Fill a garden with annuals and perennials, create a garden for a season; plant a garden with trees, create a garden for the ages. Most people think about flowers first when planning a landscape but trees should be our first consideration. They are the largest plants in the landscape and have the greatest visual impact.… Continue reading Give Thanks for Trees
A couple days ago, I sat on my front porch looking out over a pot filled with Antique Shades pansies and breathed in the heavenly fragrance of the Judd viburnum right behind. I marveled at the beauty of the crabapple’s dark pink buds beginning to open, revealing pristine white flowers. I decided to walk through… Continue reading Walk through my Spring Landscape
Pollinators and the flowers that attract them live together in a mutually beneficial relationship. Flowers attract pollinators to ensure pollination; pollinators seek out flowers for lunch. After a long winter, the first spring flowers emerge from the soil offering sustenance to early risers. To establish a resident pollinator population in the landscape, provide the earliest… Continue reading Plant Early Spring Bloomers for Pollinators
We have all heard about the importance of the bones of our landscapes. We have read dozens of magazine articles, listened to countless lectures, and studied them on garden walks. Never are the bones of the garden more evident than in winter. Without the distraction of flowers and foliage, the skeleton of the landscape is… Continue reading Gardens Need Good Bones
It won’t be long before plants should be growing like gangbusters in our gardens again. What can we do if a few of them seem less than enthusiastic to wake up or are struggling to get their green on? First, commit to building the health of your soil over the upcoming season. “Feed your soil… Continue reading Understanding Fertilizers: What do those numbers mean?
