Episodes
Before the invention of photography, illustrations of uncommon plants were crucial. Women were thought to be especially well suited for drawing specimens accurately. They were seen as patient, careful, and willing to work for little pay.
Published 04/25/24
Published 04/25/24
During the Middle Ages in Britain, the monasteries were the places with the space and the knowledge to garden.
Published 04/18/24
Most gardeners I know find it convenient to buy this easy-care annual for their pots and shade beds each spring, and delight in growing such undemanding annuals.
Published 04/11/24
The Cherry tree that Houseman wrote about in his poem is commonly known as bird cherry, which alas do not grow well for us in zone 6. A white tree that is a lovely substitute, however, is the white dogwood.
Published 04/04/24
At this time of the year many flower lovers buy pots of Easter lilies at the grocery store to have in their homes during the Easter season
Published 03/28/24
Clay soil is heavy and hard to dig compared to sandy soil, but it is also more moisture and nutrient retentive.
Published 03/21/24
No plant, it seems to those of us plagued with deer, can be called really deer proof.
Published 03/14/24
Regular pruning benefits all woody plants, such as shrubs, trees, and vines. Pruning keeps them vigorous and healthy, as well as improving their shape.
Published 03/07/24
Cutting back plants, even small ones, helps to stimulate growth. But don't cut off all of the leaves!
Published 02/29/24
There are so many lovely varieties of clematis available today. Even a single bloom floating is a bowl looks perfect.
Published 02/22/24
In late winter, after months without garden flowers, we are eager to see flowers in our homes. However, there is a wonderful feeling we get when we force branches of early spring-blooming trees and shrubs.
Published 02/15/24
All of the poems I will read today are about roses and all are from times long past.
Published 02/08/24
The flowers associated with St. Valentine were, in Roman times, the yellow crocus and the tricolor viola that both bloom in the early spring in our gardens today. But there are also other saints associated with February...
Published 02/01/24
In 1993, Christopher Lloyd hired Fergus Garrett as his head gardener and together they turned the traditional 80-year-old rose garden into an exotic tropical area. Christo was amused by the consequent criticism from traditionalists.
Published 01/25/24
Great Dixter's Christopher Lloyd created his famous term "succession planting" to describe continuous bloom month after month, beginning in March and ending in October.
Published 01/18/24
One of Britain's most celebrated gardens, Great Dixter is a magnificent place where one can learn and be inspired. A trip there should be on every gardener's bucket list.
Published 01/11/24
In AD 830, St. Benedict said that gardening was appropriate manual labor for monks and that all monasteries should have a psychic garden, kitchen garden, cellar garden, an orchard, and a private garden for monks of high office.
Published 01/04/24
The Romans were the first to create pleasure gardens in Britain.
Published 12/28/23
The winter solstice marks the day with the fewest hours of sunshine in the year, which means that it is described as the shortest day.
Published 12/21/23
Bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects used to be the only creatures who transferred pollen from flower to flower. Nowadays, it is often a person with a fine brush.
Published 12/14/23
The idea of private pleasure gardens during the Middle Ages in England was espoused by Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Published 12/07/23
Most of us occasionally get little black flies that look a bit like fruit flies around our houseplants. They're fungus gnats and essentially harmless, mostly...
Published 11/30/23
One of the most influential horticulturalists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was William Robinson, the first to promote the idea of a wild garden.
Published 11/23/23
Fall is a great time to collect the seed pods from shrubs like baptisia and hardy hibiscus and store them in paper envelopes indoors until next spring.
Published 11/16/23