How to Feed Birds During Winter
Feeding birds in your yard can be crucial to their survival. Here's our guide to learning how to feed birds during the winter.
Orchid Care 101: How To Keep Your Orchids Thriving
Orchids, or Orchidaceae family, are known for having bright blooms and a fragrant scent. The beautiful flowers are known for having structural variations in their blooms. In nature, they typically grow in the tropics on trees and shrubs; however, there are variations that live in grasslands or in forests. They are originally native to regions in Asia and Australia, but today the majority of neotropical orchids are found in Central America, South America, and countries along the Andes Mountains. Orchids are not any average plant, they are diverse and easily distinguishable from…continue reading →
Purposeful Planting: Nature’s Pollinator Gardens
Twelve years ago, the US Senate dedicated one week in June as National Pollinator Week. This effort raised awareness of the declining pollinator populations and helped to educate people internationally about the importance of pollinators in the ecosystem. What are pollinators? Pollinators are primarily insects like bees, flies, and butterflies, but can also be birds or small mammals. These animals move pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers fertilizing plants as they go. When flowers have been fertilized, they produce seeds surrounded by fruit. Why do we need them?…continue reading →
Tips for Choosing Organic Lawn Supplies
Americans have a lawn addiction. Drive through a typical U.S. suburb, and you’ll see dozens of lush, manicured, weed-less yards, watered by clicking sprinklers. The fixation has spread across the nation — estimates suggest that between 30 and 40 million acres of U.S. land are devoted to turfgrass, and we spend roughly $40 billion annually on seed, sod and the chemicals we need to care for them. Whether you already have a perfect yard or you’re trying to get one, you’ll probably have to invest in lawn products. Vibrant green grass doesn’t weed…continue reading →
8 Best Fall Perennials for Seasonal Color
8 Best Fall Perennials for Seasonal Color When it’s time for some perennials to go dormant it’s time for others to come out in all their glory, and now is the time for fall perennials to shine. Make sure you incorporate a seasonal interest in your yard, blending bloom times so you will have continuous color and appeal throughout the seasons with little effort. Whether you need foliage or flower, have sun or shade, dry soil or clay; there is a plant for you. Fall perennials massed together make a statement by adding…continue reading →
Tips for Building and Maintaining Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits
After months of work, you finally have the backyard of your dreams. Maybe you’ve paved a new patio and set out chairs perfect for relaxing in, or maybe you’ve landscaped an immaculate garden and draped glowing string lights from trees. But despite everything, once night falls, guests wander inside. As the months grow cooler, less time is spent enjoying your hard work. You need something to draw conversation back outside, and nothing is quite as attractive as an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Whether it’s family s’mores nights or casual dinners with friends,…continue reading →
Tips for Maintaining Mulch Year-Round
Mulch can make a landscape pop with color and create an appealing, polished look. Mulch also helps plants stay healthy and keep them growing strong. There are plenty of reasons to love your mulch, since mulch: Provides insulation, keeping roots warm in the winter and cool in the summer Helps the soil retain moisture Improves soil nutrition Protects soil from erosion and compaction Discourages weed growth Helps protect plants from lawnmower damage Best of all, mulch takes care of your plants without asking for much in return. With that said, there are a…continue reading →
How to Prepare Your Garden for Fall
Who doesn’t love the sight of their garden in the spring and summer? During these beautiful seasons, your garden is bursting with color and life, flowers and shrubs, bumblebees and sunshine. Fall might not typically be a season we associate with beauty in the garden, but this season can be an amazing time for your garden as well. Even though this is typically the season when many of your summer plants begin to return to their dormant state, plenty of other plants are just starting to open up and enjoy the sunlight. Think…continue reading →
Less is More for Your Flower Garden
Less is More for Your Flower Garden The Benefits of Biodegradable Pots For Your Garden In our plastic-taxed world today we need to find a way to shrink our man-made footprint! At Patuxent Nursery, this has been on our minds for several years. We have been working towards a biodegradable pot that can be planted in the ground and will break down in the soil leaving the soil in better condition. We are now moving forward in our annual production growing. Starting in the spring of 2019, we will be using an Ecco…continue reading →
The Best Potted Plants for Father’s Day
Father's Day is fast approaching. With this special day comes the opportunity to show your dad, grandfather or father figure just how much you appreciate him. This year, why not look to do so while breaking free from conventional or expected gifts? You've given ties galore. His kitchen cabinets are awash in "World's Best Dad" coffee mugs. Tools and kit accessories? Been there, done that. You might have even spent hours online or in stores selecting these items, trying to match your dad's personality with fun and functional pieces he both wants and…continue reading →
