Search

  • … This is a ground cover that forms a tight mat 6 inches tall and 24 inches wide. It blooms in spring …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … seed. Bruised foliage and flowers smell strongly of onions, which may explain why this plant is avoided by deer and rabbits. Butterflies are strongly attracted to the nectar. …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Boltonia is a spectacular addition to the late-summer garden. Its tall, sturdy stems and wide spread give …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … houseplants take a rest during the winter. Indoor temperatures tend to be high and the air is often dry. Plants are not entirely dormant but their growth is certainly not robust. Think of it as a rest period. But now, plants are responding to … in earnest. As the light grows longer each day your houseplants sense the change. The sun is warmer and stronger as it streams in the windows. Plants are awakening to the growing season …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … in your garden last year —and the year before that. Hard to conjure up? That's because memory is simply unreliable when it comes to the hundreds of details that make for a successful garden … for electronic documentation. Formats vary widely, so you'll need to shop around for the app/site that echoes your gardening style (we bookmarked this helpful Wall Street Journal review of … The venerable Mother Earth News has a wide-ranging app that's free : motherearthnews.com Smartgardener.com (no relation to our monthly column!) has a free online journal that looks …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … There is something wonderful about a plant that gives you color, pizzazz, longevity, reliability, and … (although the foliage and bulbs often do), and, when happy in their full-sun, well-drained site, can form colonies or self-seed, especially when some of the more humongous flower heads are … inches across, they are often cleverly advertised next to a smiling child’s face. Guess which is larger? For a big, round purple softball on a 4- to 5-foot stem, try a small army of …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … start to germinate when the top inch of soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center … leaf lettuce and spinach are ready to harvest in as little as 30 days and all you need to do is snip off enough leaves for a salad. Within a few days, the plants sprout more leaves and … and high in fiber, they offer plenty of vitamins A, C, and K. Their culinary potential is impressive—you can stir-fry, steam, sauté, braise, or grill them. Use the small, …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … as long as they are planted in well-drained soil. Another reason why your lilac may not bloom is because it is being pruned at the wrong time of the year. Lilacs bloom on the previous season’s growth and … Fertilizing will not increase the amount of blooms. If lilacs are planted near turf that is regularly fertilized, this could also be a cause of a lilac's failure to bloom. …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … that your tools will be safe and ready to use come spring, and extends the useful life of what is often a significant monetary investment. Digging, cultivating, and raking tools should first … the individual gardener or by the machine dealer’s service department. An important precaution is to remove all gasoline from the machines, either by draining or by running the machine dry, as … metal tools off the garage floor to avoid exposure to salt water dripping from your cars. It is advisable to individually wrap or otherwise separate smaller tools to protect them from …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Most established trees, shrubs, and perennials require one inch of water per week.  It is always best to water deeply and infrequently to encourage good root development.  Irrigating these plants one time per week is usually all that is needed to keep them thriving.          …
    Type: Plant Info