IT’S THANKSGIVING WEEK AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT TURKEYS Virginia is the original turkey production state. Virginia is ranked sixth nationally in turkey production in 2019 = $258m. According to the 2019 Census of Agriculture, turkeys are commercially raised on 448 Virginia farms, most of which are in the Shenandoah … Read more
TIS THE SEASON We are now into the third week of November. It seems that everyone has the holidays on their minds. With that mindset, many people are looking at all the beautiful and popular holiday plants. Here is a brief rundown of some of the most popular holiday plants along with some care tips. … Read more
BIRDING IS THE COUNTRY’S SECOND-MOST POPULAR PASTIME (AFTER GARDENING) BIRD FEEDING IS OKAY AGAIN IN VIRGINIA Some of you may be asking yourself “was there an issue with bird feeding last year?” The quick answer is yes. But, for us here in Central Virginia we were not affected as badly as in the mountains and … Read more
BECOME AN ECOLOGY BUG – KEEP ECOLOGY IN MIND WHEN MAKING LANDSCAPING DECISIONS Earlier this month I did my Thursday NBC12 gardening segment on the topic of conserving energy with landscaping. I got some good reactions from viewers who called wanting to learn more and asking if I had any handout information (which we do). … Read more
FALL IS NOT THE SEASON TO BE DOING RANDOM PRUNING ON OUR SHRUBS AND TREES. YOU COULD BE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD. Fall is a favorite time for most of us to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and get out into our gardens. After a hot summer, we are all eager to get … Read more
IT IS NOW OCTOBER AND NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO CLEAN As with any outdoor water source, a water garden collects organic matter that needs to be cleaned out. The best time to do this is when the water temperature is cooler, such as now. Cooler water temperature helps minimize any stress to fish … Read more
EXPERIENCE THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE I give all credit to a good friend and colleague, Joel Koci, for putting together this information. Joel is a certified arborist who owned his own company, Arborcare, here in the Richmond area before retiring. Now, Joel is a Virginia Cooperative Extension Associate for Urban Forestry at Virginia State … Read more
FALL IS FOR PLANTING Are you ready for Fall? I sure am. I don’t mind the heat but fall is my favorite season of all the seasons. August was somewhat kind to us. We did have some very hot days. But, we have been hotter in August. We did not set any high-temperature records. Most … Read more
DO I AMEND MY CLAY SOIL WHEN I PLANT THIS FALL? PLANTING IT RIGHT So, do I add compost matter to my soil when I plant or not? I am confused because I hear both sides as to why or why not to add amendments to the soil. Both sides of this issue seem convincing. … Read more
THE POWER OF PLANTS It just warms my heart and soul when I talk to so many customers who have used landscaping and gardening and learning the value of houseplants as a family activity for the first time. This family trend is truly a “silver lining” to this pandemic year that we have all had … Read more
