Here Are Six Favorites to Brighten Your Garden Agastache Agastache or hyssop is an aromatic perennial 18” to 36” tall that is hardy in Zones 4 to 10. There are many types, and they vary in size and in color. Giant Hyssop, for example, tops 6 feet in height. The spikes of agastache bloom in a […]
BLOG: TIPS FOR GARDENERS
GERANIUMS VS. JAPANESE BEETLES
Have a Japanese Beetle Problem? Are Japanese beetles chomping on the leaves of your beans and peppers? Are they chomping holes in the leaves of your favorite roses? Try this simple and beautiful solution. Buy a few flowering geranium plants. Set them out among your plants whose “hole-y” leaves indicate they are being victimized by […]
JOINT PAIN? COULD POTATOES AND TOMATOES BE THE CULPRITS?
THOSE DEADLY NIGHTSHADES! Both tomatoes and potatoes are members of the deadly nightshade family, the same family as that most poisonous perennial, Atroppa Beladonna, a.k.a. “deadly nightshade” or “belladonna.” (Eating a single leaf can be fatal for an adult; 2-4 berries, fatal for a child.) Plants of the nightshade family produce glycoalkaloids, bitter […]
PLANT COMPANIONS
Plan Your Plant Companions You’ve undoubtedly heard the advice about planting marigolds with certain vegetables to deter pests, improve flavor, and so on. This is known as “companion planting.” The two companion plants help each other out. They are beneficial to each other. Fine, but exactly what vegetables make good companions for marigolds? And […]
PROTECTING YOUR STRAWBERRY PLANTS
WINTER’S COMING! Preparing Your Strawberry Plants Now is the time to prepare for a beautiful crop of luscious strawberries next summer — especially if you live in an area where winter temperatures drop below 15°F. Your strawberry plants need winter protection in the form of seed-free mulch. Before mulching, however, thin your plants to about 5 […]