NOW IS THE TIME TO EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS AND GET READY FOR THE UPCOMING FALL PLANTING SEASON I can’t believe that I have not done a blog on this topic. Dealing with heavy clay that holds water is very frustrating for homeowners who are planting their landscape. So many plants struggle and may eventually die … Read more
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ESTABLISHING A GOOD, HEALTHY LAWN Knowledge is the key to success with almost anything and this is certainly true with lawn care here in Central Virginia. Yes, it is only early July but now is the best time to put your game plan together as to what you need … Read more
Did you know that in July of 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proclaimed July National Blueberry Month? So here are a few interesting tidbits about one of my favorite things. Blueberries belong to the family Vaccinium—this makes them related to cranberries. As a matter of fact, Blueberries and cranberries are one of only a … Read more
SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY HERE AND, YES, IT IS HOT BUT THERE ARE GARDENING CHORES THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN JULY. Before I get into July and gardening chores, let me recap June. All in all, June turned out to be a decent month for gardening—nothing Earth-shattering. We had some unseasonably hot days. We had … Read more
Nothing Says Summer Like Zucchini Zucchini—is anything more quintessentially summer? But here are some tidbits you might not know: The ancestors of zucchini, like all squash, are native to the Americas. They were brought to Europe in the 1600s, but the Italians are credited with actually breeding zucchini. The word comes from the Italian word for squash–“zucca”. The … Read more
YET ANOTHER PERENNIAL TO HIGHLIGHT Here we are in the last days of June with July coming later this week. I guess I can’t get enough of June being the Perennial Gardening Month and wanting to highlight yet another wonderful and beautiful perennial. Coneflower is such a beautiful and hardy perennial. They come in so … Read more
Our garden vegetables are prone to certain diseases. Our best defense is knowledge and good cultural practices. Learn About Vegetable Garden Diseases Diseases are opportunistic—tending to attack stressed plants. Starting with healthy organic-rich soil is the first line of defense. Make sure plants are in the correct amount of sunlight and water when needed—but do not … Read more
JUNE IS PERENNIAL GARDENING MONTH I am going to continue spotlighting a perennial this month and take advantage of the fact that June is Perennial Gardening Month. My perennial pick is ASTILBE! Astilbe, sometimes referred to as False Spirea or False Goat’s Beard (don’t ask me why because I don’t know—does anyone know why Astilbe … Read more
Today is the first day of Summer—depending on who you ask. Meteorologists consider June 1st as the first day of summer. Astronomers consider June 20th (or 21st/22nd depending on the year) as the first day of summer based on the position of the earth to the sun. It’s the longest day of the year. Every … Read more
AND THE WINNER IS: Schizachyrium scoparium, or Little Bluestem Grass Schizachyrium is better—and easier—known as Little Bluestem grass. To be honest, it has taken me some time to be able to enunciate the botanical name correctly. I embarrassed myself while on TV stumbling with the enunciation. The Perennial Plant Association selects a different perennial each … Read more
