TO PRUNE OR NOT TO PRUNE? – THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION! A couple of years ago I wrote a blog on this very subject. I think it is only fitting that I write on this topic once again. It seems that every day I get customers asking about pruning. For some reason, people see their … Read more
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SHRUBS AND TREES FROM WINTER DEER DAMAGE I know this is a sensitive and frustrating topic for many of you. Last year, more than ever that I can remember, many new plantings of shrubs and trees took place. With the pandemic, many of you spent time and money on the landscape. … Read more
JANUARY IS A GOOD MONTH TO SPEND TIME REFLECTING AND PLANNING YOUR GARDENING STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING SPRING SEASON First, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all you gardeners. We made it to 2021. Somehow, all the gardening disappointments of last year with the excessive rainfall seem to be vanishing as we look forward to another great … Read more
WHAT A CRAZY YEAR 2020 TURNED OUT TO BE FOR GARDENING I have been in the retail garden center business for over 40 years and I can sum up 2020 with one word – UNPRECEDENTED. The time right before New Year’s is often a time for reflection on the past year and the year ahead. … Read more
YEAR-ROUND CONTAINER GARDENING HAS BECOME A STRONG GARDENING TREND OVER THE RECENT YEARS Anybody who knows me then knows how much I love container gardening. I have a total of 15 assorted container gardens in an array of different styles, sizes, and make of containers. Most of my containers are colorful, glazed containers. But, I … Read more
THESE CONCRETE ITEMS NEED OUR ATTENTION THIS TIME OF YEAR Adding structure, such as fountains and statuary, is a very popular trend in landscape design. Last Monday we had our true first taste of cold wintry weather when our high was only in the ’30s and we “officially” had one inch of snow. Now that … Read more
REMEMBER TO TAKE A STROLL THROUGH YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE GARDENS Now that we are in December many people have decorating their living spaces on their agenda for the upcoming holiday season. Finding the right materials to decorate for the holidays can be as easy as taking a stroll through your gardens. Personally, I find it … Read more
LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME IMPORTANT TASKS IN THE GARDENS THAT NEED ATTENTION First, let me re-cap the month of November. November was a warm month. And, we had plenty of rain throughout the month, especially in mid-November with all the rain from Eta. For some of us, Eta delivered … Read more
IT’S THANKSGIVING WEEK, SO WHY NOT You may be thinking “why is Doug doing a blog on turkeys and not on gardening?” You could be right. But, both raising turkeys and nursery plants fall within the Department of Agriculture. So, that is the connection. I am not that crazy after all. It is forecasted that … Read more
SOME PEOPLE CALL IT PINE TAGS, SOME CALL IT PINE STRAW, AND SOME SAY PINE NEEDLES. ALL THREE TERMS ARE CORRECT AND DESCRIBE WHAT IS FALLING OUT OF OUR PINE TREES RIGHT NOW We are now in the second week of November. Leaves are coloring and falling out of the trees rapidly. So are pine … Read more
