more about: Gardening

The Grumpy Gardener

Don’t Hate My Lawn! 5 Keys to Responsible Lawn Care

May 19, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (2)

Lawn lovers, we are victorious! Last week, we decisively proved that there are very good reasons to cherish our carpets of green! But with great power comes great responsibility. Here are five ways to become an environmentally sensitive lawn owner.

The Grumpy Gardener

Mulching 101 — Your Questions Answered

May 12, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (11)

Mulching may sound mundane, and doing it is even mundaner. But mulching the garden is one of the most essential ways to ensure its success, especially with the hot summer ahead. Therefore, let Grumpy guide you through all the in’s and out’s of mulching properly.

The Grumpy Gardener

Get Your Garden Ready for Summer!

May 5, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (3)

It may be snowing in Duluth and wintry in Wisconsin, but here in the South, it’s spring! Don’t you love it? Now is a great time to enjoy your cool-weather flowers, while also setting out plants for summer. And that’s just what Grumpy has been doing.

The Grumpy Gardener

Alas! The Bandit Squirrel

May 2, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (10)

It’s no secret that Grumpy hates pesky, good-for-nothing, freeloading squirrels. And I know that you do too. With our common disgust in mind, let’s enjoy this clever squirrel poem sent in by reader Susanne Bunch.

The Grumpy Gardener

Fringe Tree — The Best Native Tree Nobody Grows

April 28, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (10)

You’d think a small, native tree with pretty spring flowers and pretty fall foliage that’s easier-than-pie to grow would be a staple in our gardens. You’d be wrong. So let me tell you about fringe tree.

The Grumpy Gardener

How To Grow Azaleas

April 25, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (5)

An obscure federal law passed in 1803 states that all homeowners where azaleas will grow must plant azaleas. Because Americans by and large obey the law, if you drive down any street in April and May, it’s hard to find one house without azaleas. Therefore, Grumpy feels duty-bound to tell you how grow these colorful bushes, so you will not […]

The Grumpy Gardener

Tropical Flowers for Temperate Gardens — Yellow Shrimp Plant

April 18, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (0)

It has always been one of Grumpy’s foremost goals to introduce his readers to great flowers named for the freshest seafood. Therefore, I present to you this wonderful, nonstop bloomer that is often seen in Florida gardens, but should be seen in all — yellow shrimp plant.

The Grumpy Gardener

Welcome to Dad’s Toxic Waste Museum!

April 14, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (3)

My Dad was an enthusiastic, conscientious, and thrifty gardener. He never threw away anything. This latter point was never illustrated any better than during my visit home last week. I walked into his workshop in the basement and opened the door to his garden pesticide cabinet. There stood a murder’s row of dangerous and mostly banned pesticides. Let’s all take […]

The Grumpy Gardener

These Blooming Bells Ring My Chimes! Calibrachoas

April 11, 2013 | By Steve Bender | Comments (1)

At first glance, Calibrachoa (pronounced callie-bruh-KO-a) looks like a miniature version of the petunia. That’s not so weird. The two belong to the same family. But Calibrachoa offers colors that petunias don’t — strong yellows, terra-cottas, oranges — as well as red, pink, rose, burgundy, blue, lavender, purple, and bicolors. Boatloads of single or double flowers appear from spring to […]

Finally, Growing Roses Made Easy!

March 2, 2013 | By Rebecca Reed | Comments (1)

Confession: This garden editor was not a huge fan of roses—until I met Paul Zimmerman four years ago at the Organic Growers School in Asheville, North Carolina.

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