Landscaping & Gardening Information
Gardening Is Good for You, Just Ask Your Doctor
Gardening is good for your health! Here is some evidence for you to consider. Think about it...not only can you have some fresh vegetables from your garden but you can improve the value of your property while getting fit and possibly living longer.
Summer Storms — Rain, Rain and Wind
We all know what a wet summer it has been with all the storms here in the Miami Valley. Our rainfall is way above average and could break some old records going back to the 1950's.
Did You Know...Factoids About Fall Mums
Chrysanthemums are one of the most popular flowering plants for the fall season. They bring an array of colors and different bloom types to enjoy for many weeks at that time of year.
NOW's The Time For Working On Your Lawn
Right along with fall being the best time to plant trees and shrubs it is also the best time to renovate your lawn or plant a new one. Fall is nature's time to grow new grass for many reasons. This is as simple as 1, 2, 3 when you follow the basics.
Fall IS Really for Planting
Since fall is just around the corner it is a good time to think about planting in your landscape, this is absolutely the best time of year for planting trees and shrubs. I'm sure you have heard the slogan, "Fall Is For Planting".
Compost Is Referred To As "Black Gold"
Composting makes "cents" and plants will tell you by the way they grow with ample amounts of organic matter, how happy they are because they will have nice green leaves, good healthy growth and plenty of flowers.
Warm Weather Excites Landscapes
What about the unusually warm weather in recently! Don't panic, most of our plants will be just fine if we leave them alone. No need to worry about the early daffodils or other bulbs that are coming up. You may notice some "burned" foliage on broadleaved evergreens like hollies, rhododendrons and the like after the cold January.
Understanding the Basics Makes Gardening Easier
Successful gardening comes from understanding basic principles, here are a scant few. Once these basic factors are understood gardeners start to see major improvements as they continue to develop lifelong gardening skills. Many plants can be started from seed right in our garden soils.
Keep Your Planters & Hanging Baskets Looking Good
Keeping those beautiful hanging baskets looking good doesn't take a lot of time and it isn't necessary to work on them often. All it takes is a little pruning from time to time to keep them blooming and full.
Principles of Agroecology
Increasingly you are interested in principles of sustainable production of plants in the garden, whether they be ornamentals or edibles.
Nature's pest management strategies
Nature uses interesting methods to manage its pests. As we apply these same principles to our gardens, we can enjoy the same fruits. These principles of natural pest management are key as we continue our series on combining ecological or natural principles with agricultural systems, which is the science of agroecology.
Pest Management Tool Categories
In your garden you have beautiful plants, veggies, and so forth growing. However, for various reasons some of these do not make it to harvest—whether that be for the salad, the vase, or other use. In our discussion of pest management (and we could expand that to be "problem" management, which would include diseases and even weeds), we find a number of options for managing the problem.
Soil Organic Matter in the Garden—With What?
ncreasing the organic matter content of our soils is a permanent goal of gardeners and farmers alike. Let me state it more strongly: If I could do only one thing to improve the quality of my garden soil, it would be to increase the quantity of organic matter present.