I have an extensive library of gardening books and many binders and file folders full of articles I’ve clipped with gardening tips and advice. Another place I look to find gardening information is the seed catalogs that fill my mailbox this time of year. Some of them are so detailed and full of information [Continue]
Gardeners are continuously experimenting and learning and hopefully gaining some wisdom from their mistakes. The gardening mistakes I’ve made over the years basically fall into three categories: planting in the wrong lighting conditions, spacing plants improperly, and not recognizing that a plant is becoming invasive quickly enough. When I first started gardening, [Continue]
Like every other pursuit, gardening has its own vocabulary. Here are a few definitions to help you understand what your gardening friends are talking about. Beneficial insects. These insects provide a service to the garden such as pollination or control of insect pests. Some beneficial insects are bees, wasps, moths, ladybugs, lacewings, dragonflies and [Continue]
My dairy farmer neighbors sold their herd last June and have turned their attention to landscaping their farmyard. A year ago they hired a landscaping company who at great expense installed a small pond, put some plantings around it, planted a mis-labeled tree, and then went out of business. I’ve been asked to [Continue]
With all the snow that’s already fallen this winter, the foods that birds can scavenge on their own are mostly covered. You can help them out by filling your bird feeder with purchased seed, but it’s more fun to make homemade bird treats. Some of these make great gifts for bird lovers as well. [Continue]
Many people enjoy feeding wild birds in winter but have questions. What kind of birdseed is best? Will they eat homemade treats? Will the birds starve if the feeder isn’t filled for a few days? Different birds enjoy different types of bird seed, so the type you buy depends on what kind of [Continue]
Have you heard the saying, “Plant corn when the oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear?” Or “Plant peas when the forsythia blooms?” These are not just old wives’ tales or old farmers’ tales, as the case may be. The advice in these old saying is based on hundreds of years [Continue]
Garden supply stores have row upon row of handy tools for the gardener and mail order companies have whole catalogs of gardening tools. But if you need a tool to do something right now and don’t have the time or inclination to run to the store to buy it or to the internet to order [Continue]
Do you routinely fertilize your lawn or garden? How do you know you are giving your plants the right kind or amount of fertilizer? You can save money, improve the health of your plants and protect the environment from fertilizer run-off by doing a soil test that will tell you exactly what your landscape [Continue]
If asked, probably 99 out of 100 people would say that the patron saint of gardeners is St. Francis. This pious man with a long cloak is often pictured holding a bird or two in his hands, and his statue made of concrete, resin or plastic stands in many gardens, whether the gardener is [Continue]