Your Backyard Garden Information Source
AVOID LYME DISEASE WHILE GARDENING Lyme disease is a potentially disabling disease of joints and the nervous system, spread by deer ticks. Knowing about this disease, how it is spread, and steps to avoid it will allow you to continue gardening or enjoying the outdoors, along with your pets, without concern for these spider relatives. This previously unknown disease was […]
How to protect plants and keep them healthy and unharmed Many cultures have their own methods of plant protection from weather conditions and enemies that are likely to harm them. Among the most important of these are excessive cold, too high temperatures, sun, snow, water and wind, as well as diseases, insects, birds, animals, humans and weeds. Protection from human […]
If you are looking to add a cordless drill to your tool collection shopping for one can seem to be a daunting task. There are a lot of drills and drivers on the market with a host of different features and prices. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and not be sure of exactly which tool you need. Instead of falling […]
Protection Bulbs during the winter Some hardy bulbs such as Daffodils (Narcissi) may suffer damage from severe frost if they are planted late in beds or borders. They should, therefore, be planted as early as obtainable or be covered with 45 in. of straw, salt marsh hay, leaves, branches of evergreens or similar material. Hardy bulbs planted in grass sod […]
PRUNING TOOLS Whether you’re looking for gifts for a gardener (or yourself), are doing dormant winter pruning of shrubs and trees, or pruning shrubs and shearing hedges in late spring through early summer, having the proper pruning tools for the job will make it go much easier and quicker, with less plant damage. The first tool every gardener should have […]
CREATING WATERFALLS AND STREAMS By the Pond Lady There are many reasons to add a waterfall. Waterfalls are beautiful to look at and the moving water adds sparkle to your pond. Waterfalls sound good, they provide a way of recycling the water and they also add valuable oxygen to the water to benefit fish. Waterfalls or moving water create white […]
GETTING YOUR POND READY FOR WINTER By the Pond Lady Signs of autumn are springing up everywhere. Leaves are turning colors, birds are gathering for their flight south, pumpkins and apples are being harvested and the blankets are being put back onto the beds. Sunscreen is being traded for sweaters and sweatshirts. Water lilies and other vegetation in your pond […]
Her nickname was ‘Lacebark’ Pinus bungeana by Ketzel Levine Her nickname was ‘Lacebark’ and she was a living mosaic, pieced together from alabaster, ivory, amber, and jade. You know the type, with cheeks that put the glow of the moon to shame. I’d never met anyone like her, and probably never would have, had I not glanced through the Personals […]
Climate change and sustainability in the garden We all know the effects climate change is having on the world’s weather, but not many of us will have considered just how significant this might be to our gardens. What could gardening in a changing climate mean for us and our green spaces? There are various possibilities and opportunities that could […]
What is compost tea? Compost tea is an aerobic water solution that has extracted the microbe population from compost along with the nutrients. In simple terms, it is a concentrated liquid created by a process to increase the numbers of beneficial organisms as an organic approach to plant/soil care. Why use compost tea? Compost tea has many benefits. It will […]