You may have noticed greenish/brown jelly like blobs appearing in your drive way or lawn. That is called Nostoc. It is a type of bacteria that gets its energy from photosynthesis like plants do. Following a period of rain, it may appear suddenly in lawns, pastures, paved surfaces, roofs or stones. Nostoc has many colorful names including witches’ butter, mare’s eggs and meadow ears, among others. In fact, one of the earliest names for it was star jelly, based on the belief that it was a remnant of shooting stars fallen to earth. Continue reading
Planting for Spring Surprises
Everyone I know loves being surprised. That’s the feeling I get in the spring when the first signs of crocuses appear in my garden beds and across my lawn. I planted the bulbs over 10 years ago and they still bring joy and a feeling of surprise when they pop out of the winter ground. Continue reading
Sourwood
Have you ever looked up in the tree canopy to look for flowers in summer months? Some trees flower in the summer. There are fewer trees that bloom in July and August. Summer beauty can be enhanced by adding a native summer-flowering tree. Take a look at the Kentucky’s Sourwood tree Oxydendrum arboreum. These are a delight to the landscape and flower in summer. Continue reading
Growing Grass in the Shade
Growing grass in the shade is problem for which there are no easy answers. Grass is a full-sun plant and when planted in shaded areas (defined as a site that receives less than 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight daily) it performs poorly. The filtering effect of trees significantly reduces the amount and quality of light grasses receive. This has an adverse effect on photosynthesis, the process that produces energy needed for the grasses to grow. What we see from this effect are grasses that are thin, weak, and have a lower tolerance to disease, drought and wear stress. Continue reading
Autumn Vegetable Gardening
Did your plans for a summer vegetable garden not work out? Did you lose track of time and never got around to planting a summer garden? Did you go on vacation to come back to a weedy mess that you just didn’t have the energy to correct before it was too late? If you answered yes to any of these questions it’s not too late to get homegrown vegetables from your own backyard this season! Continue reading
Choosing Lavender To Meet Your Needs
Often home gardeners are disappointed in their efforts at growing lavender. We see those images online of lush lavender fields growing in the Mediterranean, then are puzzled that one little plant does not do well. Continue reading
Why Are My Arborvitae Turning Brown?
There have been several samples of arborvitae brought in over the past few weeks. In each case, there were brown spots showing up on the shrub. I inspected the samples but could not find any evidence of disease or insect problems. This led me to think it must be something in the environment. What could have happened in the environment to cause brown spots to show up on evergreens? If you think back over the last year or two, a lot of stress has occurred in our landscapes. Continue reading
Mowing Height Matters
Nothing signals springtime quite like the smell of fresh cut grass wafting through the neighborhood. With warmer weather on the way, your annual lawn duties begin. Of those tasks, mowing at the right height can have a big impact on the overall health of your turf and future weed problems. Continue reading
Victory Gardens
Even with the current events going on, we are lucky as Americans to have a stable food supply system. Many of us garden as a hobby and are able to supplement some of our normal groceries with things we have produced in our own gardens. In the early 1900’s many families solely depended upon the gardens they grew in their own backyards. During the First and Second World Wars these backyard gardens played a much bigger role in the battle against food insecurity. Continue reading
Butterfly Gardens
This summer, many families plan to travel for vacation. Maybe a trip to the beach or out west to the mountains. Some of these trips require a day or two of driving long distances. One species of butterfly could be considered the ultimate trip planner. Continue reading
