Considering the number of customers I’ve had looking for plants to repel mosquitoes, I thought I’d repost this blog from a couple of years ago… Swirling cloaks, spooky music, and a voice with a Hungarian accent saying “Good E-e-e-vening.” Or incredibly annoying little insects buzzing around your face and feasting on every square inch of … Read more
Wow!! Thank you, April!!! Now on to May with needed gardening chores. Let me take a minute to re-cap April. I have been in this business for a “few” years and I do not recall ever having an April where we did not experience a frost. We went the entire month of April without any … Read more
There are so many peppers to choose from that it can be overwhelming to pick one. What are the differences? Sweet peppers have a nice earthy flavor but no heat. Traditionally called green peppers or bell peppers, they usually mature to a totally different color. Green pepper is basically an unripe bell pepper. If you … Read more
PLANTS FOR GOOD NECTAR SOURCES. Now that we are approaching the end of April and summer will be here before we know, it’s that time of year when butterflies begin to visit our gardens to feed and help pollinate our plants. Matter of fact, I am seeing quite a few butterflies in the nursery enjoying … Read more
Tis the season—to plant tomatoes Tomatoes are native to the Americas, like peppers, and were grown by the Aztecs who called the fruits “tomatl”—meaning “plump thing with navel.” Tomatoes are botanically berries, believe it or not! So which one is the best? Well, I can only tell you my favorites because there are tiny nuances … Read more
Virginia is bursting with color right now!! Here we are in mid-April and what a beautiful time to be living in Virginia with all the shrubs and trees in bloom or coming into bloom. Just to re-cap our weather: Approximately, April 20, is our average last frost date. So far in April, we have not … Read more
This Tuesday, April 16th, is National Orchid Day. In honor of National Orchid Day, here are some interesting facts about these beautiful and exotic flowers. Orchids are the single largest family of blooming plants in the world with over 25,000 naturally occurring species and well over a hundred thousand man-made hybrids. Orchids are also the … Read more
WHAT ARE NATIVE PLANTS & WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER PLANTING THEM? There is some confusion when determining if, or how, a plant is considered “native.” In my opinion, the best definition for a “native” comes from the Virginia Native Plant Society: “Native plants are those that were growing here when the settlers first arrived and … Read more
I have a raised bed at the front of my yard, just in front of a large maple tree. I used to grow impatiens there. They did great in the shade; however, they are thirsty little plants. By mid-summer I was having to water every single solitary day—and if it was a little on the … Read more
A LOT OF GARDENING ACTIVITIES AND CHORES FOR APRIL Finally, April has arrived. March ended on a high note with warming temperatures and some rain on the last day. As we begin in April, I think we need to re-cap March. March was much more traditional when it came to temperatures and rainfall, especially when … Read more
