… to Your Teaspoon Bees are part of every garden. Because bee populations continue to decline, and because September is National Honey Month…we dedicate this Smart Gardener to the story of how bees actually produce the honey that you eat from the flowers that you (and your neighbors) grow. It’s a missing link that gardeners don’t often think about. Most of us … transferred. When a forager has downloaded all of the nectar to a number of hive bees, it is free to head back out…and repeat the nectar-gathering process again and again. Nectar ripening …
Type: Plant Info
… The cooler temperatures have put an end to tender annuals, herbs, and most perennials. If you haven’t brought in your houseplants from their summer vacation, do it … plants, Christmas cactus, hibiscus, or others suffered, cut off the frost-damaged leaves and set the plants in a bright window so they can recover in a few weeks. A common concern when … the label instructions when using any insecticidal product—organic or synthetic. One chemical-free option is to simply dunk the entire plant, pot and all, if possible, in a bucket of water …
Type: Plant Info
… Along with all the joys that come with spring—daffodils, magnolia blossoms, blue skies, and warm sunshine—are the four-legged critters that irk gardeners. Take your pick: squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, woodchucks, meadow voles, and deer. You may not have all of them in your garden, but even one or two in search of a meal … plants, voles, and preventing animal damage . More related topic, visit our Plant Information Service . Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in Palos …
Type: Plant Info
… to love about big, beefy Boston ferns or tall parlor palms? They serve as lush, green focal points in a room and, like rubber plants and ficus trees, they demand adequate space to strut their stuff. Then there are tiny indoor …
Type: Plant Info
… From the farmhouse to the White House, vegetable gardening has captured the imagination and attention of seasoned as well as novice gardeners across the nation. Urban and suburban families alike can catch this veggie fever but funnel their energies into a … colorful those veggies are getting! Start small; you can always add later. Plant Information Service can assist with all questions. Choose the Crops Discuss the vegetable and herb …
Type: Plant Info
… Replacing this year? Five to consider. Last winter was hard on us all…especially on the trees and shrubs that took the brunt of winter winds, sub-zero temperatures, and heavy snow. As spring progressed, the damage was revealed: winter burn on evergreens ( read our blog about it here ), lots of dead branches, and, for many homeowners, the loss of key "hardscape" elements: the shrubs that are the backbone …
Type: Plant Info
… Amaryllis bulbs that have flowered will now send up leaves. Allow the flower stalk to yellow and wither before removing it from the bulb. Keep bulb and leaves in bright light and continue with normal watering. After May 15, take the potted bulb with long, straplike leaves …
Type: Plant Info
… November is a great month to tuck your lawn and garden to bed for the season. Nighttime temperatures are dipping below freezing, frosts are more frequent, and the yard may soon be covered under a blanket of snow. This month, take advantage of any … they’re still viable. Clean ceramic, cement, and/or terra-cotta containers; store in a frost-free space. Soil from containers can be stored in a pile outside and combined with equal parts …
Type: Plant Info
… You just have to know the plant, its growth characteristics, its best time for pruning, and what your intentions are for that plant as it plays into the whole of your garden design. … your garden. You’ve likely seen countless photographs of gardens, viewed television programs, and taken garden tours of your own. And each time you did that, something stuck with you and you want your garden to “look like …
Type: Plant Info
… comes to mind for roses, or 'Stella d'Oro' for daylilies. But say "'Annabelle'," and everyone knows you're talking about hydrangeas. A smooth or wild hydrangea, ( Hydrangea … for the genus itself, the iconic hydrangea, the shrub you can find in every neighborhood and that people still ask for by name—even decades after it first became popular. In this month’s Smart Gardener , we look at the recent explosion of new hydrangea cultivars, and ask Andrew Bunting, who recently joined us on staff as assistant director and director of …
Type: Plant Info
