As the year winds down, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s garden. Consider adding a few of the All-America Selections Winners to your garden.

Papyrus has been an important crop throughout history used for food, shelter, fiber, and medicine. In more recent times it has been popular as both an indoor and outdoor plant.

Give a tree a hug and celebrate Arbor Day on the last Friday in April.

Join forces with nature and keep garden pests under control this season.

Add a little extra color, motion and interest to your landscape by attracting birds and butterflies to the garden. Make sure your yard provides all the essentials - food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. And be sure to avoid the use of pesticides that can harm the wildlife you are trying to attract.

It's finally here! Your first red tomato. You reach in, twist it off the vine and have a look. And there it is - a big black spot on the bottom of the tomato.

You decided to save money or perhaps try something new and ordered bare root plants from a catalog or through the internet. Now you are wondering what to do with them once they arrive.

So what do you do when those bare root perennials, shrubs, roses, or fruit plants you ordered arrive before you and your garden are ready or the weather is suitable for planting? Don’t despair you can preserve your investment with minimal effort.

Celebrate Arbor Day by planting new trees or caring for your established ones in your landscape and community.

On April 22nd people around the world will celebrate Earth Day. Get involved by making a change in your own backyard.

Save time and money by turning landscape trimmings into a valuable soil amendment.

Bring a bit of the desert, tropics or evergreen forest to your backyard. Container plantings allow you to push the limits of your growing environment.

Reduce maintenance and improve your plants’ health by creating large planting beds around trees and shrubs.

Avoid dulling your mower blades and more importantly damaging your trees by creatively dealing with the surface roots.

Overcrowded, poor flowering and floppy perennials can be invigorated with a shovel and a bit of your time and energy.

It’s foamy, slimy and rather disgusting to look at. And nothing describes it better than its common name – dog vomit mold fungus.

Cooler air and the crackle of burning wood mean fall for many. But don’t destroy the forest by moving firewood. Instead use wood from local sources.

Stop – don’t top that tree. Instead, make sure it is properly pruned for years of health, beauty, and enjoyment in your landscape.

Don’t worry if you notice small fruit fly-like insects flitting across the room. It is not a sign of bad housekeeping nor are they harmful to your plants.

Don’t let mosquitoes prevent you from enjoying your garden this summer. A fan and a bit of outdoor housekeeping will help you manage these pests.

If each year you find yourself trying to squeeze more plants into less space, it may just be time to expand one or more of your planting beds.

Falling leaves make a great mulch in the woods, but can spell death for groundcovers and the lawn. Make clean up easy for you and good for the environment.

The brilliant fall color in our landscapes is a magical transformation that happens each year. And the science behind it all is just as intriguing.

As the summer growing season winds down, it’s a great time to prepare your landscape for next season. Start with a soil test. The results can save you money and the environment.

Improve your garden’s beauty, increase your enjoyment, and reduce stress five minutes at a time.

Don’t end up with a driveway full of excess topsoil and mulch waiting for friends and family to haul away the surplus for their gardens. Do a bit of math in advance and order just the amount needed.

You can’t miss them. These voracious garden pests eat and mate in broad daylight and feed on the leaves and flowers of over 300 different types of plants and the roots of turf grass.

Like many of you I try to squeeze way too much into one day. In order to accomplish many of my goals I try to look for ways to double, even triple the benefits of everything I do. This is why I combine my gardening activities and fitness program.

June 12th is National Get Outdoors Day. So gather the family and head out to the garden.

Being kind to the environment does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can save you time and money.

Grow a few healthy snacks for you and your family to enjoy. Carrots have the crunch of chips and crackers without the fat and calories.

All your hard work and effort is paying off with a bountiful harvest.

You can have a good-looking landscape and lower your water bill this summer!

Whether it is a self-imposed or community wide watering ban, many gardeners are looking for ways to reduce their use of municipal water.

Mums are the traditional fall flower – but don’t stop there. You can find plenty of plants to add to your landscape’s fall display.

So you decided to brighten the winter landscape with a few lights.

A break in the cold winter temperatures can be a welcome reprieve for gardeners, but not such a good thing for our spring flowering bulbs.

Put away the rake and break out the mower. That’s right you can recycle your leaves right where they fall.

Improve the health and longevity of your trees and shrubs with a bit of preventative care.

Summers are filled with barbeques, vacations, and caring for our landscapes. Mulching is one way to save time and effort over a season or two, giving you more time for fun.

Save time and energy and keep your landscape looking its best with mulch.

Don’t let a lack of space keep you from growing trees in your landscape. Consider planting columnar trees in containers and narrow spaces.

Trees, shrubs and perennials are great for container gardens. But as winter approaches we need to provide a bit of care to help them through the winter.

One of the biggest plant investments you make for your landscape is your trees. Help insure their longevity by planting them right.

Start with a call to 811 at least three days before digging in. This free service will mark the location of all underground wires. This one call can save you money and even your life.

Don’t let cold soil and late spring frost delay the start to your garden season.

Procrastination is a good thing when it comes to cleaning up your landscape in fall.

Try a bit of preventative care in this year’s garden. You’ll increase your landscape’s beauty and productivity with less work on your part.

Keep your plants looking good and be kind to the environment despite the risk of disease problems.

Late winter after the coldest weather has passed through early spring before growth begins is a great time to prune trees. Make proper cuts to insure the health and longevity of your plants.

Winter is often the time we break out the pruners and start shaping trees and shrubs. Before making that first cut, be sure you are pruning with a purpose in mind.

Don’t drag that Christmas tree to the curb. Give it a second life in your landscape.

Cut trees make great windbreaks in the landscape. Strategically place discarded Christmas trees on the windward side of rhododendron, boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens to reduce problems with winter burn.

Put coffee grounds and filters to work improving your garden’s beauty and productivity.

Beautiful reddish purple buds line the branches and trunks of the picturesque redbud tree. As the temperatures warm the buds burst into rosy pink or magenta blooms. And this is just the beginning of this tree’s beauty.

Save money and be kind to your garden and the environment by capturing rainwater and putting it to work in your landscape.

Save money and be kind to your garden and the environment by capturing rainwater and putting it to work in your landscape.

The holidays are here and for many that means, it’s time to head out to the Christmas tree lot. Selection is the first step to insuring a beautiful tree throughout the holiday season

Your mailbox and dining room table are overflowing with catalogs filled with pictures of beautiful flowers and scrumptious vegetables. With so many choices it can be a bit overwhelming – I can help.

Be the first in your neighborhood to harvest a red ripe tomato from your garden this summer.

Warm temperatures, drought and summer rain storms take their toll on our landscapes. Keep your lawn healthy and looking its best despite the summer weather.

Break out the broom and sweep your way to cleaner drinking water.

Mulch your garden beds with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or other organic matter. It conserves moisture while suppressing weeds and improving the soil.

Walk off some of those holiday calories and gather ideas for your garden. Look for trees and shrubs that provide interesting form, bark and texture in the winter.

You’ve got the car packed, the pets at the kennel and your kids are ready to go. But what are you going to do about all those beautiful containers?

You can stop your mail, kennel your pets, but it is difficult to find a reliable house plant sitter while on vacation.

Don’t let standing water, seasonal flooding, and poorly drained soils stop you from growing a beautiful landscape. Try one of these strategies to manage the excess water and create a healthy environment for your landscape plants.

Use water wisely in your landscape to save you time, improve plant health and reduce your water bill.

Save time, energy, and conserve water while caring for your new trees.

Make this the fall you protect your evergreens before winter winds and snowloads cause your arborvitae to split and rhododendrons to wither.

Help your roses through the winter and be rewarded with beautiful blooms next season.