Just about any item can be a vessel for plants, from wash tubs to whiskey barrels to cast aside footware. All that is required is a side wall and a drain hole, which can be fabricated if need be. Once the imagination has run wild about what could be, it’s important to focus on fine…
Month: May 2019
Hail of a Day
For many of us in the Omaha area we woke up early May 28th to a thunderous roar of hail. Depending on the location in town the size of the hail stones ranged from pea to quarter sized. Our back yard it was quarter sized and lasted for about 10 minutes. Large leafed plants took…
You Can’t Plant That Here aka Right Plant, Right Place
I see it every day. Wrong Plant, Wrong Place. Perhaps it’s an occupational hazard. Maybe job security. Maybe just (as the Spanish speakers say) “así es”, or “it is, what it is”. On a recent trip, in a location known for “good horticulture”, I ran across some good, er, bad examples. There were trees…
Growing Asparagus
Cooks love the earliness that fresh asparagus provides. Gardeners love it because it’s perennial and relatively worry-free. If you’ve not grown asparagus, this spring would be a good time to plant a few crowns to find out for yourself just how easy it is to grow. Asparagus can be started in one of two ways….
Fall Tree Planting in Spring
If you want it to look good this fall, plant it now…in spring. Everyone loves the gold, bronze, red and purple colors of shade trees in the fall, but many put it off and put it off. Why not enjoy the green of spring and summer and the glory of fall all in one?…
Vegetable Gardening 101
Nothing provides greater satisfaction than to grow your own food. It’s also really easy to start, with a small investment in some seeds, a few transplants, and a container or plot of land. A basic requirement in vegetable gardening is a clear understanding that there are cool season vegetables—those that grow and produce best when…
Tangled Roots and Potting Soil
Getting annuals, veggies and perennials off to a good start in container gardens is crucial to their success. This starts with choosing well branched, stocky plants and examining the roots. First, gently squeeze the pot between your hands or fingers and then tease the root mass out. Inspect the roots. They should be white, bright…
Managing Weeds in the Garden and Lawn
Weeds may be our least favorite topic but still one of the driving forces behind phone and email questions right now, with “How do I kill…?” leading the discussion. Weed identification may seem immaterial, after all, the consuming focus is to be rid of the pesky plant, but in reality, this should always be the…
Warm Season Veggies
Cool season veggies are great – cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and George Bush’s favorite – broccoli. As the soils warm however, the time for planting warm season veggies is upon us. Crops such as peppers, eggplant, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers thrive on warm growing conditions – 75 to 85 degrees F. Hopefully, your weekend project…