Mickey Gast

There’s a subtle shift in the air when September rolls around. I can sense it, without even the slightest glance at a calendar. The light changes. The breeze changes. And …

As a gardener and a garden writer, I enjoy taking photos of plants, in all their stages of growth (and sometimes demise). Most photos I take for my own record-keeping, …

One of the things I’m becoming more aware of about gardening is how much it is a continuum. Like a talent show in which contestants follow one another – and …

I was reading a gardening magazine recently, which proclaimed that September is the most productive month in the garden. With veggies basically jumping into our harvest baskets, there’s little arguing …

For me, August is the month of lunching al fresco in the garden, a fresh meal sandwiched between getting a suntan in the morning and sipping cocktails on the terrace …

In a classic tale of taking over someone else’s choices when you buy a place, when we moved into our current home and garden, I inherited a rose plant. I …

I could spend hours at my local garden store. I find it infinitely relaxing to look at what plants they have in store and imagine the possibilities, the layouts, the …

One of my plant-buying pet peeves is when plants come with labels that do more harm than good. Most of the time, it’s just confusing or incomplete information. (Such as …

I was thinking recently about gardening expectations. About how, if certain plants don’t do so well one year, I’m ok with that. But when other plants fail to meet my …

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 …