IT’S A DIVERSE FAMILY THAT LEADS TO CONFUSION Whenever you stop into the garden center or call and talk to me or any other plant specialist and ask “Do you have Hibiscus” – you usually end up getting two or three questions back at you trying to figure out what type you are inquiring about. … Read more
MONARCH DECLINE A couple of weeks ago, Eve Roemhildt, our Virginia Certified Horticulturist, gave a very informative and enlightening talk on native plants and supporting our pollinators. Her talk has inspired this blog and my desire to highlight our Monarch butterflies. I am going to get onto my soapbox for a minute. As citizens of … Read more
A LOT OF GARDENING ACTIVITIES AND CHORES FOR APRIL Finally, April has arrived. April is a huge gardening month. As warmer weather becomes more consistent, people are getting ready to spend more time outdoors enjoying their gardens and doing more plantings. Here are some great April gardening chores: GRASS-CYCLING April starts our lawn mowing season. … Read more
EDIBLE LANDSCAPING IS BECOMING A VERY POPULAR LANDSCAPING TREND I have been transforming my landscape to include more edible plants and fruits — especially with my container gardens. I recently moved a couple of years ago and I love my edible container gardens. So, you may be asking ‘what is edible landscaping’? Edible landscaping replaces … Read more
AND, WHAT ARE MYCORRHIZAE? To put it simply—Bio-Tone is a starter plant food for organic gardening. And, it contains Mycorrhizae. Together they promote stronger roots, bigger blooms, and healthier plants. ORGANIC I can’t stress enough how I feel about using Bio-Tone. I will never plant anything without incorporating Bio-Tone in the hole when planting. So, … Read more
A SURE SIGN THAT SPRING IS ARRIVING Yes, we have our peepers being noisy and some people use this as a sign that spring has arrived. To me, I like seeing our Redbud trees in bloom as the sign of spring. As I drive around the Richmond area I love seeing these trees in bloom … Read more
JAPANESE MAPLE TREES LEND A SENSE OF GRACE TO ANY SPACE Are you awed by Japanese Maple trees? I sure am and have been for quite a few years. My first true exposure to Japanese Maple trees was as a buyer and doing buying trips to Oregon. I fell in love with them. In Portland, … Read more
MARCH IS THE MONTH THAT WE, GARDENERS, HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO!!!!!!! Finally!!!! March has arrived and we start to come out of hibernation and start “working out” in our gardens. Mid-February gave us a good taste of winter with some snow, ice, and cold temperatures. But, that’s OK. That was last month. March is … Read more
THE SPRING SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER Here we are in the last week of February. Basically, up to this point, I have no complaints about winter. Yes, we had a little snow and a few cold days but –hey, it is winter. I keep saying that the weather in Virginia can be fickle. … Read more
The IHA (International Herb Association) has selected PARSLEY Petroselinum ‘Moss Curled’ as its HERB OF THE YEAR FOR 2021. Most everyone is familiar with parsley. But, do you know why? Parsley is used for elevating the flavor of dishes like soups, salads, and fish. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. HISTORY I … Read more
