With the gardening season coming to a close, it’s no time to let your guard down as pests continue to be a nuisance all year round. Here are a few simple guidelines for protecting your garden from pests over the colder months ahead: • Closely monitor your outdoor space to determine the type of pest […]
(ARA)-Springtime means sunshine, blooms, birdsong – and the dreaded “deer drama” that will inevitably wreak havoc in your beautiful backyard this season. Deer are now a permanent part of our landscapes, brazenly entering our yards and eating our gorgeous gardens. They are majestic animals, and beautiful to look at – from a distance. Up […]
(ARA) – Gardeners are familiar with the joy of planting and nurturing flowers, fruits, and vegetables to maturity and the bliss of harvesting nature’s bounty. One of the few things that can make that bliss turn into annoyance is an infestation of bugs. While many insects are beneficial to the garden, others can be very […]
Your garden says a lot about who you are. By carefully choosing and arranging plants, tilling the soil, and caring for your flowers and vegetables, you bring a part of nature into your life. In addition to the visual appeal of the plants, gardens attract wildlife. Rabbits and squirrels, butterflies, and birds all enjoy your garden, adding to the beauty. Birds in particular bring great joy to a garden. The lovely melodies in the air and brightly colored plumage of birds bring your backyard habitats to life as warmer weather approaches; a reminder spring is returning once again. With this …
Intro Squirrels are a nuisance to all homeowners. Squirrels will chew through anything, and they can even jump up to six feet in the air. Squirrel-proof bird feeders have been designed as a solution for this problem. Squirrel-proof bird feeders are made so that squirrels cannot climb them or reach them from below, which means you won’t have any more problems with these pesky critters coming into your yard and stealing food from your feeder! These types of feeders work by either being too high for squirrels to reach, or having a design that prevents them from climbing up on …
This video is serving a great purpose in my life! Although I know my personal gardens will never be as majestic and grandiose as these gardens, it gives me inspiration for ideas and design. After all, a beautiful garden has a theme or direction it is going. For me, the most beautiful gardens are the ones dotted with tons of color. Like something out of a gorgeous Monet painting. This video is also great because the music is quite peaceful and in general, it is quite relaxing to watch. Maybe one day I will have a magical garden to frolic …
The beauty of evergreens lies in their name – they add year-round color and life to gardens and yards. Narrow-leaf evergreen shrubs, such as cedar and spruce are most commonly known, but this group also includes broadleaf evergreens including rhododendrons, camellias, and laurels. Although these trees and shrubs are a low-maintenance addition to yards and gardens, they do require a little extra attention to keep them healthy throughout the winter. As the temperatures begin to fall, continue to water evergreens as often as once a week, as long as the air temperature is above freezing. This is especially important for …
Summer picnic season is upon us, and that means it is time to grab the sunglasses, cooler and sunscreen, and head outdoors. But people are not the only ones who want to enjoy the warm weather. Flying, stinging insects like bees and wasps are abuzz and make their presence known when collecting pollen and nectar as the weather warms. “In the proper environment, bees, wasps, and yellow jackets can be very beneficial,” says Ron Harrison, entomologist and Orkin technical services director. “In addition to pollinating flowers and plants, they eat grubs, flies, and other harmful pests. It is when they …
If you have ever read any of my articles involving activities with my children, you will probably be aware that I am a huge fan of backyard science. I love all the things that you can find in a backyard and there are a thousand and one things that you can find in a yard. To me, a garden is a place that is alive, not just with flowers and plants but many different little animals that make it their home. I am always promoting the need for backyard habitats. Inviting animals into the yard provides you with many picturesque …
Right now, as I look out onto my front patio, I can see a squirrel sitting on top of my box planter, which is a permanent patio fixture, and happily chewing on something from the cache that he stashed there in the fall. It isn’t a big deal, at least right now, since the planter is full of snow, but it is a reminder that I will need to take some action next year to keep this happy-go-lucky squirrel from digging up the plants that will be in those boxes. Squirrels can be pretty big pests when it comes to …