NORMAL. SUCH A SIMPLE WORD BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ANYMORE WHEN IT COMES TO PLANTS AND GARDENING? As I write this blog, Virginia and the entire U.S. is in the process of trying to re-open from the Great Shutdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems that our local, state and national news…
Did you know August is National Happiness Happens Month? I didn’t either until a customer told me and I looked it up. There it is—in black and white—“August is National Happiness Happens Month.” It did start me thinking about what makes me happy in my garden—the first bloom on my rose; every single solitary fragrant…
IT’S TIME FOR A MID-SUMMER GARDENING REPORT First, let’s recap the month of July. I think I can accurately describe the month of July in one word “UGH”!!! What a hot and dry month July turned out to be this year. 21 straight days of 90 degrees or better. Not a record. The record was…
Right now I’m inundated with tomatoes and zucchini. I’m sure my neighbors want to run when they see me heading their way with a bag of veggies in hand. But I have no more room on the kitchen counter! And how many loaves of zucchini bread can you eat anyway? And, yet, in the midst of…
TREES HELP OUR ENVIRONMENT September is here in just a few days. September is the month that kicks off the FALL IS FOR PLANTING season. Fall is the best time to plant shade trees. After all the hot days this past couple of months, shade can make life in Virginia more bearable. One strong reason…
Fall is less than a month away! (Gosh, I feel like summer just got here–) It’s time to begin thinking about how to get the most from your fall garden. Here are some suggestions. Plant pansies and violas: One of the most popular cool-season flowers, they’re available in a wide range of colors. They’ll bloom most…
AS PROMISED IN LAST WEEKS’ BLOG – HERE IS INFORMATION TO HELP WITH YOUR PLANTING There is a lot of wisdom in the title of this blog. Many issues with a plant’s performance can be avoided by simply planting properly. FALL IS FOR PLANTING My mission in writing this blog is solely educational and, in…
My blog last week was about Milkweeds—a host plant for Monarch butterflies. I had several questions this past week about other host plants so thought I’d repost this blog from a couple of years ago. I get so many questions about what flowers to plant for a “butterfly” garden. Well, if we don’t start planting…
NOW IS THE TIME TO GET READY FOR THE FALL PLANTING SEASON It is mid-August and now is a great time to be doing some preparatory work with improving our clay heavy soil in the lawn or gardens. Everyone who lives in Central Virginia knows all about our red soil. You can have all the…
Did you know the Monarch butterfly population has declined 90% in the last 20 years? The destruction of native prairies and grasslands, as well as the widespread use of commercial weed killers, has decimated the population of native milkweed—the only plant Monarch butterflies will lay eggs on. You can help. By incorporating milkweed into your…
