It’s the last month of the year! Mother Nature is being very kind to us as we enter December. ‘Tis the season for so many gardening chores and tasks. How about this weather? I wrote a blog on “Where’s the cold weather?” a month ago. Well, it finally arrived over Thanksgiving weekend. We also had … Read more
FINDING ITEMS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY GREENERY CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR YARD Here we are in the last week of November. Many of us are concentrating on decorating our homes or offices for the holiday season, which is upon us. Finding fresh greenery to use in decorating is as easy as strolling through your gardens. … Read more
WE ALL LOVE OUR BUTTERFLIES, BEES, AND OTHER BENEFICIAL INSECTS Most gardeners understand our role in improving our environment for all our native pollinators. We have seen an enormous surge in sales of our native plants and doubled the size of the area we designate for native plants. This trend of planting native plants warms … Read more
HERE WE ARE IN NOVEMBER, WITH THE HOLIDAYS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND WE STILL HAVE GREAT WEATHER But the only downside to this early November warming trend is that we are drier than normal. KEEP ALL THESE NEWLY PLANTED PLANTS WATERED! We need to continue watering new trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. … Read more
WHERE’S THE COLD WEATHER? Here we are in early November and experiencing a nice warming trend. Yes, we have had some cold nights with temperatures down into the low 40s and upper 30s. And, yes, some of you have experienced a frost. But most of us in the Richmond area and surrounding suburbs have yet … Read more
WITH OCTOBER COMES SOME BEAUTIFUL FALL COLOR IN VIRGINIA Have you ever wondered why leaves change color this time of year? And, how boring it would be if all leaves had the same color in the fall. Here we are in mid-October. We are having a hot spell this week which makes it feel like … Read more
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
