Are Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckias) good for pollinators?
Gazing on this view of my back garden last month, I couldn't help but notice the many, many bees and butterflies spending time on the Joe Pye Weed, then checking [...]
Susan Harris
WHICH of DC’s cherry blossom trees were removed? NOT the most famous ones at the Tidal Basin
My photo taken in 2015. NOT these cherry trees My social-media feeds this week are full of outrage over the destruction of 60-some cherry blossom trees in D.C., [...]
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and is fire-wise gardening compatible with wildlife-friendly, water-wise gardening?
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden's famous Meadow when I visited in July, past its spring flowering. In this third and last post from my recent trip to California, [...]
Better luck with my other adopted garden, despite destruction of old Junipers
After my emotional story last week of being "Banished from the garden I cleared," I have news about the other large garden I've adopted. (Technically, I'm a "caretaker" of this [...]
Banished from the Garden I Cleared and Maybe Loved too Much
The title of this post tells you it won't be a happy one. It might even make you angry. I wrote it just for blog readers - gardeners! Not to [...]
Finally Got to See Lotusland!
Screen shot of Madame Walska from Lotusland's introduction video. My bucket list of gardens to see was down to just one - the world-famous, one-of-a-kind Lotusland. This month [...]
Cool plants and gardens spotted in a Los Angeles neighborhood
I'm back in Maryland after a short trip to Los Angeles, where these plants and gardens got me gasping with envy, or dying to learn about, or both. All in [...]
My adventures in lawn-killing in Wild Ones Magazine
My photos from (L) somewhere near Toronto and (R), in beautiful West Seattle, GardenRanter Lorene Edwards Forkner's very own garden. If you're a member of Wild Ones, you [...]
My visit to the Reflecting Pool this week, and some real and AI alternatives
My photo of the Reflecting Pool at 8:30 a.m. on June 24, 2026. Nobody comes to GardenRant for political news or opinion, so this is my best attempt [...]
Obama Presidential Center’s Gardens, plus a Stunning New Portrait, with Flowers
The Obama Presidential Center opened Friday, fittingly on Juneteenth, and even from afar, the opening ceremonies were a welcome palate cleanser. And for a gardenblog, there's plenty of plant-related news [...]
Don’t blame Baby Boomers for the conventional American garden style you hate
Intro to r/BoomersBeingFoolish subreddit. Boomer-Bashing is IN! As a Baby Boomer, I don't go looking for examples of the Boomer-bashing that seems ubiquitous these days, sadly. I see [...]
Gardener access in garden borders – a design feature that’s forgotten or just out of fashion?
When I moved to this yard 14 years ago I replaced the back lawn with mixed borders of trees, shrubs and perennials, deeper-than-usual borders like this one (coz, no more [...]