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D.A.R.E. to Keep Your Landscapers Off Pears
Over the years, you can’t help but notice Callery Pears, Pyrus calleryana (most commonly known as Bradford Pears), popping up everywhere. Just today my vision was bombarded by masses of Callery Pears...
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Apples and Pumpkins, Perfect Together.
Looking for ideas on what to make for Thanksgiving? Why not combine two local, readily available fall fruits for a treat the whole family will enjoy. Continue reading →
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Jasminum nudiflorum
Buttery yellow February blooms. Classified as a woody shrub, it will layer and root on its own, but in my experience it is easy to control. Continue reading →
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Iris reticulata
Typical Iris flower with brilliant purple blooms contrasted with a gold central stripe. Classified as a bulb, it will very slowly colonize and can be divided when dormant. Continue reading →
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Sprouting Peas: An Annual St. Patty’s Day Ritual
Why sprout peas instead of planting them directly in the ground? Sprouting ensures germination, and eliminates the need for guessing. If a pea doesn't sprout, it is not viable. Sprouting is simple if...
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To Pull Or Not To Pull?
Can you tell the difference between these two plants? The answer is important, at least to the wildlife and native plants displaced by one of them. These two plants grow side by side in my garden, and...
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Sanguinaria canadensis, Bloodroot
This is an early spring ephemeral, with clear white blossoms that wake with the sun and close for the night. It blooms right before our deciduous forests leaf out. Continue reading →
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Short, But Sweet: Fragrance for the Spring Garden
Spring has come, and left me with little time to blog. This is a short, but sweet homage to some of my favorite fragrant plants. They are delightful additions to any Spring garden, especially for you...
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Useful, Elegant Ferns For Moist Soils
Ferns are definitely underutilized in most gardens. Yet, if you have a 'garden situation', there is more than likely some fern that will grow and thrive there. Wet shade can be a wonderful situation if...
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Double Your Flower Power With Vines
On a recent trip to Chanticleer, it didn't go unnoticed how they repeatedly used vines to extend the flowering season, or create more visual impact, making the most of vertical space, even when space...
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No Fuss Container Plantings
This spring, I wanted to give containers another try. I covet Southern California gardens for their simplicity in form and natural beauty they portray. These plants thrive on 'neglect'. They grow...
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Honoring The Potager. Pot-a-what?
News flash. Vegetables are in vogue. Not only at fancy gardens like Longwood Gardens and Chanticleer, but in our very own yards. The best way to capture the spirit of garden design, while also...
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In A Pickle? What To Do With All Those Cucumbers.
Whoever coined the term 'lazy days of summer' must not have been a vegetable gardener. In fact, July through September are some of the busiest days. Not only are the bugs out reaping havoc, the food is...
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I Say Tomato; You say Tomatillo
While it's difficult to think of a more rewarding plant than the tomato, the beloved green tomato well known in Mexican cuisine (aka the tomatillo pronounced toe-ma-tia) takes a close second. One of...
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Ode to Coastal Plants
Located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey, Cape May Point is not only a fabulous place to enjoy the ocean, but this tiny beach town is home to tons of wildlife. Home of Cape May Point State Park, a...
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What Makes A Well Drained Garden? Adding Leeks Of Course.
Potatoes are also easy to grow, but having nowhere to store them, I decided to make soup and freeze it so that we could enjoy it throughout the winter. The first recipe I tried was a savory success. It...
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Falling For Pink
Pink is one of those colors that give people a visceral reaction, either for or against. Although widely accepted in early spring, pink is often overlooked in the fall. Perhaps the stark winter...
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From Seed To Soup. The Evolution Of One Tasty Butternut Squash.
Once the fruits are produced in July, they rapidly mature and are ready to be picked in late August-September. They store extremely well untouched, however; this fall I decided to prepare all my squash...
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