Topics
Special Series
All Articles
-
Spring Beauty—A Woodland Wildflower With Tasty Tubers
One of our prettiest and earliest-blooming wildflowers—spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)—is also a delicious vegetable.
By Scott D. Appell -
Being in the Garden: Four Vignettes From a Traveler to Japan
Opposites are brought into equilibrium, but in the best gardens, this equilibrium is anything but static. Rather, it is informed throughout with a dynamic and delicate tension. For the visitor, the result can be a magical feeling that is both tranquil and intense, of a heightened consciousness of that potential for a harmonious relationship to nature and to our own humanity.
By Adrian Bennett -
An Easy-Care Rock Garden—Designing With Durable and Delightful Perennials
Rock-garden plants have a way of capturing the imagination with their delicate features and subtle adaptations to harsh—usually alpine—environments. Beautiful flowers, interesting foliage, and unusual textures make them irresistible additions to the sunny, well-drained garden.
By Megan T. Ray -
Easy Monochromatic Gardens
Combining shades and tones of the same color or limiting yourself to using a related group of colors is a fun way to create an exciting yet harmonious garden design.
By Walter Chandoha -
Deer Deterrents That Work
Once roaming open fields and forests and controlled by natural predators, deer now must make their home near housing developments, office parks, and shopping malls, and their populations are growing. Little wonder then that they treat our gardens like buffet bars. Thoughtful plant choices, fences, dogs, and repellents help to keep deer at bay.
By Walter Chandoha -
A Houseplant Harvest—Tropical Trees That Really Do Fruit Indoors
I've been collecting and propagating fruiting tropical shrubs and small trees on my four-acre property in Vieques, Puerto Rico, like a man with a mission. My ultimate goal is to supply my own table with a diverse mix of fresh produce year-round, grow enough surplus fruit to be able to vend to local restaurateurs, and establish a modest nursery and display garden.
By Scott D. Appell -
Wollemi Pine and ‘Olulu Palm—Two Endangered Plants That Need Your Help
Two critically endangered plants are poised to make the greatest comebacks in botanical history, thanks to a new conservation strategy based on encouraging gardeners around the globe to grow them.
By Janet Marinelli -
Elements of a Perfect Apple Pie
The prize-winning apple pie marries an exemplary crust with tree-ripened apples that contribute acid, tannin, sugar, and flavor.
By Tom Burford -
The Makings of a Good Cider
For at least 2,000 years, humans have been making apple cider wherever they could grow the fruit.
By Ian A. Merwin -
Antique Apples: A Guide for Eaters and Growers
Most antique or heirloom apples are distant cousins to the commercial varieties available on supermarket shelves today. While modern varieties such as 'Red Delicious' have been selected for their consistent appearance, cosmetic appeal, and tolerance of long shipping and repeated handling, antique varieties were often selected for their cider-making quality ('Golden Russet'), their retention of flavor and firmness without refrigeration ('Winesap' and 'Baldwin'), or their intense and unusual flavor—without regard to external appearance.
By Ian A. Merwin
