Pansies & Violas – Great for Early Spring!

If you’re anxious to see some early color in the landscape, and your tulips and hyacinths aren’t up and blooming yet, think about a pot of pansies. Pansies and violas work great for scratching the itch, both in ground beds and container gardens.

Plan for Spring Color

This time of year can become long and full of anticipation for spring flowers. You can plan now for different plants to add to your landscape to help with winter interest next year, even flowers. Helleborus Lenten Rose or Helleborus is a perennial plant with evergreen leaves. It grows up to 15-18 inches in tall…

Snow Impacts on the Landscape

We really saw a lot of snow this past week. I know not all people appreciate snow as much as others. It makes travel difficult and is accompanied by very cold temperatures, and also, in some cases, our plants don’t appreciate it either. On the other hand, there are some plant benefits to all this…

Dormant Seeding for Lawns

With dormant seeding, the main objective is to get the seeds into the soil when it physically can be done and then remain in a holding pattern until the first rays of the April sun warm the soil and encourage growth. Sure, mid to late April might turn out to be a conducive time as well, but what if it isn’t?

Little Gnats in the House

Got annoying gnats in the home? Learn how to identify fungus gnats and how to get rid of them for good.

2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

The USDA updated their Hardiness Zone map publicized in November 2023, reflecting changes in average extreme minimum temperatures, moving several Nebraska and Iowa counties to zone 6a. The author reminds gardeners to consider factors not covered by the map, such as anomalies and soil conditions, before purchasing new plants.

Overwintering Eggs

Arthropods like praying mantises, wheel bugs, and garden spiders survive the winter in the egg stage. Learn how to identify insects and spiders in your garden landscape.

Fall and Winter Watering

It is at this time of the year that I get questions asking if people should still be watering their plants or hear people say they just don’t need to water plants again until spring. However, it is very important to keep watering plants to ensure they go into the winter with a full reservoir…