Early Spring
Preserving The Magic of Fireflies
In the enchanting sky of summer nights, few sights rival the mesmerizing dance of the firefly or lightning bug to some. Those tiny exhibitionists of light, flickering in the darkness, have charmed generations with their effervescent brilliance. But a sobering truth looms: the once-abundant glow of these beloved insects is fading, their numbers dwindling as […]
Cultivating A Passion for Garden Photography
Does your gardening passion include taking photos of your plants and progress? Capturing the beauty of a garden through photography is a gratifying experience that allows one to freeze moments of natural splendor in time. With cell phones, it couldn’t be easier. Whether it’s the vibrant hues of blooming flowers, the delicate dance of butterflies, […]
The Praying Mantis in Your Garden
This insect can be large and intimidating, but the praying mantis in your garden is a guest to welcome and celebrate, not one to fear or eliminate. Understanding these beneficial insects can help every gardener realize just how useful praying mantids can be. About the Praying Mantis There are more than 2,400 species of praying […]
Protecting Your Sprinklers From Winter Damage
Every gardener recognizes the importance of protecting new plants, delicate roots, and tender buds from the ravages of cold, snow, and ice. While it is critical to safeguard your plants from the cold, it is equally critical to protect your sprinklers from winter damage as well, or you risk not being able to properly water […]
Peace Interrupters to Remove From Your Garden
Your garden can be your sanctuary, a place for gentle focus, restoration, and connection with yourself and the natural world around you. Despite your best efforts to create a calm oasis in your garden, however, it is easy to get distracted and sidetracked by little annoyances and problems. Removing these peace interrupters doesn’t have to […]
Beyond the Wreath: Plants to Decorate Your Doors
A wreath can be a beautiful accent to your home and a friendly way to welcome guests. The classic circle of green boughs may not be best for your door, however, as it may not complement your door’s style or reflect your personal flair. Fortunately, there are many stunning alternative plants and unique arrangements that […]
Add a Calming Corner to Your Garden
Our gardens are many things – a source of food with fresh vegetables, a place to harvest tasty seasonings from fresh herbs, a beautiful tableau with stunning flowerbeds, a nurturing habitat with shelter for birds, bees, and other wildlife, and so much more. With all these things come a lot of work, the planning, dirt, […]
Position Your Houseplants for the Best Effects
The benefits of houseplants are well known: they help eliminate odors and freshen the air, reduce stress, boost productivity, improve humidity, and lower background noise. But you won’t get the full positive effects of your houseplants if you aren’t very deliberate and thoughtful about where you position each plant. In the right spot, you can […]
A Mindful Bouquet From Your Own Flowerbeds
It’s easy to be mindful, focused, and involved when you are planting flowerbeds and nurturing each bloom to achieve its fullest, brightest beauty. But cutting, arranging, and enjoying your flowers can also bring you peace and focus even away from your garden when you create thoughtful bouquets. The Joy of Cutting Flowers Flowers are meant […]
Bringing the Garden Indoors
Those of us that love to garden know that pursuing our passion does not have to end when the coldest days of the year arrive. As the outdoor temperatures begin to drop, it is an excellent time to begin transitioning from outdoor to indoor gardening. Herbs Herbs are a wonderful way to get your winter […]
Basics of Balcony Gardens
Whether you live in an apartment, condominium or townhome, you don’t need to give up on gardening just because you don’t have a conventional yard. Balcony gardens are ideal for urban gardeners and can yield just as bountiful a harvest as any more spacious, ground-level plot. What Kind of Garden Can You Have? To ensure […]
Hops for the Home Garden
Brewing your own beer is a popular hobby and great fun for any brew aficionado, but for the very best results, you need the finest, freshest ingredients. What better way to be sure of the quality of your hops than to grow your own right in your home garden? It’s easier than you may think! […]
Creating a Meditation Space in Your Garden
Gardening can be a relaxing, therapeutic hobby as you nurture seedlings, encourage growth and bring your harvest to fruition. But if you just want to take a moment to breathe, reflect and center yourself, it isn’t necessary to get out the garden clogs, sharpen your hand tools or get dirt under your fingernails. Creating a […]
Tips for Layering Bulbs
Bulbs are some of the easiest and most dramatic flowers you can add to your landscape and containers, and you can make them even more spectacular when you create layers of bulbs for lush growth and bursts of brilliant color. But how can you go about layering bulbs for the best results? Why Bother With […]
Scented Geraniums
Unmatched for fragrance and beauty in the garden, scented geraniums are undoubtedly showstoppers. With many to choose from, each with its own distinctive habit and fragrance, scented geraniums are also great for hanging baskets, window boxes or any type of container. Although the colorful flowers are small, the leaves of the scented geranium are the […]
Dianthus ‘Firewitch’
Are you looking for new perennials to add to your landscape but are tired of the same old plants with dull blooms, predictable foliage and raggedy forms? Dianthus ‘Firewitch’ can be the answer that will bring unique texture, brilliant color and clean lines to your flowerbeds. About the Plant Dianthus plants – also called sweet […]
Watering: How Much?
