The 2024 gardening season was another hot one that brought us plant- and lawn-stressing hot, dry spells but also a few rain dumpings and other weather curveballs. And we saw another new bug (box tree moth), the spread of a misbehaving worm, and the arrival of the first bioengineered vegetable crop aimed directly […]
If Santa Claus could work his magic in the garden like he does in the toy shop, what would gardeners want him to deliver? Better weather would certainly be high on the wish list. Who else gripes more about the weather (too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, too humid, etc.) than […]
As another growing season has come to a close, I have to confess I’m ready for a break. On the one hand, I’ll really miss the fresh veggies, the flowers, and the walks around the yard to see what new developments are going on. But on the other, I’m tired. I guess […]
A landscape is never ever really “done,” as any experienced gardener will tell you. However, the never-ending waltz of caring for a yard – and especially the amply landscaped variety – fits into one of three stages. Stage one is the beginning of the line – or the end of the line, […]
If you’re growing any boxwoods in your yard, you might want to make a note to check them starting next spring for the latest deadly threat facing our top-selling shrub. A new bug called the box tree moth officially entered Pennsylvania this fall. The state Agriculture Department confirmed reports of the bug’s […]
For a while there in late spring, my backyard mini-meadow looked like it was hitting the reputed third-year charm. About half of this six-by-20-foot experimental plot on my sunny back bank was in color for about three weeks in late May to mid-June. It was splendid and by far the best performance […]
I’ve been eating dozens of bioengineered purple-fleshed fruits of the new Purple Tomato for two months now, and so far I can report that I’m not taking on any snapdragon characteristics. I say that facetiously because this first-year variety is controversial for being the first bioengineered or “GMO” (genetically modified organism) vegetable being […]
Whether you’re trying to start new grass or whip a sad lawn back into some semblance of decency, the weeks between Labor Day and early October are the year’s best. The warm soil, cooling temperatures, and more frequent rain add up to ideal grass-seed sprouting (usually). It’s also the perfect time to […]
The upstate New York seed company, Fruition Seeds, is taking a rather radical step for any business. As of today, the producer of organic, Northeast-adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seed is shutting down its online seed sales and moving to what co-owner Petra Page-Mann terms a “gift culture.” From now on, Fruition […]
Earthworms have long been a gardener’s friend – aerating the soil with their tunneling, decomposing organic matter, and leaving behind nutritious “castings” in the process. But there’s a new worm in town, and this one is as destructive to the soil as good ol’ earthworms are helpful. The newcomer is commonly known […]