Herbs are an indispensable part of the edible garden. How can there be tomatoes without basil? How can there be mint juleps without mint? Flavor is the main reason these plants are in my garden, but it’s not their natural destiny. Like most other plants, their goal is to flower. Many of our common herbs […]
Spring in Chicago has been lush but short. The pink blossoms of the redbud trees are already fading and disappearing among the new green leaves, and sweeps of glorious yellow daffodils blooms have shriveled up, leaving boring green leaves. Many gardeners are tempted to cut back those leaves as soon as the flowers fade on […]
It’s a new year, with a new gardening season on the way. That doesn’t just mean trying new plants; it means trying to remember all the things I vowed last summer I’d never do again. When you’re dreaming up the garden inside a well-heated conservatory or cozy living room in January, it can be easy […]
Some of the most welcome holiday gifts are fleeting: sweet treats, old songs, flowers that last just long enough to be a reminder of spring. Like paperwhites. Paperwhites are paperwhite narcissus bulbs, which you can easily coax into bloom indoors in the middle of winter. A conservatory is ideal for this, though a sunny window […]
I brought the houseplants in from the garden late this year (thank you, weather gods, for a warm October with no freezing nights). As I did it, I was creating holiday gifts, without ever going near the stores where glittery Santas are swiftly replacing glittery pumpkins. I know several people who’ve recently moved, and I’m […]
That’s the idea that seems to underlie the exhibitions of art glass by Dale Chihuly that travel to botanical gardens around the world. In September, I saw the latest version at the Atlanta Botanical Garden on a tour as part of the annual conference of the Association of Garden Communicators. The fantastic and colorful glass […]
If my plants were toddlers, they’d start doing one of two things right now: melting down in fiery tantrums or sitting still with drooping eyelids. Either way, I’d know it’s close to bedtime. No more roughhousing, or the kids will be too excited to sleep. It’s the same in the garden and the greenhouse. My […]
One week, I had a pot of purple petunias sitting in the summer garden, adding a spot of bright color in a groundcover bed. Days later, it was compost. The pot had become a muddy, stinky lake with some dead stems straggling out of it. It was a textbook case of what happens when you […]
How do the weeds get everywhere? They’re in the cracks of the sidewalk, in the potting mix of the containers, even in the greenhouse. They’re thick as a cornfield in my perennial beds. I can weed my heart out, and a week later I have a whole new jungle. Weeds are always everywhere, just waiting. […]
Sometimes I imagine the perfect potting bench. It’s inside a conservatory, of course, so I can pot up my imaginary rare orchids all year round. It has ample space to work, a bin for my own special blend of potting mix—oh, wait, I’ll need a separate bin for orchid mix too. There’s a handy faucet […]
Starting annual flowers from seed in a greenhouse or under lights isn’t a whole lot different from starting tomatoes. There are still flowers you can start in April, and it’s a nice thing to do when the perennials are up 6 inches but there are still snowflakes in the air. Outdoors, the garden may not […]
When sleet is still rattling against the glass of the greenhouse, it’s hard to get your head into spring. But if you think ahead in March, you can take advantage of a glasshouse to get a head start on the summer garden by potting up tender bulbs. These are plants such as agapanthus, with its […]
