Gardenig in state North Carolina. Tips & Guides

Travis Hall is supervisor of the Horticulture Division at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, where a project is under way to save Abies fraseri. He helped me understand what’s up with the decline of wild populations of this iconic holiday tree, and the Garden’s efforts to help save this species and others. (Fraser fir detail photo, above, by Harold Smith via Wikimedia Commons.)Read along as you listen to the December 27, 2021 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).the threatened

Our trillium conversations got me thinking about how headlines like the trillium one, highlighting reports of the accelerating threats of extinctions of plant or animal species, are so common in the news these days.But how are those predictions calculated, I wondered, and also: do we know what species are already gone–from the small tree that gardeners

To learn about all that I talked to Bill Fonteno, Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University and former technical advisor to the U.S. Mulch and Soil Council, the industry trade association. Learn how deep he recommends applying mulch, how different mulches do the soil-building job at different rates, and also why not to torture trees with the dreaded practice known as “volcano mulching,” among other things.Read along as you listen to the May 23, 2022 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).using mulch (and mulch works), wit

That’s our topic with North Carolina State University Professor Brian Jackson, an expert in soilless growing media or soilless substrates, as they are also called.Brian Jackson is a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State, and director of the university’s Horticultural Substrate Laboratory. He’s one of perhaps five U.S. scientists at public universities studying these materials and their role in horticulture and agriculture. (Below, Dr. Jackson alongside a pile of eng

Craig LeHoullier gardens and grows tomatoes in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the last couple of years after many years in Raleigh before that. He’s a proponent of the straw-bale gardening method, which he also wrote a book about. He’s an avid canner of his fresh produce and teaches an online Epic Tomatoes course with his friend and mine, Joe Lamp’l.He shared his key strategies for tomato success, and explained the different tomato troubles you might be facing and what’s behind them. And learn the provenance of ‘Cherokee Purple,’ the beloved purple heirloom that Craig named, and was responsible for nudging into commerce (for which we all thank him). (Photo of Craig below by Shoe Heel Factory from Craig’s book. Tomatoes top of page by Joe Lamp’l)Plus: Enter to win a copy of his book and some tomato see

Brie Williams

Hector Sanchez

Have a growing house plant collection and not sure about their care when you take off for vacation? The best way is to have a family or friend come over to help, but sometimes this may not be possible. Many indoor plants can survive a week without their parents' care, but you’ll want to consider some factors, such as lighting, and giving them a thorough watering before you leave. There are several tips and tricks to ensure your plants manage without you. We asked Southern horticulturists for their best plant care tips while you’re away

For Lee Hemmings Carlton, it was love at first sight with dahlias. Although the flower farmer had studied horticulture in college, it wasn’t until she moved to the mountains of North Carolina in 2008 that she discovered country dahlias. “I saw them in a vase and thought, ‘What are those?’” she recalls. “I was hooked.” 

Today we’re visiting with Lisa Chapman.

It’s hardly a meal in the South without green beans on the table! Fortunately, the common garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, even if it’s your first garden. Sometimes called snap beans, garden beans are inexpensive seeds and fast growers, with some types ready in as little as 50 days. They’ll produce bumper crops so you’ll have plenty of green beans to cook fresh, freeze or pickle. With top picks fromAll-American Selections (AAS), which trials seed performance for home gardeners,  Johnny’s Selected Seeds, extension services at Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, and University of Kentucky, here are the best types of beans to grow in the South:

There’s absolutely nothing as amazing as a fresh-picked tomato still warm from the sun. In fact,tomatoes are one of the most popular plants in home gardens, alongsidebeans, summer squash, andherbs such as basil. But with hundreds and hundreds of tomato cultivars, or cultivated varieties, it’s tough to choose which ones you should plant to stand up to the heat and humidity of the South. Whether you’re a traditionalist and plant only heirloom types your Granddaddy grew or you’re all about experimenting with new types bred for improved disease resistance, you’ll get the highest yield when you grow a few different types. Just make sure to set plants out after all danger of frost has passed in your area, and give them at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Tomatoes do not do well in shade.

Whether you're mowing the lawn or hosting a cookout, the last thing you want to worry about is stinging insects such as wasps. But the truth is that wasps have a somewhat undeserved bad reputation. These insects actually do plenty of good in our lawns and gardens, and not all types of wasps are aggressive.

Jay Sifford freely admits his faults: He wears purple shoes, binge-listens to Cher, and had an epiphany regarding his design career while watching Mary Poppins. For landscape accents, he erects soaring violet and blue glass spears that could easily take down a charging ostrich. Most disturbingly, he loathes garden gnomes. But we forgive him because not only is he thoughtful and original, but he also fashions enticing outdoor spaces with plants, sculptures, and structures that linger in our minds. Headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, Sifford makes the hour-and-a-half drive to his mountain home in West Jefferson as often as possible. He named his sanctuary “Rhodwood” for the massive, 30-foot-tall native rosebay rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) that frame the back of the house. Rather than the quotidian log cabin you might expect to see in these parts, the dwelling is a dogtrot house, an architectural style associated with Appalachia in which a central breezeway (ideal for a snoozing hound) separates the kitchen and dining areas from the bedrooms. Sifford painted the house black so it recedes from focus in the summer and gives the garden center stage. When plants are dormant in winter, the structure shines. Here, he shares a few of his tricks.

Wasps do plenty of good in our gardens,pollinating plants and preying on hungry garden pests, such as caterpillars. But then there are yellow jackets (Vespula spp), which become aggressive as their populations soar in mid- to late-summer and fall. They can become a big problem if their nests are situated near your living areas.

Bachelor’s button, Centaurea cyanus, is a European wildflower that has naturalized across the United States. It is a member of the Asteraceae family that includes asters, chicory, daisies, mums, sunflowers, and yarrow.It’s a vigorous plant commonly found growing among the grain crops in farmer

Cornstarch is a fine powder obtained from corn. It’s a popular thickening agent in recipes, and you can find it on almost every kitchen shelf. Beyond the kitchen, it’s also used in many home hacks. But do you know this natural ingredient is useful in your yard as well? Continue reading CornstarchUses in the Garden below to find out!

Native to Texas, pine trees are widely spread in North America. They are adaptive to different environmental conditions and are hardy survivors. These trees also used extensively as a timber source in construction, land management, furniture, and more. Here are some of the most famous Types of Pine Trees in Texas.