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

Don’t let a tight budget stop you from starting seeds indoors. Get creative and involve the whole family in the process.

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.

Turn your attention indoors and give those tender annuals overwintering a bit of TLC.

Make everyday Earth Day and commit to managing your landscape and gardens in tune with nature.

Break out your favorite vegetable dip and grab a handful or two of carrots and celebrate National Carrot Day on February 3rd. And add these tasty and nutritional vegetables to your garden plan this season.

Don’t discard those left over seeds from last season. When properly stored, many seeds can last for years, saving you money when you plan and plant this year’s garden.

Don’t throw away that worn and leaky kid’s swimming pool. Instead, put it to work in your garden.

Piles of plastic pots fill the sheds and garages of gardeners across the country. Don’t throw these in the trash. Rather look for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle plant pots.

Decrease wasted time and increase your gardening efficiency by keeping your tools and gloves handy whenever gardening.

Add more planting space to your landscape by converting a portion of your lawn to a flower or vegetable garden.

Don’t let outdated garden catalogs and magazines go to waste. Give them a second life by creating a colorful collage.

Get a jump on the growing season and save money by creating a growing chart.

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

Tired of trying to read faded plastic labels or having them turn brittle and break into pieces? Try creating something new and longer lasting.

Don’t let past problems starting plants from seeds prevent you from partaking in this fun and budget-wise garden activity. A clean start and proper care can be the difference between success and failure.

Carrots, lettuce, begonia and other small seeds can be difficult to plant at the proper spacing. Reduce wasting seeds and time spent thinning seedlings.

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

You can have a beautiful landscape and be kind to the environment by adopting an Earth-Kind landscape philosophy.

Give egg shells and empty egg cartons a second life in your garden. Use them for starting plants from seeds.

Get more produce and enjoyment from your garden by extending your growing season. Use cold frames, cloches, and floating row covers to protect young seedlings and transplants or your harvest from chilly temperatures and frosts.

Early planting and unseasonably cool wet springs can cause bean and corn seeds to fail to sprout or fully develop. These seeds either rotted or were damaged by corn seed maggot.

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.

Plants are the easiest way to bring birds into your landscape, but you may want to increase the number and diversity of winged visitors by supplementing with a few feeders.

Recycle your old newspapers into biodegradable pots for starting seeds this year. It is a money-saving activity the whole family will enjoy.

Don’t let the first fall frost end your garden season. Give your plants a bit of protection and gain several weeks of beauty and pounds of harvest for your efforts.

Have you committed to improving your health this year? I have good news – you can do this while planting, maintaining and harvesting homegrown nutritious food and beautiful flowers.

A tangle of carrots, ill-formed beets, and non-existent radish roots mean it’s time to add thinning to your gardening list.

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

It’s that time of year when your mailbox or inbox is filled with garden catalogs. Take advantage of the beautiful pictures and great ideas to help plan additions and changes to this year’s garden.

Boost your garden’s productivity and harvest garden-fresh vegetables all season long.

Help small children handle the anticipation and adults deal with the stress of the holidays while creating a few homegrown gifts.

Don’t throw those peach pits, avocado and grapefruits seeds into the compost pile. Have a little family fun and try growing these into a memory.

Make homegrown onions part of your diet. Their flavor is guaranteed to add zest to your meals and their health benefits include lowering the risk of many cancers.

Give them a chill and stop the tears. Cooling your onions and cutting into the root end last reduces the tear inducing impact of the onions sulfuric compounds. And consider improving the flavor and fun by growing your own onions from seed.

Give garden transplants a helping hand as they move from the warm humid greenhouse or inside your home to the harsh outdoors.

Growing your own grapes for jam, jelly, and of course wine can be fun. Get the most flavor and productivity with proper harvesting and a bit of bird protection.

Put your creativity to work and get your favorite youngster excited about gardening.

Have a bit of fun and stretch your gardening muscles with kitchen scrap gardening.

Create a new plant from your favorite heirloom vine or shrub with layering. Try using this method with raspberries, climbing roses, forsythia, and jasmine.

Take advantage of weekends, holidays and school vacations to get the children in your life involved with vegetable gardening.

Save money, recycle, and give a gift that adds beauty to the recipient’s life for seasons to come.

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.

Heavy snow and ice can wreak havoc on our landscapes. Proper handling of storm damaged plants can help minimize long-term damage.

Memorial Day is a traditional planting weekend for many of us. Whether you are just getting started, changing out your seasonal displays or finishing up, consider adding sunflowers to your landscape.

As you thumb through catalogues or peruse online seed sources your wish list may be growing. Check your seed inventory before placing your final order.

Whether you are sharing a piece of a favorite plant, a bit of family history, or a shared memory, pass-along plants have long been a part of the gardening tradition.

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.

Start new plants from your favorite heirloom grape, rose, trumpet creeper or other vine.

Double your harvest without increasing your garden space. Try planting short season vegetables like lettuce, radishes and beets between long season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, okra, cabbage, and broccoli. When the short season veggies are ready to harvest, the longer season larger vegetables will need the space.

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

Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are sure signs of spring. Get busy now planting a bit of beauty and color for next spring’s garden.

Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, fight heart disease, boost your immune system, and add a bit of flavor to your meals by growing your own garlic.

Use shrubs in the landscape for extra color, a bit of privacy and year round beauty.

They’re cute, they’re furry and they love to eat – the plants in your landscape. At any time of year you may find yourself doing battle with the rabbits, deer, or other wildlife.

Don’t throw away or recycle those fast food containers just yet. Reuse them when gardening indoors and out.

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.

Increase seed starting success and fun with the sealed lid method my friend and horticulturist Bob Polomski learned from his father.

The last Saturday of January is National Seed swap day. So gather your gardening friends, seeds and catalogs and throw a garden party.

Whether you are trying to start plants from seeds, get your African violets to bloom, or keeping your indoor plants alive, a bit of extra light can help.

Do you have trouble properly spacing the small seeds of carrots, radishes or lettuce? It's easy to end up with half the package in one short row. This is a waste of seed and time spent thinning.

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

You can start your summer garden months before the traditional planting date. Start cannas, dahlias or other non-hardy bulbs indoors for bigger transplants and earlier bloom in the garden.

Expand your indoor and outdoor garden by taking cuttings from your favorite plants.

Keep your green thumbs busy starting new plants from kitchen scraps.

Extend the gardening fun and save money by starting your plants from seed.

Don’t let gardening become a painful experience. Warm up your muscles before you dig into gardening.

It’s never too early to start preparing for winter. Start taking cuttings from annuals and herbs you want to overwinter indoors. Your garden plants are healthier and will root faster now than they will later in the season.

Moving trees and shrubs can be tricky and heavy work. Make the move in spring before growth begins or in fall as the plants go dormant for greatest success.

Some of your impatiens, geraniums and other annuals overwintering indoors may be looking a bit unkempt. Break out the pruners and get busy with a little grooming.

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

No matter the time of the season, weeds seem to grow and thrive. Keeping them under control will give you a healthier, more productive and attractive garden.

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.