Blogs by Year

Bird watching is one of America's fastest-growing hobbies, and creating a backyard habitat is a convenient way to enjoy these fine-feathered friends. Surveys reveal that nearly half the households in the United States provide food and shelter for wild birds. What has made watching birds the fastest growing hobby in the country second only to gardening? Their colorful and entertaining presence is fascinating to observe, especially through the long, dreary days of winter. Birdwatchers are always excited about seeing the birds enter and leave their houses year after year.

Looking for unique plants to tuck around your home? You'll love Tillandsia (also known as Air Plants). Set them on a stack of books, hang them near a window, grow them on driftwood or simply set them in a shallow dish. No soil needed!

by Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener and gardening writer living in York County, VirginiaWhen an unexpected warm day arrives in January, I use the gift to walk my yard, looking for signs of life. Exfoliating bark on the crape myrtles and winter-flowering camellias catch my eye, but it’s the Edgeworthia chrysantha in the back corner of the yard that really entices me to walk closer. Edgeworthia, nicknamed “paperbush,” has a split personality, in my viewpoint.

The cold keeps coming up with ways to keep us out of the garden. We keep coming up with new ways to keep us digging in the dirt! It's a great time of year to invite a wide and varied bunch of plants into your home with succulents. These unique plants are low-maintenance, get by on minimal water, and come in interesting shapes, varied patterns, unusual colors and many even boast beautiful flowers! These plants are all the rage in the home and garden, appearing everywhere from table-top terrariums, dish gardens and even in glass orbs suspended in air.

Who wouldn’t like an endless supply of sunshine, especially this time of year? Well, what if we told you that we knew where you could find a splash of sunshine all year round…that’s easy - citrus! Tuck citrus plants around your house in containers this winter and enjoy their evergreen beauty, sweet fragrance and mouthwatering fruit. Once warm weather sets in, move your citrus plants outside and enjoy them all summer long. Most citrus is hardy to 38°F, but we recommend keeping them indoors until late spring.

As the hustle and bustle of the holidays draws to an end, we anticipate what the new year will bring. A new year brings new trends... in food, fashion, technology and yes, in the garden. We've scouted out the forecast of what to expect in the gardening world over this next year or so.

Find yourself pining for those sunny spring days full of your favorite blooming flowers? Us too. The best medicine for any gardener and flower lover is to surround yourself with colorful blooms indoors. There are loads of plants that will give you that spring feeling inside your home. We’ve chosen a few of our favorite blooming houseplants featuring great flower power that pack a punch.

Hellebores are truly winter's most captivating blooms. They are evergreen perennials, meaning they will keep their leaves year round. But, it's their beautiful, showy flowers during winter that really steal the show. These staples of the winter garden are tough as nails and take center stage in the winter landscape.

by Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener and gardening writer living in York County, VirginiaThe start of a new year means the beginnings of better intentions – in my garden, as well as my everyday life. New Year’s resolutions are fun and functional even if you don’t keep each and every one. When I make a New Year’s resolution, I try to be realistic about what I can and can’t do. And, if I end up breaking one or more, I don’t fret because at least I thought about it and tried.Here’s what I resolve to do in my yard in 2016: