Whether you call it a potting bench, propagation area, or transplant table, a gardener needs a dedicated space to perform all those tasks — sowing seeds, planting containers, cleaning tools, and much more — that require a clear, flat surface and easy access to your tools and supplies. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but it does need to be well thought out and properly stocked.

Here are the essential elements to include in your workspace:

• Worktable: It can be metal, wood, or plastic, but it should be weather-resistant and have a big enough working surface to accommodate…

If you want to grow truly delicious tomatoes this summer, the first step is the most crucial to your success: picking the best variety for your climate and growing conditions. Make the wrong choice and you’ll get fruit that is smaller and blander than you were hoping for. Make the right choice and you can have a bounty of fruits that are ripe, juicy, and full of flavor.

And the time to choose is now, when seed companies are well stocked with a selection of tomato varieties that is more diverse and plentiful than what you’re likely to see in…

My Maine Coon cat, Henry, is sending me a message. He spends most of the day sitting on a shelf staring out the laundry room window into the back yard. Whenever I open the front door, he is suddenly right there, considering whether there is an opportunity for him to sneak out for a little outdoor escapade. And he nibbles at or otherwise molests all my indoor plants.

The message is clear: he wants a catio and he says your cat wants one too.

After having cats suffer various ailments and accidents due to being outdoors, I’ve determined that Henry…

You don’t need to have acres of land to have a successful fruit orchard. By selecting the right varieties, utilizing space-saving planting techniques, and employing simple garden practices, you can grow numerous types of fruit in a relatively small garden and keep your fruit bowl overflowing with home-grown fresh produce.

What you need to know before buying

Here are the basics you should know before you start tree-shopping:

• Know how much space your garden has with full sun exposure. Virtually every kind of fruit tree requires a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun.
• Know what your plant hardiness zone is. You can find out what zone…

Every day it seems there are new stories popping up about people (usually wealthy or at least well off, usually white) gaming the system in whatever way they can manage to get their COVID vaccination before they were due to.

It started with the politicians. We all got to see members of Congress declare themselves essential workers (insert derisive snort here) and be among the very first to get the freshly approved vaccine before almost anyone else. The argument was that by doing so, they were modeling good pandemic behavior and confirming to their constituents that the vaccine was safe…

Leaf curl. Fireblight. Rust. Aphids. Mites. If you’ve had a serious problem with these or other diseases or pests on any of your deciduous fruit trees, the best remedy is often to spray the tree while it is in its dormant state.

What to spray

Dormant sprays can be fungicides, horticultural oils, or a combination of an oil and a pesticide. They should be applied when the tree is dormant because the active ingredients in the sprays can damage foliage and blossoms, and could be deadly to bees and other pollinators if applied when trees are in bloom.

What kind of spray you…

If your garden dreams include a lush and colorful rose garden, the best time to plan and plant it is in the winter months when bare-root roses are available in local and mail-order nurseries.

Bare-root roses are dormant bushes that are packaged and shipped without a container. Shipping the plants in this form saves a great deal of money for growers compared to shipping potted bushes after they break dormancy, and those savings are passed on to you. You can often purchase multiple bare-root bushes for what a single potted rose will cost you later in the year.

Each year…

Citrus trees are one of my favorite choices for almost any garden. They are evergreen, prolific, and relatively low maintenance. And they just make a garden look sunnier!

Selecting and planting

In climates where frosts do not occur, citrus (Citrus spp.) can be planted at any time. Elsewhere, plant trees in early spring.

Citrus is best suited for USDA zones 8 to 11. Best results come from planting in full sun, but they can tolerate some shade in most areas and do well with afternoon shade in the hottest regions. The general rule of thumb is that sweeter citrus types need more heat…