Gardening

Q: A friend is looking for ideas to plant on the side of her house that sees almost no sun at all. She needs something to go with the inevitable hostas.   Tip #1: Ferns will do wonderfully. Ferns have varied texture like other plants have colorful blooms. Small to large leaves. Wide to narrow…

If you have room for only one edible plant, consider growing elderberries. This arching eight-foot tall shrub is easy to grow, anchors the mixed border with its bold compound foliage and flowers, and of course, provides glorious clusters of shiny, dark purple berries.   Elderberries come in a variety of cultivars and species. The American…

How to Grow Potatoes in the Ground I have had a garden for several years now, and I have been trying to grow a variety of herbs and vegetables. This year we decided to try to grow potatoes. I remember growing them as a kid and digging them up in the fall. What fun! There…

I have always grown rhubarb in my garden. Sometimes we eat it and sometimes we don’t, but I think I just enjoy admiring its big green leaves and pretty red stalks.   Rhubarb will grow almost anywhere. We have moved our rhubarb plant five times in the past twenty years (yes, twenty!). It just keeps…

No one needs tell a cat lover that cats hold Catnip in high regard. But cats aren’t the only ones that benefit from this common herb.It turns out that catnip has many uses.   Catnip is known as a kitty aphrodisiac. Bruising the leaves of Catnip releases the essential oil (specifically nepetalactone) which mimics cat’s…