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Gardening Advice
“Brood X”—the 17-year periodical cicadas—are emerging in May 2021. We expect the bugs to show up in big numbers in the next couple of weeks. Learn all about these fascinating bugs: where they’ll emerge, how long they’ll be here, telltale signs in your yard, and how to prevent any tree damage.
Cicadas are truly a fascinating phenomenon. This brood has spent 17 years waiting underground,…
Here are tips on how to plant a bare-root tree the right way—from digging the hole to watering the tree properly once it’s planted.
What Is a Bare-Root Tree?
“Bare-root” means that the trees are not grown in a container. They are shipped to nurseries dormant, and they do not have any soil around their roots (hence, they are “bare”).
Why a bare-root tree?
They are…
If you love strawberries as much as I do, why not try growing some of these luscious berries yourself? The hardest part is deciding what kind of strawberries to grow. Here are the four types of strawberry varieties.
The strawberries were outstanding this year where I live. They were a little late ripening but it was worth the wait. If you love strawberries as much as I do why not try…
Lacking a sunny yard or space for gardening? Be part of a community garden with like-minded souls! But also keep in mind some of the dos and don’ts of community gardening before you join up! Many wanna-be gardeners are frustrated by a lack of space. Container gardening is fine for most things but if you really want to spread your gardening wings, turn to your local community garden…
Tomatoes aren’t just round and red. They’re also blue! Not only are blue tomatoes delicious but also the blue skin means that they have the added benefit of naturally-powerful antioxidants. Discover 10 delicious varieties of blue tomatoes.With 10,000 to 15,000 known varieties of tomatoes worldwide, there is no shortage of new varieties to try. Blue tomatoes aren’t new but the…
Add some delicious, unusual fruit crops, fruiting shrubs, and old-time fruit trees to your yard and garden—bush sour cherries, lingonberries, quince, persimmon, paw paws, and more! Winter is a good time to assess your landscape and see what spaces you would like to fill with fruit. Frankly, we want to plant them all—and wish we had enough room! Wonderful, Luscious Fruit For…
Join a citizen science project! If you can count birds, bees, or garden bugs, you’ve got all the skills you need. Learn more about citizen science and find three ways—in nature and beyond—to participate.
What is a Citizen Scientist?
Scientists often need more information than they can collect by themselves and the number of projects where volunteers partner with…
Imagine fragrant hyacinth, miniature daffodils, and colorful primroses brightening up your home in late winter. Learn all about forcing bulbs to flower into an early bloom to enjoy spring while there is still snow on the ground. Since bulbs contain all of the nutrients they need to grow and bloom, it’s not hard to force them. What is “Forcing Bulbs”?“Forcing” is speeding up the…
From the earliest days, Americans and their presidents have been brewing. Ever brewed your own beer, cider, or ale?Simple wine, beer, mead, ale, flavored liqueurs, cordials, shrubs, and brandies can be made using the fruits—and also the vegetables, herbs, and flowers—of your labors!Home brewing has a long history; some anthropologists believe that beer is as old as civilization itself.…
Sticky. Heavy. Soggy. Crusty. Not a band of wayward Disney dwarfs but instead words used by gardeners to describe their clay soil! While clay soil has its challenges, it also has its positives. Let’s focus on how to improve clay soil—and dispel some misperceptions.A good garden, like a good life, is all about balance and this is especially true when it comes to the texture of your soil. Let’…
If you are searching for the right flowering tree or shrub to add pizzazz to your landscape, check out these three groups of plants—magnolia, dogwood, and viburnum—and you will not be disappointed.I. Magnolia TreesThere are more than 100 species in the genus Magnolia, some native to North America and others from Asia. They are often thought of as a southern plant, but there are…
The apple harvest is in full swing! Have you visited an apple orchard yet? Tasted that fresh cider? If you’re interested in growing your own apples, here are some tips on how to start a (small) orchard! Every year we are blessed with more apples than we can eat. I make lots of applesauce and apple crisp and freeze bags of peeled and spiced apples to plunk into pie crusts all …
