Home & Garden category, Page 7
Redbud’s visual impact offsets its relatively brief life span
We would love to grow a redbud in our backyard, but we’ve heard that their life spans aren’t very long. Are they still worth growing? If so, can you give us any tips for success? One of my favorite harbingers of spring is the redbud tree. Though we’re a few...
Rose breeder’s legacy lives on in the blooms he developed
The last time I saw Michael Marriott, he was showing off beautiful David Austin Roses at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. The technical manager and senior rosarian for the company was surrounded by a stunning variety of flowers. Filled with enthusiasm, he deftly described the fragrances and disease resistance...
Roses thrive on organic gardening methods, expert grower says
Michael Marriott is an organic gardener and says roses can easily be grown that way. The technical manager and senior rosarian has been growing roses without chemicals for more than three decades. “People don’t want to spray roses anymore, and it’s something I’ve never ever done to roses in my...
Step outside the box with creative vegetable garden options
If you are eager to start a new vegetable garden this spring, but you don’t want to fuss with removing sod, building fancy wooden raised beds or tilling up the ground, consider stepping outside the box and getting creative. There are several alternative ways to start a new vegetable garden...
Lichens are a welcome sight
Question: Please help! I just noticed that my wild plum tree in my backyard has some sort of fungus growing on it. Is there anything I can do, or is it diseased beyond repair? It was healthy this summer with many blooms. It has been in my yard for at...
What the pros think we should plant
It’s been nearly a decade that I’ve been making the trek to Baltimore for the annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show. It can be overwhelming with more than 1,500 booths, filled with everything you could imagine for gardening. There are new plant introductions, products and nursery stock everywhere for garden centers...
How to grow the super-fruit goji berry
Gogi berries (Lycium barbarum) are the latest super fruits. They’re high in antioxidants and nutrients, and several cultures dry the berries and use them for medicinal purposes as well. They are said to support immune function and regulate blood pressure. Nightshade- family cousins of the tomato, pepper and eggplant, goji berries...
What’s plaguing that jade plant?
Question: Several of my jade plants have developed black spots as well as places on the edge or middle of the leaf that totally dry up. I’ve never encountered anything like this and feel it must be some kind of weird virus. I’ve been spraying with a biofungicide and also...
Herbs offer fresh taste from windowsill planters
Bright afternoon sun streams in the dining room window, backlighting a tall ‘Genovese’ basil plant. The herb is flanked by rosemary, thyme, tarragon, parsley and dill. The dill has bitten the dust, but the others are doing well on the windowsill. They will never grow with the vigor of outdoor...
Phipps’ annual orchid, bonsai show is ‘Out of This World’
It’s “all systems go” as Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens prepares for takeoff to a new galaxy of gardens that are truly “Out of This World” in its annual Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show opening Jan. 18. Phipps’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” (the show’s designers) include Jordyn Melino, associate director...
Learn how to grow alpine strawberries
If you’d like to try something new in your fruit and vegetable garden this year, how about growing alpine strawberries? These little jewels are so much sweeter and more flavorful than large-fruited strawberry species. Plus, they’re easy to grow and require less space. Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca) are small in...
Gardening trends for 2020? Think unconventional, sustainable
Gardeners in 2020 will veer from the beaten path, opting for unconventional varieties and eco-conscious surroundings, according to a plant trends study by horticulturalists with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Their forecast is based largely on market observations and feedback from people seeking information...
Grow heat-loving greens for summer salads
Question: Our spring vegetable garden is filled with lettuce, arugula, spinach and many other salad greens, but by the time summer rolls around, they always go to seed and leave us without salads for the rest of the season. Can you recommend some edible salad greens we can grow in...
Gardeners share their secrets for enjoying the bounty
The bounty of the garden often translates into tasty dishes in the kitchen. We meet a few gardeners and learn their secrets. Hot pepper man Dave Taiclet is pouring a dark red “elixir” out of a huge plastic jar into smaller containers. Hot peppers hang from strings all around the...
Grafting useful for making unique plant forms
Grafting is a centuries-old craft in which a person takes pieces from two or more different plants and grafts them together so they grow as one plant. The grafting process is performed because it brings multiple positive traits from separate plants into a single plant. It’s a technique that can...
How to attract birds to your garden, yard
As the sun peers over the horizon, a wren is happily singing away, already on the hunt for a mate, the days are getting longer. Max the Wonder Dog is 16, but even he listens quizzically to the little bird chirping away. As the fog burns off, peanuts are added...
Learn to grow the adorable fairy washboard
Among the most popular houseplants today is the fairy washboard (Haworthia limifolia). This compact succulent plant stays small, making it a great choice for a windowsill, desk or bedside table. The plant reaches about 4 inches in height and width. Its ease of care is another endearing factor, along with...
Advice to first-time gardeners: Think small, find your spot
Another growing season is building momentum with the arrival of the 2020 seed catalogs, and gardeners are drafting plans for new harvests. There’s such a thing as being too enthusiastic, though, especially among novices. Beginners can achieve their best planting results by thinking small. “Starting too large is the most...
Plant these for an interesting garden all year long
What is a gardener to do during the gray days of winter? For many of us, it’s all about planning. This is the perfect time to scout around for plants that provide winter interest to the landscape. Put them on your list of things to get in the ground this...
Scale a common pest of fiddle leaf figs, other houseplants
Question: Help! I have a fiddle leaf fig in my front window that I adore. It has tiny bumps all over the stems and the floor beneath the plant is sticky. I did an internet search, and I believe I have an issue with scale insects. What can be done...
Learn how to ID, harvest edible fiddleheads this spring
Have you ever eaten a fiddlehead fern before? They’re really a gourmet delight. Among the earliest edible items you can forage from a forest (or better still, from your backyard), fiddleheads have become a popular seasonal ingredient among chefs and those who enjoy eating unique foods. In fact, they’ve become...
New plants sure to make 2020 gardens lush, colorful
Every year we see new and interesting plants introduced. It’s exciting to see what gardening professionals are interested in growing this season. Cultivate ’19 is a trade show spanning eight acres at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. During a visit to Cultivate over the summer, those pros showed some exciting...
How to manage mosquitoes next gardening season
Question: We had so many mosquitoes in our yard last summer. I’d like to know if there’s anything we can do in advance of the coming season to keep them away. I see there are companies that spray, but I don’t know what they spray and I’m sure that whatever...
Great greens for starting early in the season
I know spring seems so far away, but now is a great time to start planning your veggie garden for the coming season. Before you know it, March will be here and it will be time to plant cool-season crops such as peas, lettuce, radish and greens. Today, I’d like...
Bring spring indoors early — very early — by forcing bulbs
Daffodils sitting on a windowsill against a backdrop of white snow make a fragrant and pretty midwinter scene. This picture, with bulbs “forced” for early bloom, takes planning that should start now. Choose plump, fresh-looking bulbs from those now on display at garden centers, hardware stores and supermarkets. Prep the...