Water is critical for a healthy garden and landscape, but how much water is too much, how much isn’t enough and how much is just right? Unfortunately, there isn’t a specific answer that suits every gardener’s needs. All plants have different water requirements, which change depending on the type of soil, amount of sun, temperature, […]
What is “pH?” Why Is It Important?
Devised in 1909, the pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. The scale ranges from 0-14. Pure water is “neutral” and has a pH of 7, midway between 0 and 14. If a solution has a low concentration of hydrogen ions, the rating will be a higher number and is considered […]
Aphids
One of the most common insects, and one of the most potentially plant-threatening, is the aphid. There are actually many types of aphids – more than 4,000 in all. Some feed on specific plants and others are not so choosy. They all attack the newer plant growth and suck sap from a plant’s internal circulation […]
Tremendous Turf
The benefits of turf grass as a ground cover are numerous and often undeclared or overlooked. In recent years, turf has gotten a bad reputation due to the belief that a beautiful lawn requires a lot of hard work and overuse of dangerous chemicals. This is a misconception and the benefits of turf can far […]
Holey Moley, Shrew or Vole!
Mole, vole or shrew: ever wonder what the difference is between these pests, or why you should care? All three of these mouse-like creatures may be seen in or around your garden. Identification is important in determining if and how you should control these critters. Moles Identification: A mature mole will grow 5-7 inches from […]
Keeping Cats Out of the Garden
Do you love cats but don’t love them in your garden? Outdoor cats will seek out a nice patch of soil to do their business or to roll around and play. Cats will mark their territories on sheds, fences or plants, and may even raise a new litter under a deck or in an open […]
Needled Evergreens for a Shady Space
Evergreens are a very important addition to the winter landscape. During the coldest months of the year, when most other plants have been stripped of their leaves or have died back to the ground, evergreens are the stronghold in the garden that provide stunning texture and color, shelter for winter wildlife and the hope of […]
Pruning Evergreens
When choosing an evergreen for your landscape project, it is always best to select a plant that will not outgrow its designated space, crowding out nearby plants or distorting its own shape without enough room to shine. Proper research can help you choose – you should know the ultimate height, width and growth rate of […]
Sweet Peas, the “Queen of Annuals”
For many gardeners, it’s not the tulip or daffodil to forward to at the end of winter, it’s the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) that declares, “spring is here!” The colors and sweet fragrance of these climbers announce the coming of warmer days like no other. Choosing Sweet Peas The hardest part of growing sweet peas […]
Heath or Heather
Often mistaken for one another, heath (Erica) and heather (Calluna) look amazingly similar. To confuse things further, heath is frequently referred to as “spring heather” and some landscapers, garden centers and nurseries may use the names interchangeably. Both types of plants belong to the Ericaceae family, and they share many similarities. Which is Which? The […]
Growing Under Black Walnut
If you have a black walnut tree on your property, you know how difficult it can be to find anything that will grow anywhere near this plant. Black walnuts release a substance called juglone into the soil, which is toxic to many ornamental and edible plants and can stunt their growth significantly – in fact, […]
Geranium ‘Biokovo’
“So many Geraniums, so little time.” If this is your motto, we completely understand. There are so many fantastic varieties to choose from, but geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ is extraordinary, and is one bloom you should certainly make time for. Unlike our tender summer annual commonly called geranium (genus: Pelargonium), true geraniums are hardy, low […]
Nurturing Spring Bulbs
Spring bulbs faithfully reappear at the most advantageous time – after a long, cold winter, just when we’re longing for bright colors to relieve the monotony of winter snow and ice. Most spring bulbs are perennial and multiply in number every year, bringing more beauty to the flowerbeds each spring, but some problems can destroy […]
Create Successful Shrubs With Proper Pruning
Gorgeous yellow, pink, red, orange, white and purple blooms put on a show in early spring from plants like forsythia, lilac, azaleas, rhododendron, mockorange, weigela and bridal wreath spirea. Summer then greets us with bold blossoms in hues of purple, magenta, blue and red from butterfly bush, hydrangea, crape myrtle and rose-of-sharon. These deciduous shrubs […]