Rock Gardens
Rock gardens can be amazing options for challenging spaces in your landscape, whether your yard has poor soil, narrow sections, steep terraces, deep shade or other concerns. You can even design a rock garden anywhere just to enjoy their elegant lines, varied texture and easy care. But how do you put in a rock garden? […]
Wild About Window Boxes
Window boxes can be an amazing addition to your home landscape, and they’re much more flexible and versatile than many gardeners realize. Take advantage of this great space and you’ll soon be wild about window boxes! Choosing a Window Box There are many types of window boxes available, from classic rectangles to wire frames with […]
Communal Supplies for a Community Garden
A community garden can be a great way to bring neighbors, family members and friends together to expand gardening efforts and increase harvests while simultaneously sharing the workload and expense necessary to keep a garden thriving and productive. Instead of simply grouping individual plots together that each participant must work in isolation, however, the most […]
Vertical Gardening for Small Spaces
It’s easy to maximize even the tiniest garden space when you look up – and up, and up, and up. Whether you have a balcony, deck, small terrace, raised beds or container garden, vertical gardening is a great way to increase your cultivated ground and enjoy a more abundant harvest no matter how small your […]
Kids and Nature: Uncovering Surprises Everywhere
Wherever you live, nature is always near, with entire worlds to discover around the trees in your yard, in the carpet of grass or beneath that pile of rocks. With school vacations rapidly approaching, you may already be thinking of ways to keep your children or grandchildren busy during the long summer months. Well, how […]
Late Spring Gardener’s Calendar
Turn over your vegetable garden and add humus, mushroom compost or manure to enrich the soil. Apply Bonide Fruit Tree Spray as buds swell and again at petal drop to all fruit trees. Fertilize perennials with Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer. Continue spring cleanup. Completely remove winter mulch. Cultivate to remove winter weeds and […]
Shrub Bouquets
Do you love fresh, seasonal bouquets straight from the garden but don’t have the time to plan, plant and tend to an annual cutting plot each year? A fabulous alternative to the annual flower garden is the planting of woody shrubs.
Vegetable Garden Weed Control
Weeding can be an enormous time-drain and is most likely the least liked gardening chore. What’s wonderful is that we have so many weed control methods to choose from; there’s a solution for every type of gardener and their schedule.
Top 10 Fool Proof Houseplants
Do you have a “black thumb”? Do you love houseplants but just can’t seem to keep them alive? Worry no more.
Viburnums
Viburnums are one of the most outstanding groups of shrubs for use in landscape planting. Varying in height from 2-30 feet, viburnums can be found to suit most any planting location. Their varied growth habits, excellent foliage, striking and fragrant flowers, showy fruit and interesting winter appearance make them an excellent choice for most gardeners. […]
Determinate Versus Indeterminate Tomatoes
Halleluiah, it’s tomato-planting time again! If you’ve grown tomatoes in the past, you most likely have your favorites. If not, just ask! You’ll find some pretty strong opinions regarding tomato choices.
Clematis
Beautiful, showy clematis are not as difficult to grow as you might think. Learning when to prune your clematis and giving a little attention to their few requirements will reward you with a magnificent show of colorful blooms. Planting Clematis A beautiful clematis starts with proper planting. Clematis prefer to have their roots in the […]
Watering Tomato Plants
Proper watering plays a significant role in producing a healthy tomato plant with tasty, meaty, juicy fruit. So, what’s the secret?
Amsonia hubrichtii
Amsonia hubrichtii, commonly known as Arkansas blue star, Arkansas amsonia or threadleaf bluestar, grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. This hardy perennial grows in hardiness zones 4-9 and is a versatile North American native ideal for many landscaping uses in all types of yards and gardens. Amazing Seasonal Interest […]
Rose – Queen of the Garden
We all love roses. It may be the fragrance, color or the flower form that attracts us. It may be the memories that roses evoke. Whatever the reason, roses are one of the world’s most popular flowers.
Raise ‘Em Right
Lousy soil? Not to worry! Try growing in a raised bed. Popular in colonial times, this style of gardening is making a tremendous resurgence and is ideal for many types of gardening ambitions. Why Raised Beds There are many benefits to gardening above the grade, including… Better Soil Conditions Growing in raised beds is an […]
Heavenly Hosta
Heavenly Hostas, their real glory is in their foliage. The thin spikes of purple or white, trumpet shaped flowers appear for several weeks in the summer and are an added benefit to this divine perennial.
