End of Summer Gardening Tips
Although spring is famous for being the time to garden, fall can be equally as beneficial. You just need to know what to plant and how to prepare your fall garden.
Winter
The Ins and Outs of Indoor Seed Starting
The Ins and Outs of Indoor Seed Starting Indoor seed starting can be a rewarding experience, especially for the new gardner or a gardener who has a hard time waiting each year for Spring to come! If you are new to indoor seed starting, here's our step by step guide to get you started. Get Your Timing Right The goal to indoor seed starting is to have seedlings ready to go outside by the time the weather is favorable. This means that timing is everything. You will need to plant your seedlings early…continue reading →
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.
Best Trees and Shrubs for Birds in the Winter
During the colder weather here in Maryland, birds have to find their own food. Berries, seeds, and habitats in protected tree limbs are not as plentiful as they are during the warmer summer months. But, there’s an easy solution to this problem: planting trees and shrubs for birds to get sustenance from throughout the cooler weather. Let's talk about the best trees and shrubs for birds in the winter! Great examples of smaller shrubs that attract the birds in the winter are bayberry, winterberry holly and viburnum. All of these have berries that persist throughout…continue reading →
Feeding Backyard Birds in the Winter
Do you enjoy watching the birds flitting about your yard? I certainly do. Folklore tells us that the robin is the harbinger of Spring. But what about in the winter? There is a definite nip in the air and natural food sources for the birds are becoming scarcer. Holly berries seem to be the go-to snack for the robins in my yard. To keep the beautiful robins, cardinals, finches, jays and other backyard beauties in my yard, I feed the birds year-round. The robins love the worms after the rains. But because the ground freezes in the winter…continue reading →
Caring for Your Live Christmas Tree
Not much evokes the holiday feeling than the feel and smell of a live Christmas tree. If you are going to get a live tree this year, here are some easy tips to ensure that it’s as beautiful on day one as it is after the holidays are over. Step 1: Choose a Healthy Tree Avoid trees with a lot of dead or brown needles. Gently bend a branch to make sure the needles are flexible and remain on the tree. Step 2: Prepare the Base of Your Tree Prepare the base of…continue reading →
Protect Your Hardscape this Winter
Winter weather can hurt your paved surfaces if you’re not careful. Even if you can’t use your patio for a few months, you still want to protect your investment by preparing for winter weather. This can eliminate unnecessary damage and prolong the life of your pavers. Tips for Protecting Your Hardscape Pick Your Ice Melt Carefully Be sure to use calcium chloride ice melt, which will melt ice and keep you safe, while at the same time protect your pavers. It can also be used on concrete. Sand is also a good alternative to use…continue reading →
Everything You Need to Know About Ice Melt
Winter is upon us and now is the time to start gathering your winter preparation tools, such as ice melt. Need help figuring it all out? This post will tell you everything you need to know about ice melters! What Kind of Ice Melt Do You Need? There are 2 basic classes of ice melter chemicals: sodium chloride based or calcium/ magnesium chloride based. Sodium chloride based ice melt, also known as rock salt, is the least expensive, but also the least effective at very cold temperatures. Rock salt loses its melting ability below 20…continue reading →
How to Winterize Your Outdoor Fountain
You have added an outdoor fountain to your yard and you love the peace and tranquility it brings to your outdoor living space. You've invested in your landscape and now it's time to protect that investment so you can enjoy your outdoor fountain for many years to come. It is important to prepare your outdoor fountain for winter, especially if you live where the winter temperatures can drop below freezing. If at all possible, place your fountain under cover, preferably in your garage or even your shed. Some fountains, such as tiered fountains,…continue reading →
What is the Difference between Pansies, Violas and Panolas?
Gardeners often confuse Pansies, Violas, and Panolas with each other. All are wonderful fall and winter, as well as early spring, plants but they have slight differences that are worth noting. Pansies vs. Violas In the fall, winter and early spring season there are few flowers that will bloom and produce lots of color despite the cold weather. Surprisingly, one of the sturdiest plants are pansies. Pansies look and act a lot like violas but they have a much larger flower, and larger leaves as well. Another difference between the two fall favorites…continue reading →
