Make sure you do it correctly from the beginning to avoid problems later By Dr. Garry V. McDonald I live in a town that professes to be a tree city. Citizens and businesses are encouraged to plant trees and tree ordinances abound. While I am all for tree planting and a self-confessed tree-hugger, it frustrates …
Are we thinking about seeds all wrong? By Jeanne Grunert Seeds. Those tiny capsules of genetic wonder, containing all that will become a juicy tomato, a magnificent oak, a beautiful rose, or a mischievous morning glory. Go into any garden center on a spring day and you’ll see racks upon racks of seeds. Frugal gardeners …
How to get rid of these pesky diggers in your landscape By Karen Neill I know you won’t believe this, especially if you have moles tunneling through your landscape, but moles are actually somewhat beneficial in the landscape. They are probably tearing up your lawn in order to achieve this, but they do help with …
Unique flowerbed ideas to make your home look great Story and Photography by Susan Jasan What’s your style? Traditionalist … Naturalist … Conservationist … Free spirited … Wild & Wonderful? Whatever your style, you can achieve fantastic flowerbeds to complement your home. It takes some thorough planning, proper ground preparation, some good old-fashioned hard work, …
It’s time to get hooked by cacti Story and Photography by Timothy J. Malinich Cacti (singular cactus) catch the eye of many hobbyists. They are easy and rewarding to grow, fun to display, and readily available. People are often hesitant to grow them because they fear the reputation of these desert denizens. Here are a …
Turn your pumpkins into planters with this fun project Story and Photography by Kathleen Hennessy Nothing says fall is here quite like pumpkins. An essential accessory at this time of year, pumpkins can be arranged on the porch or popped into fall containers. With this project, the pumpkins actually become the container. This quick and …
When Life Gives You Tomatoes … Story and Photography by Kathleen Hennessy If your end-of-the-season tomato harvest is filling up your counters, it’s time to make sauce. Even if you’re a novice canner, this recipe is very easy and flexible. Best of all, it tastes amazing. You may never go back to store-bought tomato sauce. …
How to bring nature indoors by pressing botanicals into beautiful art Story and Photography by Cindy Shapton Pressing botanicals is just one more way for plant lovers to get their fix while feeding the artist within. Just pick a basketful of your favorite flowers, herbs, leaves, seedpods, or whatnot to place between papers in a …
Growing miniature hostas in containers By Elin E. Johnson Do you have a small yard? Do you think hostas are pretty? If so, you should grow miniature hostas in containers. There are many to choose from, and as long as they are in a shady spot, they are perfectly happy in containers. When I first …
Using permeable surfaces in the garden By Helen Newling Lawson As gardeners, we know how precious water is. So when we get a good downpour, the last thing we want is to see it go down the drains. And all that runoff hitting our streams, rivers, and wetlands isn’t good for the environment either. It …
