Have your heard them yet, spring peepers calling in the evenings to welcome the arrival of spring? These tiny frogs can be found in wet areas, often along roadsides where we can enjoy their sweet chiming as we drive by. Crack open the windows!

Whether you’re aiming for the unusual or out to save a bundle of money, starting plants from seed is the way to go. Watching for germination and witnessing the unfolding of a plant from a tiny seed is one of gardening’s little thrills.

Do you talk to your plants, encouraging them to grow big and strong? You might have to break into the conversations plants are having among themselves. It’s not an exchange of words but of chemical signals.

Shirtsleeve weather or biting cold? This winter you just can’t tell from one day to the next. It’s nearly 60 degrees, then it’s 15, sometimes within 48 hours. How does this whiplash weather affect plants? They cope as best they can.

Sweets for the sweet, right? As Valentine’s Day arrives, you may be looking forward to the chocolates. In the past, though, this product of the cacao tree treat was associated with death and sex…so there’s that.

If you’re just starting out in gardening you may encounter some confusing terms. Veterans of the soil already have mastered the jargon that makes newbies shake their heads. No worries - here’s your handy guide.

Groundhog Day comes halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. The mild-mannered groundhog has replaced the original prognosticator, the more formidable badger, but we still have an odd fondness for its predictions.

Those few plants that bloom while snow still flies are an especially welcome sight for weary eyes. Witch hazels open their ribbon-like flowers at the earliest opportunity. Are they really involved in casting spells? Read on to learn more.

Houseplants are enjoying a new boom in popularity, especially among younger fans. Few are as obliging and east to grow as the petite African violet. Read on for experts’ tips on keeping them happy.

We’ll never grow tired of green, the dominant color of the plant world. But when you want something different and punchy, look to variegated plants that can sport a rainbow on every leaf. Gaudy has its place.

With the holidays over, what stretches ahead is the long, cold and mostly dark winter. If that’s weighing heavily on your spirits, you have company among the SAD and ODD. We investigate some cures for these maladies.

First the holiday revels, then the sober fact that a brand new year is at hand. It’s natural to look forward and back, to anticipate and remember. Looking within to find fresh inspiration is entirely appropriate as winter settles in.

Santa is perhaps the most beloved figure ever conjured up for the benefit of the young and young at heart. When you think of it, he also has a sound philosophy about spreading joy wherever he goes. Here are a few takeaways. (Photo credit: billerickson/CC)

Are you planning to hang some mistletoe above your doorway this holiday? Seems like it’s mostly a custom that has faded away. This botanical excuse for frivolous stolen kisses is actually a somewhat sinister parasite with a storied past.

It’s time to fill and hang the bird feeders as a hedge against a winter drab and dreary. Invite the birds to your place and you’ll have a constant live feed of entertainment and probably some surprises, too. Fun for the whole family.

We tend to romanticize the Pilgrims and the story of the first Thanksgiving. Actually, life in the New World was hard, survival no sure thing. We live and learn — if we’re lucky. Gratitude, today and every day, is always in order.

So what are those orange tubers that traditionally are served up with the Thanksgiving turkey? Are they yams or sweet potatoes, and what’s the difference? With the feasting season upon us, we will now look into this important question.

The blast of frigid weather we’ve had is just an appetizer to the main course of winter coming right up. Before you write it off as an unwelcome imposition, consider how the cold shapes our landscapes here in the Northeast. Bundle up!

Winter can be a bleak season in the garden but it doesn’t have to be. There are a range of plants that you can use to create pleasing vistas even when the snow flies. Planning for four-season interest is key.

Some tender plants can be held over the winter as houseplants or as bulbs and tubers. Invest a little time and effort and you can have a head start on the garden next spring. It’s like money in the bank.