POTTED EVERGREENS IS A POPULAR TREND RIGHT NOW Winter is officially here. For the past month, I have been fielding questions about potted evergreens in outdoor containers. People are asking about the care of their plants through the cold, winter months. Also, some people, more recently, are asking about using a potted evergreen for use … Read more
YULE This Friday, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year; the first official day of Winter; Yule. The days, which have been getting shorter and shorter each day since the Summer Solstice, now will begin getting longer by a minute or two each day. How the World Celebrates Winter Solstice Many … Read more
LET’S KEEP IT REAL!! We are in the second week of December with Christmas 10 days away. People are buying Christmas trees fast and furious right now. It is fun to learn some background facts when it comes to the fresh trees and greenery that we use for holiday decorating. The traditional use of an … Read more
Now that your houseplants have been inside for a couple of months, how are they doing? Here are a few things you might want to watch out for: Yellow leaves Yellow leaves can be a sign of three very different problems. When you first bring your plants inside, it’s a huge shock—losing leaves is a … Read more
PINE TAGS OR IS IT PINE STRAW? BOTH ARE GOOD TERMS IN DESCRIBING WHAT IS FALLING OUT OF OUR PINE TREES RIGHT NOW. We are now into the second week of December and the pine tags are really falling fast out of our pine trees. FREE MULCH, BABY!!! The other day as I was driving … Read more
If you have a window that gets a lot of sun during the winter, then why not grow your favorite herbs? All you need is a sunny window (no blinds/no sheer curtains). The first thing to do is take a look at that sunny window. Be sure to check around the window for heating vents. … Read more
LAST MONTH FOR 2021 – CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! “Time flies by quickly when you get old.” I am there and this “old” saying is so true. But, life is good. And, gardening in December is good. We had some rain in November, although we could have used more as we go into the colder … Read more
This time of year, I watch the birds. I also feed them. Because there aren’t many insects available over the winter, most birds that winter here are seed eaters. Some seeds are better than others, however. Seeds and nuts with a higher fat content are best for winter feeding—black oil sunflower seeds and even peanuts. … Read more
IT’S THANKSGIVING WEEK AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT TURKEYS Virginia is the original turkey production state. Virginia is ranked sixth nationally in turkey production in 2019 = $258m. According to the 2019 Census of Agriculture, turkeys are commercially raised on 448 Virginia farms, most of which are in the Shenandoah … Read more
With Thanksgiving this Thursday, I decided it was time to write down a list of the things I’m thankful for this year in my garden. I’m thankful for how gorgeous my bulbs were this past spring. I may not always be grateful for chilly gray winter days, but spring finally comes. And as hungry as … Read more
