As I was enjoying my breakfast during a winter snowstorm last winter, I had a ringside seat watching a frenzy of robins devour staghorn sumac berries. So glad I planted this under-appreciated sun-loving native tree right outside the window. And now I'm very pleased to see my photo of feasting robins on the cover of the [...]
The transition from fall to winter changes the view out my window. But there are still late fall flowers for pollinators and positive environmental news.
Complete the cycle of the seasons by gathering greens and other plants from the garden to make a holiday wreath that will give you pleasure all winter long.
Once deer have established their winter territory, rutting bucks damage trees. Protect trees from deer scrapes and rubs with physical barriers.
If we want to garden in a more ecologically beneficial way, it only makes sense to go outdoors and see what the natural world can teach us. It doesn’t look like much is going on in the woods after most deciduous trees have shed leaves and gone quiet for the winter. But recent woodland walks have given me ideas and inspiration aplenty.
No need to cut the whole garden back in fall. Standing stems and seedheads provide food for birds, shelter for overwintering insects - and good excuses to go outside to tidy up a little bit at a time on a nice winter day.
For those wonderful gardeners who joined us for Solving Garden Design Dilemmas on October 20, Here are the promised handouts for winter gardens, pollinator plants and my favorite great problem-solving plants.
Spotting Invasive plants when leaves are green can be tricky. But invasives with a longer growing season than native plants are easy to see in fall. Their leaves remain green or display bright autumn color long after natives have lost their leaves for the winter.
I’ve often dried anise hyssop leaves for a note of licorice flavor in winter pots of tea or infused them in gin, but this year my friend Julie taught me a tasty new trick.
Experts commonly answer the question, “When is the best time to prune?” with “When you have clippers in your hand.” But that’s not always the case.