Christian Science Monitor | Diggin It

How to keep a holiday topiary alive

Tips on how to care for a holiday topiary

Christmas decorating with snowballs from the garden

Fat flowers from mophead hydrangeas dry on the bush and are easy to transform into natural Christmas decorations for tree, mantle, or table.

Fall-blooming anemones

The spellbinding beauty of Japanese anemones, or windflowers, in fall may blow you away!

The balance of light in the garden

Have you noticed how the light changes in your garden from season to season?

Green in the winter garden

Tired of your winter garden being all brown? Here are four plants that will green it up.

New roses from David Austin for 2013

British rose breeder David Austin introduces six new English roses for 2013.

A garden writer heads to Phoenix, where they really turn up the heat

An Iowa gardener hikes the Phoenix Mountains to enjoy the saguaro cactus plants -- and the winter heat.

How much do you know about poinsettias?

Take our true-false quiz to see how much you know about the holiday's most popular indoor plant, the poinsettia.

Winter soil care

Gardeners who live in California and other mild climates can do their gardens a favor by getting a start now, in early winter, on improving and caring for the soil. That ensures future success.

Oriental poppies: Glamour girls of the garden

Oriental poppies have their drawbacks in the garden, but it's hard to resist their glamorous good looks.

Lavender is a fragrant addition to summer gardens

Beloved for fragrance, lavender is a colorful charmer in summer gardens and containers

Growing and cooking with lavender and rice

A gardener and a chef give tips on growing and cooking with lavender -- and rice -- including a great recipe.

Grow the roses that starred in Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebration

Thousands of David Austin English Roses perfumed the Thames during Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebration. You can grow many of them.

A new mock orange reblooms

Beloved for its sensational spicy fragrance, mock orange is making a comeback, with many exciting new cultivars. One reblooms in late summer.

Smooth phlox is a charming in-between bloomer

Smooth phlox blooms between the end of creeping woodland phlox of early spring and the start of summer's tall garden phlox.

Great garden flowers: A gaillardia with plenty of moxie

Gaillardia, or blanket flower, is an easy-to-grow perennial for hot, sunny spots. Here's a new cultivar, Commotion Moxie, that has much to offer flower gardeners.

Basil spices up summer gardens and recipes

Basil is the most popular herb in the U.S. The reason? It's versatile, flavorful, and ideal for summer gardens.

Tiarella, or foamflower, does double duty in the shade garden

Foamflower is a perennial plant that comes in two forms, clumping and creeping. Both Tiarellas are favorites with gardeners who have shade.

How to grow and cook spinach

A gardener and a chef team up with advice on growing and serving spinach. Plus a great spinach recipe.

Peony season

When peonies bloom in spring, it's time to think about adding more next season. Singles or doubles may be the question.