THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF WATERING PLANTS Here we are in mid-July. July’s weather has been typical, with the heat index rising and high humidity levels. I have to say that we are fortunate in that Mother Nature has helped with some timely rainfall. But we need to learn good watering practices. Good watering practices … Read more
Boy, we’ve had a lot of rain recently! What does this all mean for our vegetable gardens? We’d better learn words like anthracnose, blight, and powdery mildew. These are all fungal diseases that thrive in wet weather. So here’s a quick overview: Anthracnose—attacks both deciduous and evergreen plants. Anthracnose is characterized by dark lesions on … Read more
And you thought I was going to write about some new plant. NOPE! It is essential to be aware of Japanese Beetles’ presence now. They are here. Customers come into the garden center daily, wanting to know what is eating their plants. Japanese beetles are a serious pest that feeds on the leaves and flowers. … Read more
Most of the time, I’m write blogs on what I plan to do next in my garden or on what you should be doing in yours. This week I’m going to do something different. Put down your rake or put away your garden hose. Grab your spouse or your kids or your BFF and take … Read more
THE GLORY OF GARDENING: HANDS IN THE DIRT, HEAD IN THE SUN, HEART WITH NATURE! Thank goodness for all the rainfall we got in late June. This rain was much needed because we were starting to get dry. At this moment, we have no fear of any water restrictions placed upon us because our ground … Read more
I’ve had several customers asking when to plant pumpkins for a Halloween harvest this week. You should do it right now. So here’s some information about pumpkins… Pumpkins are members of the cucurbit family—which means they are related to squash, cucumbers, and melons. Pumpkins were a food crop cultivated by Native Americans long before the … Read more
GARDENING ON A BUDGET. CAN WE DO IT? Are you and your family on a budget? Isn’t most everyone? So, can we still enjoy gardening with a budget? Absolutely!! But, it may take some good planning and creativity. In my over 40 years in the garden center business I have never before experienced such high … Read more
Last Wednesday was the first “official” day of Summer. Actually, meterologists consider June 1 as the first day of summer. Astronomers consider June 20 (or 21/22 depending on the year) as the first day of summer based on the position of the earth to the sun. It’s the longest day of the year. Every day, … Read more
JUNE 19TH – 25TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL POLLINATOR WEEK Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership, and fifteen years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the designation of a week in June as National Pollinator Week. The purpose of this week is to address the urgent issue of declining pollinator … Read more
Just about everybody’s garden contains cucumber plants, so here’s some interesting information: Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae or cucurbit family. Other family members include watermelons, pumpkins, melons, and squash. Cucumbers are native to India. Christopher Columbus is credited with bringing them to Haiti in 1494. From there, it spread to the Americas. Cucumbers are … Read more
