Butterflies and Moths

Summer is really here, not quite by calendar, but definitely the temperatures, and bugs. As an Entomologist, I love when insects become active, but I know not everyone feels the same about bugs. I do not like mosquitoes and other annoying bugs that bother me outside and I especially dislike those that do damage to…

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Weekly Update June 17

Phlox Plant Bug Tall garden phlox are looking a little ratty this season thanks to the phlox plant bug. This insect has a piercing/sucking mouth part (similar to aphids) and they will suck the life out of the plant. Damage will manifest as downward cupping, stippling, dead terminal growth, and lack of vigor. There can…

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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…

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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.

Storm Damaged Plants

This time of year, storms can be bad. We have had quite a few storm systems move through the area over the past few weeks. Some of these storms included high winds, hail, and even tornadoes. Unfortunately, when storms are severe they cause a lot of damage to our plants. This damage can’t be ‘fixed’…

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Goats and Ladders

Every year, I discover a new plant to obsess over. Some have thrived in our garden, like the bush clematis, hairy beardtongue, and camas. This summer, I added Creeping Jacob’s Ladder and goat’s rue to my must-have list. While the former is a lovely ground cover, the latter has a complicated history as a milk production aid and natural insecticide. Careful not to confuse it with the invasive Goatsrue, I look forward to seeing how these newcomers fare in my urban garden.

Spring Garden Preparations

Spring is officially in full force, which means all of our planning and excitement is coming to fruition out in the vegetable garden. With any luck, you’ve had your greens and cabbages and peas in the ground for a little while now and are already eating your own homegrown food. As we enter May, though,…

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Container Gardens – Regular and Unique

There’s the traditional “garden variety” container garden and then there are unusual, unique or out of the ordinary, edgy ones. Traditional patio planters or front porch pots tend to be round or rectangular and flat, facilitating the display of flowers on a horizonal and perhaps cascading plane. Other types of planters expand the viewing of the plant material in vertical, rounded and hanging arrangements, often in combination of other hardscape elements of the landscape.

Prune Your Shrubs Now?  It Depends

Here’s a quick quiz – when do you prune your shrubs? When they get too big for the space they are growing in, when you think about it or when they look shabby? For many of us, the answer is all 3. Pruning your shrubs in a horticultural sense depends on 2 things: when they bloom and their age.

Asparagus

Spring is here, officially, but that doesn’t mean we should get overly excited and go clean up our landscape beds just yet. However, Asparagus will soon be emerging from previous plantings and new plantings can be started soon. Planting & Care Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that will come back every year providing you with…

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