Teo Spengler
Raised in Alaska, where the sun never rises in the winter and the trees are stunted by permafrost, Teo Spengler fell in love with plants when she moved to California for college. Gardening became more of a passion than a passtime, as she studied horticulture and took master gardening courses. Spengler completed an intensive sixteen-week program to qualify as a docent at the San Francisco Botanical Garden and has given public tours there for some years. (She has also earned a BA in politics, an MA in English, an MFA in creative writing, and a JD from Berkeley Law School). She has written about nature, trees, plants, and gardening for 20 years for a variety of websites including Gardening Know How, Hunker, Home Guides, San Francisco Chronicle and Gardening Guides as well as publishing two novels. Spengler currently splits her life between San Francisco and the French Basque Country where she has practiced her skills in both personal and public gardens for the past two decades. Her extended family includes some 30 houseplants and hundreds of outdoor plants, including 250 trees - mostly oaks, birches and beeches - that she planted on her land in France.
Latest articles by Teo Spengler
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Crops for Urban Growing: 8 Edible Plants For Urban Gardens
Urban edible gardening lets your yard do double duty of beauty and practicality. Have fun combining edible plants with ornamentals.
By Teo Spengler
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What Is A Tree Hydrangea: Learn About Growing Hydrangea Trees
If you are interested in growing hydrangea trees, click this article to learn about this unique form of hydrangea in the landscape. They are simply stunning.
By Teo Spengler
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Identifying Common Tree Pests & Diseases: How To Protect Your Trees
Any number of problems can befall a tree, but these 6 pests and diseases are at the top of the list.
By Teo Spengler
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Best Fruit Trees To Grow Indoors: Bring More Fruit Undercover
Knowing the best fruit trees to grow indoors can expand your potential range of fruit harvests – and add interest and color to indoor spaces. We show you how to make more of fruit trees undercover
By Teo Spengler
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What Is Horticultural Oil – How It Helps You Grow Healthier Plants
Learn about what horticultural oil is, when and where to use it and its benefits as a safe alternative to toxic chemical insecticides.
By Teo Spengler
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Cheap Indoor Plants To Add To Your Collection
Don’t pay premium prices when you can find affordable house plants. Propagate some, get some leftovers from neighbors and buy discounted plants.
By Teo Spengler
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When To Clean Up Garden Beds In Spring To Protect Pollinators
Every spring, I'm reminded that many species of insects have used my garden as a winter hotel and may not be ready for a wake-up call just yet.
By Teo Spengler
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Which 7 Types of Cypress Are Best to Grow?
There are numerous types of cypress trees. From tall, majestic rows that grow throughout Italy to the bright bushy lemon varieties, there’s one that suits your region best.
By Teo Spengler
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Invasive Buckthorn – How To Get Rid Of Common Buckthorn Bushes
Identify and eliminate the invasive and noxious buckthorn plants growing in your yard.
By Teo Spengler
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4 Plants You Shouldn’t Prune In Spring: Key Ornamentals To Leave Alone
There are certain plants you shouldn’t prune in spring. It may be tempting to cut them back during your spring cleanup, but you may be sacrificing flowers.
By Teo Spengler
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8 White Flowering Shrubs To Add A Touch Of Elegance To Any Landscape
Whether you are looking to plant one bush with white flowers or several, it helps to have a shortlist of candidates. Click here for some ideas.
By Teo Spengler
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Managing Tumbleweeds – Learn About Russian Thistle Control Methods
If you view tumbling tumbleweed as an icon of the American West, you are not alone. Tumbleweed's real name is Russian thistle and it is very, very invasive. For information about Russian thistle weeds, including tips on how to get rid of Russian thistle, click here.
By Teo Spengler
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Gardening For Better Water: How Gardening Affects Water Supply
Most gardeners aren’t aware of how gardening affects our water supply. Learn how this happens, and how you might improve your gardening practices for better water conservation.
By Teo Spengler
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Field Pansy Control – How To Get Rid Of Field Pansy
Despite the plant?s pretty, long-stalked flowers, most people inquiring about the plant want to know how to get rid of field pansy. Controlling field pansies is not easy, since they do not respond to most herbicides. This article will help.
By Teo Spengler
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Getting Rid Of Lilac Bushes & Learning How To Get Rid Of Lilac Bushes In The Garden
Lilac bushes offer fragrant, lacy blossoms in the springtime but can become very invasive. Once you have a lilac in your yard, you won't get rid of it easily.
By Teo Spengler
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Victorian Stumpery Gardens: A Traditional Way To Garden Sustainability
A Victorian stumpery garden turns a sun-deprived spot into an enchanting, environmentally friendly wonderland of ferns and shade loving plants.
By Teo Spengler
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Woodland Stumpery Garden Design – Working Wonders With Woodland Stumperies
Grow a beautiful woodland stumpery garden with woodland plants interspersed in, on and near tree stumps of all kinds and sizes.
By Teo Spengler
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Care For Muhlenbergia: How To Grow Pink Muhly Grass
Pink muhly grass care couldn’t be simpler - like most native plants, it is low maintenance and wonderfully easy to grow. This warm-season grass is a total delight in the right landscape.
By Teo Spengler