Winter waiting... A mild winter leads to a wanting; a want to get back in the garden and finish tasks incomplete due to early snowfall that has now escaped from our yards. It is safe to complete the perennial cutbacks and finish the final leaf/stick pickup. Especially with brush season in full … [Read more...]
Fall Lawn Care
Fall Lawn Care Fall is the best time to repair a lawn. It is also the best time to fertilize and maintain your lawn's health. Here are the steps to take of your lawn in the fall. Step 1 Mow lawn at lowest setting so it's 2" or shorter, bag clippings. Step 2 Dethatch lawn with a stiff rake. … [Read more...]
How to Harvest Vegetables and Fruit
The excitement of planting starters in your vegetable beds in late spring lead to a bountiful harvest in the mid to late summer. It is also the time to sow your next crop. Successional Crop The typical vegetable gardener plants their vegetables in the late spring, harvest by late summer, and clean … [Read more...]
Mulch
THE Best Mulch for your Garden There are sooooo many mulches out there to use in the garden beds. Most mulches are varied by the regions in the country. Down in the Southeast, Pine Straw mulch and Cocoa shells are used. In the southwest it can be rocks, thick bark shelled mulch, or in … [Read more...]
Rose Garden Maintenance
Rose Garden Maintenance “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet” --William Shakespeare The classic beauty of the garden is the Rose. There are so many breeds, so many colors, and so much variety yet… needs either a lot of maintenance to … [Read more...]
New England Landscapes
The New England Landscape New England homes have historically gone through many phases of the landscape. From the practical homestead in the 1700's to the lush, wild romance of gardening in the 1900's. These phases are quintessentially New England, especially for homes in Western Massachusetts. An … [Read more...]
Cut Flower Gardening
Cut Flower Gardens Floral decorative use of the provincial ‘cut’ flower brings the air of the outdoors to inside of the home. Gaining in popularity with CSAs, home use, and local Floral greenhouses; cutting gardens are seen throughout or are being created by homeowners. Where to … [Read more...]
Container Gardening
Basic Container Ideas Containers have always been a popular attribute to the outdoor landscape, isolating a few on a patio/deck area or adding a focal point to the landscape itself, it’s a poem amongst the garden story. I believe containers can be whatever you want! It could be just a petunia … [Read more...]
Hardy Perennials for the Northeast
TOP TEN HARDY PERENNIALS The Northeast especially New England is a tough area for plant material due to the inconsistent weather patterns we are famous for. How do I classify these as hardy? Well, no matter where I put them they are easy and low maintenance. These perennials can tolerate what is … [Read more...]
How to Fix Winter Kill on Rhododendrons
Winter Kill Image of Winter Kill on a Rhododendron After a long winter, maintenance in the landscape is crucial for a good season of growth. Especially when it comes to our garden beds. The snow melt reveals spring flowering bulbs and soon greener lawns. It reveals damage too and stately shady … [Read more...]