Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Timing is everything: in life and in seed starting

In February, a gardener’s fancy turns to starting seeds under lights: cabbages that can be transplanted into the garden in early spring; the earliest annuals, such as violas and snapdragons; and those that take a really long time, like petunias. Even if you have a greenhouse, you’ll need a light setup to give most plants […]

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Conservatory cheer for November doldrums

If you’re lucky enough to have a big conservatory—and it isn’t too crowded with plants—you have a lovely setting for a holiday party. If it’s warm enough to overwinter houseplants, the glasshouse will be comfortable for people. And wouldn’t it be lovely for your guests to watch snowflakes fall from inside the glass? You’re probably […]

Waking up to a world with less water

Where would we be without water? I recently returned from California, where I got a sobering look at the possibilities. The drought there is a wakeup call for all of us—even in places like Chicago or the East Coast that aren’t suffering right now—to think hard about how we use this precious resource. There are […]

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The blessed blooms of autumn

Days are still hot. Roses and tomatoes are still around. But I can’t avoid knowing that fall is on the way, because its lovely, wistful heralds are flowering—Japanese anemones and turtlehead, with toad lilies on the way. Gardeners tell time by what’s in bloom, and these plants remind me that it’s time to start thinking […]

Reading, writing and gardening – Back to School

August is back-to-school time. For an increasing number of children, school will involve gardening. But they need the help of experienced gardeners—especially those who know what to do with a cold frame. School gardens are one kind of volunteer project that Master Gardener volunteers like me often help with. Experience has shown that there’s a […]

Just too intense: moderating the heat and sun of summer

I’m not much of a beach person. I enjoy splashing and diving in Lake Michigan, but the summer sun is too intense for me to lie around under it for long. Many of my plants feel the same way. Some of the houseplants I set out in the garden this May quickly developed scorch marks. […]

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Perennials that are moody depending on the weather

The other day I dropped by my brother’s new home and he proudly showed me the beds he had just planted with hypoestes (polka dot plant). “They’re great,” I said. “But you know they’re annuals. You’ll have to replace them next year.” His face fell. “But at the garden center they told me they were […]

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The swinging times of Spring – temps 65 degrees F to 27 degrees F

On April’s Fool’s Day, it was a balmy 65 in Chicago—with a forecast for 27 two nights later.That kind of grim joke is why it’s handy to have a greenhouse or a cold frame to even out the crazy temperature swings of springtime. One task that makes a greenhouse useful is starting bare-root plants. Perennials, […]

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From Lace collars to muddy boots, greenhouses in history

I’ve been running into a lot of glasshouses in my midwinter reading. I just finished reading up about Edward VII, son of Prince Albert, who dazzled the world with the Crystal Palace in London in 1851. Albert was a better exhibition organizer than he was a father, but the book reminded me what a remarkable […]

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Those impossible looking big, beautiful blooms

If you have a heated greenhouse, you have a big advantage in growing amaryllis, those bulbs with huge, dramatic flowers that are such popular holiday gifts. Pretty much anybody with a bright window can get an amaryllis bulb to bloom, but to keep the plant alive and get it to flower again next year requires […]