Last week, I wrote about things you can do in your garden from mid- to late fall. This week, I thought I’d mention some eco-friendly things you can do now. One Big Eco-Friendly Action Fall is a great time to plant, and one of the most eco-friendly things you can do is plant native plants. … Read more
WITH OCTOBER COMES SOME BEAUTIFUL FALL COLOR IN VIRGINIA Have you ever wondered why leaves change color this time of year? And, how boring it would be if all leaves had the same color in the fall. Here we are in mid-October. We are having a hot spell this week which makes it feel like … Read more
One of the most important things you can do is to learn which USDA winter hardiness zone you are in. In Central Virginia, we are in zone 7a, which means our winter lows can drop to around 5 degrees. To the west, in the mountains, some areas are zone 6, where their winter lows have … Read more
A quick guide and facts to feeding and enjoying our feathered friend Like many people, I am a seasonal bird feeder. I like to start feeding birds in the fall and go through the winter. September through March is a difficult time for birds, as many natural sources of food disappear in the winter months. … Read more
Here’s How to Protect Your Fall Veggies This is the perfect time of year for cool-season veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbages, arugula, radishes, and collards. Unfortunately, it also makes it the perfect time of year for Cabbage Loopers and Cabbage worms. They love to munch on all members of the cabbage family, … Read more
ILEX VERTICILLATA “WINTERBERRY” HOLLY I have been writing these blogs for quite a few years now. I can’t believe I have never written on this native deciduous holly until now. Winterberry is native to the Eastern Seaboard. What a beautiful, low-maintenance shrub to have growing in your landscape. Winterberry holly is a slow-growing, woody, deciduous … Read more
It’s almost that time. Time for what? Time to move your houseplants back inside! Here’s What to Do Now, if you do what I do, you’ve already moved your indoor plants closer to the house where there is a bit more shade. This gets them used to the change in light levels BEFORE you move … Read more
FALL IS FOR PLANTING! We have plenty of gardening chores to be done this month. I love October. It is my favorite month of the year. I love how we cool down and all the beautiful fall colors from our shrubs and trees. October is an excellent month for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials. Planting … Read more
How are you going to handle your fall decorating this year? I always put in some fall flowers, real pumpkins, and scarecrows. I will carve some of the pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns, but I’ll set uncarved pumpkins on the stairs and the sidewalk. Some of the most common flowers for fall are chrysanthemums, pansies, ornamental … Read more
Drum roll, please! INTRODUCING BLUNT MOUNTAIN MINT: THE 2025 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR Pycnanthemum muticum is the botanical name for this powerful native. We received this perennial recently, and I immediately fell in love with it because of its looks and fragrance. Here are a few points of interest regarding why it was the … Read more
