Élise Renard 
Lavender stems can’t regenerate from hardened wood—only green tissue can produce new growth. Pruning in April removes the very growth the plant spent winter preparing, almost guaranteeing failure. Master the two critical pruning windows and the one-third rule to keep your lavender lush and blooming.
An invasive Asian hornet species has arrived in the United States, threatening honeybees and native pollinators. A surprisingly simple solution—a crumpled paper bag hung from a branch—may help keep them away, but only if deployed at exactly the right time with realistic expectations.
For years, standard gardening advice told us to cut asparagus spears below the soil line for the cleanest harvest. A retired Pennsylvania commercial grower revealed the truth: those underground cuts create wounds that never heal properly, slowly killing the crown. The real technique pros use will transform your asparagus bed’s productivity.