Japanese beetles make quick work of devouring otherwise healthy plants. For several weeks in the summer, they feed on a wide range of hosts. To minimize damage and deter the hungry insects, gardening expert Katherine Rowe highlights their least favorite selections so we may reduce the draw while maintaining whole specimens.
If your mum isn’t blooming as fall moves along, an adjustment or two in growing conditions can trigger buds to burst. There are also steps during the growing season that, with the right timing, promote the best blooms in autumn. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores why a mum isn’t blooming and how to boost the display to celebrate the season.
’Limelight’ hydrangea trees bring the classic huge creamy white-to-green blooms in a standard form. With a single trunk and a canopy of flowers, the dreamy specimens punctuate the border and container arrangement. Garden expert Katherine Rowe explores the appeal of big-blooming ‘Limelight’ hydrangea trees and how best to grow them.
Perennial ornamental grasses offer years of extended seasonal interest as well as ecosystem services. Garden expert Katherine Rowe highlights perennial grasses to plant before fall’s frost for a foundation of rustling blades and airy plumes.
Fall brings a wealth of creative materials for the keen observer, lending itself to warm botanical displays and ways to bring nature indoors. Foraging for fall decor from our gardens lets us relish the details and celebrate the carefree natural beauty of the harvest season.
While we often associate hydrangea propagation with a spring activity, we can also accomplish it in the fall with a little extra care to overwinter. Cuttings, ground layering, and division are methods to try early to mid-season. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe outlines how to add to our hydrangea display with propagation techniques this fall.
Winter squashes are rich, nutrient-packed delights in the cool season. Developing all summer, the hefty fruits are worth the wait and store well into winter. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores what to look for in harvesting winter squash for lasting enjoyment.
The moon, as an ancient timekeeper and astronomical force, has a bearing on plant vigor for those attuned to lunar gardening. Gardening with the moon phases is about harnessing the physical effects of lunar activity on water draw and gravitational pull. Timing the phases with planting and harvesting yields the juiciest crops and the most robust roots. Here, we explore the historic method and how to try moon gardening in our own landscapes to measure results.
Young or old, there’s simple pleasure in finding and carving a good pumpkin. The quintessential fall vegetables delight with their glowing faces and artful themes, and are perfect in the kitchen for tasty pies, soups, breads, and roasted seeds. To grow our own chunky jack o’lanterns, we’ve got the lineup of the best pumpkin varieties for carving, big and small, to fit a range of growing spaces.
The best grasses offer multiple seasons of ornamental and ecological value, even into winter. Knowing when and how to cut back cool and warm season types lends seasons of robust growth. Garden expert Katherine Rowe outlines when to cut back ornamental grasses for lasting texture and movement in the landscape.
With fall comes frosty conditions, and timing the move of tender tropicals and other houseplants from a summer outdoors back inside for overwintering. Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are two that highlight the holiday season with their brilliant blooms. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe outlines when to move the holiday favorites indoors, taking care not to bring them in too early to initiate the best budding and flowering.
Did you catch the magic of fireflies in the garden this summer? If so, support them all year with easy steps in fall (including less end-of-season maintenance). If you missed them, measures to increase garden biodiversity may help lure them. Not only flashy, but they also bring predatory and pollinator benefits. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores how to invite fireflies to the garden with a foundation this fall.