This Friday, April 27, is NATIONAL ARBOR DAY. This is a day set aside to celebrate the value that trees add to our lives and to promote tree planting and care. Arbor Day began in Nebraska 145 years ago. At the time Nebraska was mostly prairie land. During its first celebration in 1872, it is … Read more
Last week my blog was about supporting our wildlife. I concentrated this blog on our need to support our beloved hummingbirds. I learned a lot when writing the blog. Now, I want to continue this theme with supporting our wildlife and concentrate this blog on our bees. There is so much that we can learn … Read more
Starting late last month, the ruby-throated hummingbird has migrated back into our area. The hummingbird needs our help. Like so many species of wildlife, the hummingbird is plagued by the loss of habitat. However, we can plant a haven to support our hummingbirds. As pollinators, the ruby-throated hummingbird, which is a joy to see, are … Read more
Are you wondering when spring will finally get here? It sure has been a challenging year so far for gardening. We had one of the coldest January on record which did a lot of damage to many of our beloved broadleaf evergreen plants. February was the 4th warmest on record. Many plants came out of dormancy … Read more
The quickest cause of plant failure is insufficient or incorrect watering. With my blog last week I discussed the sunlight requirements of plants and how choosing the right plant for the right location is so important. Now, once the correct plant is chosen and properly planted, the cultural care of the plant is also vital … Read more
I know…you are thinking “here goes Doug again getting on his soapbox talking about choosing the right plant for the right location”. But, in my defense, with working at a retail garden center and working with customers for so many years, this question about light and proper choosing of plants is more of a challenge … Read more
Everyone knows and has heard of mulch. But, how many of you are familiar with the product PREEN? There are a few good reasons why we mulch our garden beds. One is simple. We like the fresh look of mulch on our gardens. Another good reason for mulching is that it aids in the health of … Read more
Like me, many of you may have read the most recent news article claiming that the active ingredient in the widely used weed killer Roundup can cause cancer. Some studies have shown that there is a higher risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for people exposed to glyphosate-based formulas. Conversely, there are many studies –scientific and medical – which … Read more
I know it is only the beginning of March. Spring is not officially here for another two weeks. And, yes, I realize that we could still have more cold days and snow this month. But, have you spent some time outside lately to take advantage of some of these spring-like days? I sure have. And, … Read more
March is the month that we, gardeners, have been looking forward to. For some of us, it has been a long, boring winter. March means that hibernation is finally over and we can spend more time outside. Just like with meteorology, the green industry looks at the first of March as the beginning of spring … Read more
