Why I Love Herbs I love herbs! I love the fact that deer and rabbits are put off by their strong scents. This means I can tuck a few in my flower or vegetable gardens and let them go to work by emitting their fragrances and deterring some critter damage. So, I use herbs a … Read more
What to Do About Controlling the Damage It’s late June here in Central Virginia, and all of us have done a lot of new planting of shrubs, trees, annuals, vegetables, and perennials. In doing all this planting, what we did was to lay out the best smorgasbord of food for various insects. The BIG question … Read more
I’ve talked before about insect problems on vegetables, but other insect pests may also be found on indoor or outdoor plants, including flowers. Common Pests and How to Handle Them Here is a list of some of the more common ones and what you can do about them. Spider Mites If you see tiny white … Read more
JUNE 1 IS THE “UNOFFICIAL” START TO SUMMER May ended up being a very good month for gardeners. We had good, timely rainfall throughout the entire month. We had no late frosty night,s and we did not have many extremely hot days. So, May was good to us. The soil temperature here in Virginia is … Read more
As the days get warmer here in Central Virginia, fireflies come out to play, and mosquitoes come out to feast. While you can’t entirely eliminate these pesky critters, there are some great natural ways to keep them at bay, starting with plants that can help repel them or disguise your scent. And the best part? … Read more
I was surprised to find out I could eat sweet potato vines—yes, that’s right—the VINES. I went to a friend’s house and she had a huge bowl on the table of greens sauteed with garlic. After eating them, her son said, “Bet you didn’t know these are sweet potato greens.” Well, he was right. I … Read more
WE HAVE WATER PLANTS NOW! Water plants represent yet another form of landscaping. Yes, it is not for everyone. But more and more homeowners are accenting their existing landscape with a water feature. This feature doesn’t have to be large. You can start small and then “grow” and expand your water feature as you get … Read more
Most people have heard of the Three Sisters garden—corn, beans, and squash. It’s a perfect example of companion planting at its best. Corn provides support for beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen in the soil that corn loves, and squash acts as a living mulch to suppress weeds. But beyond the Three Sisters, there are … Read more
ARE YOU READY? Here we are in mid-April. I carefully watch our weather and our extended forecast to correctly advise customers on vegetable gardening. With Virginia weather consistently breaking now (fingers crossed), many Virginians are turning their attention, once again, to vegetable gardening. I am writing this blog on April 11th. Every day, I tell … Read more
Happy April! Recently, we held our popular MULCH MADNESS sale at The Great Big Greenhouse in Richmond, VA, with thousands of bags flying off the shelves—just in time for prime mulching season. Spring brings not only fresh blooms but also that fresh, earthy smell of mulch that signals new growth. Proper mulching is essential for … Read more
