It's Time For A"Long Winter's Nap"-- For Your Yard
With the temperatures staying so warm this fall — 70 degrees on December 2nd here — I’ve postponed some of my usual end of season yard tasks.With the weather so consistently warm, I was afraid that I would do more harm than good by following my usual routine. To be on the safe side, I’ve checked …
Anchor of the Landscape -- Evergreens
Have you ever seen the hilarious Abbott and Costello sketch Who’s on First?” Over the Thanksgiving weekend I happened to overhear (Ok, I was eavesdropping; it was too funny to miss) a conversation that immediately reminded me of the sketch. A relatively harassed sounding salesperson was trying to explain to a very confused woman the …
Plants for the Winter Landscape
Creating a landscape that flows effortlessly through all four seasons takes intentional thought and planning. Unlike other building tasks that require a specific order, designing a year round landscape can be approached in numerous ways. The common thought is that the spring and summer gardens are designed first since those are the seasons that people …
Give the Earth a Gift - Plant a Tree
When you really stop and think about the big picture, planting trees is one of the most important actions you can take for yourself, your community and even the planet. On a personal level, trees provide beauty, promote wellness and have economic value. Properly placed shade trees reduce energy consumption, resulting in lower costs …
"Fallin" for ShadeTrees
I was out working in the yard the other day when one of the neighbors from down the street stopped by to chat. The conversation quickly turned into some mild grousing by my neighbor about having to deal with “all these blasted trees and their leaves.” Since our houses are built next to a large …
Building Spring Beauty with Blooming Trees
The weather has not been great here lately. The temperatures have dropped, the sky has been a depressing shade of cloudy grey and the wind has been chilly. I have to admit that the older I get, the more I avoid going outside to do those necessary chores on ourngloomy days. Instead, I …
Creating a Sanctuary For the Birds (And You!)
Growing up, the lawn, especially in the front of the house, was my father’s pride and joy. He spent hours and probably a small fortune coddling his grass. Every blade was cherished; it got exactly the right amount of fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and water. It was mowed, edged and raked profusely. No leaf ever …
Native Plants Are For the Birds!
My grandson is an active, curious and “helpful” three-year-old. On Monday of this past week he decided to help me by filling our empty birdfeeders with my 20 pound bag of black oil sunflower seed. Somehow he managed to undo the bungee cords that held the trash can lid on (to keep critters …
Categories
