The showy shrub around town blooming now full of huge, round, white flowers is hyrangea. Most of the hydrangeas around here have white flowers but plant breeders have been working on new hydrangea varieties that are hardy with bigger, more colorful blossoms and a longer bloom time. Since the year 2000, 90 new hydrangea...

We gardeners struggle with weeds. We don’t want our beautiful flowers or our vegetable gardens taken over by them. But what to do? Here are some hints to help you keep your gardens weed free. Hit the garden instead of the gym. Weeding in your gardens is good for you—body and mind. Enjoy a beautiful summe...

We know what ‘landscaping’ means—we’ve heard of ‘xeriscapes’. But how about the word ‘foodscaping?’. Today, many of us are concerned about eating healthy. City lots are smaller—and homeowners want ‘curb appeal’. You can kill two birds with one stone by beautifying your yard with edible plants. Her...

Our staff at Cashman Nursery and I have come up with the varieties of vegetables we like best that we grow in our vegetable gardens. There are many other good varieties. You may have some that you like and are even better than this list. I have not listed all the vegetables that we can grow here. Cabbage, broccoli, and...

"Diversity" di·ver·si·ty (noun) : The state of having different forms and types. There is good reason for diversity in the trees we plant in our yards, boulevards, and public areas in Bozeman. If one variety is planted exclusively and then an insect or disease afflicts that particular variety of tree, our yards an...

Today, we hear a lot about organic gardening. You might wonder whether you should try harder to garden organically. First of all, what does it mean to garden organically? A basic definition is “Gardening without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.” There are many reasons gardeners should keep the use of chemic...

The large plant genus allium includes edible onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks but it also includes a vast group of perennial ornamental flowers that are both showy and easy to grow. Allium’s flower colors are most commonly blues and purples, but some are white or yellow. Allium plants produce chemical compounds th...

In surveys, blue is the world’s most popular color. And for many gardeners, blue is also their favorite flower color. This past spring, our perennial expert, Bonnie Hickey, gave a talk on blue flowers. These are a few things she mentioned: Blue flowers blend nicely with many other colors and can create a calming eff...

By Jan Cashman Tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetable. We sell thousands of tomato plants each year. You can grow delicious, nutritious tomatoes, in our high mountain climate with its cool nights and short growing season by using a few tricks. Twenty five years ago, Fantastic and Early Girl were the two commo...

By Jan Cashman   There is a lot of truth in the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples are one of the healthiest foods a person can eat. They are high in fiber and Vitamin C and low in calories. They are high in antioxidants. Eat the skin and you get even more nutritious benefits....