Two Minutes in the Garden: Gardening Tips, Science, Myths - Test

Lots of reports this year that Christmas trees have been harder to find. Also lots of questionable advice out there about the best ways to care for your tree.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 6 Craft Recipes to Make Fake Snow

Holly is another of the popular plants of the Christmas season -- although they are considered to be invasive in many areas. And maybe just a little toxic too.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Root Pothos Cuttings

Native to Mexico, poinsettias have been a symbol of Christmas for over 100 years. They can be kept as perennials ... and, no, they aren't actually poisonous.

MORE FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Make Poinsettias Rebloom as Houseplants

One of our favorite Christmas decorations is a parasitic plant that feeds off of others and is sometimes thought to be toxic, although that part is often overstated.

POPULAR THIS WEEK FROM Empress of Dirt: Christmas Cactus or Thanksgiving? How to ID Your Plant

What needs to happen for a graft to be successful -- and what can we do to improve our odds that it actually does happen?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 6 Tips for Growing Hollyhocks and Dealing With Rust

Grafting is one of the fundamental techniques of plant propagation where you create a new plant by connecting pieces of different plants.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 20 Ideas for Better Backyard Privacy

Lots of year-in-review articles and surveys have started to appear -- and, by all accounts, it was a fantastic year for garden centers and for gardening.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 39 Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs to Regrow from Scraps

We know a lot about plastic in the ocean, but we're only beginning to understand its effect in soil. Are plastics safe for gardening and what can we do to make them safer?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Grow Geraniums Indoors as Houseplants

Can you really give your plants the water and nutrients they need through their leaves from sprays instead of through their roots from the soil?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Easy Way to Grow Ginger Root Indoors

The cuticle is where your plants interact with the world. Among many roles, they largely control how effective plant sprays are.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 20 Beautiful Backyard Pond Ideas For All Budgets