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Gardening Advice
To conserve water and save yourself some money, consider adding a rain barrel to your yard. Rain barrels are positioned to catch rainwater from your roof, which cuts down on the water bill. Plus, rainwater is great for plants!Water is a precious resource. In many areas of the country, water bans are becoming an annual occurrence as summers get hotter and drier and populations increase. This鈥
It鈥檚 that red berry time of year, and with bunches of fresh holly leaves or branches of winterberries going for $5 to $10 apiece, it only makes sense to try growing these winter beauties at home! Here鈥檚 what to know about these easy-to-grow shrubs.Growing WinterberryWinterberry (Ilex verticillata) is one of several native North American hollies. It grows 5 to 15 feet tall depending鈥
鈥淚f I only had a greenhouse, I could grow鈥.鈥 We鈥檝e all thought it! We plantaholics can never have too much space for plants. If you are planning a greenhouse project, here are ten things to consider when choosing the perfect greenhouse structure.
10 Tips for Choosing a Greenhouse
Purpose: What do you plan to do with your greenhouse? Use it as a season extender or for year鈥
When do you prune your hydrangea? It depends. If your hydrangea blooms on 鈥渙ld鈥 wood, you should NOT cut back in the fall or you will sacrifice next year鈥檚 flowers! See our handy chart on when to prune common types of hydrangea.Chart: When to Prune HydrangeasHydrangea TypeWhen to PruneWhere Flowers AppearMophead and Bigleaf (H. macrophylla)After flowering (summer)On old growthOakleaf (H鈥
Winter can be a season of extremes, but there are a few things that you can do to prepare and protect your shrubs and trees, such as wrapping a shrub in burlap. Learn more.
How to Protect Shrubs and Trees in Winter
The weight of snow and ice can be crushing, breaking branches and even knocking some top heavy trees over. Trees with multiple leaders, clump formers, and upright鈥
When the weather gets cold, the inside air can get desert-dry. That鈥檚 perfect for the succulents! They are survivors. As long as they have a warm, sunny spot, they love those dry conditions. See the top succulent plants for the home!Succulents are not one plant family but rather a wide variety of plants from many families that can store water for long periods. You have probably鈥
Do you know your winter squash? The squash is part of American history, having started as a native vegetable grown by the Wampanoag people. Today, there are dozens of squash varieties, ranging in shape, size, and color! They鈥檙e so convenient because they will last many weeks (or months) and are easily worked into so many dishes. Here鈥檚 a quick guide to our favorite types of squash for鈥
Last week, I gathered some lemon verbena, dried the leaves, and steeped in a tea. This 鈥渘ervine herb鈥 has an immediately relaxing quality. Many of modern society鈥檚 drugs have come from Mother Nature, so let鈥檚 come back down to earth! Here are 5 naturally-calming herbs that reduce stress!
We are living in uncertain times that can cause even the calmest person to experience some鈥
Peppers rarely have serious issues in the vegetable garden. However, this year, we had some pepper growing problems. I thought I鈥檇 share our experiences so that you may also benefit if your peppers have problems! We have grown 10 to 20 different types of hot peppers every spring for many years with no problem whatsoever. Our plant customers appreciate the variety ranging from mildly hot鈥
If you have an herbaceous peony that is overcrowded or hasn鈥檛 bloomed in years, fall is a great time to dig it up, divide it, or move it. See how to divide and transplant peonies.
I have a pair of old-fashioned 鈥楩estiva Maxima鈥 peonies planted on either side of the entrance to a small fenced-in garden. One blooms happily every year but the other one hasn鈥檛 produced any blossoms for quite a鈥
If you see these purple pom poms blooming in springtime, remember to plant these bulbs in the fall! Rodents and deer don鈥檛 like the smell of ornamental onions and won鈥檛 dig up the bulbs, yet pollinators adore them! Great for cutting, too. See how to plant awesome alliums in the garden!Add Alliums to Your GardenEvery fall, I am seduced into planting more bulbs. After 30 years, you would鈥
Summer fades away, but the asters are just getting started, adding splashes of lavender, purple, and pink to the fall garden. Also known as Michaelmas daisies, asters are a lovely addition to the autumn landscape!
A native American plant, the aster got its name from the ancient Greek and Latin words for 鈥渟tar,鈥 describing its radiant blossoms. (Another of its common names is starwort鈥
