It is already occurring, garden fans. Innocent crepe myrtle trees being “pruned.” More like being hacked. The excessive pruning practice of “topping,” or “Crepe Murder” as it is often called, usually begins in February. Well meaning homeowners and commercial property managers have their reasons for reducing the height of these summer bloomers. The tree is “too tall,” “not shaped,” or my favorite “it promotes flowering.” This crime against arboriculture has to stop! The crepe myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, is native to China and Korea, but has been grown successfully in America since the late 18th century. They are a favorite of…
Browsing: Life’s a Garden
This past weekend’s snowfall, like most significant snowfalls brings up questions for many gardeners about winter preparedness. One question that is often asked after a few inches of snow is “will it damage my plants”? Or “should I remove the snow from my plants”? The answer is not a simple yes or no. Many popular evergreens such as juniper, arborvitae, Leyland cypress, and some varieties of holly have multiple leaders or stems. Snow can accumulate on the individual leaders and cause them to be weighed down and disfigured or even break. This does not mean you need to rush around…
As I travel around, I know it’s the holiday season. The Salvation Army bell ringers fill the air, parking lots are full, and parents are saying “I’m gonna tell Santa if you don’t be good.” Thankfully, I have matured past, or at least I am physically past, that last part. Another sign of the season is all the Christmas plants that are for sale in the stores. Garden centers, grocery stores, florists, and even department stores have plants just waiting to brighten someone’s home. Here are a few plants that make great gifts and tips on how to keep them…
T hanksgiving is here and it’s time for us to count the blessings we have. One of the many blessings I have is readers like you. My column is not an opinion or inspirational piece, but take one minute and ponder this. You may not think you mean much in this world, but you mean the world to someone, and that someone is thankful for you. Each year, many people will use the weekend after Thanksgiving Day to decorate their homes for Christmas. In my house, it is not officially the Christmas season until the placement of the Christmas tree.…
It’s the middle of fall, and the weather certainly has not been typical. To say that this year’s weather has been different for gardeners may be an understatement. Summer annuals and even some perennials are still blooming even though cool-season annuals such as pansies have been planted for weeks. Regardless of the current or short-term weather, winter will be here soon and it is time to prepare the landscape. Here are some suggestions that will help the landscape transition be a little smoother: • Plants in beds should have a sufficient mulch cover. Mulch is critical to retain heat and…
Our area experienced strong wind gusts, thunderstorms, and a hurricane this year. Some landscapes suffered tree damage or even a total tree loss as a result of nature. Although there is no single way to prevent this type of damage, here are some suggestions that can increase the likelihood that your trees will remain standing tall. Have the soil tested. I know many of you are saying, “He says that all the time.” You are correct; a soils test is the least expensive but best practice for plants. Healthy, well developed feeder and structural roots of trees require healthy soil…
It’s the middle of fall. Leaves will be turning those magnificent colors very soon and providing nature’s patchwork quilt on the ground. Craft shows and fall festivals are on many of our calendars. Yetmany gardeners think of this time of the year as bulb planting season. Gardening, like so many things in life, requires thinking ahead. In this case, two seasons ahead. A colorful spring landscape does not happen by chance. Now is the time to survey the landscape and determine what areas can be enhanced by the addition of spring blooms. For gardening purposes, the term bulb includes other…
Fall officially arrived last week, and so marks the beginning of many people’s favorite season. Fall is the best time for aerating and seeding cool season grass lawns and planting new trees and shrubs. It is also the time when many of us think about fall decorating, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Although each has a different meaning, the one common item is pumpkins. “Pumpkin” originated from the Greek word “pepon” which is “large melon.” Pumpkins are native to Central and North America and are members of the Cucurbita family. The Cucurbita family includes watermelons, squash, and cucumbers as well. Because pumpkins…
Sometimes as gardeners we have a bug that’s buggin’ us, a fungus among us, or plant that is an indeed a weed. There is a positive way to identify the problem, the Cooperative Extension office. I had a chance recently to visit Mike Likins, County Agent at the Chesterfield Cooperative Extension office. The office is located at the county government complex behind the old courthouse and adjacent to the museum. The physical address is 6807 Mimms Loop, Chesterfield. I asked Mike a few questions about collecting samples and how the Extension Service can help citizens with those pesky pests: If…
It’s the middle of August and many varieties of perennials have finished blooming for the year. One species in our area, however, is still forming flowers. Rudbeckia hirta, commonly known as Black-Eyed Susan or Gloriosa daisy, is thriving in home landscapes. Let’s explore this landscape workhorse further. The Black-Eyed Susan is one of four native Rudbeckias to Virginia, although many cultivars have been developed. It thrives in full sun (more than six hours of direct sun), tolerates heat and dry periods well, and does not require rich garden soil. In other words, this plant will thrive in more situations than…