About Plants

Preserving our Native Food Crop Biodiversity

Posted on Feb 01, 2021 | by KK

Growing heirloom vegetables is tremendously popular with many home gardeners, as those varieties are considered more flavorful than today’s hybrids. But there’s a lot more to think about than just a tastier tomato for your burger. Food crops native to the Americas have, and are continuing to undergo significant changes, as a result of hybridization, genetic modification, loss of habitat and climate change. Preserving plant biodiversity by recognizing the value of those “forgotten” crops is important to our future.

Houseplant Growing Tips

Posted on Jan 08, 2021 | by KK

Watering: More houseplants die from overwatering than anything else. Most houseplants like to dry out between waterings. Some can dry out a lot (snake plants) some moderately (pothos, philodendron, dracaena canes), and some just a little (peace lily). So how do you know when that is achieved? There are several ways you can gauge this, and it’s best to combine all the methods until you have a good schedule established:

Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants

Posted on Jan 07, 2021 | by KK

Spending a lot of time at home lately? Now that it's winter, are you feeling a bit confined, and finding the air a bit stuffy? Do you need to breathe some life into your workspace, or encourage peace and relaxation in your living area? One of the best ways to tackle those issues is to add some plants to your home. Bringing in a bit of green allows you to connect with nature, relieve stress, boost your mood, and even improve the air you breathe. It doesn't have to be difficult if you make the right choices--instead of a fussy, high-maintenance house guest, you can have a mellow, relatively self-sufficient friend for life. Read on for our suggested list of easy care plants that will make you glad they were invited, and click here for general houseplant growing tips.

Fall Bulb Planting Tips

Posted on Nov 05, 2020 | by KK

General bulb planting tips: Sometimes it can be hard to tell the top from the bottom of the bulb. If that bulb has a point, that's the top. If not, look for a circular ring on one side that is the area where the roots were growing--that is the bottom. If you still can't tell, in most cases it's best to plant the bulb on its side, as the leaves will still find their way up.

November 2020: Spring Blooming Bulbs

Posted on Nov 01, 2020 | by KK

Planting bulbs seems to be something that always gets away from me. Buying bulbs is never a problem. “Oh, these are so pretty,” or “Oooh, these are on sale,” and into the cart they go. Somewhere around March, though, I find that bag of dried up husks in the cabinet I never use where I “temporarily” stored them to keep them safe from the elements and the cat who destroys everything. Best laid plans and all that—although in my case it should be best laid “plants.”

Fall Garden Cleanup: Clean Sweeper or Nature Nurturer?

Posted on Oct 06, 2020 | by KK

What’s your strategy for fall garden clean up? Are you a Clean-Sweeper, removing every fallen leaf, cutting back every perennial, mulching all the beds and trimming all the evergreens? Or do you subscribe to the Let it Be theory, simply allowing nature to take its course, leaves falling where they may and plants fending for themselves? I’d like to suggest that neither of those approaches may be wise. While some believe leaving any dead plant standing is a sure way to incur the ire of the entire community, treating your garden so severely might do more harm than good. And turning a blind eye to that 6-inch pile of wet, matted leaves on your lawn and beds could be asking for trouble.

More Plants for the Late Season Garden: Shrubs/Part Sun to Shade Perennials

Posted on Sep 16, 2020 | by Kerry Kelley

Late Season Perennials for Part Sun to Shade Shrubs

Plants to Grow from Softwood Cuttings

Posted on Aug 14, 2020 | by Kerry Kelley

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it'll get you started: Perennials & Annuals Penstemon Petunia Verbena Salvia Bidens Argyranthemum

More is Better: Easy Plants to Propagate

Posted on Aug 14, 2020 | by Kerry Kelley

Have you ever had THAT plant—the one that you just loved so much? Maybe it flowered freely all summer in the perfect shade of peach, or lit up that dark corner with splashy silver foliage, or made a striking centerpiece in that pot of petunias. But then the next year, you went to the garden center (6 of them) to get it, and it’s nowhere to be found? What’s a gardener to do? It’s fun to try something new, but having the tried and true to build upon allows a little more leeway for experimentation. If you’ve found one of those plants, whether an annual you want again this year, or a perennial you’d like to add to that other flower bed, consider propagating it yourself.

Easy Flowers That Wow From Seed: #1 Flowering Vines

Posted on Feb 01, 2020 | by Kerry Kelley

It’s been a long time since I started plants from seed, but after taking a tree down this year and opening up some new sunny spots, I’m excited to try some again. That tree unfortunately removed a lot of cover for the birds, so I thought I’d grow some annual vines up the fence since my newly planted shrubs are still small. Having also put up a new Monet Arch, I’m anxious to get something growing on it while the grapes I planted get started. And, since we have these new Go-Grow Kits here, it’s the perfect time to share my fun with you!

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Archive

Preserving our Native Food Crop Biodiversity

Houseplant Growing Tips

Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants

Fall Bulb Planting Tips

November 2020: Spring Blooming Bulbs

Fall Garden Cleanup: Clean Sweeper or Nature Nurturer?

More Plants for the Late Season Garden: Shrubs/Part Sun to Shade Perennials

Plants to Grow from Softwood Cuttings

More is Better: Easy Plants to Propagate

Easy Flowers That Wow From Seed: #1 Flowering Vines

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