California Lilac, Ceanothus Are you a devotee of multitasking plants—meaning, you choose plants based on whether they serve many purposes? If your answer is yes, then I have a plant for you: California lilac. Not only are ceanothus colorful, but they are extremely low-thirst, low-maintenance, and pollinator-friendly. And though they burst forth with amazingly fragrant […]
Gardening 101: Ceanothus
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5 Quick Fixes: Plastic-Free Ways to Start Seeds
Buying plastic starter pots and trays certainly isn’t going to tip the world into a climate disaster, but when there are so many plastic-free options these days, you have every reason to choose sustainable over synthetic. Below, five Gardenista-approved, Earth-friendly options for starting seeds. (Note: If you already have plastic starter pots, go ahead and […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Budget Renovations
While the aspirational stuff on Remodelista is always inspiring, it’s the clever, DIY budget remodels that we live for. Some highlights from this week’s “On a Shoestring” theme: Plus: Remodeling Wisdom: 10 Budget Backsplash Hacks Shopper’s Diary: Soulful (and Reasonably Priced) Housewares from Ofelia in Spain 10 Easy Pieces: Good-Looking Pendant Lights Under $200 High/Low: […]
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Quick Takes With: Summer Rayne Oakes
You may remember Summer Rayne Oakes from her incredible, plant-filled Brooklyn apartment that went viral in 2016. Since then, “I set out on a mission to bring people closer to plants by bringing plants closer to them,” she says, via her YouTube channel “Plant One On Me” and her Houseplant Masterclass series. During the COVID […]
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Spring in Provence: Foraging and Botanizing in the Calanques
“The Calanques, a real garden of stones on the edge of the sea.” This is how the famed French rock climber and mountain guide Gaston Rébuffat described the extraordinary dialogue between these dramatic limestone ridges and narrow azure coves of the Mediterranean near Cassis and Marseilles in the south of France. I walked there recently, […]
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The Art of Garden Etiquette: 10 Ways to Show Respect to Neighbors
It’s always a good idea to give the gift of courtesy to your neighbors. Even if they’re not the type to fly into a yard rage, they’ll still appreciate a little kindness in the garden. What do the basic tenets of neighborliness require? Keep your yard tidy (dazzling horticultural displays are always welcome, but not mandatory). […]
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Indoor Gardening 101: The What, When, and How of Repotting Plants
Do your plants need to be repotted? What are the signs they have outgrown their pots? How do you actually repot anyway? Will repotting hurt your plant? Repotting isn’t hard. Let’s get started. N.B.: Featured photograph by Justine Hand, from DIY: How to Care for Aloe Vera, the Plant of Immortality. What are the signs your […]
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Shopper’s Diary: Clement Nursery, San Francisco’s Oldest Garden Store
I frequent San Francisco most weekends, so when I learned of a very old nursery nestled into two full city blocks, I knew I needed to make a bee-line there. What I encountered was a unique space filled with history, well-chosen plants, and friendly staff. In essence, Clement Nursery feels more like a quirky garden […]
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Curb Appeal 101: Everything You Need to Know About Pine Tar
Venmo, dishwashers, those Instagram filters that give tired faces a glow-up—we can all agree our world has benefited from progress. But some things don’t need to be improved upon. Case in point: pine tar. Pine tar has been in existence since the days of the plundering-and-pilfering Vikings, who distilled the stuff in large quantities and […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Flower Power
Cut flowers are just the pick-me-up we needed to get us through this last week of winter. Here, from Remodelista, some images of arrangements doing the same for rooms. Plus: Object of Desire: Ceramic Water Filter by Kyn & Folk 10 Easy Pieces: Corduroy Sofas Design Down Under: 5 Favorite Finds from McMullin & Co. […]
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Quick Takes With: Margaret Roach
Longtime garden writer Margaret Roach‘s list of accomplishments is long and illustrious: She was once fashion writer for Newsday; then garden editor-turned-editorial director at Martha Stewart Living (where she helped birth its internet direct-commerce division); and now, since 2020, a contributing columnist for The New York Times. But that’s not all: “I create a website, […]
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Spring Mugwort: Loathe the Weed, Love the Delicacy
Spring is sprung, the mugwort is riz (at least in Brooklyn, New York). I wonder where the mower is? The first, silvery tufts of spring mugwort have emerged after winter in a flocked carpet that is visible from a distance. Their arrival, while nights still hold a hard chill, is met with joy, indifference, or […]
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Leave the Leaves…Again: 7 Reasons to Keep Fallen Leaves in the Spring, Too
Spring is in the air, and for many gardeners, that means it’s time to start cleaning up the yard. But what if I told you that your garden beds will be better off with a little mess? Leaving the leaves is not just for fall. Here are seven critical reasons to keep them on your […]
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Before & After: Converting an Unusable, Exposed London Rooftop Into a Tranquil, Private Terrace
