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
Every year I make New Year’s resolutions for my garden. Last year, I made only three—to be better at keeping weeds and debris out of my garden, to be better about repotting plants when they need it, and to take time to appreciate the efforts of my hard work. So how did I do? My … 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
Today, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In Australia, on the other hand, they’re preparing for summer fun. According to the calendar, in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter runs from the Winter Solstice on or around December 21st through the Spring Equinox on or around March 20th. … 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
Did you get a poinsettia for your mantle? Maybe someone gave you a beautiful amaryllis to enjoy? So what do you do with them when they finish blooming? Throw them away? Not so fast! Here’s a quick guide on how to care for these Holiday beauties. How to Care For Your Holiday Plants Poinsettias Keep … 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
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme to Grow Herbs If you have a window that gets a lot of sun during the winter, then why not put it to work for you growing your favorite herbs? All you need to do is to RAISE your blinds if you have them (by raising them, you can triple … 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
