Resources

Insect-Repellent Container Gardens

Summer is all about outdoor gatherings, but irritating insects can dampen the fun. Creating an insect-repellent container garden is a simple, effective, and attractive way to keep bugs at bay while keeping you and your guests comfortable. Abundant Annoyers Any celebratory summer soiree can become a proverbial nightmare, sending attendees scattering when unwanted guests appear....  Read More

Veggie Garden Tips for a Care-Free Vacation

Summer is the perfect time for vacations, but for gardeners, it can be a stressful period. Leaving your precious veggie garden unattended can lead to wilting plants, pest invasions, and missed harvests. Fear not! With some preparation, you can enjoy your vacation while ensuring your vegetable garden thrives in your absence. Here’s how: Watering Solutions...  Read More

Cool Off with Caladium

Caladiums are phenomenal ornamental foliage plants, native to South America and now widely enjoyed in gardens all over the world. Gorgeous in cool, shady spaces, caladiums can make a beautiful impact in darker areas of the garden where it is a challenge to introduce color. Discovering Caladiums Also called angel wings or elephant ears, these...  Read More

Buddleia: Our Beloved Butterfly Bush or Not?

Buddleia, commonly known as the butterfly bush, is a flowering shrub that has won the hearts of many a gardener and pollinator lover for a very long time. Buddleia davidii, the most commonly grown species of butterfly bush, is renowned for its vibrant summer blooms, ease of care, and ability to attract butterflies. While butterfly...  Read More

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.  Read More

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?  Read More

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.  Read More

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....  Read More

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...  Read More

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...  Read More

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.  Read More

Edging and Trimming

Edging and trimming the lawn is like having a manicure after cutting your fingernails…everything is just more perfect!  Read More

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...  Read More

Hybrid Lilies

Hybrid Lilies are a stunning and fragrant addition to the garden that can liven up outdoor spaces with their unique blooms and vibrant colors. These plants thrive in most climates, making them the perfect choice for beginner gardeners or those looking for low-maintenance options. Lilies bloom in the late spring and summer, providing dramatic color...  Read More

Tips for Layering Bulbs

Bulbs are some of the easiest and most dramatic flowers you can add to your landscape and containers, and you can make them even more spectacular when you create layers of bulbs for lush growth and bursts of brilliant color. But how can you go about layering bulbs for the best results? Why Bother With...  Read More

Growing Under Black Walnut

If you have a black walnut tree on your property, you know how difficult it can be to find anything that will grow anywhere near this plant. Black walnuts release a substance called juglone into the soil, which is toxic to many ornamental and edible plants and can stunt their growth significantly – in fact,...  Read More

Nurturing Spring Bulbs

Spring bulbs faithfully reappear at the most advantageous time – after a long, cold winter, just when we’re longing for bright colors to relieve the monotony of winter snow and ice. Most spring bulbs are perennial and multiply in number every year, bringing more beauty to the flowerbeds each spring, but some problems can destroy...  Read More

A Feast for the Eyes

Traditionally, when planning a vegetable garden, the focus has been primarily on function with aesthetics as an afterthought – a productive harvest has usually been more important than any visual appeal. This year, why not try a new approach? Thoughtfully combine beauty and performance to create an edible garden that will explode with a variety...  Read More

Protecting Our Pollinators

Every garden requires pollinators, and bees are among the finest. Without them there would be limited flowers and far fewer fruits and vegetables. Did you know that about 30 percent of the food we eat depends on the pollination of bees, including onions, cashews, coffee, carrots, chocolate and vanilla? If we don’t protect these prolific...  Read More

Cool Wave Pansy

Make way for Cool Wave Pansy! New and improved, bigger and brighter, the familiar little monkey-faced pansy is the new garden darling. These flowers are even more versatile and easier than ever, and ideal for so many beautiful landscaping options. New Pansies Cool Wave Pansy is a relatively new cultivar that has so much to...  Read More