… parts that makes a garden a garden.” — Elements of Design by Joe Eck By May, it’s tempting to visit the local garden center and go gaga over all things in bloom. We load up the shopping cart … spring, now’s the time to take stock of what changes or improvements will provide the most for your personal enjoyment and your money. Often, we find inspiration by simply observing and reflecting on our surroundings. What do you enjoy most about being outdoors and being in your garden? What …
Type: Plant Info
… tips make the work easier, are less expensive than traditional techniques, and are healthier for your garden. The Basics The dirt on roses. The first step to ensuring gorgeous roses is making sure your soil is healthy. You can … leaves as well, which are often sources for reinfection. Consider composting: no need to buy compost when you can make your own! You can add the fallen rose leaves to your compost pile, …
Type: Plant Info
Green Mountain boxwood is a hybrid that combines the handsome dark green evergreen leaves of the common boxwood ( Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa') and the hardiness of Korean littleleaf boxwood. This evergreen shrub grows into a perfect narrow pyramid to a height of 12 feet with full sun to partial shade and is not fussy about soils. This variety is very hardy, with minor bronzing during harsh …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… own landscapes. The unusual features of the witch hazel family make it an excellent choice for such adventurous gardeners. Witch hazel offers yellow and red fragrant flowers blooming at … Wisconsin and Quebec south to the Gulf Coast states. They have large, simple, toothed leaves on multiple, crooked branches that form a rounded outline in the landscape. Witch hazels are … seed capsules from the previous year are still attached to the branches, while some can be the latest, waiting until October. Seasons of Blooms Hamamelis mollis The Chinese witch hazel, …
Type: Plant Info
… sometimes even as late as December. In fact, frost makes kale taste sweeter! Looks Good & Good for You Kale, the cabbage without a head, is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), along … to obsession: kale’s gone from hard-to-find to not only a must-have in gardens, but also on menus. This powerhouse plant should be part of our go-to medicine cabinet as it contains an … they grow, allowing for the full-body structure they are going to assume. An alternative is to buy transplants and pop them in wherever you want them. Leaves from transplants can be harvested …
Type: Plant Info
… and a bit of privacy. The Evergreens Arborvitae ( Thuja —pronounced Thoo-yah) Settlers on windswept midwestern prairies knew the power of evergreen trees as wind breaks. You may not … a windbreak, but a row of evergreens, like arborvitaes, can provide privacy and a nesting site for songbirds. A blanket of snow on their boughs adds winter enchantment in our garden. Eastern … with spring-blooming bulbs, like daffodils and snowdrops, is icing on the hedge. Before You Buy (Or Plant) First, note the location of your property lines. Call JULIE (dial 811) to …
Type: Plant Info
… What does it mean for plants? The temperatures have been slowly dropping and sporadic frost has put the brakes on annuals, blackening their leaves or simply causing entire plants to wilt. Not to worry—there … 12 to 16 inches of hardware cloth in the soil about 3 inches away from the trunk. If deer visit your garden, deter them from eating twigs or rubbing antlers by placing snow fencing or …
Type: Plant Info
… An autumn visit to the fruit and vegetable garden in search of late-season surprises can be rewarding. For it's at this time that all those plants requiring "a long growing season" (90 to 100+ days … a support. Low-growing, blue-gray squash, 'Blue Hubbard', surrounds the other two vegetables on the outermost circle. The spines growing on the undersides of the squash leaves serve as a …
Type: Plant Info
… Here’s one cure for cabin fever— grow some cool indoor plants and stage them like they’re pieces of art. Potted plants can sit on the floor, a bookcase, a shelf, a counter, suspended from the ceiling, or attached to a wall. … you can’t choose a houseplant the same way you choose a bedspread or curtains. Most people who buy plants want to keep them for the long term. If you’ve got the most perfect spot indoors to …
Type: Plant Info
… Gomez Age: 16 Grade: 11 School: Waukegan High School What are you most interested in/excited for this summer on the farm? Making friends What's your favorite vegetable? Corn What is a fun or surprising fact … Waukegan High School/Washington Campus What are you most interested in/excited for this summer on the farm? Learning about vegetables and learning how to garden What's your favorite vegetable? …
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