Of course you’d expect that someone who calls herself “the garden lady” would want to encourage people to start planting. Yes, I do believe that...
Is Green The New Black?
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Beating the Weeds
As every gardener knows, dealing with weeds is an intrinsic part of gardening, and there is no easy way out. "Isn't there something I can spray?" my...
Problems with Petunias
I was signing books at a local bookstore when a woman walked in with the ugliest hanging basket I’ve ever seen. Stringy, yard-long stems holding...
A New Garden
When I thought about starting new gardens, I made a list of everything I wanted: a grape arbor, woodland garden, herbs, vegetables, a dry garden,...
Gardening in Tough Times
The stock market is erratic at best and plummeting at worst. Global warming threatens to change the planet forever. It seems that every time we turn...
Fornari’s Favorites 2008
The planting season was a blur of activity this summer. Since we moved to Poison Ivy Acres this year we’ve had hundreds of plants to get into the...
Speaking About Gardening
A woman called my home last week, looking for a speaker for her club’s annual meeting next spring. Most such callers ask if I have a specific date...
How to Prune Hydrangeas
It’s the question I’m asked most frequently on GardenLine: “How do I prune my hydrangeas?” The problem is that the big-leaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea...
The Frugal Gardener
Everyone is worried about the economy, and we’re all finding ways to save money. Being thrifty is fine but don’t let prudent money matters keep you...
Fornari’s Favorites 2009
It’s tough to pick my favorites this year… so many things have done so well. I’m like the “very old man” in Wanda Gag’s book, Millions of Cats. This...
Carefree Perennials
Throughout the growing season a steady stream of customers enter the garden center saying, “I’m tired of planting annuals every year… I need plants...
Tomato Troubles
"I had these really beautiful tomatoes,” the caller told me, “but when I went to pick them there was a black scab on the bottom. What is this, and...
Dealing with the Winter Moth
The winter moth caterpillar was brought to North America sometime after 1950 but wasn’t a major problem until recently. In the past few years areas...
Gardening in Rock and Clay
When my husband and I first moved to Columbia County, New York, we knew that we wanted a large vegetable garden. We asked Albert, a neighbor who was...
The Irritation of the Irrigation!
By C.L. Fornari In the desire to have beautiful lawns and gardens, more people install automatic watering systems every year. While I’m the first...
The Wisdom of Waiting
A couple of years ago Massachusetts had a snowstorm in late April. The snow melted over the next two days, and the week after it was gone the grass...
Holiday Plant Hell
If it's the New Year you might have found that this holiday season the unthinkable has happened…someone has given you a holiday plant. Yes, you with...
Fornari’s Favorites – 2010
As I plan for the 2011 gardening season I’m looking through my notes and photos from the previous season and remembering those plants that performed...