Flowers and Plants

May 10, 2023

How to Compost, According to Gardening Experts

Don’t get hung up on how long it should take or how many citrus peels are too many. As one longtime composter put it, “My rule […]
May 4, 2023

4 Books That Offer a Bouquet of Design Inspiration

New books on Elverhoj, Frances Elkins, offshore décor and designing with plants. This article is part of our Design special section about making the environment a […]
May 3, 2023

If You Stop Mowing This May, Will Your Lawn Turn Into a Meadow?

Not necessarily. Two new books offer some advice on what to expect when you decide to leave your lawn behind. It’s No Mow May, time for […]
March 20, 2023

Cherry Blossom Trackers Have Their Fans Online

The interactive maps that track the progress of cherry blossom buds each spring have attracted an enthusiastic fan base. Weeks before the Brooklyn Botanic Garden updated […]
February 15, 2023

How to Choose a Houseplant for Your Home

Rule No. 1: “You don’t have to just have a plain-Jane green plant.” But here’s what you do have to do — to find the right […]
December 14, 2022

After a Frantic Year, It’s Time for ‘Slow Birding’

A new book borrows from the slow food movement to propose a more thoughtful, less competitive form of bird-watching. The feeders are filled and hung; the […]
November 18, 2022

Who’s Afraid of a Lovely Fern?

It’s just a plant — but one that takes me back to the traumatic adolescence I tried so hard to escape. I didn’t want the staghorn […]
November 16, 2022

How to Read the Tree Leaves

A little knowledge of botany can be helpful, even if you’re an amateur gardener. Here are a few things you should know about what happens in […]
October 26, 2022

How to Do a More Conscious Fall Cleanup

Don’t be in a hurry to get rid of all those dead leaves. Autumn is the best time to learn from your garden — if you […]
September 21, 2022

What to Do if You See a Spongy Moth (or Its Very Hungry Caterpillars)

The invasive spongy moth and its caterpillars can decimate a garden. Here’s how to fight back. Until this year, the only spongy moths I had encountered […]