Tomatoes. The quintessential summer vegetable. But wait, it’s not a vegetable at all! Botanically, it’s a fruit! And not just a fruit, but a berry! So here are some other interesting facts about this quintessential summer berry: Tomatoes – the 80,000-Year-Old Treat Tomatoes are truly American, originating in South America over 80,000 years ago. The … Read more
GREAT PLANT IDEAS FOR A DORM ROOM OR NEW OFFICE It’s that time of year when some of you have kids moving back into a dorm room at college. You’ll want to add something green to soften or highlight an area. We all know there is not much room inside the living quarters of a … Read more
The peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower is here! According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. Typical rates are about 80 meteors an hour, but in outburst years (such as back in 2016), the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour. The … Read more
WE ARE NOW ONE MONTH AWAY FROM THE FALL PLANTING SEASON August is a great month to get organized as to what you want to do to your lawn and garden come September. To recap the month of July: Yes, July was typically a hot month. But it was not a dry month like June. In … Read more
Did you know that citrus fruits are berries botanically? Or that citrus is native to Southeast Asia? In fact, in many languages, they are known as Chinese Apples. Here are some more citrus fun facts! From Color Changes to Record-Breaking Lemons Christopher Columbus Brings Oranges to the New World Oranges first reached the New World … Read more
MY TOP 5 FAVORITE SUMMER BLOOMING PERENNIALS FOR JULY It is now the end of July, and we are halfway through summer. Typically, the end of July and August can be our hottest and driest months of the year. But, we have many very hardy perennials that love this time of year. It is their … Read more
Well, the new, larger birdbath in my backyard is working. Yesterday evening, I saw two dragonflies! Don’t you find something a little bit magical about them? Dragonflies – Millions of Years Old Dragonflies are an ancient family of insects. They were around 300 million years ago! They were much bigger then, though, with a wingspan … Read more
DIVIDE IRISES EVERY FEW YEARS Here we are in late July. If your irises are like mine, they are beginning to go dormant with the summer heat and have yellow foliage. Now is the time to consider dividing. Iris plants are a popular garden flower, but every few years, they need to be divided and … Read more
It’s Mid-Summer. I just finished feeding my tomatoes, so what should I do with my indoor plants now? Let’s Put “Light” on Summer Plant Care In summer, light changes at a slightly different angle than just a few months ago. That means I need to double-check my light levels. In my house, once the trees … Read more
GARDENING AND YOUR HEALTH It’s mid-July, and it’s hot, humid, and dry. Summer weather can adversely affect gardeners who work outside caring for their plants. To understand how to reduce or minimize heat stress or heat-related illnesses, we must first understand what causes heat stress and when it is most likely to occur. Heat stress … Read more
