4 Simple Steps for Fall Garden Tool Clean Up

4 Simple Steps for Fall Garden Tool Clean Up

As leaves start changing colors and the first fall frost approaches, it is once again time to prioritize finishing the last garden chores to ready the garden for the winter. An important, but sometimes overlooked fall chore, is properly cleaning and storing tools and garden equipment for winter. Step 1: Wash Clean off all dirt, soil residue, and rust spots from garden tools with a wire brush, fine-grained sandpaper, or steel wool. Remove plant sap from pruners and loppers with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol or turpentine. (if you have practiced appropriate seasonal pruner sanitation, this task should be […]

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5 Tips for Reducing Plant Stress

5 Tips for Reducing Plant Stress

Vince Lombardi said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Playing sports can be difficult and gardening can be thought of as a sport. All our plants are players and mother nature is our opponent. Weather events like freezing temperatures in spring, blistering heat in summer, drought, humidity, hail, diseases, and a plethora of insect pests work hard every season to defeat us and our plants. These kinds of stressful environmental conditions can slow growth, delay harvest, and reduce yields in the garden. They can also make plants more prone to pest and disease problems. We as gardeners can not […]

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Fall Planting – Potted Perennials

Fall Planting – Potted Perennials

Perennials can add color and foliage texture to your landscape, but be sure to make sure the perennial chosen is suited for the sun and moisture that the location receives. The soil also needs to be well-drained for the plant to thrive. Many perennials can be low maintenance and can add color in season. Most perennials are either spring, summer, or fall bloomers and the other seasons can add different foliage textures to your landscape. Growing Potted Perennials Soil Preparation Proper soil preparation is necessary for the long-term survival of perennial plants. If you have well-drained soil like sandy soil […]

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Fall Bulb Planting Tips

Fall Bulb Planting Tips

Updated: October 17, 2024 With the weather cooling as we enter fall, it is time to start preparing for your spring flower garden. Fall is the optimal time to plant your bulbs so they are ready to bloom come springtime. Here are some tips when choosing, planting, and caring for your fall bulbs. Choosing Spring Blooming Bulbs For early blooms, try varieties of crocus, hyacinths, and be sure to add some snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) which often bloom before the snow has even melted. The never-ending varieties of daffodils and tulips have such a wide range of […]

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7 Popular Garlic Varieties

7 Popular Garlic Varieties

Garlic is a popular perennial often used to add flavor in cooking and are easy to grow. Although there are hundreds of varieties of garlic, we’ve chosen our favorite most popular garlic. Interested in learning about how to grow and care for garlic? Be sure to check out our Garlic Growing Guide. Popular Garlic Varieties German Porcelain Garlic Type: Porcelain Hardneck Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8 Storage: Up to 6 months. Description: One of the best hardneck garlic for flavor and keeping. It has very large bulbs containing 4 to 5 huge cloves. The wrappers are splashed with purple and […]

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Six Tips To Create The Perfect Dog-Friendly Garden

Six Tips To Create The Perfect Dog-Friendly Garden

There is nothing like spending time with your dog, especially when that time can be spent in the sunshine! However, just like puppy-proofing your home, it is important to make sure that your garden is also safe for your dog. Your garden can be an oasis to spend your time together – or a potentially dangerous place of worry for your dog. By employing a few simple tips and tricks, it is very easy to turn your garden into a doggie paradise! Tip #1 – Buy Robust Plants Does your dog love to dig and chew? – if so, your […]

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Iris Growing Guide

Iris Growing Guide

Irises are popular, easy-to-grow “old-fashioned” perennials. They are attractive plants for beds and borders but also make lovely cut flowers. Irises attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Learn more about growing and caring for your iris flowers. Types of Irises There are a number of different types of Iris with a dizzying range of colors, flower forms, and heights. The most familiar type is the bearded iris. Depending on the type of Iris, they grow from either a rhizome or bulb.  Dutch Irises are considered bulbous types. Rhizome Irises The stems of the rhizome iris grow horizontally just beneath the […]

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Horticultural Oil For Pest Control

Horticultural Oil For Pest Control

Gardening can be a rewarding experience. An important step in gardening is pest control. Without it, your crops could be destroyed. There is a wide variety of pest control products available which can create some confusion. Here are some things to know when deciding if horticultural oil is the right choice for your garden. Pesticide Categories Horticultural oils fall under the category of a pesticide. Pesticides are defined as any product used to kill pests. Pesticides fall into four categories, based on the type of pest they target: Insecticides – target insect pests Fungicides – target diseases Herbicides – target […]

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Deer-Resistant Gardening Tips

Deer-Resistant Gardening Tips

When you stop and contemplate how amazingly successful and adaptive deer have been in our urban environments, you have to simply admire them. They are even more adaptive than we are. The first element for us to recognize is that our homes, neighborhoods, and developments have encroached on their habitats and not the other way around.  Deer are not coming into our yards because they like our company, they are searching for a tasty meal that we’ve unintentionally provided. We, as gardeners and indeed humans, are forced into the awkward and embarrassing position of having to become smarter than they […]

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9 New Bulbs to Plant in Fall – Best Bulbs for Spring Flowers

9 New Bulbs to Plant in Fall – Best Bulbs for Spring Flowers

Remember last spring when you spotted beautiful beds of spring tulips, daffodils and hyacinths blooming and you vowed to plant some in your yard? Well—now is the time to decide what you want and get those beauties planted. Actaea Daffodil Zone: 3 – 8 The Actaea Daffodil is an heirloom daffodil. It has a wonderful, sweet fragrance. The flowers are brilliant white with petite yellow cups that are rimmed with red and accented by green. Blooming in mid to late spring they are the perfect addition to your flower garden. British Gamble Daffodil Zone: 3 – 8 The British Gamble […]

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