Tips for getting rid of squash bugs Story and Photos by Kristi Cook It happens every year. Carefully tended squash seedlings slowly mature into dark green, leafy bushes loaded with yellow blossoms, causing my mouth to water in anticipation of the summer’s first squash. And much to my dismay, I am never alone in my …
Beat the garden bug blues this growing season Story and Photos by Dr. Blake Layton Looking forward to this year’s vegetable garden? So are many insect pests. Much like people, insects have strong preferences about which vegetables they like best. Tobacco hornworms love tomatoes but can’t stand cabbage or broccoli, while cross-striped cabbageworms’ preferences are …
Thug plants to avoid in the landscape Story and Photography by Susan Albert Everyone who gardens can relate to the oft-used phrase “garden thugs.” During the experimental stage, when early gardeners eagerly try many plants with wild abandon, they may come across some decidedly ornery plants that cause extra work removing their offspring. And while …
How to get rid of these pesky diggers in your landscape By Karen Neill I know you won’t believe this, especially if you have moles tunneling through your landscape, but moles are actually somewhat beneficial in the landscape. They are probably tearing up your lawn in order to achieve this, but they do help with …
You may not be playing golf on your lawn, but that’s no reason it can’t look great By Jeff Wilson, Ph.D. Having a beautiful lawn is not something that happens by chance. A lot of hard work goes into having clean, manicured turf. Weeds, insects, and diseases can all wreak havoc in a short amount …
Tools and techniques to help in the garden when life throws you a curve By Margeaux Emery Injury, illness, arthritis, and other health conditions can bring the need to change how one gardens. A stroke, for example, can result in loss of strength in hands and arms. Arthritis causes pain in movement. Whatever difficulty life …
Using living plants to control energy costs Story and Photography by Helen Newling Lawson Everyone knows how soothing a carpet of green grass feels on bare feet or how the shade of a large tree offers relief on a summer’s day. But did you know you could harness the cooling effect of living plants to …
Keep these plants away from each other By Diane Beyer Everyone has had an experience with a bad neighbor. There are various reasons for considering a neighbor “bad,” but most of them have an element of “chemistry” in them somewhere. Some people just don’t get along. It’s no different in the plant world. Since plants …
Dealing with sunlight transitions in the landscape Story and Photography by Annie Barbas Instant garden changes came in the form of a tornado flinging branches on rooftops and toppling trees. Live oaks (Quercus virginiana), some more than 70 years old fell, clipping the gable and splitting the satsuma tangerine tree (Citrus unshiu) while also eliminating …
How to grow healthy and delicious produce without 8 hours of sunlight By Julie Thompson-Adolf Dreaming of delicious heirloom tomatoes? Pining for perfect peppers? Living with a shady garden presents challenges, particularly if your gardening niche focuses on edibles. As a gardener who prefers peas and pac choi to petunias, I’ve learned to search out …
