Weeds are a given. They’re a true guaranteed item in a field of gardening and lawn care variables. In lawn care, common sense turf practices and herbicides can be used to create a relatively weed free part of the landscape. In landscape beds, we turn to mulch. The key to mulch effectiveness is to apply…
Category: Landscaping
Plant Groundcovers Under Shade Trees
Is the vegetation under your shade tree thin and lifeless? If so, you may wish to consider planting a groundcover instead of turfgrass. Periwinkle, English ivy, lamium, pachysandra, some cultivars of coral bells, ajuga, plumbago, euonymous, Virginia creeper and Hall’s honeysuckle are good options to consider. The bottom line is Right Plant, Right Place, and…
April is National Safe Digging Month
April is Safe Digging Month Late April is prime time for starting all sorts of landscaping projects from planting trees, shrubs and lawns to installing brick work and paths. But, before you dig, it’s SUPER important that you make sure there are no buried communication or utility lines in your digging zone. Here are…
Much Mulch
Are you kidding? Seeing a mound of mulch piled on a tree trunk conjures up images of a volcano with a tree sticking out of it. Why does this happen? Three reasons: If a little is good, more is better. Just like with adult beverages, potato chips, pop and buying clothes, excessive amounts are not…
Viburnums – Tried and True for the Landscape
Need a screen between your backyard and the street? How about you and the nosy neighbor? Or, let’s say you need a good specimen feature in a corner planting…what would be a good choice? If any of these scenarios are a reality for you, consider the group of shrubs, the Viburnums. In general, they are…
Shrub Pruning – For Some Shrubs
It’s late March and if you’re like most Nebraskans who tend to their landscape, you’ve been looking out the window all winter and wondering if it is time to prune the shrubs. It might be…depending on the shrub. This handy chart will steer you in the right direction. Prune Now: privet, burning bush, spirea,…
February’s Garden Basket
February, March and April are busy months for the Nebraska Extension Master Gardener program. Master Gardener Interns are participating in classes, on their way to becoming certified Master Gardeners. The classes are intensive, covering botany, plant diseases, landscape design, bug boot camp, and plant management. Once coursework is complete, Master Gardener volunteers hit the ground…
Lawns in the Shade? Really?
Are lawns supposed to be in the shade? No, not really. Yet, as you gaze out the window at your landscape, even in winter, many lawns are covered in shade. Even in winter, even without tree leaves to cast a shadow. How did this happen? First, how it happened. The most likely scenario is…
2019 Reflections
Extension Master Gardeners were busy in 2019 in the Douglas-Sarpy counties. Over 200 volunteers reporting 16,022 hours of service to the program. These volunteer opportunities came in a wide variety of formats. They answered Over 7,000 calls on the horticulture helpline that we staff six months out of the year. Volunteers were also present at…
Salty Snow & Slush Damage
As snow and ice are cleared from the driveway and sidewalk, there may be more than frozen water in the shovel. No one likes to slip and fall on the concrete, which is why applying ice melt products is a routine procedure in winter. Unfortunately, many homeowners get carried away and over-apply it. How much…