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.

January Gardening Tips & Techniques

January is a month filled with reflections of the previous year and notions of looking ahead. These are great fodder for coffee time with friends where you share notes and observations and also make intentional plans for modifications and improvements.

Fall Color in the Landscape

As you drive around the highways and byways, or even just the various neighborhoods, some of the most enjoyable views out the window glass are heavily influenced by the fall colors of trees and shrubs in the landscape. The reds, oranges and yellows of fall show off Mother Nature’s pageantry in its finest form.

Fall Tree and Shrub Care

Most of our area experienced a spring season which was a little on the moist side. Summer and early fall have turned the spigot off, resulting in a dry root zone for many trees and shrubs. But, how do you know if your tree(s) are part of the many or part of the moist? Ya gotta check.

Suddenly Sun

Following extreme windstorms, many homeowners find themselves dealing with the “Suddenly Sun Syndrome” or SSS. What’s that? SSS is an influence on the landscape in which lawns, flowers, shrubs and small trees that used to be shaded by trees are now in greater sunlight exposure because they were significantly thinned by Mother Nature or were removed for safety reasons.

Renovate Your Lawn in 10 Steps

Many blog readers like Step-by-Step cookbook instructions. If your lawn is suffering from disease, grubs, weeds, drought, cats, etc., read on. Here’s the prescription:

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…

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Weekly Update July 15

It’s been a quiet few weeks and I wanted to share some of the things that we have seen coming into the office. Japanese Beetles Japanese beetles have returned and this summer and they are feeding on our favorite herbs, fruits, veggies and ornamental plants. This introduced insect has been recorded feeding on over 300…

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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 24, 2024

Ash Flower Gall Mite We received this picture question to the office this past week about strange growths in an ash tree. This is the work of the ash flower gall mite (Eriophyes fraxiniflora). This microscopic mite will feed on the developing male ash flowers causing them to distort and form these broccoli like structures…

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