Gardens in New England come to life in spring thanks, in large part, to bulbs! Spring bulbs are reliable, perennial color-bringers and seem equally at place in landscapes and containers. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.), grape hyacinth (Muscari spp.), and tulips (Tulipa spp.), are just some of the bulb plants that grace our gardens this time of year, and they remind us that the blooms of summer alliums aren’t far behind. While these plants might seem effortless to grow, they aren’t without their fair share of disease issues! One common disease of bulbs we see here in Connecticut is Fusarium wilt and ..read more

In spring, gardeners will be starting to seek out materials like mulch, stone, compost and topsoil as a foundation or as a finishing touch for many projects. These materials can be sold in bags or as a bulk product. While the difference between the two may seem obvious, a gardener may select bagged or bulk materials based on many factors surrounding the project they are planning out. Mulch in bags can be easier for small scale applications. Photo by H. Zidack Bagged materials are pre-measured and can be useful in multiple applications. Consumers can purchase topsoil, mulch, stone, soilless med ..read more

The Sansevieria group makes up some of my favorite houseplants. Scientists recently placed them in the genus Dracaena, but its former scientific name seems to also be one of its common names. I will continue to refer to it as Sansevieria in this article to avoid confusion. In the future, you will most likely see the plant tags that come with plants offered for sale finally catch up with this change in the scientific community. This plant has many common names including “snake plant” and my personal favorite “mother-in-law’s tongue”.  Like many varieties of houseplant, there are some stapl ..read more

This past March 9 – 11, I joined a bus tour coordinated by the CT Horticultural Society and lead by Nancy Dubrule that was headed down to the Philadelphia Flower Show. This is the longest running and largest horticultural event in the nation, now in its 195th year! Held in the PA Convention Center and put on by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, there are just awe-inspiring landscapes and floral displays by designers from near and far. Entrance floral display at the 2024 Philadelphia Flower Show. Photo by dmp2024. This year’s theme was United by Flowers. There were so many beautiful and c ..read more

Native Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis flowers before leaves appear in early spring Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty.” — William Shakespeare Native red maple Acer rubrum In late March there are signs that spring is here. Snow is usually gone, and although no leaves have appeared on our deciduous trees and shrubs, there may be flowers that will provide early bees with their first meal of the year. Red maples bloom early and provide food for many pollinators like flies, bees and beetles that are just emerging in the spring. While some nati ..read more

www.arborday.org/backyardwoods  Winter is a great time for gardeners to plan for their next growing season.  Many think that planning can only be done inside. Not so. Now is an ideal time to prune deciduous landscape trees. The absence of leaves gives a clear view of the canopy above and allows for a clear assessment of a tree’s structure and any problems that may be present. In addition, there are no pests present in winter, and disease spread will be slowed by the cold weather. But before heading outside with those loppers and pruning saws, there are a few important things to know ..read more

February is a fantastic time for starting seedlings. The good news is that it’s easy and there’s plenty of information out there! We often get caught up in the excitement of new products and “life hacks” that seem to make our lives easier. But the simplicity of starting your own seeds can be part of the joy of growing plants yourself.  Visual growing charts and long texts on cultural conditions are great resources if you’re really dedicated to utilizing your space to its maximum efficiency and growing the perfect produce. However, sometimes these charts can get gardeners in a bind. They ..read more

There are a few different ways that people keep houseplants. Some people place the plants in their homes, and then leave them there permanently. For others, the houseplants are simply overwintering in the house, but their true home is outdoors. I tend to be the second type. This type of behavior leads to some problems, the worst being where do you put all the plants in the winter. For temporary housing, it is difficult to ensure the plants have adequate light, water, and temperature. It is fairly easy to water the plants, and with the copious amounts of LED fixtures on the market today, light ..read more

While there’s always the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts of flowers and candy, why not give that special someone a plant with heart-shaped leaves that will likely last much longer than chocolates or bouquets. There are actually a number of plant species to choose from with some being quite easy to grow. Perhaps the cutest, as well as the easiest is the Sweetheart hoya (Hoya kerrii). Hoyas are a very slow growing, vining plant with stems that may reach 13 feet in length. Typically, it is grown in a wreath form or on a trellis. The pink or white flowers are fragrant but not produced in great a ..read more

Plants need at least seventeen essential nutrients to complete their life cycles. Scientists group these essential nutrients into macronutrients (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium and magnesium), which are required in large quantities and micronutrients (zinc, iron, copper, boron, manganese, chlorine, molybdenum and nickel), which are required in small quantities. Sufficient amounts of these nutrients are required in order for plants to produce well. If there is a deficiency of any essential element, yield and quality can be reduced. Also, too much a nu ..read more