Practical advice & moral support for the small-scale gardener
Few edible plants give you as much bang for your buck as herbs. They brighten up spring and summer when fresh and, with a very small investment of time and effort, can be dried for year-round enjoyment. As summer winds down and my herbs stop growing as vigorously, I harvest them all. Dried herbs have…
Perennial plants grown in pots have a problem: sooner or later, their roots will run out of room. And you, the container gardener, have a related problem: limited space for large pots on your balcony or patio. But when your beloved perennials outgrow their pots, it doesn’t have to be the end. In this step-by-step…
Summertime vacations are the best, but they have a downside for avid container gardeners like myself. How do I keep my potted plants happy and hydrated under the summer sun in my absence? I’m about to depart for my annual sojourn in Italy with my husband and his family. While I’m deeply grateful to be…
I regularly pass by a house in my neighborhood with the perfect salvia growing in the front yard. Likely a cultivar of salvia greggii, its blossoms are the creamy apricot hue I’m forever pining after. I’ve scoured nurseries and the internet for an identification, to no avail. I know it’s bad to covet thy neighbor. But…
It’s California Native Plant Week! This event, organized by the California Native Plant Society, celebrates the 6,000+ types of plants indigenous to my state. These are the species that occur naturally in this region, not introduced by humans. Although there are loads of benefits to growing native plants, keeping them in containers comes with challenges. But it’s worth…