The Rain Barrel

A recent brief rain burst, depositing just .2 of an inch in my rain gauge, put 12 gallons of water in my rain barrel. That’s the beauty of collecting rainwater from a roof—a small amount adds up quickly. If you’ve been considering installing a rain barrel, here is a push to get you started. While…

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Three Perennials to Try

With more people working remotely this year we have received an abundance of calls this summer.  Callers are looking to spruce up their flowerbeds.  Some just wanted something new.  Others were wanting to expanding gardens.  Here are a few plants that are well known but often not used. Astrantia (as-TRAN-shi-a) or Mastewort is a perennial…

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Shade, Semi-Shade and Sun

If you look out at your landscape, you’ll probably see all degrees of sun and shade.  There are lots of names of these levels of light, but shade, semi-shade and sun are good descriptors for most plants.   One of the most pertinent reasons for focusing on shade levels is that it really helps locate…

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Remain Calm, It’s just a Cicada Killer Wasp!

Cicada killing wasps are back for the summer of 2020! They are big and fast, but they’re not going to hurt you. Learn how to live comfortably with them or discourage them from taking up residence in your landscape.

Get Rid of the Grass in Your Landscape

Really?  Get rid of it?  But, I’m a big fan.  I love the relaxing feeling I get when I mow the grass.  Yes, there are many benefits of turfgrass, were  outlined last week, but really, in the true spirit of the horticultural truism of “Right Plant, Right Place”, turf simply doesn’t belong in all parts…

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Moles and Grubs

It’s been a good year for moles.  A nice amount of rain keeps soils moist and workable—the perfect environment to enable mole movement as they “swim” through the soil. Many people approach the problem of moles by focusing on grubs—that if the grubs are gone, then moles won’t be in the lawn. Though not accurate,…

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Is COVID-19 an issue on homegrown or purchased produce?

This post was originally published on The Garden Professors blog in May 2020. Now that much of the world’s attention is focused on limiting the spread of pathogens, well one pathogen, it seems like a good time to talk about some of the questions or concerns we’ve seen regarding vegetable gardens, community gardens, and farmers…

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Straw Foxglove

Unlike foxglove that are biennial, straw foxglove (Digitalis lutea) is a true perennial. The light yellow bell-shaped downward-facing flowers are smaller than their biennial relatives, but what is lost in flower size, straw foxglove makes up for in reliability and ease of growth.   Straw foxglove does best in average garden soil in a site…

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Mosquitoes: A Bad Summer Buzz

Mosquitoes are back and they’re not only annoying, but they can make you sick! Learn what you can do to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your landscape and prevent bites this summer.

What’s Up with All the Wasps?

Paper wasps and yellowjackets are build nests around our home and landscape. Find out how to protect your family and pets from stinging insects before small nests become large colonies.