Ask a Master Gardener: Indoor herb gardening

Winter weather may be on the wane, but it will still be a while before we can get outdoors and work in the soil. Even so, there’s no reason not to enjoy fresh, homegrown herbs.

Ask a Master Gardener: Plant stands for indoor gardening

Each winter, gardeners bid farewell to their outdoor growing spaces and turn their attention to other ways to occupy their days. Magazines and seed catalogs provide inspiration, but there’s nothing like gardening indoors to satisfy your inner gardener.

Ask a Master Gardener: The bewitching witch hazel tree

You may be familiar with its name from the bottle of astringent found in your home medicine cabinet or for sale on pharmacy shelves near rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. What you may not know is that the leaves, bark and twigs from American witch ha … (read more)

Ask a Master Gardener: How to plan a new garden

The middle of winter with snow covering brick-hard, frozen ground may seem like an odd time to plan a new garden bed, but it’s the best time. If you make decisions now, you’ll be ready when the weather warms and the ground is workable.

Ask a Master Gardener: Garden inside this winter

Cold weather has arrived, and you’ve put your garden to bed for the season. That doesn’t mean you can’t garden. Just shift your focus from outdoors to in. 

Ask a Master Gardener: All about saffron

Did you know that the world’s most expensive spice comes from a type of crocus? It’s true. Saffron is derived from Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus.”

Ask a Master Gardener: Thinking spring this fall

Temperatures are dropping and it’s time to put the garden to bed. It is also a perfect opportunity to prepare for spring. What you do this fall can provide big benefits when the garden wakes up next year.

Ask a Master Gardener: All about apples

They’re the most familiar of fruits, but how much do you really know about apples?

Ask a Master Gardener: Tomato trivia!

We purchase them at the market. We dine on them in salads and sauces. Some of us indulge in the joy of growing our own at home, but how much do you really know about tomatoes?

Ask a Master Gardener: Flowers in the veggie garden

There’s no denying they’re pretty, but did you know there are practical reasons to plant flowers among the vegetables in your garden? 

Ask a Master Gardener: Chickens in the garden

There’s more to consider than fresh eggs when raising chickens at home. For gardeners, that includes keeping both chickens and plants safe and productive.

Ask a Master Gardener: All about growing hellebores

If you’re looking for an early-blooming, low-maintenance plant for your garden, look no further. A hellebore just might check off several requirement boxes on your plant wish list.

Ask a Master Gardener: What exactly is vanilla?

Most of us recognize that little brown bottle on the spice shelf that imparts a wonderful fragrance and flavor to baked goods and beverages. It’s a staple in our kitchens, but have you ever wondered where vanilla extract comes from?

Ask a Master Gardener: How to attract bluebirds

Spring is just around the corner. With its arrival, bluebirds will be returning north from their winter migration to the southeastern United States and Mexico. If you’re lucky, they’ll pay a visit to your yard.

Ask a Master Gardener: Valentine’s Day flowers

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show those we care for just how much they mean to us. Often, that means a gift of flowers. Throughout history flowers have held special meanings, making a gift of flowers more than just a pretty present.

24