By: Gary Garner III In general snow is beneficial for lawns and landscapes! Most people either love or hate snowy weather. I personally hope for a white Christmas and one or two “good” snowfalls! I define good as 6 inches or more (preferably more) of snow! Don’t send an icy wintery mixed mess my way. Pure snow only, please. Before…
By: Gary Garner Sr. Many people invest in a beautiful poinsettia then take it home and make little or no effort to make it last. As soon as the plants colored leaves begin to yellow and fall, they simply toss the plant. To me that seems like such a waste. With just a little maintenance a poinsettia can be…
You have picked out the perfect Christmas Tree. Now what do you do to ensure a safe, fresh and attractive tree throughout the holiday season? If you are not going to take it inside immediately, store it outside in a cool, shady place sheltered from drying winds. If possible, remove about a one-inch section from the butt of the tree…
By now most of your perennials are beginning to start to wind down or preparing for a period of winter dormancy. There are some things that you can do to help them come back next spring looking great. A little work during the final days of autumn will prepare for healthy perennial beds next spring. Be sure to wait…
Just as some plants needed full sun and some need shade while outside the same will be true while inside. It is not always easy to determine bright light inside the house. The brightest spot in your house will not be nearly as bright as full sun outside. Maybe, the following tips will help. Bright light inside…
FALL LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE The days are still warm, lawns are green, but if you look closely the signs of fall are beginning to show. Even with all the rain we are enjoying grass is not growing quite as fast and while still green it doesn’t have that summer shine. The leaves on some trees are beginning to show signs of…
Pansies grown in Central Virginia are a cool season annual. Pansies can be planted in the fall from late August until approximately Thanksgiving, and in spring starting in late February. Planted either time they should bloom until late May or early June. Pansies are equally easy to grow in the ground and in pots. Growing location and care is similar…
THINK FALL With 90-degree weather on an almost daily basis it’s hard to think about planting fall crops. However, garden centers will begin to display fall plants in the next three to four weeks. For the best fall harvest many fall vegetables, both direct seeded, as well as plugs, should be in the ground by late August to mid-September. With…
Surviving Summer Heat By: Gary Garner Sr. Summer is officially here. If the summer is anything like the beginning, it is going to be extremely warm if not hot. So far, the number of 90-degree days is unusually high. The question now is how, when and how much do we water what we have planted and what else can we…
DIFFERENT TASTES IN VEGETABLES By: Gary Garner Sr. Do you ever wonder why you plant a certain variety of tomato one year, then plant the same one the next year, but the tastes don’t seem to be the same as the ones you grew the previous year? We’ll use tomatoes for our example but the same is true for all of your…
