gardening during the dog days
Written by Lisa Briggs
Even though the Dog Days began a little earlier than usual this year and will end on August 11th, I’m sure there’s still plenty of sultry summer weather in our future. Cicadas and crickets have been singing us to sleep, and those nights are still warm.
no more strip-mined tomatoes!
Written by Lisa Briggs
The popularity of vegetable gardening shows no signs of plateauing, and that makes your goal of eating in a more seasonal and local way easier than ever.
no rest for the weary gardener
Written by Lisa Briggs
Even with the recent rainfall, we are still on the dry side. And temperature forecasts are climbing a bit this week. So keep on top of watering your newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials. And if we have another prolonged dry spell, please soak your established plantings as well.
another way to feed your feathered friends
by Lisa Briggs
It’s hard to imagine a yard without our fine feathered friends. A key to getting birds to linger in your landscape is to give them what they want – food, water, nesting materials and cover. And in addition to feeders, another way to provide birds with nutrition is by planting seed bearing perennials.
the dog days of summer
by Lisa Briggs
The brightest of the stars in the Big Dog constellation is Sirius, the Dog Star. In the mid-summer, it can be seen rising and setting with the sun. This conjunction caused the ancients to believe that Sirius’ heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather.
the beetles are coming, the beetles are coming!
written by Lisa Briggs
It’s June and by the end of the month, many a gardeners’ most hated day of the entire summer will be here – the annual emergence of the dreaded Japanese Beetles. And given the extra-warm weather, our bet is that they’ll emerge a little earlier than usual.
are we in for a hot, dry summer?
written by Lisa Briggs
This year’s hot temperatures and hit-or-miss rainfall is surely having an effect on anything that you’ve planted in containers this season, from annuals to vegetables. Add those late May frosts and you’ve got a perfect storm for plant stress.
twinkle, twinkle little firefly
written by Lisa Briggs
Fireflies are not flies. Nor are lightning bugs, bugs. And no one would think that a glowworm is actually a worm. These creatures are classified as beetles and inhabit areas like meadows, open woods and of course, Midwestern backyards.
three cheers for june gardening
written by Lisa Briggs
Although June usually ushers in the gentler garden, the kaleidoscopic colors of May might linger with us a bit longer. Spring temperatures seesawed up and seesawed down, but it finally feels like the weather has caught up to the calendar!
gardening for butterflies
written by Lisa Briggs
Butterfly gardens can be any size, from a small window box to a large, untended portion of your landscape. They can be as simple as you’d like, from a mono-planting of coneflowers to a constantly blooming border of host plants and nectar-rich perennials.
