Home & Garden

Flowering annuals generally bloom nonstop before dying at the end of the year or season. Perennials return every year, providing either season-long color, a burst of blossoms followed by sporadic blooming or a limited show that can last as little as two weeks. And biennials flower only in their second...

Grace’s Garden will provide nourishment for the body … and the soul. Located on land at Carlow University in Oakland, the ground is being tended to grow fruits and vegetables for not only students, faculty and staff, but also anyone else in the community. The name of the Carlow Community...

For all the time I spend digging, planting, pulling and weeding, one would think I’d have some poison ivy horror stories to tell, but I do not. I can’t say for sure whether I’m immune to the rash that tortures so many of my fellow gardeners or if I’ve just...

For all the time I spend digging, planting, pulling and weeding, one would think I’d have some poison ivy horror stories to tell, but I do not. I can’t say for sure whether I’m immune to the rash that tortures so many of my fellow gardeners or if I’ve just...

For decades, native plants were relegated to the “weed” section of many American gardeners’ minds. Most nurseries didn’t stock them. But that’s slowly changing. Native plants provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds and other beneficial critters. They effortlessly grow healthier and stronger than exotic species, seldom need fertilizers...

If you’d like to install a raised bed but don’t have the resources to build one, you can achieve the same effect by growing your plants in straw bales. It’s also a great option for those with poor soil or who don’t have a patch of dirt to call their...

Banana peels and thrown-away leftovers can hold surprising value. Ecotone Renewables, for example, takes food waste and transforms it into Soil Sauce, a plant fertilizer. While composting often is the first solution that comes to mind for food waste, Ecotone aims higher. The partially Black-owned company’s goal is to divert...

There’s nothing quite like receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. They can cheer up a room, bring a bit of nature indoors and, if you’re lucky, release a heavenly fragrance. But nothing kills that vibe quicker than stinky, slimy, wilted flowers poking out of a vase full of brown...

This April, not just showers will bring May flowers. The annual Garden and Landscape Symposium and Marketplace, from Penn State Extension, will be held April 27 at the Hampton Community Center. The event will feature lectures from a pair of renowned landscaping experts, along with a plant and garden marketplace....

Tomatoes, garlic, chives, basil, parsley, thyme and sage have been permanent residents in my garden for ages. But every year, I experiment with new —- or new to me — crops. Many turn out to be transient, like the Instagram-worthy Voyager tomatoes that disappointed in the flavor department, and the...

I’ve had just about enough of winter and am itching to get my hands dirty. I can’t do that yet in my New York garden, but I have been distracting myself by growing microgreens and dwarf strawberries on the kitchen counter. It will be another month before I bring out...

Amid winter’s gray skies and unpredictable temperatures, Black communities are reclaiming their narrative through gardening and growing food, a powerful act of resilience that fuels empowerment. Despite sometimes freezing temperatures, they sow seeds of change, heralding a season of growth and autonomy. Raynise Kelly and TaRay Kelly are owners of...

SANTA FE, N.M. — Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once...

My late Uncle Pepe was an avid mushroom hunter, rising early on late-summer Saturdays, field guide in hand, to head to a local New York City park for his weekly forage. Upon his return, my Aunt Jenny would meticulously wash the hen-of-the-woods, turkey tail or other fungi free of soil...

The best holiday gifts for gardeners are the ones that keep their minds in the dirt, even during the off-season. These gardening and garden-themed gifts will sow the seeds of anticipation for greener days to come and spread a little sunshine just when it’s needed most. SMART VIDEO CAMERA BIRD...

The rose has long been regarded as the “queen of flowers,” revered for its fragrance and beauty. But less lauded are the orange and red hips, or seedpods, that form after the flowers fade. And that’s a shame. If they’re left on the plant, the rose hips will take center...

Michael Strueber can be found in one of two places at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art: sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, sipping coffee with just a dash of cream, or in one of the site’s seven gardens, elbow deep in soil. Director emeritus of SAMA, Strueber,...

As she browsed the outdoor aisles of 380 Auction in Murrysville, Plum resident Marilyn Covert lamented the loss of her homegrown tomatoes to a deer. “They’re terrible,” she said of the deer, as she pushed her cart stacked with gardening supplies. “There’s nothing like a homegrown tomato.” Covert uses deer...

Editor’s note: This list has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Famer’s Market. Here is a list of selected farmers’ markets in the area (listed in alphabetical order): Baldwin Farmers Market Dates: Second and fourth Thursdays of each month through August, plus Sept....

The seven locations on Greensburg Garden Center’s upcoming garden tour feature themes spanning the globe from Hawaii to the British Isles. The self-guided driving tour is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24. Five of the featured gardens are in the Greensburg area, the other two are in...

Have you ever gone to the grocery store for, say, milk, and left with a cartful of impulse buys? Well, I visited a couple of nurseries last week in search of one specific plant and left with nearly everything except that plant, which both retailers had sold out. As usual,...

Culinary herbs are among the easiest plants you can grow. They only need sunlight, water, and well-draining soil with a neutral pH. You don’t even need a garden. Many herbs, such as rosemary, basil, cilantro, lemon balm, oregano and mint will grow well in containers. In fact, mints should only...

It’s prime planting time in many regions, and gardeners are flocking to garden centers for annuals, and herb and vegetablestarter plants. Likewise, those who have grown plants from seeds indoors may be gearing up to transplant them in the garden now. But regardless of their origins, seedlings can’t typically go...

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard about the #NoMowMay movement that’s been gaining steam on social media and in eco-conscious circles these past few years. Started in 2019 by citizen scientists in the United Kingdom, the call for homeowners to abstain from mowing their lawns during the month...

Seventy-degree days in February and 40-degree days in May. While the weather around these parts has been topsy-turvy of late, there’s one thing that home gardeners can depend on — plant sales will start popping up in May. “As cold as it’s been, people are ready to plant something warm...