How the Spider Plant Got Its Name
I’ve always assumed the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) got its name from its hanging stems, ones that drip down likeContinue Reading
Category: Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day
2018: The Year of the Beet
Every year, the National Garden Bureau, a non-profit organization promoting the pleasures of home gardening, selects one perennial, one annual, oneContinue Reading
Grow Your Own Living Sticky Trap!
Yellow sticky traps have been around for over a century (flypaper was patented in 1910) and gardeners know them well.Continue Reading
Rainbow Tomatoes: Yet Another Gardening Ripoff!
A reader sent me the photo above … after she had ordered the seed, unfortunately. She wanted to knowContinue Reading
How to Remember Botanical Names
Novice gardeners are often terrified of botanical names. Given their Latin and Greek origins, learning them often seems daunting. So why not justContinue Reading
Time to Give Your Bulbs a Once-Over
Many gardeners store tender bulbs indoors over the winter: gladiolus, cannas, callas, potatoes, tuberous begonias, etc. At the present time, they’reContinue Reading
15 Not-So-Easy Houseplants
In preparing yesterday’s article, 15 Easy Houseplants for Beginners, I, of course, took a look at other websites to seeContinue Reading
15 Easy Houseplants for Beginners
Why do novice gardeners always seem to start with the most complicated houseplants? Gardenias, bonsais, carnivorous plants, living stones and,Continue Reading
What is a Cultivar?
The novice gardener regularly encounters the word “cultivar” without necessarily understanding its meaning. Yet it’s so simple. A cultivar isContinue Reading
10 Ways of Keeping Birds Safe From Your Cat
Isn’t it wonderful to hear the chirping of birds in your garden, watch them feast on the seeds you putContinue Reading