Earlier this week, I was visiting a neighbor and noticed an eye-catching plant in rare form for this time of year. It was filled with abundant red blooms that almost glowed against the backdrop of green leaves behind it. Whorls of the tiny flowers filled the spiky stalks that jutted out...
As the last asters of the year are wrapping up their flower display and monarchs are migrating through to more southern latitudes, spring flowers aren’t always at the center of attention for most gardeners. However, now is the time to set the stage for some of the most beautiful and early...
As the vegetable growing season quickly approaches fall frosts when production screeches to a halt, there is actually one crop that can be planted now in anticipation of next year’s growing season. Garlic (Allium sativum) is an easy-to-grow bulb crop that does best when planted now for a...
Fall flowers are some of the best of the year since they take a whole season of waiting to finally display their splendor. Beyond their beauty, they provide a valuable food source for pollinators late in the growing, which can be especially important for migrating species such as the monarch...
Each gardening season there seems to be a new invasive species we have to worry about. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of our ever-globalizing economies. Despite the best measures to track and limit the indiscriminate spread of exotic biota, regulatory agencies and the industries...
Shrubs are often overlooked in autumn, typically playing second fiddle to overtopping shade trees that steal the fall display. However, quite a few deciduous shrubs have spectacular fall color to offer in the landscape. In many settings these smaller woody plants can help provide eye-...
Amid all the pollinator conservation efforts in recent years, many gardeners have transitioned areas of lawn and other uses to vibrant pollinator gardens. As homeowners search for new spaces to install pollinator habitat, many have questions about how and where to place these important oases...
The root collar of a tree can be defined as an area of the lower trunk that transitions from trunk tissue to root tissue. It is typically associated with the basal flare, or the trunk flare of the tree, which is the wider portion of trunk that insects the ground. In recent years,...
Last month, the US Forest Service released a technical report titled, “Climate Adaptation Actions for Urban Forests and Human Health.” The report includes a summation of the current research related to urban trees and climate change, looking at how trees benefit human health, how...
Many gardeners are starting to integrate more and more milkweed into their landscaping in support of monarch butterflies. Plants in the milkweed genius (Asclepius) are the exclusive food source for monarch caterpillars, making them incredibly important in the race to sustain...
