Gardening Basics

Green Gardening

Planting a vegetable or flower garden seems like the perfect thing to do when you are looking for ways to adopt a greener, more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Some traditional gardening practices, however, may not be quite as “green” as you might think. Planning your gardens with the environment in mind and choosing some practices that maintain healthy […]

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Growing Grass in the Shade

Cool season turf grasses prefer to grow in the sun. To establish a thick, healthy lawn of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye, you will need at least six hours of full sun daily. Fine and tall fescues are more shade-tolerant and require a minimum of four hours of full or eight hours of filtered sun […]

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Edging and Trimming

Edging and trimming the lawn is like having a manicure after cutting your fingernails…everything is just more perfect!

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General Soil Amendments

The number of soil amendments sold in garden centers often confuses gardeners. These products fall into two categories, inorganic and organic.

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Determinate Versus Indeterminate Tomatoes

Halleluiah, it’s tomato-planting time again! If you’ve grown tomatoes in the past, you most likely have your favorites. If not, just ask! You’ll find some pretty strong opinions regarding tomato choices.

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Watering Tomato Plants

Proper watering plays a significant role in producing a healthy tomato plant with tasty, meaty, juicy fruit. So, what’s the secret?

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Growing and Containing Rampant Spreaders

What do you do when you fall in love with a plant but you know it spreads and could take over your entire garden? You don’t have to give up your hopes of nurturing this plant, you just have to learn how to contain it securely without destroying its beauty. Favorite Spreaders Many different plants […]

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Rain Barrels

You’ve heard it said, "When it rains, it pours." This could refer to the amount of rain on the roof going through the gutters and downspouts, and then out to the storm drains and pouring away from your garden. With the unpredictability of rain and the cost of water, don't you wish you could keep some of that rain?

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Spring Lawn Renovation

Seeding: If you are planning to seed a new lawn or over-seed an existing one, it is best to seed as early as possible. It is important to get seed germinated and growing before trees begin to leaf out. This is especially true in shaded areas. Keep the area moist at all times until the […]

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Mowing. Do It Right

If you have a lawn then you need to mow. If you need to mow then you may as well do it right. Here are the basics:  Service your lawn mower in the fall, after your last cut, so that you start the next season right. Change the oil, drain the gas, replace the spark […]

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