Latest from Flori Meeks Hatchett

There’s no question that summer heat can be tough on flowers — it wilts delicate petals and stresses moisture-loving plants. But even when temperatures are at their peak, you can enjoy an explosion of colors in your garden. Classic favorites...

Don't let the calendar fool you. Just because spring has long since sprung doesn't mean you’ve missed the boat when it comes to gardening this year. In fact, late summer is the perfect time to plant a whole new crop...

Underrated Herbs to Try in Your Garden When you think about growing herbs, what comes to mind? Overflowing pots of basil, rosemary, and peppermint? Each of those popular choices is fantastic, but have you ever thought about growing a crop...

Understanding Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes If you picture a vegetable garden, odds are good that it includes tomatoes. These plants are the No. 1 home garden crop in the U.S., according to the National Gardening Association. We suspect that’s because...

Garden Spiders: Friend or Foe? (Spoiler: They're Friends) Few people have neutral feelings about spiders. Some are repulsed by their spindly legs, numerous eyes, and venomous bites (though most are harmless to humans). Others are fascinated by their artistic web...

Boost Your Garden's Health with Beneficial Beetles A few fun facts about beetles: Some of them (like lightning bugs) can glow in the dark to communicate. Beetles are eaten by humans more than any other insect. And… if you garden,...

The Praying Mantis: Taking Down Pests in the Garden When you grow flowers and vegetables, you find yourself doing things that seem counterintuitive to people who don’t garden. You find peace in getting your hands dirty. You collect garbage and...

Harnessing the Power of Ants: Benefits and Management Tips When ants go marching one by one in your house, it makes good sense to pull out ant bait or call the exterminator. If you spot ants in your garden, on...

Garden Guardians: How Lacewings Keep Pests at Bay Picture this scene: A vampire-like creature is poised to strike and suck the lifeforce out of a hapless victim… Suddenly, a hero swoops in to save the day and thwart the diabolical...

After weeks of nurturing delicate seedlings and seeing them begin to flourish, it can be heartbreaking to see your garden jeopardized by scorching heat waves, relentless rain — or no rain at all. While it’s impossible to protect plants from...