A quick guide and facts to feeding and enjoying our feathered friend Like many people, I am a seasonal bird feeder. I like to start feeding birds in the fall and go through the winter. September through March is a difficult time for birds, as many natural sources of food disappear in the winter months. … Read more
ILEX VERTICILLATA “WINTERBERRY” HOLLY I have been writing these blogs for quite a few years now. I can’t believe I have never written on this native deciduous holly until now. Winterberry is native to the Eastern Seaboard. What a beautiful, low-maintenance shrub to have growing in your landscape. Winterberry holly is a slow-growing, woody, deciduous … Read more
FALL IS FOR PLANTING! We have plenty of gardening chores to be done this month. I love October. It is my favorite month of the year. I love how we cool down and all the beautiful fall colors from our shrubs and trees. October is an excellent month for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials. Planting … Read more
Drum roll, please! INTRODUCING BLUNT MOUNTAIN MINT: THE 2025 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR Pycnanthemum muticum is the botanical name for this powerful native. We received this perennial recently, and I immediately fell in love with it because of its looks and fragrance. Here are a few points of interest regarding why it was the … Read more
Correctly placing trees and shrubs in the landscape can significantly reduce the energy required to maintain a comfortable home or office. With fall officially arriving this coming Sunday, September 22nd, you may be thinking and asking yourself, “What do trees and shrubs have to do with the amount of energy I use for my home … Read more
EXPLORING OUR NATIVE PLANT SELECTION My native plant highlight for this month is DOELLINGERIA umbellate, commonly known as the Parasol Whitetop Aster. I picked this native because of its late summer/fall blooming time. This beautiful native plant symbolizes fall here in Central Virginia. Parasol Whitetop is an upright grower with narrow oval leaves and clusters … Read more
SEPTEMBER IS THE BEGINNING OF THE “FALL IS FOR PLANTING” SEASON FALL IS FOR PLANTING Yes, it is only the beginning of September. Fall is not officially here until September 22nd. However, in the plant industry, the whole month of September is considered the beginning of fall. Knowing that winter is next, you may ask … Read more
IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR Fall will be here soon and the fall planting season is fast approaching. I mentioned a couple times in recent blogs that August is the month to get ready and plan your planting projects for fall. One big QUESTION that many homeowners ask themselves is “can professional … Read more
DO YOUR HOMEWORK IN AUGUST Are you a new homeowner? Or do you want to re-do your existing landscape? Does it look old and worn out? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then August is the time to really ask questions about planting and plants and do plant research about what … Read more
GREAT PLANT IDEAS FOR A DORM ROOM OR NEW OFFICE It’s that time of year when some of you have kids moving back into a dorm room at college. You’ll want to add something green to soften or highlight an area. We all know there is not much room inside the living quarters of a … Read more
