Plants & Gardens Blog

Leaving fallen leaves in place is often the best choice, ecologically and horticulturally. How do you decide when to let leaves be and when to remove them? Read › Autumn Leaves: Should You Collect Them or Leave Them in Place?

Create a habitat for pollinators as well as the amazing array of less beloved, but still important, insects out there. Read › Make Your Garden a Haven for Insect Diversity

High demand and current safety protocols have added a week to 10 days to many online seed orders. If you have unused seeds from last year or even earlier, they very well might be viable. Read › Germination Test: Are Your Old Seeds Still Good?

A cold frame is like a bottomless, mini-greenhouse that you place on your garden plot in the fall to protect vegetables after the frost date. Learn how to make and use one. Read › Use a Cold Frame to Grow Vegetables in Early Spring or Late Fall

Self-sowing annuals plant themselves, which makes them an appealing, sustainable choice for gardeners who don't mind a few surprises. Read › How to Grow Self-Sowing Annuals

So-called "self-watering" planters are all over the marketplace and can be very expensive, but simple, effective DIY versions can be made cheaply using common household supplies and upcycled food containers. Read › Make a Simple, Subirrigated, Self-Watering Planter Out of a Milk Carton

Native plants are highly recommended for rain gardens because they are more pest resistant than nonnatives, require no fertilizer, and provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Read › Native Plants for New York City Rain Gardens

A Williamsburg backyard was designed to capture excess storm water. In a twist on the traditional rain garden, its charming stream and small pond hold water that flows from the yard and green roof. Read › A Brooklyn Backyard Rain Garden and Green Roof

With global climate change upon us, New York City is already feeling the effects. We will need to be resilient in the face of these new environmental stresses. Read › Responding to Climate Change in New York City

A Sunset Park elementary school managed to create a water-wise garden that harvests rain and produces vegetables in a former parking spot. Read › A Sustainable School Garden in a Former Parking Spot