When Autumn comes around we see our trees and plants getting ready for their "long winter's nap" and it's only natural to think that we can begin to take it easy too. However, with a little deeper thought, we can see that Fall is one of the most important times for us to pay attention to our landscape. In a recent column, I discussed some of the ways we can prepare the land for winter. Of course what we are really doing is setting the scene for the best possible growing conditions for next Spring and Summer. This is such an important topic that we're going to continue our thoughts...

Your flower beds are finally free of weeds and you want to showcase your annuals and perennials with something special. This could be the perfect place for ornamental grasses. Last time in this column, I discussed the best ways to evict those wretched weeds from your flower beds and prepare the soil for planting. If you missed that column, you can find it archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org when you click on “The Plant Man”. Look for the one titled “Attack weeds early.” Sometimes, even the most beautiful shrubs can look rather forlorn, simply plonked down in a...

"I have a brown thumb," a reader of this column recently moaned. She meant that she had the opposite of a "green thumb," a description we often apply to people who seem to have a knack of growing just about anything successfully. Our "brown thumb" reader went on to say that she seemed to have no luck at all when it comes to keeping plants alive and thriving. This luckless lady was one of several who have asked me for some tips on foolproof trees, shrubs and plants that even THEY are unlikely to kill! Today, I'll tell you about some of my favorites that are...

There's grass... and then there are GRASSES! You mow the grass, but ornamental grasses get a whole different treatment. You scowl and say, "Darn it! Look how long the grass is getting!" Then smile and say, "Look at those beautiful grasses!" There's something very special about ornamental grasses than can make a fan out of the most avid lawn-care grumbler . For one thing, they are relatively easy to grow (and hard to kill) and they can be quite spectacular without requiring a lot of expertise on the part of the homeowner. Ornamental grasses add year-long garden interest. Ornamental grasses can...

Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)... It's my guess that you'd agree with Dorothy on this one. There are some critters you just don't want to invite into your landscape. Lions, tigers and bears are probably right at the top of your "keep out" list, closely followed by some more likely interlopers such as deer and coyotes. I'll have some ideas for turning away unwanted visitors in a future column. But today I want to talk about ways to attract wildlife guests that are both beautiful and beneficial: birds, bats and butterflies! Sorry about all those B's! Let's start with birds. Providing bird...

To further your knowledge and interest in landscaping and gardening, Greenwood Nursery provides this listing of free online gardening and landscaping courses. BBC How to be a Gardener http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/ Houseplant Maintenance Introduction to Organic Gardening Low Maintenance Gardening Perennial Gardening Wildlife in the Lawn and Garden http://www.gardening123.com/courses/default.asp?MS=10 Free gardening mini-classes: https://www.craftsy.com/gardening/shop/free-gardening-classes Note: While these courses are from reliable sites to the best of our knowledge, we take no...

Weeds! If you already see them poking their nasty little heads above the surface of your flowerbeds, now is the time for action, if you’d prefer NOT to break your back (and do a lot of cursing) throughout the spring and summer! Today, I’ll have some tips to ease the landscaper’s least-favorite chore... and a suggestion about adding a whole new texture that will also help to control weeds. If you think of your landscape as a battleground with the weeds as the enemy, here’s the most important strategy you can employ: Attack early! At the start of the season, weeds are at their most vulnerable...

Just the thought of strawberries brings to mind summer, shortcake, jelly and chocolate. Bite into a strawberry and it explodes in your mouth making your tongue tingle with delight. With the red heart shape of the strawberry, no wonder it’s the symbol for Venus , the goddess of love. Maybe that’s why strawberries go so perfectly with chocolate and champagne. A member of the rose family , it is documented that strawberries have been enjoyed as a domesticated fruit as early as the 1400’s. Now, we know the strawberries nutrition . They contain amino acids and beta-carotene as well as A, C, E, K,...

Gardening with allergies can be a wonderful experience with some planning. The low allergy garden is full of beautiful plants that have one thing in common. They are insect pollinated plants which eliminates wind blown pollen. There are many, many trees, shrubs and perennials that are pollinated by insects that the low allergy garden is well rounded. All herbs, including rosemary, lavender, thyme, oregano, sage, mint and chives , are welcome here as well as vegetable and fruiting plants. Ground covers are used most effectively here. Covering the soil with creeping plants reduces the dust in...

Our Flowering Shrub Hedge Plant collections offer beautiful flowering shrubs , many of which will bloom from summer to frost. The Cistena Plum, though it doesn't produce long lived blooms, does have brilliant burgundy foliage that provides interesting color spring and summer. Choose from the following flowering shrub hedge plants . Click onto the individual varieties for plant descriptions: Hibiscus Aphrodite Hedge Hibiscus Ardens Hedge Hibiscus Diana Hedge Hibiscus Lady Stanley Hedge Hibiscus Lucy Hedge Hibiscus Morning Star...

One of the latest gardening trends buzz phrase is vertical gardening . Vertical gardening is landscaping or using plants to draw the eye upwards which creates a larger, more airy space. Any space or landscape can benefit from vertical gardening, especially small yards, apartment balconies, limited spaces as well as large unused exterior walls for wall gardens. The new trend in vertical gardening is to build up. Pallet gardening is one way to build up. Other ways are trellises, arbors, teepees, window boxes, hanging baskets, varied sizes of containers, or merely planting shrubs and...