Many plants have a message. No, I’m not talking about plants actually speaking to deliver some sort of imagination. I’m talking about symbolism — a thought or emotion conveyed by certain members of the plant kingdom. If you think about it, it makes sense — we often have emotional responses to certain plants, especially flowers. We see their beauty, their subtle or not so subtle … Continue reading Requiem from the Garden
Halloween is just around the corner, so you should definitely be on the lookout for any number of frightful half-human creatures. Chief among the terrifying hordes are vampires, though they seem to have faded into the background as zombies take center stage. But just to be safe, you should definitely have some garlic nearby. Garlic is one of those plants that has worked its way … Continue reading Garlic: Prepare your garden for vampire invasions
As leaves continue to fall, most gardeners are putting their gardens and landscapes to bed. Plants are being cleaned up, leaves and debris raked up, and late season flowers such as mums and pansies are finding a home in the garden. Some gardeners take time in the fall to prune plants such as roses, but I advocate against fall pruning (though our own West Virginia … Continue reading Fall Propagation: Semi-Hardwood Cuttings
The leaves still cling to the trees, immersed in the process of shedding their emerald green tones for the vibrant warm colors they don for the fall. The process begins as cooler weather and shorter days signal the trees that winter is approaching. The trees in turn begin breaking down their chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for capturing energy from the sun to be used … Continue reading Changing leaves means time to transplant trees and shrubs
A walk through the woods can be one of the most peaceful and calming experiences — a place where you can find quiet for reflection and marvel at the beauty of nature. Little do most people know that some plants, especially one specific tree, wage chemical warfare against other plants to keep away potential neighbors that would compete for nutrients and sunlight. In the Appalachian … Continue reading This means war! Some plants use chemicals to compete
Days grow shorter and evenings grow cooler as fall comes rolling down the hills and valleys, bringing color to trees and a slowing to the garden. Flowers begin to fade and green tomatoes, slowed by the lack of heat, cling to vines that are starting to show the wear and tear of age. While most fall landscape tasks concentrate on cleaning up and putting things … Continue reading Plant bulbs now for spring color
As the end of the warm weather garden season rolls to a close and fall and winter grow closer, many gardeners harvest the last of the summer produce before planting the fall crops or putting the garden to bed. But how do you store all of the extra produce at the end of the season? Especially those things you don’t freeze or can to preserve? … Continue reading Putting food by: Storing the Harvest
Now that summer has “officially” concluded with the celebration of Labor Day, it is time to turn attentions further to preparing for the oncoming winter. There’s lots to do outside — seeding the lawn, testing soil, composting, cleaning up the summer garden, sowing the fall garden. But there’s also plenty to do for indoor gardening. While most of my gardening pursuits are concentrated in the … Continue reading Repotting houseplants before winter
Good gardeners and farmers know how to tend the plants they grow. They know what and when to plant, and how to respond to issues like pests, diseases, and abnormal weather to have good results. Great gardeners and farmers, on the other hand, know that tending the soil where their plants grow is the first, and most important, step to growing with the greatest results. … Continue reading Tending the plants you grow: Soil Testing
The tomatoes hold on for their last hurrah – a feverish push before they succumb to disease or the icy grip of frost. Cucumbers and squash, looking ragged after a long season, produce as fast as they can as the season comes to a close. Gardens this summer have had it rough. From a water-logged beginning to a scorching summer, some people have just had … Continue reading Garden Do-over – Reinventing the garden for fall
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