Covering Ground

Baby girl visits a container-grown raspberry. Photo by www.bushelandberry.com Enthusiasm for Container Growing

When it comes to container gardens for the home grower, what's not to like? 

Container-grown plants can live close to the kitchen door, convenient to watch, water, and harvest. They are easier to protect from deer and other critters. They largely avoid the weeds and diseases that often visit in-ground gardens.

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Plan an Herbicide-Free Attack on Landscape Weeds

(See the complete article at The Day.)

There are no weed-free landscapes, but luckily there are good alternatives to herbicides for some weeds. But we need a plan. 

Japanese barberry thorns Beware the first leaves of spring

Think of them as bait-and-switch artists. They're among the first to leaf out in the shade of backyards, street edges, town parks, and forests.

But take a closer look.

Winterburn on boxwood Assess Tree and Shrub Health in Spring

Have you seen trees and shrubs turning brown or ashen gray on one side at the end of winter? You may be looking at winterburn. It's a condition that usually occurs on the south and southwest sides of needled and broadleaf evergreens when winter sunshine heats one side of the plant above the ambient temperature and wrecks havoc on the plant's internal moisture system.

Gardening Under Lights by Leslie F. Halleck Shedding some light on the latest in grow lights

I have long wished I could find horticultural lighting that didn't cost a fortune to operate and periodically revisit the topic of LED lights to learn what is new. Has their day arrived?

LED grow lights, it turns out, are good for leafy greens, herbs, and young seedlings. But don't expect to get an indoor tomato crop. 

Deer damage arborvitae Deer, Landscape Plants, and the Winter of 2018

Will landscape plants see lots of deer damage in the winter of 2018? Could be . . . and here's a reason: The preceding summer didn't produce a large crop of acorns and nuts from oak and beech trees. In other words, 2017 wasn't a "mast year."

Tower Hill Botanic Gardens Winter Reimagined Winter nights mean warm lights at two regional botanical gardens

November may seem an odd time to think about botanic gardens, but two of southern New England’s best-known tempt us outdoors with colorful holiday events from Thanksgiving to New Years.

Forest Bathing Bathing in the Atmosphere of Trees

The term “forest bathing” became popular around 2016. A Washington Post article referred to it as "yoga, 30 years ago." If it is new to you, however, you are not alone. 

A forest bathing session is not a hike or a run, says certified nature and forest therapy guide Alexandra Lowry of Middletown, CT. Neither is it a foray into plant, animal, bird, or insect identification.

Leaves are not litter by Xerces Society Fall Land Care Tips, 2017-style, and Trends to Watch

An elderly farmer once told me, "In 90 years of living, I've learned one thing. Change is the only constant." The fall of 2017 would make him smile. Everywhere I look, people are exploring new ideas in land care--and some of them are as old as the hills. If even some of these trends take hold, our individual and commercial landscapes will be notably different in the near future. 

Showy Goldenrod, Solidago speciosa, photo: Chuck Landrey Naturescapes on Main Street: Blight or Benefit?

Two voices speak loudly these days about landscaping, and they are in opposition. One proclaims the need for neatness along main streets. The other defends the need for midtown bird and insect habitats, which may not have the clean lines of a conventional lawn and landscape. 

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