Gardening Basics

Protecting Your Sprinklers From Winter Damage
Every gardener recognizes the importance of protecting new plants, delicate roots, and tender buds from the ravages of cold, snow, and ice. While it is critical to safeguard your plants from the cold, it is equally critical to protect your sprinklers from winter damage as well, or you risk not being able to properly water […]

Beyond the Wreath: Plants to Decorate Your Doors
A wreath can be a beautiful accent to your home and a friendly way to welcome guests. The classic circle of green boughs may not be best for your door, however, as it may not complement your door’s style or reflect your personal flair. Fortunately, there are many stunning alternative plants and unique arrangements that […]

Basics of Balcony Gardens
Whether you live in an apartment, condominium or townhome, you don’t need to give up on gardening just because you don’t have a conventional yard. Balcony gardens are ideal for urban gardeners and can yield just as bountiful a harvest as any more spacious, ground-level plot. What Kind of Garden Can You Have? To ensure […]

Soil 101
How well do you understand your soil? It’s more than just dirt, and the more you learn about soil, the better you’ll be able to care for it to ensure a stunning landscape, healthy lawn and productive garden. All About Soil The four elements of soil are minerals, water, air and organic matter. Different combinations […]

What is “pH?” Why Is It Important?
Devised in 1909, the pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. The scale ranges from 0-14. Pure water is “neutral” and has a pH of 7, midway between 0 and 14. If a solution has a low concentration of hydrogen ions, the rating will be a higher number and is considered […]

Tremendous Turf
The benefits of turf grass as a ground cover are numerous and often undeclared or overlooked. In recent years, turf has gotten a bad reputation due to the belief that a beautiful lawn requires a lot of hard work and overuse of dangerous chemicals. This is a misconception and the benefits of turf can far […]

Trackable Tools
It’s the beginning of a new gardening season. Hopefully you took out last year’s journal in January or February and reviewed your notes on what you wanted to change, improve, experiment with or eliminate from your garden and landscape. Now is the time to begin implementing some of those great ideas, and it starts with […]

More Than Just Mulch
Not only does mulch add a decorative finish to your flower beds, it also keeps the soil cool and moist and thus reduces the need for watering. By using a pre-emergent herbicide with mulch, weed seeds are discouraged from germinating and growing. But which mulch should you use? Types of Mulch There are several types […]

How To Succeed At Seed-Starting
It’s easy to buy seedlings, but there are many reasons why you may wish to start your own plants. By starting your own seeds, you have a much greater selection of flowers, vegetables and herbs to choose from. For example, old favorites like hollyhocks and less common varieties of herbs and perennials as well as […]

Spring Lawn Renovation
Spring is the ideal time to spruce up your lawn. After a long winter, you can easily see where any bald, bare or thin patches exist, as well as where weeds or fungus may be taking over the lawn. Fortunately, there are easy ways to set your lawn to rights! Seeding If you are planning […]