If you have been reading my newsletter for a while, you know that I like to get on my soap box in the Spring when I have a discussion about mulch. I feel like I need a Fall soap box topic. How about leaves? A topic that I have covered many times before. You alsoContinue reading “Leave the Leaves ? !”
Tag Archives: pollinators
Selected Garden Photo Contest Submissions and Winner
This is a lighter version of my newsletter as last edition I covered a lot of the Fall work. Following is a selection of photos submitted for the photo contest. Some of the submissions came from client’s gardens with which I am familiar, but most were new gardens that I have never seen across New England.Continue reading “Selected Garden Photo Contest Submissions and Winner”
Native Bees vs Honey Bees: Working To Save Them All
Bees, wasps, flies… those buzzing, fuzzy, flitting little insects that you often hear before you see when in the garden. In the last newsletter, I was talking about native plants and their importance, now I would like to talk about Bees, and when I say Bees, that also includes, different but related, wasps and hornets. I have had clientsContinue reading “Native Bees vs Honey Bees: Working To Save Them All”
How To Determine What Plants Are Native For Your Garden And Why
This has been an interesting year for me with the number of jobs with which people wanted to plant all or mostly native plants. When the gardens mature they will be as beautiful as any traditional, or non-native, garden. They will just look a little different and require slightly different and less intensive care. Almost all of myContinue reading “How To Determine What Plants Are Native For Your Garden And Why”
Summer Garden Topics: Monarchs, Jumping Worms, Caterpillars, Rabbit Glue and a Photo Contest
With Summer in full bloom and the heat settling in, I wanted to share some interesting topics, since you may not want to go work in your garden. Monarch ButterfliesThe Eastern Monarch Butterfly is having a resurgence in populations that have overwintered in Mexico, according to Monarch Watch. While the numbers are significantly below recent levels, itContinue reading “Summer Garden Topics: Monarchs, Jumping Worms, Caterpillars, Rabbit Glue and a Photo Contest”
Is Spraying For Mosquitos And Ticks Effective and Safe?
A trend has exploded over recent years regarding companies that will spray your garden for ticks and mosquitos. It may be a franchised business focused just on eliminating these pests, or some other business that is filling gaps in their workload during the summer season. The most deceiving part of these pitches is that it isContinue reading “Is Spraying For Mosquitos And Ticks Effective and Safe?”
Blue Stem Natives: A Native Only Plant Nursery
I finally had a chance to visit Blue Stem Natives, a native plant nursery in Norwell. I thought it was further away from me, but it took about 40 minutes, outside of rush hour to get there from north of Boston. It is absolutely worth the trip to visit this women-owned, native only nursery. I met Kristen,Continue reading “Blue Stem Natives: A Native Only Plant Nursery”
Native vs Non-Native vs Invasive vs Aggressive Plants
There is a lot of discussion and interest around native plants right now. I am engaged in a conversation with most clients about adding native plants to their garden, which is a great development. If you have been reading my recent posts, I have had an interesting interview and some articles on native plants and the localContinue reading “Native vs Non-Native vs Invasive vs Aggressive Plants”
Popular Native Plants At Van Berkum Nursery
During the late-Winter of 2021, I wrote a piece on Van Berkum Nursery, a wholesale nursery based in southern New Hampshire that propagates a broad range of perennials. Their founder’s DNA, Leslie and Peter Van Berkum, is rooted in native and woodland plants, so I reached out recently to John Gedratis, the current nursery owner, to ask aboutContinue reading “Popular Native Plants At Van Berkum Nursery”
Work in the Spring Garden
Two weeks ago, I taught my ‘Work in the Spring Garden’ class, and thought I would share some of the concepts that I covered as we are preparing to get out into the gardens. Each one of these is a significant topic and I spend a lot of time educating people about these important ideas.Continue reading “Work in the Spring Garden”
