Garden spiders are not aggressive. They are much, much more likely to run than to attack. They are typically found in gardens, meadows and clearings….not in your bed. If you do happen to find a garden spider in your house, its most likely in search of disease carrying flies. There are approximately 120 known species… Click here to read more…
Plant Tying Techniques.
Here’s an easy way to tie up plants in your yard and garden. A few days ago I was walking through the hardware store when this stuff caught my eye. It’s called Soft Wire Tire and basically, it’s rubber coated wire. You can use it to tie up your plants without damaging them because it’s… Click here to read more…
Amending Garden Soil
When to Amend Garden Soil and When Not to. The two types of garden soil that really need to be amended the most are clay soil and sandy soil. Clay needs to be amended to loosen it up. The roots of plants need to have the ability to transfer oxygen through the soil to the… Click here to read more…
The Pre-Spring Gardening Checklist.
Let’s see, what should we put on our pre-spring gardening checklist? I need your help with this, comment below and let me know what I missed. 1. Get all of the remaining leaves out of my beds. 2. Remove the tops from the perennials, Hosta, Daylily etc. 3. Trim any trees that need trimming while… Click here to read more…
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple
Hey! Ya know what? I love what I do! Yeah, I know, I’m a plant geek, but how can you not appreciate a plant this beautiful and this unique. I’ve had this Lion’s Head Japanese Maple in my landscape for about 7 years now and I really, really like it. I sit on the porch and just… Click here to read more…
Teaching a Lavender Twist Redbud Tree how to be a Tree
I made a movie for you about how to create a beautiful tree like this. The video is below. The Lavender Twist Weeping Redbud tree was discovered and developed by my friend Tim Brotzman of Brotzman’s Nursery in Madison, Ohio. What a spectacular plant! Brotzman’s is wholesale only, please do not contact them trying to… Click here to read more…
My Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is Dying
Some Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick plants (corylus avellana contorta) are being attacked and are dying slowly. This doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem, but it is happening. The disease that is attacking them is called Eastern Filbert Blight, which is a fungal type disease and not an insect problem. If you have a plant… Click here to read more…
Training Lavender Twist Redbud
Training Lavender Twist Redbud
Hydrangea Pruning Made Easy
Hydrangea pruning! When is the best time? When is the correct time? I promise to make this easy once and for all. You can grow and sell plants just like this and people will go crazy over them. Getting started is easy. Start right now! Hydrangeas are confusing, to say the least, but in this article,… Click here to read more…
Weed Control Facts
I wrote an article about Weed Barrier Fabric and lots and lots of people said; “Hey Mike, if weed control fabric isn’t good, how do we control weeds? So here’s the low down on weeds and how they think. Think about weeds and what they need. They need water, nutrition, and sunlight to thrive. Since… Click here to read more…