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Serena Manickam

Serena Manickam is a freelance editor and writer and sustainable market gardener in rural Virginia. She holds a BA in environmental science and runs Fairydiddle Farm, a small market garden in which she grows no-spray produce and herbs to sell at a local farmer’s market.

Though annuals often take center stage in greenhouses in spring — think bold petunias and pansies — perennials can be planted once and enjoyed for years to come, often with little maintenance. Many do require full sun, but plenty of others thrive in shady conditions, and some even bloom all summer long. With the right …

Read More about Best Perennials for a Stunning Low-Maintenance Garden

Jumping into gardening can be both exciting and intimidating. There’s so much to learn! You want to plant everything! Where do you start? Seasoned gardeners have learned the best tips and tricks through years of experience, and while trial and error is a great way to learn, you can get a head start by seeking …

Read More about 7 Simple Gardening Tips for New Gardeners

As the short, cold days of winter drag on, slowly lengthening, our fingers itch to dig in warm, crumbly soil again. We flip eagerly through seed catalogs and longingly inventory the packets left over from last year, tucked into plastic tubs or shoeboxes or old biscuit tins. But we don’t have to stop there; many …

Read More about What Is Winter Sowing? A Simple Guide to Jump-Start Your Seed Planting

Cottage gardens, xeriscapes, wildflower plots, and carefully landscaped flower beds all exude an undeniable beauty, attributed mainly to the plants chosen to inhabit them. If you are planning a new garden or even looking for flowers to fill in gaps in an existing landscape, it can be overwhelming to sort through the options. Here are …

Read More about 13 Gorgeous Flowers that Start with G

With their large, elegant globes of flowers, hydrangeas are among the most popular flowering shrubs in the US. They come in several varieties, allowing them to fit well in a range of garden settings, and some can even be persuaded to bloom in bright colors. Because of the different types, knowing which one you have …

Read More about Hydrangea Growing Tips for Beautiful Blooms

What do you do with all of those vases piling up under the sink or on a forgotten shelf somewhere? Even after filling your favorites with fresh flowers to display around the house, that cluttered storage space still holds vases left over from long-ago gifted flowers or purchases you made yourself. It’s time to free …

Read More about What to Do With Too Many Flower Vases

Succulents make stunning house plants, and most are remarkably easy to care for. Once you know a few simple tips for how to care for succulent house plants, you can explore the many wonderful varieties well-suited for indoor growing and fill your home with their unique textures and colors. Yep, succulents come in not only …

Read More about Successfully Grow Succulents as House Plants

Once you start growing house plants, you’ll want to have some in every room of your home and workplace! But which plants perform best in which rooms? Keep reading for room-by-room suggestions, as well as plants listed by the different lighting conditions present throughout buildings. The Best Indoor Plants for Bedrooms While they may not …

Read More about The Best House Plants for Each Room

One of the most popular Christmas plants, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is actually a woody perennial shrub native to Mexico and Central America. In their native habitat, these seemingly delicate houseplants actually reach heights of 10 to 15 feet. So how do you keep a tiny version of this shrub alive in your house throughout the …

Read More about How to Care for Poinsettias During the Holidays and Beyond