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Does winter weather have you anxious for spring? Are you ready to start digging in the dirt and growing tomatoes, peppers, squash and other warm season veggies? Even though we still have chilly days ahead, seasoned gardeners can plan now for their spring vegetable gardens. On a quest to learn how, I sought the counsel of…
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If you are a new gardener who has never done a soil test, you may think that soil testing is not very important. Maybe you never really thought about it because your seeds always germinate in spite of a lack of testing. It is true that most seeds will germinate if they are fresh, and…
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A soil test is an important, but often overlooked step in planning and implementing a landscape design. It is often skipped, mostly due to poor planning or a lack of understanding why it is so essential to the long term success of your landscape renovation. Performing a soil test requires minimal effort. Simply put, you…
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The beautiful red and green poinsettia are a familiar site of the holiday season. They are a member of the Euphorbia family and are native to Mexico. The traditional color is red, but can be found in a large variety of colors. The large colorful part is not actually the flower, but a “bract.” The…
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Creating a Williamsburg Wreath is a simple and elegant way to celebrate the holidays. In this how-to, we will learn how to combine natural elements into a traditional icon of the holidays. These wreaths are called a Williamsburg wreath, because they were made popular by the living history museum located in Williamsburg, Virginia. They are…
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November is here and it is the start of the holiday season! Thanksgiving brings families together with food and fun and traditionally, Christmas decorating begins the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Nothing symbolizes the holiday season more than a wreath on the front door. It is like a welcome sign for all the visitors to…
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Welcome to part 2 in our landscape design series, assessing your site. Have you chosen an area you would like to landscape or are you going to landscape your entire garden? Regardless, it is important to assess your property. There are several factors to keep in mind: soil, light, drainage and privacy needs, are just…
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How to force paperwhites using alcohol By Rachel Dutton The winter months for gardeners can be a time of restless waiting for Spring when we are able to see and smell our Spring flowers. One way to bring Spring early into our homes is by forcing Spring bulbs. For Christmas and the New Year, consider…
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“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” When the planting season begins, do you head to your local nursery and buy tons of plants with no plan? Do you then get home and think, “Where should I plant these?” Have you wasted hundreds, (thousands?!) of dollars and hours of back breaking work just…
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By Rachel Dutton Amaryllis are popular flowering bulbs which are forced indoors for their large, spectacular blooms during the holiday months in the winter. The colorful flowers help to brighten the gray days of winter. Amaryllis bulbs make great Christmas gifts and can be forced beginning in November for vibrant blooms around Christmas. Amaryllis bulbs…
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