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This year the National Garden Bureau features Lantana as its annual flower of the year. In the 18th century, lantana was a popular greenhouse plant in Europe and breeding efforts were extensive, resulting in hundreds of available selections. The most commonly available species, Lantana camara, is a tender plant winter hardy to zone 8. Although lantana is not... Continue Reading →
Justin Evertson Trees are almost universally appreciated by people across the globe. Although we don’t always treat them well, there just seems to be something about them that we find interesting and comforting. That’s at least partly because of the incredible range of shapes, forms and colors they come in and also because of the... Continue Reading →
Oystershell scale is a very secretive little insect that usually goes unnoticed. But despite it’s tiny size, this insect can cause significant damage in trees or shrubs. Some gardeners aren’t even aware the insects are present as they prune out dead branches the insects have killed. If you had branches die on a rose, dogwood or lilac... Continue Reading →
One of the most enjoyable ways for gardeners to get through the dark, cold days of winter is to begin planning next summer’s gardens. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at plants - annuals, perennials, edibles, trees and shrubs – to consider for addition to your gardens this summer. First, we’ll take a look... Continue Reading →
In most cases, hiring an arborist is the best approach. A professional arborist knows how to remove and repair severely damaged trees. Perhaps the best approach is one that utilizes a checklist format, so that comparison of several firms can be made.
Late winter tends to drag on. We can begin to plan our gardens and what new plants we will add to our landscape, but we cannot go outside and do much in our gardens because of the weather. However, there are some great plants we can enjoy even in the winter. Kentucky coffeetree is one... Continue Reading →
Planting onions from small bulbs or "sets" is not the best way to grow large onions for storage. Plants grown from sets often begin blooming in mid-summer and stubbornly refuse to stop. Once that happens, onion bulbs don't increase much in size. Onion Sets This happens because onions are biennials. They grow foliage and a bulb the first... Continue Reading →
“Recipes, instruction manuals, last testaments: by making seeds the plant condenses itself, or at least everything it knows, into a form compact and durable enough to survive winter, a tightly sealed bottle of genetic memory dropped onto the ocean of the future.” Michael Pollan For gardeners who grow their plants from seed, seeds are... Continue Reading →
Looking out your window in January, the predominant colors you’ll see are shades of brown, gray and, if we have snow, white. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide some relief, but the view is still pretty neutral. An excellent way to brighten the dead of winter is to plant trees and shrubs that possess colorful fruit or bark,... Continue Reading →
Many people enjoy growing houseplants, watching them grow or bloom. According to WebMD, the following benefits are a few of those provided by houseplants. Add moisture to the air. Low indoor humidity increases your chances of catching a cold or flu, or having dry itchy skin. Purify the air by removing volatile organic compounds. Good... Continue Reading →
Pantone, a company with world-renowned authority on color, each year selects a Color of the Year. Living Coral, a vibrant warm coral hue with a golden undertone was the featured color for 2019, but for 2020 they have selected Classic Blue, a calming deep blue. Pantone forecasts global color trends and their Color of the... Continue Reading →
As acreage owners ponder the winter landscape, trying to answer the question – “Is now a good time to prune my shrubs?” – it’s wise to consider a few basic guidelines.
