News
Plastic garden gear can add microplastics to the soil. Here are some alternatives
15+ hour, 21+ min ago (540+ words) It's seed-starting and planting season, and that means it's likely buying season. This year, consider not only the gardening gear and plants you bring home, but also whether they're made of, contained in or wrapped in plastic. Those plastic products…...
Gravel gardens can cut wildfire and heat risks. It's being used outside fire zones too
2+ week, 11+ hour ago (776+ words) Unrelenting heat, wind and lack of rain can create inhospitable conditions for plants, as well as humans. But a simple change in mulch can help gardeners mitigate damage from those conditions, and wildfires too. That's one reason so-called "gravel gardens…...
We may have a taste of spring in CT, but what to know before jumping on those plants
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (402+ words) With a taste of spring earlier in the week, gardeners are itching to get back out there for a little bit of sunshine and horticultural therapy. Don't let the forecast fool you, we still have a stretch of time before…...
Plan early for a great CT growing season. Here's how you should start
3+ mon, 5+ day ago (193+ words) As you start to plan your next vegetable garden, you may reflect on the previous seasons to help you develop your seed selection, layout, and more. Gardening can already be a sustainable practice, but many want to be more intentional…...
Annual orchids show brings vivid color to Chicago winter
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (265+ words) Inside, however, the air is warm and lights illuminate more than 10, 000 vividly colored orchids. Staff members move in and out of greenhouses, preparing to open the garden's 12th annual Orchid Show on Saturday. This year's theme is "Feelin' Groovy" with several…...
Bring the desert's warmth indoors this winter with big, bold succulents
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (576+ words) But there's another way to bring the warmth of the desert into your home when it's too cold to garden outside. Go big and bold with indoor succulent gardens, suggests Marylee Pangman, a Tucson-based educator and writer who specializes in…...
Deck your garden with boughs of holly, a plant rich in symbolism and evergreen beauty
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (690+ words) No doubt you've seen your share of hollies this month " in wreaths and boughs or perhaps on holiday cards and catalog covers. But are they growing in your garden? There are hundreds of holly species and hybrids hailing from China,…...
Transform fallen leaves into valuable leaf mold for your garden this fall
5+ mon, 3+ day ago (440+ words) There are a lot of leaves outside my window, and I'm guessing your view might be similar. This carpet of dead foliage is often viewed as a nuisance, but it can be an important component in the garden. I'll push…...
Winterize your CT garden gear before it's too late. Here's why.
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (330+ words) It's already November! It doesn't seem like that long ago when we were giving advice about seeding lawns and watering in new fall plantings. Now that the time has changed, the days feel shorter, and the nights are getting colder,…...
Give caterpillars a "soft landing" under your trees. The ecosystem will thank you
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (421+ words) If you're like most well-intentioned gardeners, you might give a lot of thought to planting the "right" plants to nourish pollinators and other wildlife, with nectar, pollen, seeds and fruit. But have you given much thought to those animals' habitat?...