Want to slide in one more plant, have an awkward spot or don’t have much room? Cut back shrubs are the answer. Practical and adaptable, they offer a solution to a ton of gardening woes and bring life into the smallest of spaces. Read on to find out about my four favorites.

Until I saw this elegant display of poppies at Great Dixter, it never occurred to me to grow them in pots. I’ve gotten obsessed with the pot idea for several reasons. Mainly, I’m not very good at direct seeding. Instead of big glowing swaths I only get a smattering here and there. It occurred to me that sowing them in pots would solve the problem. If any of you can relate, read on.

Since visiting gardens in England back in May, I’ve been obsessed with the art of letting it flow. Every garden I visited had an abundance of self-seeding and spreading plants melded together in a seamlessly exuberant fashion. I know we don’t have the same varieties of plants here, l admire the concept of a looser garden style and have been thinking about how to reproduce it with the types of plants grown here.

Yep, it’s time for year end resolutions - I’m much more successful with garden resolutions, and they’re way more fun! As I scroll through my garden photos and reflect on past successes and failures, I see plenty to provide me with the framework I need to make the coming year even better.

To be sure, the practical aspect of what to do with the onslaught of leaves can seem daunting to anyone. I think there’s a way to strike a balance between neat and tidy and sustainability. My own approach is primarily driven by a combination of practicality and laziness. Interested in giving it a shot? Read on.

Putting the garden to bed for the winter is no day at the beach. And what do you do with the motley assortment of leftover plants that don’t fit anywhere? Here are some ways you can recycle them.

At some point all gardens need editing, and perennial beds can seem particularly overwhelming - especially if you’re doing it on your own. Here are some ways to make it a little easier.

Life is full of surprises. I wasn’t expecting hot plants, sophisticated prairie gardens and flipped out container plantings when I hopped on a plane for Minneapolis. Here’s what I discovered.

There are so many questions about creating a naturalistic landscape - how do you keep it from looking sloppy? What do you to plant to attract pollinators, manage cultivated and uncultivated areas, eliminate invasive plants and so forth? I don’t have all the answers, but here’s a garden checks a lot of the boxes.

No now May is over the top in the UK. As the concept originated here, I guess it’s no surprise they take it to another level. I was struck by the seamless blending and balance of wild and cultivated areas I saw everywhere I went.

All is not sweetness and light in my garden this spring. Boxwood blight has crept into four hedges of Boxwood sempervirens ‘North Star’ that outline my front beds. At first they just looked mildly stressed, but it was more than that! Blight is really hard to diagnose. Here’s how I finally identified it and what I did.

Why, where and how? Much thought and sometimes lots of angst goes into creating a garden room. Read about my saga and lessons learned along the way.

Many of you know about my yearly sojourns to visit family in Vietnam. Every time I go, I discover something new - what caught my attention this time were the sumptuous assortment of containers.

Looking for inspiration for your 2023 garden? Scroll through last summers garden photos. It’s interesting how much you miss when you’re busy in the act. I’ve noticed that some of my best combinations were accidental. Lest I forget, I made a list of several that jumped out at me. Seems like a good way to begin a new year of gardening.

As I store away plant memories for the winter, there were a bunch that put a smile on my face this summer. In the interest of not forgetting what they were and to share my delights, allow me to rave about the highlights of 2022.

Thinking of centerpieces for the Thanksgiving table? Maybe it’s time to change it up to celebrate the end of fall season. There’s plenty to choose from in your own backyard.

Over the past decade, small deciduous shrubs have earned a special place in my garden and my heart. What began as an experiment to add more structure and reduce weeding has led me to an increased appreciation of their merits. Flowers, foliage and texture, they’ve got it all going on - especially those that go out with a bang in the fall.

While helping a friend move plants around in the most recent iteration of her garden, she turned to me and asked, “do you think the garden will ever be done?” Fat chance! Most of us can’t give up the quest for perfection. As elusive as it is, we don’t (or can’t) stop trying.

If there was ever a time to introduce native plants into your garden, it’s now. Maybe you’ve thought about adding few, but were unsure of which varieties to choose or how to use them. Here’s a fun and easy way to to get going.

Are your containers getting out of hand? It can happen pretty fast toward the end of July and August. If yours are beginning to look crowded or sloppy, now is the time to take action.