We generally save the “before” images for the end of our articles, but in this case, it’s helpful and inspiring to see upfront the space pre-remodel. Take a look at this entirely drabby and exposed rooftop. If a tiny, depressing roof can be transformed into a private urban oasis, one that invites lingering and relaxation, […]
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How to Grow Tulips That Come Back Year After Year, With Polly Nicholson
In Polly Nicholson’s new book, The Tulip Garden, out today in the UK (and on April 10 in the US), the expert grower shares her secrets on raising the most rarefied tulips—from historic Tulipa (known as English Florist) to Dutch Breeder and Broken (with feather-like flames). It’s as sumptuous a volume as the subject requires, […]
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Object of Desire: Emma Kohlmann’s Nature-Inspired Lamp Collection from Slow Roads
I’ve known artist Emma Kohlmann since she was a kid and am a huge fan. I’m not the only one. Her beguiling, dreamlike paintings were discovered on Instagram 10 years ago when she was in her mid-twenties and she now has an impressive CV of shows near and far (she’s represented in NYC by Silke […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Unexpected Red Theory
Remodelista weighed in on the Unexpected Red Theory last month, and now that we know it, we keep seeing the theory put into practice everywhere. Some red highlights from this week’s offerings on our sister site… Plus: Merrydown: A Debut Project by Simmons Esteves Studio in Maine Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Nautical Brass Ceiling Light Kitchen […]
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Quick Takes With: Alan Calpe and Christopher Crawford
We didn’t know we needed quietly stylish workwear and Italian garden clogs in our lives until Alan Calpe and Christopher Crawford’s Gardenheir came along. Now, like many others who’ve discovered their website or wandered into their chic shop in Windham, NY, we’re obsessed. The pair founded the business “after becoming more and more consumed as […]
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Spring on a Plate: Tulip Petals for an Exquisitely Pretty Snack
One of the best things about being an adult: You’re allowed to play with your food. In spring, that means introducing edible ornamentation like tulip petals to everyday eats, transforming them from ordinarily good to effervescently appealing. Celebrate what you have. Celebrate flowers. Celebrate the privilege of a meal, and of feeding yourself, or friends. […]
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Gardener’s Dozen: Jinny Blom’s Outdoor (And Indoor) Paint Collection
“White is not a good color in a garden,” says internationally-renowned landscape gardener Jinny Blom, whose paint range launches today. Over the last decade or so she has worked on developing colors that “read as white” when seen in a landscape—as well as better choices for railings than the usual black, and an accent red […]
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Ask the Experts: Where Do the Pros Go to Source Native Plants?
This is part of a series with Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit dedicated to toxic-free, nature-based gardening, on how you can be more sustainable in your landscapes at home. Ever since I spotted the heart-shaped leaves of a violet in my backyard as a child, I’ve been smitten with native plants. Decades later the excitement […]
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‘Garden Wonderland’: Leslie Bennett’s New Book Shares the Secrets to Designing a Magical Garden
Garden designer Leslie Bennett’s new book Garden Wonderland (out April 2, 2024) is full of delicious surprises. For one, it’s so much more than a book about edible landscape design, for which Bennett’s design-build firm Pine House Edible Gardens, is best known. Yes, there are plenty of fruit trees and raised veggie beds within, but […]
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Required Reading: ‘Hot Springs’ by Greta Rybus
While we were working on our book Remodelista in Maine with the photojournalist Greta Rybus, Greta let us in on a project she was working on: a book documenting hot springs, public baths, and soaking spots the world over. We’ve been awaiting the publication of Hot Springs ever since, and as of this month it’s […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Warming Trend
We are a geographically dispersed crew here at Gardenista. Some of us saw snow this past week, while others experienced mild and sunny weather. But regardless of what the thermometer says, spring is finally, blessedly here. And Remodelista is all in with the appropriate seasonal content. Here, a sampling. Plus: A reminder that starting in […]
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Quick Takes With: Claire Ratinon
Claire Ratinon is a self-described “career changer grower,” a former documentary producer who fell hard for gardening after a chance visit to the Brooklyn Grange (a rooftop farm in New York) led her to trade in the cameras and lights for compost and loppers. She went on to grow edible plants in a range of […]
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24 Edible Weeds: This Spring, Turn Problem Plants Into Seasonal Treats
Spring’s edible weeds are ready to eat. But what is a weed? It’s not a new question but it bears repeating. Is a weed a problem plant, a nuisance plant? A plant that is not valued where it is growing? Usually. But in some notable cases, our weed is someone else’s food—or even someone else’s […]
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A Garden from Scratch: How to Choose Plants and Put Them Together
After all the planning for the garden layout is done, being able to buy (or grow) your plants feels like something of a victory, the fun bit when you can finally get to see a garden taking shape. In my previous column in this series on making “A Garden from Scratch,” I broached the bigger […]
