Winter, Here We Come
November 24th, 2015
Winter can be rough on plants. What to do? Maybe nothing. Or maybe mulch, water and burlap barriers — but but not the product that people think helps the most…
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George’s Current Ramblings and Readlings Category
Gardeners and Non-Gardeners Don’t See Things the Same Way
November 10th, 2015
Gardeners and non-gardeners don’t usually see things eye-to-eye. Is a tree a beautiful living thing or a messy headache? Is a bee beneficial or threatening? Is weeding relaxing or maddening?
When to Get Rid of a Tree?
November 3rd, 2015
This may be an inhospitable thing to ask after trees have given us such a colorful, season-ending sendoff, but how can you tell when it’s time to ax a tree? It’s a tough call for a lot of people, and it’s something I get asked a lot during my Garden House-Calls travels. For some people, […]
Pruners Don’t Compost Well
October 27th, 2015
I can now verify first-hand that pruners don’t compost very well. But what, you may ask, was I doing with pruners in my compost pile?
Pollinators and Native Plants
October 13th, 2015
Now I know why that kindly older woman asked me after a recent talk whether I thought it was OK if she didn’t rip out the non-native plants in her yard and replace them with natives. She was asking me for forgiveness for her “sin.” That became clear as I was researching a Patriot-News/Pennlive.com garden […]
Shorten Winter with Florida Gardens
October 6th, 2015
Some of the leaves are turning already, and the nights are getting noticeably chillier. You know what that means, right? End of another growing season. And after that, winter. I’m not a winter fan at all, especially the parts that involve skidding on icy roads, helplessly watching polar vortexes kill the borderline-hardy specimens, and shoveling […]
George Interrogated
September 29th, 2015
I made my National Public Radio debut earlier this month, appearing as the gardenish guest on WHYY’s Radio Times program in Philadelphia. It was an interesting, question-filled experience – starting with the lady who welcomed me inside the studio door, continuing with insightful questions by host Mary Cummings-Jordan, and ending with a zip line of […]
Smarter Than the Average Squirrel?
September 22nd, 2015
Animals might foil our vegetable gardens sometimes, but in the long run, we can outsmart them. Can’t we?
Black Flies Making Garden Life Miserable
September 15th, 2015
Maybe you’re lucky enough to garden in an area where you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say, “Aren’t the gnats horrible?” But if you’re anywhere within 20 miles of one of the Pennsylvania streams and rivers where gnats – black flies, to be more accurate – breed, you’ll know exactly what […]
Pennsylvania’s Two Newest Gardens
September 8th, 2015
Did you know that Pittsburgh now has a botanic garden? Have you seen Penn State’s new 1-acre children’s garden? Lowee’s Group Tours and I will show you both of those – and then some – on a 3-day, 2-night gardener’s mini-vacation coming up Oct. 15-17. Hardly anyone around here knows about or has seen the […]