Lorraine Balloto is the Hydrangea Queen and author of Success With Hydrangeas. She answers the age old question, “why doesn’t my hydrangea bloom?”

Learn more about growing in containers from expert Steve Biggs.

Here are some of my favorite bulbs to plant.

I wrote a Facebook post about the ‘Limbaugh Legacy Potato Top’ which went viral. People from all over the world are interested in the most famous Pittsburgh heirloom tomato.
Since the year 2000 I’ve given away the seeds and plants of the tomato.

My friend Steve Biggs was on the radio show on Sunday September 7th, 2025 talking about his book “Grow Olives Where You Think You Can’t.”

I was so excited to see two monarchs flying around and enjoying the tithonia (Mexican sunflower) ‘Torch.’
It’s one of my favorite plants for pollinators. Tithonia is a half hardy annual, meaning it takes a hard freeze to kill it at the end of the season.
‘Torch’ is a 1951 All America Selection which can get 15 feet tall. Even though it’s a sun lover, the plant will bloom just about anywhere and needs nothing from the gardener.
Mine are started from seed in April and transplanted to the garden in mid-May.
I only saw the hummingbird for an instant as it perched on a tomato cage.