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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Blueberry Sod: The Perfect Ground Cover For Your Garden
If you're after an easy alternative to lawn maintenance, blueberry sod is the ideal ground cover. Here's how to simplify your green spaces.
By Teo Spengler
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What Perennials Not To Cut Back In Fall
Cutting back perennials in fall? Not so fast! Leave some as winter shelter for beneficial insects, birds and small animals.
By Teo Spengler
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Grow Common Privet: Best Care For Invasive Ligustrum Vulgare
It may be called the common privet, but with the right care Ligustrum vulgare can make beautiful standalone shrubs and garden hedging.
By Teo Spengler
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Grow Green Hawthorn: Best Care For Crataegus Viridis
Find out how to grow a beautiful green hawthorn like 'Winter King' for ornamental berries in the fall, plus thorns for hedges and screens.
By Teo Spengler
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Friluftsliv: How To Try The Norwegian Outdoor Lifestyle
Friluftsliv is the Norwegian word for the daily commitment of getting out into nature regardless of the weather.
By Teo Spengler
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Best Plants For Mental Health, According To Research
The best plants for mental health are those you enjoy nurturing. Gardening itself is what makes plants good for mental health.
By Teo Spengler
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The Importance Of Oak Trees And Why You Should Plant One
The importance of oak trees cannot be overstated. They provide food, shelter and a major boost to ecosystems.
By Teo Spengler
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Fastest Growing Shrubs And Hedges For Privacy
Good fences make good neighbors. And fast growing shrubs make great fences.
By Teo Spengler
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Yarn Bombing Trees: Is Knitting On Trees A Good Idea?
If you’ve seen knitting on trees, welcome to yarn bombing, the practice of creating tactile graffiti for art’s sake.
By Teo Spengler
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Pruning Rose Of Sharon Shrub: Tips On How To Trim A Rose Of Sharon
Prune your Rose of Sharon bush regularly to keep it compact and blooming well.
By Becca Badgett
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How To Choose A Tree For Your Yard Or Garden
Choosing the right tree for your garden should involve a few important, thoughtful considerations before you decide.
By Teo Spengler
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Why You Shouldn’t Make Impulse Plant Purchases
Put that plant back! Buying plants on impulse is almost never a good idea. Let our experts tell you why.
By Teo Spengler
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Helpful Tips For Buying Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants less expensive, easy to plant and don’t weigh as much to ship. Just make sure they're healthy!
By Teo Spengler
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Philodendron Houseplants: How To Care For A Philodendron Plant
Philodendron care is easy because if you watch for the signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs. Click here to learn more.
By Jackie Carroll
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Benefits Of Planting Hydrangeas In The Fall
Spring is all well and good, but fall might be a better season to plant hydrangeas. Read on to find out why.
By Teo Spengler
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Common Types Of Tree Fungus
If you see a mushroom fungus that grows on trees, be aware that the tree can be unstable and dangerous.
By Teo Spengler
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Weeping Willow Pruning: Should I Cut Back A Weeping Willow Tree
No tree is more graceful than the beautiful weeping willow with its long tresses swaying gracefully in a breeze. But that cascading foliage and the branches that support it need to be cut back from time to time. Learn about pruning the tree in this article.
By Teo Spengler
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Fast-Growing Fruit Trees For Home Gardens
Some trees are in no hurry to grow fruit, but some do it much faster. Here are the trees that'll get you harvesting the soonest.
By Teo Spengler