Skip to Content

Kelsey McDonough is a freelance writer and scientist, covering topics from gardening and homesteading to hydrology and climate change. Her published work spans popular science articles to peer-reviewed academic journals. Kelsey is a certified Master Gardener in Colorado and holds a Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering.

There is a moment, standing at the edge of Keukenhof in the Netherlands, surrounded by seven million tulips blazing in every shade of coral, cream, and crimson, when the difference between a good holiday and an unforgettable one becomes perfectly clear. A great botanical garden does not just show you plants. It changes how you …

Read More about The Most Breathtaking Botanical Gardens in Europe That Will Make You Rebook Your Entire Trip

Gardening has always belonged to women. The difference now is that more of them have platforms and recognition than ever before, and audiences are paying attention. Whether you want design inspiration, practical growing advice, or simply a voice that makes you want to get outside, these are the famous women gardeners leading the field in …

Read More about 18 Famous Women Gardeners You Should Be Following in 2025 to Celebrate International Women’s Day

That brown, leafless plant you’ve been staring at all winter may not be gone; it may just be dormant. Before you pull it out and reach for a replacement, it’s worth taking two minutes to find out. The most common gardening mistake in late winter isn’t overwatering or underwatering. It’s discarding a perfectly healthy dormant …

Read More about Don’t Pull That Plant — It Might Just Be Dormant

The garden has always belonged to women, and yet, for most of recorded history, the world arranged things as though it hadn’t. Women weeded the estates of the wealthy without credit, designed in private, wrote under scrutiny, and were turned away from institutions that could have formalized what they already knew. On International Women’s Day, …

Read More about The Women Gardeners History Tried to Forget (in Celebration of International Women’s Day)

March arrives, and the garden urge hits hard. The seed catalogs have been studied, and the beds are calling, but one question stops most gardeners before they start: Is it actually time to plant where I live? The answer depends entirely on your zone. March is the perfect planting month for some gardeners and still …

Read More about What to Plant in March (Best Perennials for Every Zone)

There’s something quietly thrilling about planting a seed. You press it into the soil, water it in, and then you wait. For a first-time gardener, that waiting can feel uncertain. Did it work? Is anything going to happen? With the right flowers, the answer is almost always yes. The easiest flowers to start from seed …

Read More about 8 Easy Flowers to Grow From Seed (And Tricks That Make Them Bloom All Summer)

The pruners are clean, the days are getting longer, and the garden is stirring after months of dormancy. March is when the urge to cut everything back finally wins, and for many plants, that instinct is exactly right. But for others, pruning too soon can cost you an entire season of blooms before the first …

Read More about Stop Pruning These Plants in March (And What to Actually Prune) — You’re Cutting Off This Year’s Blooms

Outside, it still looks like winter. But on the kitchen table, a stack of seed packets says otherwise. March is the month when indoor seed starting takes off in earnest, and if you’ve ever ended up with tall, floppy seedlings that struggled at transplant time, you already know that timing matters more than enthusiasm. Getting …

Read More about What Seeds to Start in March — A Zone-By-Zone Breakdown Every Gardener Needs

Every March, gardeners face the same delightful tension: the urge to get outside and do something, held in check by unpredictable weather and soil that isn’t quite ready. The most important thing to understand about March gardening is that the month means something completely different depending on where you live. For Zones 1–3, it’s still …

Read More about Don’t Miss These Critical March Garden Chores for Every Zone

Every year on March 3, the world celebrates World Wildlife Day. If you’ve ever wondered whether your garden could truly make a difference for wildlife, the answer is a resounding, flower-scented yes. You don’t need rolling meadows or a countryside estate. Even a sunny windowbox, a modest border, or a few well-chosen containers can become …

Read More about Celebrate World Wildlife Day With Plants That Make Your Garden a True Haven