Hello, Winter! Love it or loathe it, winter is inevitable. For those of us in a cold climate, it’s three months on paper, and more like six months in reality. Perhaps not all snow and cold, but months where the garden is dormant or slow growing. Take advantage of what each season has to offer. The obvious assets winter offers are snow and ice. Get out... Read More
Isn’t it amazing how scents just whisk you away to another world: a memory or place that is recognizable by how it smells. Christmas has a smell for sure, evergreens and pine boughs. Cookies baking in the oven. Or perhaps hot apple cider mixed with pine trees, oranges, and clove. Consider having a few jars of simmering spices on hand as a handy way to... Read More
Christmas cactus is a favorite holiday plant. Pops of color bloom from stems that creep and drape over the plant. These are attractive plants to have all year, but the real fun comes when they bloom. Those showy flowers bring joy and color to colder seasons when we need it most. There are a few specific steps you can take to ensure that you get... Read More
To grow amaryllis successfully indoors, follow these steps. It is worth it to have a showy display of gorgeous blooms greeting you on an otherwise dreary day. Choosing Your Bulbs There are many different varieties of amaryllis in different colors, fragrances, and flower types. One bulb will grow two stems, which in turn will produce four flowers each. If you want really big flowers, choose... Read More
Native pollinators are critical for pollinating both wild and cultivated plants. Wild bees are important not only because in many cases they’re more efficient pollinators than imported European honeybees, but also because they’ve co-evolved with our native plants. Many types of bees are specialized pollinators, perfectly designed to pollinate very specific plants. Since bees are so diverse in their size, color, shape, and habits, identification... Read More
One of the joys of looking out the patio door or quietly sitting on your back deck is to see birds frolicking in the bird bath. They’ll splash about and then perch on the edge, fluffing and preening their feathers. Birds also drink from the birdbath. Filling the birdbath with fresh water daily should be a part of your plant-watering routine. Maybe you have noticed... Read More
While there’s been a lot of interest promoting pollinators in the news lately, let’s not forget about supporting all the other beneficial insects that reside in our yards and gardens. There are thousands of species of predatory and parasitic beneficial insects who help us control many common garden pests by consuming them or using them to house and feed their developing young. Beneficial Insects in... Read More
Slugs are one of the most common garden pests, though unlike most other chewing critters you find in your garden, they aren’t insects. Instead, slugs are land-dwelling mollusks that are more closely related to clams than beetles or caterpillars. Facing a slug infestation is serious business, filled with slime trails, damaged leaves, and missing seedlings. But effective organic slug control is both manageable and affordable,... Read More
If your clematis vine is growing but not flowering, there are several reasons (or a combination of them) that could be preventing your clematis from flowering. Improper Pruning Pruning plants is both an art and a science. We prune for the welfare of the plant and our own aesthetics. With clematis, you really need to know what you’re doing because it’s easy to accidentally remove... Read More
Having a lush, colorful garden where deer live is possible, if you choose plants with known resistance. Flowering Tobacco There are several different garden-worthy flowering tobacco species, cultivars, and hybrids such as Nicotiana. All nicotiana have tubular flowers adored by hummingbirds, and since the blooms emit their fragrance in the evenings, the primary pollinators you’ll spy feeding on them are nocturnal moths. Just keep this... Read More
