

Mar 1
Gardening Injuries - OUCH or worse!
PROLOGUE: I do this blog to encourage people to garden, to help avoid problems as well as to provide better results. A commercial-free...


Feb 1
GARDENING AS WE GET OLDER
[Oops, I went long again, but I think you will find it interesting. There is more "essence of The Mad Botanist" in this edition, i.e., I...


Jan 1
CATALPA
I have often seen and heard catalpa referred to as a trash species, to be avoided. I disagree! Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa) is...


Dec 1, 2024
GARDEN ENGINEERING
Forewarning -- I done went and wrote too much, again :) Oh well, consider it a winter solstice gift. While I love plants, there can be...


Nov 1, 2024
LANDSCAPE DESIGN & MAINTENANCE by government
The subject this month has been on my mind for years -- I am finally getting around to covering it. Related, I am not certain whether my...


Oct 1, 2024
Frost/Freeze, Weather and Gardening
Transitioning from winter to spring and summer to fall are the two times we expect to experience frost/freeze and the corresponding...


Sep 1, 2024
SQUIRRELS
If I were to say squirrel, you might think you know precisely what I am referring to, but I suspect you are wrong. My friend John...


Aug 1, 2024
Crapemyrtle
One of my favorite plant genus names is Lagerstroemia . It belongs to crapemyrtle (i.e., created and assigned by humans, the plant...


Jul 1, 2024
RAISED BEDS
I am occasionally asked to give a presentation entitled Common Gardening Mistakes and Myths. One of the topics I cover is raised beds....


Jun 1, 2024
HOSTAS - Naveling, Fragrance & Descaping
Hostas are one of the most purchased and utilized ornamental plants and it is easy to see why. There is great variation, they are easy to...