Posts By

Melissa Strauss

Melissa is a writer, hobby gardener, beekeeper and homemaker. She can be found working in her extensive pollinator garden, trolling the local nurseries for unique plant specimens, and tending to the many fruit-bearing plants on her property. Melissa hopes to inspire other gardeners to delve into the rich and fulfilling world of pollinator gardening.

pink rhododendron flowers on shrub

Shrubs

13 Charming Shrubs for the Cottage Garden

We adore a well-curated cottage garden brimming with an array of flowers, herbs, edibles, and various other found items. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to look at some of our favorite shrubs to create a most inviting space.

Tight green cluster of unopened flower buds forming a dense head atop thick pale green stems.

Vegetables

7 Broccoli Growing Mistakes to Avoid This Season

Growing broccoli doesn't have to be difficult, but there are some important factors to consider if you want a bumper crop of this green veggie. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss has some mistakes to avoid when growing your own cruciferous crop.

Close-up of blooming bright, spring ranunculus varieties, possessing vibrant purple and white bicolor flowers with overlapping, rounded petals surround a delicate yellow center, perched atop slender stems with deeply lobed, dark green leaves.

Flowers

17 Dreamy Ranunculus Varieties to Grow This Spring

With their ruffled petals and fuzzy stems, ranunculus make a gorgeous addition to the cutting garden, and anywhere else you plant them. Cut flower gardener Melissa Strauss has some incredible varieties to share that you are certain to adore.

A group of orange, pink, red, and white flowers with many layered, delicate petals growing closely.

Flowers

11 Ranunculus Growing Secrets for Cut Flower Gardeners

If you're a cut flower gardener, and you're not yet growing ranunculuses, you're truly missing out. They are some of the most wonderful blooms for floral arrangements. Join cut flower gardener Melissa Strauss for some tips on how to grow some of these gorgeous flowers of your own!