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
FALL IS FOR PLANTING AND OCTOBER IS A VERY ACTIVE GARDENING MONTH HERE ARE SOME GARDENING TIPS Before I get into sharing some October gardening chores, let me do a re-cap of September. The first day of September started with a bang. Tropical Storm Ida passed by us giving us some rain but, thankfully, nothing damaging. … 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
SEPTEMBER IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL IS FOR PLANTING SEASON Let’s do a little re-capping of August. August started with a nice rainfall and the first week of August was cool and almost fall-like with cool temperatures. Then the typical hot weather came back. We had some hot and very humid days in August. … 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
LATE SUMMER CAN BE A TRICKY TIME OF YEAR FOR COLOR IN THE GARDEN Here we are in the last days of August. Gardeners are looking for more color for their gardens or containers. Summer blooming annuals continue to produce color as long as you support them with a haircut and monthly feeding. And, of … Read more
