Newspaper Articles

Whether you bought a new home or are taking on chores for a relative, suddenly you are expected to tend intimidating rose bushes. In reality, roses are more resilient than you would expect, and resources to help are readily available. Spending an early morning in the rose garden just puttering around is very…

 With this cold winter weather, one has a hard time wanting to go outside and dig in the garden, but that is exactly what we should be doing. Bare-root planting season is in full swing: roses, fruit trees, asparagus, rhubarb, but let's not forget the berries. Most likely, you'll need to shop for berries…

January is the month of rain, snow, ice, freezing temperatures, fog, and wind. Sounds good? Growth slows down in winter, but it does continue. Even plants that are dormant are still growing, often only underground, and they are preparing for spring. Some plants, like many bulbs and wildflowers (and annuals…

After I began my first training class in Master Gardening, I became fired up about home gardening and decided to plant a small home fruit tree orchard. Now I have peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, pears, cherries, apricots, persimmons, pomegranates, citrus, and avocados to keep me healthy and wealthy with…

Shrubs are important additions to every landscape. They are defined as woody perennial plants and are smaller than most  trees, and lack a well-defined central trunk. Shrubs can be evergreen or deciduous and come in many sizes and shapes. If you are considering using shrubs in a landscape, you need…

All I want for Christmas this year is rain, more rain, healthy soil, and a biodiverse garden! But, just in case you can't put that in my stocking, here is a list of what I need and want. Some of the most helpful items would be:  1) A Japanese Hori-Hori digging tool/knife to weed and divide my…

December is the coldest month of the year in our area, but there are a few activities that will get you out in the garden this month. Maybe taking a break from holiday crowds and festivities? Winter begins with the solstice on Sunday, December 21, at just after 7:00 a.m. in our time zone. This is the…

If you are going to have only one bulb in your garden, daffodils are the world's most popular choice. Why? They are perma nent and increase from year to year. They are colorful and come in a fascinating array of colors and sizes. Also, they are very hardy, able to withstand hot summers and cold winters…

 When is a group of plants a hedgerow instead of just a planting bed?A hedgerow is mostly defined by its purpose, more than by the types of plants or even the shape of the planting area. The word comes from the Old English word "hegg," meaning boundary, generally formed by plants that are close…

Coral bells (Heuchera) are an excellent border plant and an old favorite of many gardeners. The plants are compact, bushy, and grow in tufts; the flower stem grows 1½ or 2 feet high. You've probably noticed their delicate, wand-like flowering stalks lined with small, bell-shaped red, pink, or white flowers…