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frost things first

Wow. Our first frost was earlier than the last few years The old saying No frost until after the full moon in October doesn’t always hold true as the October full moon isn’t until Monday. Long range forecasts are predicting warmer than normal temperatures for the next...

give me pumpkin to talk about

At the end of October, the doorway to winter swings wide open. The sun is swallowed up by nights that lengthen with every passing day. The shimmering greens of summer and fiery hues of autumn give way to bare branches. Glorious fall flowers fade and die back. It is a...

fall for your garden

At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Even though the warm weather means that there is still raking to be done, not having a million things to accomplish in the...

give me pumpkin to talk about

If we were able to solve a couple of the great mysteries of gardening, we would not want to know if a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. But we might be sure to ask if there really is a difference between a squash and a gourd. Squashes generally refer...

fall into gardening

Now that we’re getting ready to turn the calendar from summer to fall, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cooler temps. Lower humidity. And so many other reasons to love autumn! But a gardener’s work is never done. Let’s start by acknowledging that cold...

chill to thrill

Let’s start by saying that the word forcing may sound like a lot of work. It really isn’t. What you’re doing is tricking a bulb into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to flower. You could call it a little sleight of hand. And you reap the rewards of spring...

dig in for spring

Are you confused when it comes to fall-planted bulbs? Lots of gardeners are. What are bulbs, and how, and when should they be planted are questions that we often hear at the Plant Desk in late summer and early autumn. Adding bulbs to your borders is simple and...

bringing in the green

September can be such a transitional time, especially for gardeners. Our garden borders seem to teeter on the edge of a climatic cliff. Colors will begin to morph from deep green foliage to mellow butter yellow and fiery scarlet. Branching forms reappear as deciduous...

second chance vegetables

So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine. And you may find that you’ve got some empty spots where spring...

rake, rest and reset

Weather factors can make gardening in our area mighty interesting. We’ve experienced 10 days of over 90-degree temps, a very dry July and though we have a few more days to make the difference, a dry-ish August. The Autumnal Equinox is just 27 days away and the first...
spring into summer!

spring into summer!

written by Lisa Briggs
Early summer is an especially nice time to start a garden journal. Your what-to-do-in-the-garden-today lists have shortened and everything is just so achingly beautiful.

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tiny beacons of summer

tiny beacons of summer

written by Lisa Briggs
Are they fireflies, glowworms or lightning bugs? It doesn’t really matter what you call them because one of our favorite sights of summer are those yellow-green orbs flashing against the backdrop of the garden at dusk.

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is it finally time to plant?

is it finally time to plant?

written by Lisa Briggs
May is many a gardener’s favorite month, and this year even more so! The seesaw spring had spring flowers developing in fits and starts, but the warm temps late last week pushed many plants hard, all at once.

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the 64 dollar gardening question

the 64 dollar gardening question

written by Lisa Briggs
I find that the pace of spring seems more accelerated every year and this season is especially frenzied. The yoyo temperatures had all of us itching to start gardening in March, even though those chilly nights held back a lot of our plant deliveries and trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals are arriving early!

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we are so ready for spring!

we are so ready for spring!

written by Lisa Briggs
April’s crazy temperature swings had gardeners racing from the urge to get tomatoes in the ground to the scrambling to dig up floating row covers and empty utility pots from the back of the garage.

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is spring here to stay?

is spring here to stay?

written by Lisa Briggs
Last weekend’s really warm days gave us a taste of the summer to come, but the unseasonably high temps should moderate for the next few days to something more seasonal.

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beauty can be fleeting

beauty can be fleeting

written by Lisa Briggs
Every spring, gardeners hold their collective breath as we wait for the first green shoots pushing through the warming soil. To be a perennial gardener in this climate requires great faith in your choices.

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