Laura Bennett

There is something almost magical about walking past a lavender hedge in full bloom — the scent stops you in your tracks and the sight of those purple spikes swaying in the breeze is the kind of thing that makes you fall in love with gardening all over again. Lavender is one of my absolute … Read more

What if the most beautiful yard on your street also happened to feed your family? That is exactly what edible landscaping is about — replacing purely ornamental plants with food-producing ones that look just as gorgeous. I started tucking herbs and berry bushes into my flower beds years ago, and now half my front yard … Read more

I spent years planting flowers I thought butterflies would love, and for years I watched them fly right past my garden to land on the weedy patch of clover by the mailbox. It was humbling, but it taught me something important: butterflies do not care about pretty. They care about food, shelter, and the right … Read more

There is something deeply satisfying about picking a crisp apple from a tree in your own backyard. And contrary to what many people think, you do not need acres of land or years of experience to grow apples. Modern dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are bred for small spaces and can produce fruit in as little … Read more

If you have never grown zucchini before, let me warn you in the most delightful way possible: you are about to have more squash than you know what to do with. Zucchini and summer squash are the overachievers of the vegetable garden, and they reward even the most inexperienced gardener with an almost embarrassing abundance … Read more

Why Birds Belong in Your Garden A garden without birds is just a collection of plants. Add birds, and it becomes something alive — a dynamic ecosystem where chickadees hunt for caterpillars on your tomato plants, goldfinches perch on your coneflowers, and hummingbirds hover at your salvia. Birds aren’t just beautiful visitors. They’re pest controllers, … Read more

Growing an avocado tree from a pit is one of those garden projects that feels like actual magic. You take the seed from an avocado you just ate for lunch, stick some toothpicks in it, suspend it over water, and watch it crack open and send out roots and a stem over the next few … Read more

The first year I grew lettuce, I planted forty seedlings on the same Saturday in April. Three weeks later I had more salad than my entire street could eat. Two weeks after that, every single head had bolted and turned bitter in the heat. I had gone from drowning in lettuce to having none at … Read more

Why Most People Struggle With Peppers Peppers are one of those garden plants that seem like they should be easy — and in many ways, they are. But a surprising number of gardeners end up with pepper plants that grow lush, green foliage and then produce barely any fruit. Or they get a handful of … Read more

After a long winter of looking at brown, matted grass, there is nothing more satisfying than watching your lawn come back to life in spring. But here is the thing most beginners do not realize — what you do (and do not do) in March, April, and May sets the tone for your entire lawn … Read more