Home & Garden category, Page 14

Dan Benarcik was handing out little cuttings of a fascinating variegated climbing hydrangea he introduced called ‘Firefly.’ It was at a convention of garden writers more than 15 years ago and looking down at the little plant wrapped in plastic that I became obsessed with the variety, falling in love...

Colors aren’t a hot topic this time of year in Pittsburgh. It’s a city consistently ranked among the dreariest in the nation – except for gray, as in gray skies, and winter blues, although that’s more of a feeling than a shade on the color spectrum. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical...

As the days lengthen and green shoots push up from the earth, the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania welcomes the approaching spring with its annual show on March 16-17. For the first time, the show will be held at The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh in Mt. Lebanon. Fans of orchids should...

Last summer I had the pleasure of watching a fat bumblebee joyfully buried deep in the center of an orange tithonia blossom, covering itself with pollen. The insect was oblivious to me as I moved in closer and closer to photograph the spectacle while standing in the garden barefoot on...

Gardeners itching to plant and bring forth spring’s green can get a head start at 6 p.m. March 20, when the Mt. Pleasant Public Library, 120 S. Church St., presents a program on indoor seed starting. Presenter and local garden designer Martha Oliver will discuss timing and supplies needed, along...

Herb Frazier has spent a lifetime telling important stories, first as a newspaper journalist and now as public relations director for Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, S.C. It’s America’s oldest public garden, founded in 1676 by the Drayton family. It opened its doors to everyone in 1870, becoming Charleston’s...

The annual announcement of the latest All-America Selections means spring can’t be too far away. Any variety holding the coveted AAS-winning title has been through rigorous trials by volunteer judges from all over the country. Founded in 1932, with the first winners announced the next year, it’s the oldest independent...

Everybody Gardens editor Doug Oster will be appearing at the Duquesne Light Home and Garden Show from March 1-10, speaking every day. The event is held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and Oster will be speaking from the Green Thumb Stage, which is on the first floor, in...

As you plan your garden for the coming season, consider including some annuals, perennials, and vines that attract and support hummingbirds. These tiny little birds are summer residents of Pennsylvania, and they require particular flowering plants from which they can access nectar. If you’re lucky, a family of hummers will...

Question: My mom and I are big fans of your and Doug’s show on KDKA radio. I was listening last Sunday morning, and an organic black spot prevention product was mentioned. I wasn’t able to write it down at the time and forgot the name of it. I would really...

Hydrangea expert and author Lorraine Ballato has just spent 10 minutes telling me how difficult it is to make the plant bloom in a northern climate. Asked then why her property was filled with countless varieties of the shrub, she laughs and says, “Because my heart belongs to them.” The...

In late winter, a gardener’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of … the Philadelphia Flower Show. Billed as the “oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world,” the annual harbinger of spring is scheduled for March 2-10 in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Drawing more than 250,000 visitors...

Noted horticulturist and foodscape expert Brie Arthur will speak at a March 23 program in Uniontown. Hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Fayette County, the event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Grayson House at 157 Riggin Hill Road. Arthur will discuss how to interplant ornamentals with...

White gardens, including the most famous example at Sissinghurst Castle in England, are dramatic in the most understated of ways. A collection of plants with green and gray foliage that produce only white blooms, white gardens are one of the most elegant ways to combine plants. While your own backyard...

Question: We have a hedge of Rose of Sharon plants down the side of our driveway. They’re getting a little overgrown. They’re also very thick because they’ve spread by seed, too. What is the best time to prune them, and how do we do it? Answer: Unlike most other trees...

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens knows how to brighten up a cold winter’s day in Pittsburgh. Its annual Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show, “Eye Candy” — which opens Jan. 12 and runs through March 10 — is a treat for the senses, spotlighting more than 1,000 orchid blooms and some...