I’ve never thought of myself as a gardening expert, although...
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Asparagus, Onions, and Taters!
Knowing when to plant is tricky, especially when it comes...
Read MoreTime for Garden Prep!
Have you seen the weekend forecast? It’s ideal for one...
Read MoreThe Need For Trees
Need ideas for the gardeners on your list? We thought...
Read MoreGreat Sales + Great Gifts for Gardeners
Need ideas for the gardeners on your list? We thought...
Read MorePoinsettia Pointers
I saw my first poinsettias in their native environment while...
Read MoreIt’s Finally Fall, Y’all!
At last! It feels as though fall -- my favorite...
Read MoreYou Can’t Beat Bulbs
Bulbs are a bargain. The biggest and best bargain in...
Read MoreFall is for Fescue
It’s hard not to write about fescue this time of...
Read MoreConifers and Evergreens
Is there a difference between conifers and evergreens? You bet...
Read MoreSuccess with Succulents
Thirty years ago, I spotted a sign on a variety...
Read MoreGardening Myths
I’ve reposted this piece from six years ago, because the...
Read MoreMoths as Pollinators? Yes!
Last week was National Moth Week. I’m sure you knew...
Read MoreHeat Loving Plants sent
I never would have guessed that one week after writing...
Read MoreTomato Tips
Given their enormous popularity, it’s hard to believe that tomatoes...
Read MoreBeneficial Insects
My daughter, who’s not exactly a fan of creepy crawly...
Read MorePerennials!
Need a reason to party? Then celebrate perennials, because June...
Read MoreThe Beauty Of Ornamental Grasses
first fell in love with ornamental grasses in the early...
Read MoreReady For Drift Roses?
Have you ever considered growing Drift roses? Have you even...
Read MoreTime For A Vine?
Vines deserve more credit. After all, they can be beautiful....
Read MoreLeaves of Three, Let it Be!
I was hiking with my five-year-old grandson not too long...
Read MoreIt’s Time to Fertilize!
The relentless storms have taken their toll on area gardens,...
Read MoreIn Praise of Japanese Maples
For years, I’ve been asked repeatedly, “What’s your favorite plant”?...
Read MoreMulch – Like Icing on the Cake
If you consider the money you spend on plants as...
Read MoreMoles on the Move!
A post about moles may seem decidedly unromantic on Valentine’s...
Read MoreBeyond the Bouquet
I’ve never swooned my sweetie with cut flowers on Valentine’s...
Read MoreA Perfect Weekend for Gardening!
The forecast for this weekend looks absolutely fantastic for getting...
Read MoreDo Bugs Survive Winter?
A lot of folks claim that freezing temperatures reduce insect...
Read MoreWinter Houseplant Care
Winter can be a tough time for tropical houseplants. Light...
Read MoreYou Gotta Water in Winter!
Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, it’s crucial that you...
Read MoreBulbs – Get ‘Em in the Ground!
Next spring, will you be one of thousands of people...
Read MoreFall is for Fescue!
Fescue is originally from Europe. It didn’t arrive in this...
Read MoreConifers & Evergreens
Is there a difference between conifers and evergreens? You bet...
Read MoreCountdown to Fall…Finally!
Despite this week’s heat wave, we all know that cooler...
Read MoreThe Wacky World of Gardening
Bermuda grass isn’t from Bermuda. Jerusalem artichokes aren’t from Jerusalem...
Read MoreCreating a Pollinator Garden
Pollinator gardens are all the rage these days, thanks largely...
Read MoreKids and Gardening
Getting kids interested in gardening is really quite simple --...
Read MoreDebunking Garden Myths
When I speak at gardening events across the country, the...
Read MoreControlling Pests & Diseases
There’s no getting around it, folks…sooner or later some of...
Read MorePlant for Spring Color Now
Funny thing about people’s plant buying habits – they tend...
Read MoreThe Time to Plant is Now!
Two significant events occur this month: daylight saving time begins...
Read MoreDo Freezing Temps Kill Bugs?
In the past few weeks, I’ve repeatedly heard the claim...
Read MoreGardening From the Inside Out
I know. It’s been colder than a well-digger’s foot lately,...
Read MoreYou Gotta Water in Winter!
Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, it’s crucial that you...
Read MoreThe Beauty of Bark
When choosing a tree for your landscape, what attributes appeal...
Read MoreFrost and Freeze Alert
It looks as though the overnight lows both Saturday and...
Read MoreFall Color at its Best
Looking for trees and shrubs that’ll produce jaw-dropping, car-stopping fall...
Read MoreBulbs – Beyond Tulips & Daffodils
When it comes to spring-flowering bulbs, the stars of the...
Read MoreIt’s Fescue Time!
Fescue is originally from Europe. It didn’t actually arrive in...
Read MoreWeather in a Word – Wow!
August is ordinarily so hot and dry that I discourage...
Read MoreSummer-Blooming Shrubs
Shrubs rarely get the attention they deserve, and yet they...
Read MoreTen Terrific Tropicals
I’ve been growing tropical plants in containers for decades, and...
Read MoreSun or Shade? (Or Something in Between?)
When shopping for plants, one of the first and most...
Read MoreFoolproof Plants
Officially, Not everyone fancies themselves a hardcore gardener. I get that....
Read MoreIs it Spring Yet?
Officially, spring doesn’t arrive until Monday, March 20, at precisely...
Read MoreFebruary “To-Do” List
For me, the 2017 gardening season officially began last Sunday....
Read MoreCoral Bark Maples
Acer palmatum ‘Sango kaku’, better known as the coral bark maple,...
Read MoreHouseplant Care in Winter
More houseplants bite the dust during winter than any other...
Read MoreThe Secret to Successful Gardening
Imagine being able to add something to your garden that...
Read MoreBulbs- Get ‘Em in the Ground!
Yeah, you read that right. It’s time to plant spring-flowering...
Read MoreYes, I’m Conifer Crazy!
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about conifers, and...
Read MoreBulb Planting Tips and Tricks
This Saturday morning at 10:00, none other than Piet Stuifbergen...
Read MorePlant More Bulbs!
Sales of spring-flowering bulbs – tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and more...
Read MoreTalkin’ Turf
Fall in Green Country means cooler temperatures, more dependable rainfall,...
Read More“The Most Important Time Spent in the Garden is the Time Spent Not Gardening”
The quote above is my own. And while it may...
Read MoreWhat Not to Do in the Garden
Given the dome of heat and humidity that seems to...
Read MorePaul James Chats with Southwood Farm Customer Jared Chamberlain
I first met Jared Chamberlain in 2010, the year he...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick Week 10: Three Big Bloomers for Summer
Three Big Bloomers for SummerFunny thing about trees and shrubs:...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick Week 9: Yews
The genera Taxus and the related Cephalotaxus include the beautiful...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick Week 8: Coleus
Back in Victorian days, a sort of Coleus Fever swept...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Picks Week 7: Ornamental Grasses
I first fell in love with ornamental grasses in the...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick Week 6: Hostas
Hostas practically define shade gardening. And unlike most other plant...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick: Week 5 Succulents
I could easily rattle off a dozen or more reasons...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Pick Week 4: Japanese Snowbell
Twenty-five or so years ago, I planted a tree that...
Read MorePaul’s Plant Picks: Week 2 Japanese Maples
To paraphrase Will Rogers, I never met a Japanese maple...
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