Dwarf Evergreen Conifers
Dwarf conifers are some of the most versatile and popular plants of today’s modern garden and landscape. These fantastic plants add interesting texture, color and form to rock, pond and container gardens as well as a mixed border. Dwarf conifers are virtually carefree and often provide four seasons of interest.
Perennial Power
When choosing a perennial to fill an empty space in your garden, make sure to get the most bang from your buck by selecting one, or several, long blooming perennials
Growing Exotic Citrus
Citrus trees grown in fancy terra cotta pots, light-weight decorative containers or wooden planters can be used to adorn your garden, no matter how small it is! Use a potted citrus as a centerpiece for and herb garden, place in a series on your steps, or decorate your deck with these grand-looking accent plants.
Let Me Out! Moving Houseplants Outside for the Season
Are your plants looking a little peaked after a long winter of being cooped-up inside? Getting g out for some fresh air during the warm months is healthy for all living things.
Shade Gardening: A Natural Opportunity
Many gardeners with shady, low-light landscapes mistakenly believe they can't enjoy beautiful gardens and flowerbeds because of the lack of sunlight. In reality, however, many stunning perennials thrive in shady spots and can bring elegance, color and beauty to what was formerly a drab corner of the yard.
Edging and Trimming
Edging and trimming the lawn is like having a manicure after cutting your fingernails…everything is just more perfect!
Try Delosperma
"Ice plants" refer to several types of plants, usually having fleshy thick leaves. However, after an introduction to Delosperma, you'll know it as the real-deal. As a group of tough groundcovers, they flourish in full sun in well draining soils with little water, after becoming established. Plus, they're colorful!
General Soil Amendments
The number of soil amendments sold in garden centers often confuses gardeners. These products fall into two categories, inorganic and organic.
Growing and Containing Rampant Spreaders
What do you do when you fall in love with a plant but you know it spreads and could take over your entire garden? You don’t have to give up your hopes of nurturing this plant, you just have to learn how to contain it securely without destroying its beauty. Favorite Spreaders Many different plants […]
Fungus Gnats
Have you noticed little black gnats flying around your houseplants or outdoor potted plants? These are probably fungus gnats. These can be a serious problem in commercial greenhouses holding thousands of plants but are easily controlled by homeowners.
Rain Barrels
You’ve heard it said, "When it rains, it pours." This could refer to the amount of rain on the roof going through the gutters and downspouts, and then out to the storm drains and pouring away from your garden. With the unpredictability of rain and the cost of water, don't you wish you could keep some of that rain?
Spider Mites
Spider mites are one of the most common pests in landscapes and gardens and feed on many fruit trees, vines, berries, vegetables, and ornamental plants. These tiny mites are just large enough to be seen with the naked eye, but may just look like tiny, moving dots.
Yellowjackets: Good Guys or Bad?
Sometimes it's difficult to tell good from bad. Take the yellowjacket for example. When you hear yellowjacket, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A buzzing, stinging insect ruining your outdoor meal or a treasured pollinator of many plants?
Top 10 Disease-Resistant Crabapples
Crabapple trees in flower are a sight to behold. Their unrivaled spring beauty can take your breath away, frequently budding in one color with the flower opening in another. To add to their appeal, they perform again, in the fall, with a fabulous display of hanging showy fruit.
Woolly Adelgid
Woolly Adelgid is an aphid-like insect that is a serious pest of our native Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga Canadensis, and its cultivars. Adelgids need to be controlled as this insect spreads easily and rapidly and, if left untreated, can kill a mature hemlock in 4 – 10 years.
Caution in the Garden… Chlorosis
Yellow means caution, even in the garden. While leaf yellowing, chlorosis, may be a signal that there is a problem that requires attention, it may also be normal. Chlorosis is the scientific word used to indicate the full or partial yellowing of plant leaves or stems and simply means that chlorophyll is breaking down.
