Gardening/Landscaping Tips
Spring Lawn Care and Disease Management for Northern Virginia’s Cool-Season Grasses
April 15, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Sitting in the lawn chair watching the neighborhood goings-on, practicing sports, having a picnic – all these activities are best enjoyed on a lush, healthy grass. Smart decisions in caring for your grass now will lead you to that near-perfect lawn, and one that will better endure the 90°F and hotter temperatures in the summer. [...]
Go Native in Your Northern Virginia Landscape!
April 6, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Many homeowners are looking to spruce up their garden beds this time of year. They are heading to the garden centers, checking out the catalogs and browsing the web in search of that blend of annuals, perennials and shrubs that will make their home the prime real estate of the neighborhood. Curb appeal is what [...]
It’s Finally April! Let’s Get Out to Our Northern Virginia Garden!
March 31, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Let the fun begin!! Pruning: The following can be pruned in April with the caution that if it’s a flowering shrub, be sure that you wait until the flowers have faded and before new buds set: Arborvitae Cherry Laurel Forsythia Pittosporum Bayberry Daphne Winter Jasmine Evergreen Privit Boxwood Thorny Eleagnus Juniper Quince Camilla, Japanese Evergreen [...]
Composting with Worms – Vermicomposting!
March 10, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Yes, you read the title correctly, worms! Worms are the hardest working composters I know! What’s even better, I don’t have turn my compost because they do it for me! I just make sure they are fed and moist every few weeks, and they do the rest of the work. The result of their labor [...]
Caring for Your Seedlings in Northern Virginia’s Zone 7A
February 11, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
Okay, now we have the garden plot planned, the containers ready to receive the seeds, and they will, hopefully, begin to sprout in a few weeks. Then what? First – when they are up as far as the first “true” leaves, not just the seed leaves (cotyledon), then leave the lid to the your mini-greenhouse [...]
Starting Seeds Indoors? Make a Mini Greenhouse at VERY LITTLE Cost!
February 2, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
In the last issue, we discussed getting the supplies ready for starting your seeds, so you should have the following on hand: Plastic containers such as the type ready-made salads, spinach or strawberries come in – cleaned with a weak solution of bleach and water. These will be your mini-greenhouses. Toilet paper and/or paper towel [...]
It’s Almost February! Time to Gather Supplies for Starting Seed in Prince William County, VA’s Zone 7!
January 26, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
This is when most gardeners are forgetting the hardships and failures of last season and are itching for spring to hurry up and get here so we can plant our flowers and crops. Dreams of the perfect cutting garden and bountiful harvest are filling our days. Luckily, this means it’s time to get your [...]
Planning Your 2011 Northern Virginia Vegetable Garden
January 7, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
Happy New Year! Now’s the time for planning your Northern Virginia vegetable garden! The first step is to remember where you planted last year’s crops and avoid planting the same crops in that spot. Rotation is the key to keeping at bay all the pests and diseases. What can be worse than pampering all your [...]
Getting Your Northern Virginia Plants Ready for Winter
December 14, 2010 by admin · 1 Comment
Welcome to our blog! Today we have notes for winter preparation and care for your Northern Virginia (Zone 7a) outdoor and indoor plants. OUTDOOR PLANTS It’s getting colder outside; now we need to concentrate on the final tasks that need to be done to get the gardens put to bed for the winter and protect them [...]
Pruning Trees and Shrubs in Northern Virginia
December 1, 2010 by admin · 3 Comments
Today’s topic: Pruning! Pruning is immediately rewarding since you can see the results right away. Rewarding, that is, if you do it correctly! The first thing to remember is that not all bushes and trees are created equal. Some trees you prune now; others you don’t prune until spring. One quick way to figure which [...]
