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Get lawn and garden ready for spring!

It happens every year. I tear the last “February” page from my desk calendar and suddenly feel a touch of spring fever when I realize the first day of March is finally here! As winter begins to slip away, it’s time once again to get outside and start spring-cleaning our landscape. Yes, these are chores, but they hardly feel chore-like to me because I am anticipating the wonderful colors and fragrances that will soon appear where now there are just bare limbs and dry grass. Here are a few reminders to get you started on your outdoor “to do” list... Lawn. Rake away all the thatch that has...

Get tools ready for winter

There's a subconscious belief more of a superstition, really that if we don't winterize our landscaping tools then Old Man Winter will somehow be prevented from invading our piece of the planet. It's like hanging up garlic to keep away the vampires, or not stepping on pavement cracks. "Better not put 'em away just yet. There's always next weekend. Might still need 'em to do just one more job if the weather holds up." Is that what you're saying to yourself? You leave it one more week, then another week, and then... before you know it, it's almost Spring. Might as well just the tools the way...

Holiday gift ideas for gardeners and landscape lovers

The Holidays are fast approaching, and no doubt there are some garden enthusiasts on your gift list. Here are some gift ideas for all those Green Thumbs... and some for the “horticulturally challenged” as well. Hoping to get some garden paraphernalia yourself? Maybe you should circle or highlight some of my suggestions and strategically place this page as a hint for your significant other! Garden Hose Instead of the common-or-garden variety, treat your favorite horticulture fan to something special. The biggest problem with most hoses is that they get in a tangle and are a real nuisance to...

Lawns take a "heat beating" in the summer

Summer is the season when you and your family look forward to relaxing on the lawn. Whether you're playing catch with the kids, working on your tan or simply strolling around barefoot, there's something special about the feel of lush green grass tickling your toes. However, summer is also the time when your lawn is most likely to suffer at the hands of mother nature. Not so much "lush green grass;" more "dry brown straw." Several readers sent me e-mails asking about summer lawn care, and one reader wrote to thank me for a helpful lawn care column that ran here about a year ago. Much of what...

Lush lawns begin with autumn action now!

In a recent column, I discussed some of the autumnal chores that gardeners and landscapers should be addressing now to ensure an easier and more productive spring next year. That column included some brief lawn tips. But that wasn’t enough! This morning, as I sipped my first cup of coffee, I looked out the kitchen window and saw in the dawn’s early light that my lawn was still there, to paraphrase a well-known anthem. As I watched a gust of wind chase a flurry of leaves around in circles, it struck me that, for most of us, the major part of our landscape consists of ... grass. However, it’s...

Planning and Planting for Fall

The calendar says that the first day of Fall is September 23. But when it comes to Fall planting, the season feels as if it begins in those end-of-summer days immediately following Labor Day! No, you might not be planting just yet, but you should wrapping up most of the planning and decision-making by now. Maybe you're visiting garden centers or browsing online nurseries from the comfort of your armchair or home office. You're making some final choices as to what is going to look good in your landscape. Sure, you COULD play it safe and go with the "same old, same old" but you're tempted to...

Planting trees this spring? These pre-plant tips will help!

We must be well into the new year because I've finally stopped writing the wrong year on my checks. It's about this time every year that both professional landscapers and home gardeners start thinking seriously about spring planting. Now is the perfect time to be thinking about the characteristics of your planting site. This is particularly important if trees are on your spring planting agenda. "It pays to plan well [and to] know your planting site," says Yvonne Barkley, a forestry extension associate with the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho...

Planting with future Fall colors in mind

Autumn is one of the most colorful times of the year in the world of Nature, and one of the most enjoyable times for those of us who love tending to our landscape. Recently I've been asked by several readers to give them specific planting ideas for creating a thriving landscape that will burst with color at this time of year. This is an appropriate time to be discussing this topic, because in most parts of the United States, Fall is the perfect time to be planting trees and shrubs. And so today, we'll go over some simple step-by-step plans for planting an area that will provide spectacular...

The November garden: some timely tips from readers

The days are getting shorter, the clocks have been turned back (except in certain parts of Indiana!) and spring is just around the corner. At least it is for all of us optimistic landscapers and gardeners. We just have to get through winter first! So, as fall turns to winter, let’s take a quick look at some of our last “outdoor activities.” Some of these are mine and some are suggestions and ideas from readers of this column. Remember, your comments and questions are always welcome and can be very helpful to your fellow readers. Contact me at [email protected] and I’ll try to get a...

Winter is the best time for tree pruning

by Michael J. McGroarty There are two kinds of winter gardening. The first method usually starts in January as the gardening catalogs begin to arrive in the mail. This type of gardening is as easy and sitting in your favorite chair, browsing the catalogs, and either dreaming about what you're going to do this spring, or actually drawing designs for the gardens you intend to work on. The second type of winter gardening is to actually get out in the yard and do a little work. Of course if it's bitter cold, you'd be better off waiting for a good day. Now is a good time to do some pruning if the...

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