Your Backyard Garden Information Source
As winter approaches, it’s tempting just to sit back and put your feet up and not have to think about the garden until springtime. However, just a bit of extra work at this time of the year can save you a whole lot of hassle come planting time. Garden clean-up, the last big chore for gardeners, is often overlooked, especially […]
Winter Ornamentals – Bark Book Excerpt by Dan Hinkley Like the last and messy hours of a party gone on too long, the soggy, cool days of late autumn cast about the garden a mood of the season’s demise. Yet as the last colored leaves, varnished with the first rains of winter, fall earthward, the deciduous trees bare their sinewy […]
Potentilla – Cinquefoil, Five Finger Potentillas greatly resemble the Strawberry Plant, especially in the manner of growth and the foliage. This is a trailing plant which covers the ground rapidly and sends out roots as it goes along. The flowers are very showy, the colors are very bright, with reds, oranges and yellows predominating. These flowers are both double and […]
Lythrum – Purple Loosestrife, Black Blood The common Purple Loosestrife (Lylhrum Salicaria) grows from 4 feet to 6 feet tall and blooms during the months of July and August. Banned by most States in the United States. The foliage is willow-like and the tall, erect, graceful spikes produce brightly colored reddish-purple flowers. The Rose Loosestrife (L. roseum superbum) has a rose-colored […]
There’s fully as much difference between the older and the modern delphiniums with their long, gorgeous spires, as there is between old-time roses, gladiolus, peonies, and dahlias, and the newer creations. If you’re a beginner, and close to a supply of the modern hybrids, buy not old plants (one year or over), but strong, young plants. If plants aren’t available […]
Hedges are used to define the limits of property, as a barrier to keep people or animals in or out of a particular area, or as a feature, or to form a background to a particular display. Nothing gives a more finished, indeed cosy appearance, to a small garden than a hedge, or even hedges not of any great length […]
The short, gray days of winter in the north, coupled with snow, often create landscapes that resemble a black and white photo. Winter landscapes need not be drab and dreary and can have color, by choosing plants for interesting bark. One of my favorite shrubs for its bright red stems is the Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea). For even better color than […]
Yes, there are right and wrong ways to plant a tree. By following correct planting practices, you can ensure trees will avoid a slow decline and possible death from several causes. This is especially important for trees, which can be a large, long-lasting, and worthwhile landscape investment. Choose the right tree for the right site, not just a tree you […]
The modern delphinium is one of the most spectacular and popular garden flowers. There are wide ranges of colors, several flower forms, and varieties of different heights. Hobby growers strive to produce the largest individual flowering spikes possible. PLANT RIGHT: Select a sunny location and a soil as deep which is rich as possible. In early Spring, set plants into well-prepared […]
Deer have become one of the most serious problems in gardens and landscapes. Knowing how to control deer successfully means knowing something about them and their behavior. Before you start investing in deer deterrents, you should first assess whether they have any chance of working. Deer feeding is a function of alternative food sources. If there are woods nearby, perhaps […]