Veronica Lorson Fowler

Succulents come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And they thrive on neglect.

Insecticides, whether they are organic or not, kill insects. Lots and lots of insects. All pesticides are fairly indiscriminate -- they kill beneficial insects, including bees, right along with problem insects.

Mini pumpkins sprawl just a few feet. They also mature in just three months or so, perfect for northern states like Iowa.

This summer, the monarch was officially designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While there are many reasons why, gardeners can do their part by helping these beloved butterflies by planting monarch loving plants in their yards.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time and money on your garden. But just as with a house, the most important money and energy you can spend is on the foundation. And the foundation of a garden is the soil.

What to do with all this newfound sun in your landscape?

The best reason to use fewer chemicals is because it’s the smart thing to do for our health and the health of the planet.

No matter what type of hedge you have, it likely will benefit from at least one pruning a year. Pruning helps keep hedges tidy-looking, thicker and can help control size.

Most trees and shrubs don’t have leaves, so you can more easily see their structure. And since pruning stimulates new growth, you’ll be giving them a boost going into their spring growth spurt.

There is a myth that some people possess a green thumb and some people don’t. The reality, of course, is very different. People who have success with plants usually possess just one key characteristic: They care.

A list of what to plant and when in Eastern Iowa.

Trans girls are girls. They should be treated like all other girls, and welcomed into girls sports.

Getting enough light for indoor plants used to be difficult and expensive, but now, thanks to the recent burst in LED technology, many of those old challenges are a thing of the past.

A dark winter evening, in the middle of a pandemic, is an excellent time to curl up with a garden book and dream of spring. Here are some of my favorites, with an eye to Midwestern and Iowa gardens.

This winter, as we browse online or flip through catalogs to decide what we’ll plant this spring, is the perfect time to find a downsized apple tree just right for your landscape to plant come spring.