Flowers – GRO Big Red

Raised Beds for Vegetables and Flowers

One of the “Big Things” in gardening are raised beds. Some trends in gardening are legit improvements and some are just fads and either not worthy of your effort or are actually detrimental (ie. black plastic weed mats). Raised beds are legit.

Must Have’s – 5 Tools No Gardener Should Be Without

If you didn’t receive everything on your Christmas list, you may want to consider being your own Santa. After all, there are some “gotta have ‘em” in all facets of life. If you want to smoke a pork butt, you need an off-set smoker and some apple wood. If you’re going to garden, there are 5 essential tools:

FAQ For August

Keep your garden going strong with answers to these frequently asked questions.

Groundcovers Are Great!

There are lots of locations in a landscape where turf and large trees just won’t grow well – too much shade, steep slopes and narrow spaces are just a few. Installing groundcovers might be the solution to some of these challenges. Of course, they’re not maintenance free, but considering the various options of better adapted plants can improve the appearance and function of the site.

Got an Ugly Landscape Feature? Half Hide It!

When you think about it, there are quite a few items that landscapes commonly have that – well…a homeowner would rather not be all that visible to visitors or themselves. They include cable boxes, electrical pad mounted transformers, dog runs and water hydrants.

2025 Gardening Resolutions

Since January in the Midwest is usually not all that favorable for outdoor activities, we can grab the trowel by the handle and think ahead and backwards. Asking the question, “what didn’t go so well last year?” is a good one to springboard forward, or to borrow from the world of personal finance or fitness, to make new gardening resolutions.

Weekly Update July 22

What’s in Bloom Summer is in full swing and I wanted to share some pictures of lesser grown perennials for your garden. All six of these plants are native and do well in an urban setting. Most of these plants do need a little extra care the first year they are in the ground. After…

Simple is OK!

In the world of gardening, the felt need to create a landscape/garden/patio that is lush, flowing and elaborate often rears its head. In some cases, bigger is better, but sometimes, simple is ok…or even better

Weekly Update June 7th, 2024

White Mulberry This week we’ve been getting questions on how to manage white mulberries in the garden. White mulberries (Morus alba) is an introduced small tree/large shrub from China. It was originally brought over as a potential food source but it quickly escaped cultivation. The fruit is tasty and is enjoyed by many animals such…

Gardening in Shade

Shaded areas in the landscape may be difficult areas to grow turfgrass and vegetables, but offer an opportunity for a shade garden. Success in shade gardening is heavily influenced by plant selection and site preparation.