Green Gardening
Planting a vegetable or flower garden seems like the perfect thing to do when you are looking for ways to adopt a greener, more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Some traditional gardening practices, however, may not be quite as “green” as you might think. Planning your gardens with the environment in mind and choosing some practices that maintain healthy […]
Planting Basics – Trees & Shrubs
Are you ready to add trees and shrubs to your landscape? You don’t need to hire professionals to do the planting when you learn the basics of doing it the right way yourself. Soil Preparation How quickly and how well trees become established once they are planted is affected by the amount of stress they […]
Growing Grass in the Shade
Cool season turf grasses prefer to grow in the sun. To establish a thick, healthy lawn of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye, you will need at least six hours of full sun daily. Fine and tall fescues are more shade-tolerant and require a minimum of four hours of full or eight hours of filtered sun […]
Jump Start Your Pond
Are you ready to get your pond started up for another beautiful spring and summer? It can be a big job to rejuvenate such a large water feature so it remains balanced and healthy after a long, harsh winter, but with a few careful steps, your pond can be back in shape in no time. […]
Beetle Mania
It’s hard to forget the years that we’ve been plagued with Japanese beetles. These ravenous creatures can destroy your lawn, garden and good nature in one season by eating away precious time and money invested in our landscapes. As they know no boundaries, Japanese beetle control methods are most effective if neighborhoods band together in […]
Ladybug or Lady Beetle?
The different names given to ladybugs are almost as numerous as the number of species. But bug or beetle, understanding more about these garden guests can help you better appreciate their diversity and all the help they can offer in your garden and landscape. What’s In a Name You may call them ladybugs (although they […]
Rose Care Basics
Beginners often become confused with the many recommendations and suggestions for growing roses. However, it is important to start with the basic guidelines for successful rose growing. Roses can thrive under many conditions, but they are sure to grow better, with more luxurious blooms and fewer problems, when you follow the basics. Prepare the Soil […]
Worrisome Weeds
Gardeners spend hours carefully cultivating their favorite plants, whether they are delicious veggies, flavorful herbs, sweet fruits, stunning flowers or luxurious grasses. It hardly seems fair that unwanted weeds barge in and take advantage of all that work, and seem to sprout up without any effort. Fortunately, there are many ways to control weeds without […]
Succulent Container Garden
Have you noticed how a container garden can really jazz up a front entryway, back deck or porch? Perhaps you’ve thought twice about including this addition to your plantscaping because you just don’t have time every day to water. Cheer up! You can plant a container with succulents (plants with fleshy or thickened leaves, stems […]
Creepers & Crawlers: Ground Covers for Walkways
The durability of some plants is absolutely amazing. A number of them are so robust that they may even be tread on! These are the plants to choose when filling in the space between pavers, walkways, patios and steps. Placing plants in the gaps of your hardscape will soften its appearance and will keep weeds […]
Crape Myrtles
No yard or landscape should be without a crape myrtle, or two, or three, or… many! How wonderful to have something that blooms so profusely during that time of year when most other plants are looking tired and worn from the summer heat and drought. Crape myrtles blooms in late summer and can be found in flower colors of pinks, lilac, white, reds and purples.
Espalier
Espalier is the process of training trees or shrubs, by pruning and trellising, to create a vertical, two-dimensional, formal pattern. The purpose of espalier is to artfully train a tree to grow in limited space, to provide pattern and texture on a solid wall, to grow fruit in a limited space and to create privacy […]
Flower Carpet Roses
The Flower Carpet Rose is a disease resistant low growing shrub which requires none of the usual care that other roses do. Not only does it produce thousands of blossoms over the growing season but it is virtually carefree.
Tomatoes and Peppers – A Gardening Tradition
Tomatoes and peppers are two crops you can never have too much of. They freeze well without the difficulty of blanching, and although the texture of tomatoes disintegrates, the flavor remains good. Both tomatoes and peppers offer brilliantly colored fruit that can be particularly attractive in the garden or in containers. Both have the same […]
Protect Your Japanese Maples
Beautiful additions to any landscape, Japanese Maples will look their best when given some protection during our hot, dry summers. As the weather becomes hotter and drier, your Japanese Maples may show signs of heat stress with the development of crispy leaf edges and/or leaf drop.
Attracting Hummingbirds
It is an awesome sight to capture a glimpse of a ruby-throated hummingbird hovering over the flower garden on a sunny summer morning. One or two a year may be seen seeking food in the landscape, sampling everything in their path. Unfortunately, they leave as rapidly as they arrive. This season, attract more of these […]
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses can reduce your watering costs, lessen your mowing time and increase the interest level of your garden. No matter what your garden’s needs, there’s a grass to solve it. From short ground covers to tall bamboo, there’s something for every site.