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Bee Lawns: What’s all the buzz about?
Bee Lawns: What’s all the buzz about? A bee lawn is a way to benefit pollinators in our landscapes by providing additional floral resources, and often utilizes a mix of low-growing flowering plants in addition to turf species. Although flower gardens also provide flowering plants for pollinators, bee lawns can be multi-functional in their usability […]
“How dry I am “: Four types of drought and how they can affect gardeners and gardens
“How dry I am “: Four types of drought and how they can affect gardeners and gardens Linda’s post last week about “drought-resistant” plants made me think about drought and how different types of drought affect gardeners in different ways. In her article, she defined drought as “an unusual lack of rainfall”. This is one of […]
Plant lists that shouldn’t exist
Plant lists that shouldn’t exist Nothing drives me crazier than simplistic solutions to complex problems. Given our changing climate, there has been an explosion of “drought tolerant” and “firewise” plant lists in the gardening world. Most of these lists are devoid of science and all of them are removed from reality. The fact is that […]
Pruning established trees
Pruning established trees This month I continue the series on pruning with a look at pruning established landscape trees. These are trees in the prime of life, growing well, starting to shade the garden beneath them and expanding their canopies. Various reasons can prompt the call for tree care professionals. What reasons would we have […]
Why root washing is important – an illustrated cautionary tale
Why root washing is important – an illustrated cautionary tale I’ve promoted root washing of containerized and B&B trees and shrubs for a few decades now. The experimental science is slowly coming along – it can take several years to determine if the practice is more successful in terms of plant survival than leaving the […]
A Super Simple Salad in Stor(age): A DIY Home Hydroponics Example
A Super Simple Salad in Stor(age): A DIY Home Hydroponics Example Say the word “hydroponics” or the even more mysterious sounding “controlled environment agriculture” and the image that most people conjure in their minds is of large greenhouses or artificially lit rooms filled with complex hoses and tubes using all manner of technological gizmos to […]
La Niña expected to affect climate around the world by end of year
La Niña expected to affect climate around the world by end of year Do you wish you had a crystal ball that could tell you what the climate will be next year when you plan your garden? So do many other gardeners (and climatologists). But while there is no magic answer, we do know that […]
“Save the planet, (learn how to) plant a tree”
“Save the planet, (learn how to) plant a tree” I like catchy memes as much as the next person. They’re easily memorized and passed on. But “Save the planet, plant a tree” has always bugged me for two reasons. First, and probably most importantly, this simplistic mantra absolves people of doing MORE to improve our […]
Pruning Basics
Pruning Basics As we head into Fall garden routines and leaves start to turn color, the smell and feel of the Fall weather is in the air. Winter is just around the corner and with those horticultural routines comes the urge to prune stuff . Both fruit producing and shade producing trees often get a […]
Everything is chemicals: the myth and fear of “chemical-free” gardening
Everything is chemicals: the myth and fear of “chemical-free” gardening “Chemical-free” – a term I’ve seen several times attributed to many products, especially food and produce at farmers markets and even in gardening circles these days. This term is often misused to describe plants grown without the use of any pesticide, either conventional or organic. […]
Xeriscape – landscaping whose time has come.
Xeriscape – landscaping whose time has come. With drought conditions or lower than average precipitation becoming more widespread across the country, it’s time to revisit the principles of xeriscape gardening. Let’s take a look at the “classic” principles and we’ll update them, Garden Professor style. Note: If you’re growing food crops to supply your table […]
Two new climate reports indicate what gardeners may expect in the future
Two new climate reports indicate what gardeners may expect in the future In the past week, two new major climate reports have been released. One is the latest (6th) report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the other is the State of the Climate 2020 report. Of the two, the IPCC report has garnered a lot […]
Garden Logic – understanding correlation and causation in our gardens and landscapes
Garden Logic – understanding correlation and causation in our gardens and landscapes This home landscape is managed using science-based methods; the only routine additions are water and arborist chip mulches. Upon reading this post’s title, you may be inclined to stop right there. (That’s why I have an eye-catching photo to lure you in.) While […]
Counting the Days to Maturity: Calculating planting dates for fall vegetables
Counting the Days to Maturity: Calculating planting dates for fall vegetables While most of the US is still seeing sweltering hot temps, the cool temps of fall and winter aren’t really all that far away for those of us unlucky (or lucky) enough to not live in a tropical climate. The tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and […]
Heat domes, wet spells, and the weather patterns that tie them together
Heat domes, wet spells, and the weather patterns that tie them together Do you have a favorite kind of weather that you love to experience? For me, it’s the first warm evening of spring, when the air is just warm enough and the wind just strong enough for the air to feel as though it […]
