There's no real joy in Mudville as we end a cold and stormy March. It's wet and soggy underfoot wherever the soil isn't mostly sand. Don't mess with your garden soil until it dries out and warms up. 

I get it -- we're all pretty sick of the snow. There are many words for the white stuff, not all of them polite. A brief review for your amusement.

This season, bring your plant identification skills up to speed by mastering a little plant Latin. Friends (if not Romans) will lend an ear when you can correctly pin down genus and species. Besides, it's fun... 

Spring is arriving earlier these days but don't jump the gun. The science of phenology gives us cues for planting that reflect real-time conditions. And includes poetic reminders like "When the oak leaves are the size of squirrel's ears..."  

We've just celebrated the arrival of the Chinese Year of the Dog. (Woof!) Maybe you've acquired a bit of lucky bamboo to speed good fortune your way. Here's the backstory on this popular houseplant.

It's time. Really, really time. Clear away those spent and tired Christmas decorations and let the countdown to spring begin. Talking to you, procrastinators!

We're attracted to the idea that there's hidden magic in household products that will make our gardens flourish. Forget those pricey fertilizers. Beer on the lawn! Epsom salts for tomatoes! But these claims often fall apart on closer examination.

Everybody ready for the 132nd re-run of Groundhog Day? Tomorrow the famous Phil will emerge to predict the duration of winter. The original scheme involving animals on the move was a bit more exciting. 

It's bitterly cold and then it's warm enough to go around in a sweater. Winter is up to its usual tricks, but what are temperature swings doing to the garden? Your plants are probably less confused than you are.

If you're getting restless after being trapped inside by snow and frigid temperatures, I've got an idea for you. Get out there on milder winter days and hunt down some of the pests lying in wait to attack your garden.

If you have berried bushes, you might catch cedar waxwings mobbing them in a feeding frenzy. While they have some very civilized habits, these handsome birds sometimes overdo it when they party hearty.

Well, here we are in full blizzard mode. The adult me isn't so pleased, but snowfall does take me back to the far away land of childhood. Sledding! Snowmen! No school! 

Prepare to welcome the New Year with a bit of revelry and a modest serving of optimism. There are some things you can do to improve the odds as you ring out the old and ring in the new. Who are we to question the wisdom of the ages? 

I think we'd be perfectly prepared for Christmas -- if it didn't come so early every year. Ready or not, it it's nearly here, bells a-jingle, candlelit and full of warm good wishes. Have a merry. Make it shine. 

Holly has a venerable history but you can't talk about modern hybrids without focusing on New Jersey. We not only have the top breeder in Dr. Elwin Orton of Rutgers University, but we also host the American Holly Society. Here's the backstory.

We love evergreens in winter for color in the landscape and sparkle in the living room as Christmas trees. But too many of them grow into forest giants, overwhelming the average home. The "little people" of the evergreen set, dwarfs and miniatures, fit in more easily.

It's time to call it a wrap in the garden, but a little care with late fall chores will pay big dividends next spring. Thanksgiving is dead ahead and often the long weekend is an ideal opportunity to tidy up and tuck things away.  

Succulents include many sculptural little plants that inspire a certain affection -- and don't ask for much. They are at home on "living walls," in dishy mixed plantings and on tables as party favors. If there's a modern plant craze, this is it.