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OUTERclé: A Welcome New Source for Tile, Materials, and Sculpture for the Outdoors
If you’re searching for tiles for an interior design project, the hard part is choosing from the gazillion options out there. Sourcing for tiles and materials for an outdoor space, though? Even if you’re working with a landscape architect, you may find yourself frustrated by the limited options. That’s why Sausalito-based clé tile launched OUTERclé […]
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Ask the Experts: 11 Favorite Native Plant Combinations
This is part of a series with Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit dedicated to toxic-free, nature-based gardening, on how you can be more sustainable in your landscapes at home. In our post last week, we heard from a group of horticulturists and garden designers on where they go to source native plants and seeds. Now we’ve […]
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10 Easy Pieces: Low-Maintenance Indoor/Outdoor Rugs
When the line is blurred between indoor and outdoor living spaces, a versatile rug is essential. Here is our edit of outdoor rugs that are just as suitable for indoor or liminal spaces, all in neutral palettes and designs to complement a variety of settings. For more rugs, see our picks: 10 Easy Pieces: Washable […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Spring Design
Even though it’s spring, many of us have been experiencing unseasonably cold and downright wintry weather this week. Good thing Remodelista put the spotlight on colorful, bright, and light interiors. Plus: By Reader Request: Three Direct-to-Consumer Sofa Companies Kitchen of the Week: Studio Maclean Creates a Bespoke Harlequin Design for Queen of Pattern Lulu Guinness […]
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Quick Takes With: Edwina von Gal
As a regular reader, you may already be familiar with Perfect Earth Project, as Gardenista has partnered with them on an ongoing series about nature-based, toxic-free gardening. But you may not know much about the group’s tour-de-force founder, Edwina von Gal. The venerable landscape designer-turned-sustainable gardening advocate has been calling for less lawn, more wildlife […]
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Just Dandy: Served Wilted or Fresh, Dandelions for the Win
Seen through the critical lens of weeds, dandelions are perhaps the most familiar nuisance plant of all. Seen through the appreciative lens of food, they are a welcome and fresh spring ingredient. You don’t have to be a forager to recognize the new, lion-toothed leaves (dent-de-lion is the French etymology) emerging from their overwintering crowns […]
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5 Tips to Try from ‘A Year Full of Pots,’ Sarah Raven’s New Book
We are longtime admirers of English writer, cook, and gardener Sarah Raven, so we were super-excited to learn that her newest book, A Year Full of Pots, is now in bookstores. In this how-to guide on all things container gardening (the third installment of her series that includes A Year Full of Flowers and A […]
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Gardening 101: Buckwheat
Buckwheat, Eriogonum If you’re trying to plant more responsibly and sustainably, and also want your garden to thrive with less fuss, consider adding some wild buckwheat to your beds. I was introduced to these useful shrubs and sub-shrubs when I brought home a few 4-inch pots of red buckwheat from Annie’s Annuals & Perennials. I planted […]
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Gardener’s Dilemma: To Tulip or Not to Tulip
In place of the annual tulip-mania that strikes at this time each spring, there have been discontented rumblings amongst growers and gardeners this year. All is not well in the world of tulips. Cries of “less is more” from formerly ardent maximalists, whose pots used to be bulging with a kaleidoscopic mix of vibrant tulips, […]
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Hardscaping 101: Solar Panels Pros and Cons
If you’re looking to reduce your utility bills and your carbon footprint, solar power could be the way to go. The big question: Will the savings in your energy bills eventually outweigh the investment of installing solar panels? Read on to find out. What are solar panels? How do they work? Solar panels are designed […]
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Trending on Remodelista: Clean Sweep
Over on Remodelista this week, some housekeeping inspiration that may motivate you to finally commit to some spring cleaning. Plus: Kitchens of the Week: 5 Retrouvius Designs Starring Scrap Materials, Creative Salvage Edition High/Low: A Modern Ceramic Sconce, Two Ways Steal This Look: A Small But Complete Kitchen in Brooklyn Heights For Aesthetes and Surfers: […]
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Quick Takes With: Taylor Johnston
For most people, getting photographed by legendary New York Times lensman Bill Cunningham would have been a source of pride. For Taylor Johnston, though, Cunningham’s shot of her installing the famous nasturtium vines at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum decades ago, led to a reckoning. Embarrassed by the outfit she wore that day, she decided […]
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Airy, Ethereal Cherry Blossoms: Catch Them While You Can
Who doesn’t love cherry blossoms? Even ardent native plant advocates can’t help but admire their uncomplicated optimism. While native woodlands and gardens are still quietly waking, showing no more than the pale effervescence of spicebush and the silver buds of serviceberry, the white and pink froth of ornamental cherry season rolls across the land, a […]
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