If you’re like me, you had your houseplants outside back in May. I know they love the fresh air circulation, better light, and great humidity—it reminds them of “home.” I love seeing all the bright green new growth, and it’s nice not to have to pick up yellow leaves from the living room floor where … Read more
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR JAPANESE BEETLES BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE, OUT AND ABOUT, AND EATING AWAY I was wondering when customers would be coming into the garden center with evidence of damage to their plants from Japanese Beetles. This past week I had a couple of customers right here in North Chesterfield needing advice … Read more
Okay, so you’ve got all your veggies planted. Now what? There are still some things to be done to ensure you get the harvest you want: Don’t Let Weeds Get Ahead of You With all the rain we’ve had recently, weeds have already begun to pop up even in my raised beds and pots. Get … Read more
AGASTACHE – ALSO KNOWN AS “HUMMINGBIRD MINT” So much is going on with perennials in June. The Perennial Plant Association has designated June as Perennial Gardening Month. The main reason for June being selected as the perennial month is that June is a great month for seeing so many beautiful perennials in bloom. Secondly, June … Read more
As I tiptoed through various gardening groups on Facebook these past few days, I saw several people asking how to kill ants in the yard. So I thought I’d remind us all of what they actually do. (Besides marching across our kitchen counters, climbing all over our deck furniture, and leaving anthills in the middle … Read more
This past Saturday, June 13th, was National Weed Your Garden Day. One of the most important things we can do as a gardener is to keep weeds out of our vegetable and flower beds. Too many weeds can crowd plant roots and force them to compete for water and nutrients. When a plant is “fighting”, … Read more
FATHER’S DAY IS SUNDAY, JUNE 21st. HONORING ALL FATHERS AND FATHERHOOD Just a little history with Father’s Day: First observed in Spokane, Washington in 1910. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to make the 3rd Sunday of June a recognized federal holiday. In 1966, President LBJ issued the first presidential proclamation to make Father’s Day … Read more
Last week, my blog was about feeding the butterfly babies (caterpillars). Now we want to attract the grown-ups. Good Butterfly Attracting Perennials The following is a list of good butterfly-attracting perennials, although there are lots of others. Note: Because butterflies prefer sunny areas, most of their preferred nectar flowers are also sun-lovers. Alliums Asters Bee … Read more
JUNE IS HERE WHICH MEANS SUMMER TO MANY PEOPLE BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF GARDENING CHORES TO KEEP US BUSY OUTSIDE Gardening is the #1 hobby for Americans – now more than ever. I say this because many of us are conflicted about the months of lockdown that have mostly kept us in our homes … Read more
Caterpillars to Butterflies – How to Make the Magic Happen in Your Garden I had a customer, with a packet of milkweed seeds in her hand, ask me how to get rid of the caterpillars that ate these every year. My first reaction was amusement—I was sure she was joking. She wasn’t. I then looked … Read more
