Why Didn’t My Turnips Produce a Bulb?
By Larry Hodgson Question: This is my second gardening experience, but this year, my turnips didn’t produce a bulb, only aContinue Reading
Leaf Galls: Surprising, But Rarely Harmful
By Larry Hodgson As a gardener, or even just an observant hiker, you’ll often come across plants bearing abnormal growths. They’reContinue Reading
Ginseng Ficus: The July 2021 Houseplant of the Month
By Larry Hodgson The ginseng ficus—or pot-bellied ficus—is a most unusual houseplant. With its fat, multi-stemmed “trunk” and numerous smallContinue Reading
A Tomato for the Fourth of July
By Larry Hodgson On this Fourth of July, I thought my American readers might be interested to know there isContinue Reading