Covering Ground

Out With the Old, In With the New Garden Beds

Maybe the lawn is so full of weeds you can't stand to look at it anymore. Maybe you're dreaming of a colorful garden bed along the stone wall you can see from the kitchen window.

Starting over may seem daunting. But sometimes it's the only way to go. 

Icy sidewalk When ice melt products meet lawn and garden

Simplicity is a beautiful thing, but you won't find it among ice- and snow-removal products. A bewildering array of ingredients pop out of these bags when we're on that mad dash down the driveway.

Nancy Ballek Mackinnon It's winter. Are houseplants happy?

Can we lose the insects and still keep the flowers? According to greenhouse grower Nancy Ballek Mackinnon of Ballek's Garden Center in East Haddam, CT, we can. She and her team grow several thousand indoor species at their retail greenhouse where, on a recent visit, I found myself in a riot of flowering houseplants.

Spear Head Spade The sharpest shovel in the shed
Years ago, my mom gave me a book called "Everything You Can Buy in Garden Centers." I used it for a long time as I learned the difference between pruners and loppers, spades and shovels, grass rakes and garden rakes. I used the book until it fell apart--and by that time, I knew my tools pretty well. 
 
Farmer's Market Display Thirty years: How gardening has changed

It was about this time of year in 1984 when I put my first home garden to bed. At the end of that season 30 years ago, I had a thousand questions about how to garden better in 1985. Now, after three decades, some questions remain unanswered. As Thomas Jefferson said, "But tho' an old man, I am but a young gardener."

Five myths about mulch

Got mulch? I hope so. Winter mulch is like giving your garden and landscape a nice new coat for the weather that's coming. But there are some pesty, persistent myths that don't do us any good. Want to see if any of these are keeping you from getting the most out of your mulching efforts?

Fall: Time to sow next year's meadow

I've had a half-acre meadow for the past 18 years. I wonder how much lawnmowing that has saved? Meadows are a great way to replace lawn—and they’re great for the bees, butterflies and birds as well.

Emerald ash borer hole in ash tree Silent killers stalk backyard trees

Make no mistake: Trees live in harm's way. Whether it's emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, gall wasps, winter moths or Phytopthera blight--a tree has to survive a lot of threats to grow to maturity and thrive. As property owners, there are a few things we can do about it.

Rudbeckia and blackberries Peak summer color: Why we garden?

Ever wonder why you bother to work outdoors? In August, the landscape answers you back. Here, Brown-eyed Susan smiles alongside ripening 'Chester' blackberries. Not to be missed!

 

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed leaf Homely, helpful: Don't pull that weed!

More than a few plants that we humans call weeds, other creatures call home. Even among our cherished ornamental flowers, some need to stand long after the beauty pageant is over in order to support the insects they host.

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