My grandmother had a cold frame. It was a long rectangular box angled to catch the sun with a sliding glass top, located along the south wall of the garage. At the time I didn't know what it was, but now I've built one of my own, just outside my kitchen,... more »

Garden catalogs have a lot to answer for. They arrive during the doldrums of January and offer glimpses of spring and summer gardens full of bright flowers and luscious vegetables. Unfortunately, when you look outside, it seems like gardening weather... more »

Winter can be bland at the best of times. While the structure plants of your garden can usually hold interest all year, containers that punctuate key areas of the space in the summer can look pretty tired once winter rolls around. We like to combat this... more »

Winter is often thought of as the time of year to escape the harsh elements and head indoors to get cozy. Most plants are dormant, and the garden is a much more subdued place than in the spring and summer, when there's all that vibrant and budding color.... more »

It seems there's no end to big, bad and ugly weather events. When big storms hit with wet snow, heavy rains or gale-force winds, trees suffer. Mature trees are susceptible for any number of reasons, and when an old tree gets irreparably damaged, the loss... more »

Ornamental cabbage and kale are the kinds of plants I love to design with. I think of these plants as I do succulents; they aren't flowers but offer a flower or rosette kind of shape. They... more »

Warming temperatures in the western U.S. are calling for delicious garden additions like artichokes, blackberries and persimmons. For those still with snow-covered gardens, enjoy some indoor planting while planning for spring. In the American Southwest,... more »

Winter is typically a time when the garden sleeps. This goes for container gardens as well. But there are a number of things you can do this season to ensure success during and after the long winter's nap. more »

Most Great Lakes gardeners are holed up inside dreaming of spring right now. Aside from curling up with a hot toddy and a garden catalog or website, gardeners can find some enjoyment in the winter garden and get a jump on the gardening season to come.... more »

With cheer-bringing blossoms on bare stems in the dead of winter, the flowering quince is an ancient Chinese symbol of an auspicious New Year. At least as cheering to me would be seeing a Big 10 football team lose the Rose Bowl to a California team (go... more »

“I've never been an idle person," says Amy Moore. Aside from caring for a family of eight, harvesting and selling homemade honey, and raising chickens and horses on her family’s 8-acre property, she has recently built her own greenhouse using... more »

Just because this plant enjoys the spotlight around the holidays, don't forget to enjoy it year-round — its striking form and foliage are difficult to find in any other plant. You might be wondering why I'm writing about Thanksgiving cactus now. The... more »

In mild climates, there's still time to plant a festive camellia in a pot near the front door and put in bulbs for a big spring show. In colder areas, it's time to gather boughs from the yard for fresh arrangements inside and out. In the Southwest, luminarias... more »

The diversity within the desert Southwest region shows in December. While elevation or time of day may determine one's clothing or specific tasks, garden possibilities are great anywhere here. Desert... more »