Only Male Flowers on Cucurbits? Give It Time!
By Larry Hodgson If you’re fairly new at home gardening, you may find growing cucurbits (cucumbers, squashes, melons, etc.) aContinue 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.
My Garden Featured in National Magazine
By Larry Hodgson Would you believe my garden—my personal gardening space around my home in Quebec City—has been featured inContinue Reading
THE 2021 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR®
CALAMINTHA NEPETA SUBSP. NEPETA (syn. Clinopodium nepeta nepeta) Lesser Calamint Like a cloud of confetti, tiny white flowers (sometimes touched with paleContinue Reading
Top 5 Garden Design Ideas for Summer
By Teena Middleton Have you always wanted to grow your own summer garden? Now is the time to start planningContinue Reading
Nature Conservancy of Canada urges people to be vigilant for ticks
Beware of little freeloaders this summer Many people are making plans to enjoy the rest of spring and summer outdoors.Continue Reading
Vegetables Cross-Pollinating: Not to Worry!
By Larry Hodgson I regularly receive letters from gardeners concerned that their fruiting vegetables might cross-pollinate, that is, that byContinue Reading
A Miniature Conifer Container Garden: Beauty Without Blooms!
By Larry Hodgson Gardeners are often so focused on flowers that we sometimes forget there are other plants of interestContinue Reading
Trees and Shrubs That Sucker
By Larry Hodgson Most trees produce only a single trunk over their entire life. The average shrub, too, produces allContinue Reading
Cold Climate Woes: Dieback on a Smoketree
By Larry Hodgson Question: I don’t know how to take care of my smoke tree. What I find on the InternetContinue Reading
Which Vegetables Self-Pollinate?
Par Larry Hodgson Question: I’ve been told that tomatoes self-pollinate and don’t need bees to pollinate their flowers. What other vegetablesContinue Reading