Beware the Callery Pear!
This time of year they are SO tempting! Seeing the eruption of white blossoms along a city boulevard or a suburban driveway, it’s easy to be lured into adding a Bradford Pear to your yard. But DO NOT give in. The…
Time to Start Tomatoes From Seed!
As thoughts turn to vegetable gardening in late winter and early spring, many of us want to start some vegetables indoors. Tomatoes, of course, are often the first choice! Starting tomatoes from seed is more work than buying transplants, but…
Putting the Brakes on Stormwater Runoff
Federal climate data confirm what we’ve all seen in our rain gauges in recent years: extreme precipitation events are happening more frequently in Virginia. As heavy rainfalls trend upward, so does stormwater runoff and the pollution it carries into our…
How to Bring Home the Birds
This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count—a real-time snapshot of bird populations—will take place from February 12 to 15. How many will you see in your backyard? According to The New York Times, the number of birds in the United States…
World Wetlands Day: 50 Years of Recognition
February 2 in the United States is Groundhog Day. We all know that if the groundhog emerges from his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and sees his shadow on a nice sunny morning, we are all in for six more weeks…
Don’t Wait to Order Seeds
The seed catalogs started to arrive in November. What better way to spend a cold, windy day in January than with a seed catalog, dreaming about the bounty of the harvest to come? The descriptions are amazing: “attractive plants will…
Forcing Bulbs Indoors Provides a Harbinger of Spring
After the excitement of the holidays fade, we turn reluctantly to the long, dark, cold days of January and wish for the joyful color of early spring blooms. What could brighten our homes as we await warmer weather and more…
How to Recycle Your Holiday Tree
Our live, cut Christmas trees give us delight this time of year, but when the holidays are over, the trees become organic waste. Considering that the U.S. EPA estimates around 20 percent of our municipal solid waste is already organic,…
Making a Holiday Wreath – Symbol of the Season
For those of us who love nature, gardening and the holidays, displaying beautiful wreaths on our doors and around our homes is a time-honored tradition at this time of year. If you’ve never attempted to make a wreath yourself, it’s…
Strengthen the Soil Food Web
The recent World Soil Day, observed each year on December 5, provided an opportunity to appreciate healthy soil and the need to sustain it as a living resource. For gardeners, it was a moment to recognize the role of the…