Mickey Gast

Spring is in full glorious bloom in my garden which can only mean two things: Well, maybe a couple of months before we get full hydrangea blooms. But all the …

I once again have lavender on my mind. My husband and I were walking through our residential neighborhood this past weekend, noticing how spring is well and truly here in …

As we are entering the season of spring celebrations, many hydrangeas will take their pride of place as the centerpieces of our Easter brunch table settings. Or as Mother’s Day …

I was having a good laugh with one of my gardening friends the other day at the expense of her beloved hostas. We were both chuckling at the (entirely made …

Are you growing ornamental grasses in your garden? If you are, congrats! You have officially elevated your gardening game to a whole new level. For the longest time, I didn’t …

I recently wrote an article in which I wondered why peonies are so expensive compared to other perennials. I have seen baby peonies going for anywhere between 35 to 80 …

I knew it was the right time to write about irises when someone in a local group posted a wheelbarrow full of them with the message: Hi, I’m lifting bearded …

If you had to guess how many hydrangeas were sold in the United States in a year, what would you go for? Maybe 100,000. Perhaps half a million. Shall we …

It is a truth universally acknowledged that once you learn a gardening “golden rule,” you’ll have to quickly unlearn it. Or at the very least, you might need to add …

Which phrase rings more memorable to you? Old French climbing rough mountain oak.  or Old rough French climbing mountain oak.  No, it doesn’t make much sense. And no, I didn’t …

How much would you be willing to pay for a single snowdrop bulb? Would you believe that a single bulb of a new snowdrop hybrid went for £1850 (about $2300) …

If you happened to be walking behind me last week at the garden center, I’m sure you would have clearly heard me mumbling:  I hope nobody buys this! Yeah, this …

I’ve always thought that people who love plants generally tend to be generous. In my neighborhood alone, there are three little free plant libraries in which you’ll find everything plant-related …

I think you could call it a tradition by now for me to introduce our readers to weird plants in the winter months. Once the gardening season is truly at …

I have a couple of friends who are very much into board games. They seem to remember the rules of 15+ games by heart and juggle an impressive number of …

One of the highlights of coming back home from my late summer vacation is getting to interact and reconnect with my own garden. I did not have a gardening-free vacation, …

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the plants that you grow, what would that be? Predictably, my answer to this question varies with the …

When I started writing this article, my first draft was titled The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Gardeners, an obvious riff on the self-help bestselling classic. But the more I …

Summer is a time to eat al fresco and have ice cream; and maybe lounge in the hammock. Yes, theoretically I know that. But what do you think happens when …

Let me tell you how I decided to buy a curry plant. It wasn’t exactly planned. Just a classic case of “well, if the universe insists, who am I to …

The sweet and citrusy smell of cola hits me all of a sudden and with it come memories of my childhood. Of sticky snacks and cherries and ice cream floats.  …

I’ve confessed it before, and I’ll say it again. No matter how much gardening experience I’m accumulating, I’ll always find pruning slightly intimidating. There’s something slightly unsettling about cutting off …

Do you like conducting experiments? Are you intrigued by the idea that underwear has something to do with gardening? I was, too, my friend. Keep reading. I wasn’t a big …

I first came across the term “edimental” when I was looking up whether I could eat this mesmerizing little plant that I had bought on impulse. It’s called purple Shiso …