Amaryllis bulbs that are bought from bulb growers come with instructions, but here are a few tips and 'reasons why' that might help make you more successful. I also include a link for those who want to get their amaryllis bulbs from last year to rebloom. Plant your bulb in a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom and soil. You can decorate the surface of your pot around the bulb with moss or stones. I've even seen grass…

We’re at the Audubon Center in Sharon, Connecticut.  Lynn Martin pulls on a pair of Womanswork leather gloves and takes Mandy the red-tailed hawk on to her hand. Mandy lives at Audubon due to an eye injury that prevents her from living in the wild. Most of the birds there were found injured in the wild and were brought to be rehabilitated or protected if they couldn’t be released. She talks softly to Mandy, getting to know her as she…

Not all frosts are equal. You can find out more about expected frost and freeze dates at your local cooperative extension website or by searching 'frost dates' along with your town and state or zip code. You can match that information with the 10-day forecast on your phone's weather app. A light frost occurs when temperatures fall to between 29 and 32 degrees F. Some tender plants will die. A moderate freeze occurs when temperatures go from 25 to 28…

In the agriculture-based culture of the Oneida Nation, to which Toni House and her family belong, plants are sometimes referred to as younger sisters and older sisters. Humans and plants are often considered equals. “We learn to listen to the earth rather than try so hard to change it to fit our ways,” says her daughter Jasmine Jimerson. In this ecosystem, humans try to replicate what they observe in the natural world, and then make small adjustments.  It’s a system…

It’s hard to put down roots when you’re a military family that moves every couple of years. But that didn’t stop Tagen Towsley Baker from searching for a sense of community in each town or base she and her husband relocated to. Growing lavender has helped her find that community, and adopting her 14-year-old daughter Mila from an orphanage in China 3 years ago has added a sweetness to the endeavor she never thought possible. On Mother’s Day Mila and…

Queen Anne's Lace is the common name used for a variety of plants that share similar characteristics: flowers with a flat-topped, lacy white umbel and delicate foliage. Its foliage makes it a favorite in floral arrangements as a filler. The wild species, daucus carota, is growing everywhere in parts of the US at this time of year, and has been labeled invasive in many States. Although I still find it pretty growing by the roadside (and even in parts of…

When is a shrub not a plant? When it’s in your hand as the ingredient in a thirst-quenching  beverage. In this context, think of a shrub as a pre-made drink mixer to which you can add tonic water, ginger beer or soda water for a non-alcoholic version, or gin, vodka, bourbon or prosecco for an alcoholic beverage. Today’s craft cocktails have taken the concept, which has its origins in colonial times, to a new level of popularity. Many shrubs get…

I have three favorite bulbs that I like to grow in the summer. In my Zone 6 garden they have to be planted in the spring after the last frost. That's what I'm doing now. There are many other summer blooming bulbs as well, but these are my personal favorites, currently. The term 'bulb' applies to a large class of flowering and ornamental bulbouslike plants in their dormant condition, including corms, tubers, rhizomes and pips. White…

A gift wrapped in artisanal paper and decorated with a handmade ornament is special. We ordered some of Kate Blairstone's wrapping paper, made from her brilliant botanical designs, and wrapped a gift, then made an ornament for the top. Her papers come printed on both sides, so your ornament is reversible, perfect for this design. Click here to order Kate's gift wrap. Click here for step-by-step instructions on making this paper ornament, which can also be used as a holiday…

When I took a propagation course at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, NY, I learned that the best medium for indoor seed starting is one with little or no actual soil in it. At the time it seemed counter-intuitive to place my seeds in something as lifeless as a ‘soilless’ mix. Even though ordinary garden soil contains both organic and inorganic matter, I learned that organic matter can bring with it pathogens that provide an inhospitable environment…