How to Prune Spireas
Ever since I graduated in Horticulture I have been getting questions about plants and their maintenance from friends and colleagues. That is what I want, but it sometimes gets old when the same questions are asked every year. Now what about my spireas? a coworker asked me yesterday. Can they be cut down now? Yes […]
2019 Perennial Plant of the Year: Stachys ‘Hummelo’
Every year, the Perennial Plant Association promotes a perennial of the year. In the past it has been butterfly milkweed, allium ‘Millenium’, switchgrass ‘Northwind’ and others, since starting the list in 1990. This year, the PPA has selected stachys ‘Hummelo’ as the perennial plant of the year. That is good news for us here in […]
10 Tips for a Great Spring
Spring is right around the corner! Even though we have had a long winter, and it is not over yet with more snow forecasted, spring is definitely coming. I have been watching the geese flying northward, bluebirds coming back into my yard, and the smell. Oh, the smell of spring in the winds. Now that […]
Great Trees: Baldcypress
Trees come in all sizes and shapes. Among the different trees available today, I like to think the Baldcypress is among the best for gardens. The baldcypress is one of the coolest deciduous conifers available. We typically think of conifers as being evergreen, such as pines and spruces, but trees such as baldcypress and dawn […]
8 May Tips for the Lawn
The American Lawn, although a tedious chore, can be the pride of a beautiful landscape and home. It is the definition between landscape beds, and “blank” space that lets the eyes rest between the hubbub of flowers and textures. Without some solid green space, we would have no place to play football, croquet, or lawn […]
15 Host Plants for Butterflies
Butterflies are the flying flowers of the garden. Everyone notices them and everyone loves them. To attract a wider range of butterflies to your garden, you need to have a variety of host plants and nectar plants, and even a variety of ecosystems would be helpful. The best butterfly populations are going to be common […]
7 Tips for Growing Apple Trees
There is no experience quite like biting into a crisp, juicy, flavorful apple grown right in your own backyard! When I was a 5 years old, my parents set out 30 young apple trees in a plot behind our chicken coops. I watched those trees grow up, picked apples, pressed cider, and eventually helped to […]
March Gardening Tips
Garden Tips for a Happy March! Spot treat winter annual or perennial weeds in your lawn on days above 50°F. Follow all label directions Cut back perennials and grasses in the landscape. Use hedge shears or gas powered trimmers to prune back grasses. Never use a chainsaw on grasses! (Note: Use of a chainsaw on […]
April Gardening Tips
Tips and Tricks to Make Your Year Great – April Apply and water in pre-emergent herbicide on turf Apply pre-emergent herbicide granules to rocked landscape beds Divide hostas, daylilies, sedum, phlox, coreopsis, daisies, and red hot poker and share with your gardening friends! (Tip: Iris should be divided in July; peonies should be done in […]
