Lawn Aerating Sandals: Don’t Waste Your Money
On the list of unnecessary garden tools, the lawn aerating (or aeration) sandal (also called a lawn aerating shoe) isContinue Reading
Category: Garden Myths
Gardening Tip: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It!
Here’s a principle about laidback gardening that I don’t emphasize nearly enough: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” WhenContinue Reading
Garden Myth: When a Plant Doesn’t Bloom, It’s Because It’s a Male
It’s always a bit mysterious when a plant doesn’t bloom. After all, most bloom annually. How then to explain whyContinue Reading
No, Today’s Vermiculite Doesn’t Contain Asbestos
A reader recently asked me whether it was true that vermiculite contains asbestos and therefore should be avoided. It justContinue Reading
Banana Peels for Roses: Pretty Much a Garden Myth
As far back as I can remember, the tip has been circulating that you can “feed” your roses by placingContinue Reading
Mulches Don’t Ignite Spontaneously!
Here’s yet another urban garden myth worth quashing: the one that says bark and wood chip mulches should be avoidedContinue Reading
Gardening Myth: Aspartame Can Control Ants
There seems to be no limit to the number of urban legends about gardening. I heard a new one justContinue Reading
Yes, You Can Compost Poisonous Leaves
As you harvest your rhubarb stalks this spring, you’ll find several websites warning you against putting the leaves in theContinue Reading
The Myth of Starter Fertilizers
When scientists first started studying how minerals affected plant growth back in the 1940s and 1950s, they discovered that theContinue Reading
Wasp Repellents: Do They Really Work?
You’ve probably seen them in your local garden center… or in somebody’s garden. A gray or brown inflated object thatContinue Reading