Viva Italia !   Terracotta is an un-glazed, typically brownish- reddish clay earthenware from Italy. What you buy new is a bland Terracotta planter with no character at all!  Well here is a trick that will help age your pot beautifully. Its an easy method to make them looked old and wise – like it has seen many Tuscan summers.    Method   To subdue the bright orange/ red look of a new planter and give a garden an aged elegance all you need is three things.  Some plain ( full fat ) yogurt (no dieting for these guys !), a dry foam paint brush, and of course your t ..read more

Introduction   Plants are subject to disease and attack by pathogens just like any other organism on the planet. Diseases are biological organisms that affect plants inside their tissues. They are endoparasites.  There are many types and come in many shapes and forms. The scientific study of diseases caused by pathogens is called Plant Pathology or phytopathology.   SCARY telial horns of Cedar Apple Rust disease   Symptoms   Plant appearance can give a clue regarding the type of pathogen involved. A symptom of disease is a visible effect of on the plant. These ma ..read more

Roots   Roots are in a perpetual search for new sources of food and water. This continuous growth habit is never ending. They move away from the center of the plant and can go in any direction except up, or into sunlight. There are substances in the roots sensitive to gravity and this keeps them going downwards.  The roots also won’t grow into sunlight because other chemicals steer them away from damaging solar rays.   Older roots are covered in bark ! – and they can’t absorb water !   Root growth and hormones   The growing habit has a limit – which its length and bre ..read more

HYBRIDIZING   From a commercial perspective it is a process by which new, plants are developed with particularly desirable qualities therefore making them more marketable. Hybrids are developed for their disease resistance, growth rate, size of plant, flower, fruit or size of fruit, increased flowering, color, taste, or any reason a plant might be considered special. Most modern plants currently available to home gardeners are hybrids.   A mountain of hybrid tomatoes   What Is a Hybrid Plant ?   Simply put, a hybrid plant is the result of cross-pollinating two different pl ..read more

We have had quite a few questions lately looking for ideas on gardening ideas and advice for long narrow spaces. Not everyone has the luxury of a sprawling rooftop garden, but that does not exclude you from utilizing what outdoor space you have.   Sunlight   Be very aware of the direction of the light as that will dictate many things within your outdoor space.   That includes type of plants chosen, furniture materials, flooring and colors.    A steel plate flooring looks amazing but will not work in every situation due to overheating – therefore making the space ..read more

The Past   Do you remember going to a friends place as a kid and their parents would have blue Astro turf around the raised hot tub or even up the wall ! Oh yes you do! OMG – platform shoes and a floral shirt with big old collar lol !!! – it wasn’t that long ago!!!   Oh yes – sun bleached and BLUE !   We’ve come a long long way since then.  I remember sitting with a friend of mine on Chelsea Piers here in Manhattan – or at least one of the piers in that area.  We were watching the kids play with some friends and our conversation turned to landscaping and synthetic law ..read more

The Dream   A fabulous design by Plant Specialists for a fabulous spot !   So you have a fabulous plan in place –  hopefully done by the talented team at Plant Specialists ! Your friends are green with envy at the space you are creating ! Then you realize that your trees and furniture are not going to fit in that service elevator. Aghhhhh ! What to do what to do!! – Crane it all up !!!   The Reality   Craning is an expensive and time consuming option.  Just the concept of closing down a street ( or half of a street ) you already have an inkling that this would be ..read more

BOO!   A spooky rooftop installation !   Do you avoid walking under ladders that are open? Knock on wood to ward off bad events happening ? Do you talk to the bees ( it’s a hard language to master ) Do you avoid Fairy rings ? – That’s all called Superstition ! You may be surprised at what is a good omen and a bad omen in your garden. Knocking on wood   Touching or knocking on wood for luck is a superstition that exists all around the world. It is so common that many of us do it regularly without thinking about where this practice came from. The origin of the custom may be in ..read more

  SPRING BULBS   soo many choices !   If you love spring bulbs (really – who doesn’t) and want to enjoy yours’ swaying in the cool breeze of a sunny Spring day – you better start planting them soon !  Fall is the time for planting spring bulbs. But – It gets complicated – the availability, variety and simply overwhelming amount of color choices and shades is sometimes just too much to bear.  Grab a bulb catalog (or online version) and you will see what I mean.  SOO MANY CHOICES.  So much to consider…. color, height, spacing, bloom time, planting zones.   ..read more

A truly nightmare insect   Spider mites are small – you need a magnifying lens to see them.  They are also voracious and will destroy any plant they attack in very short order. Like just a few weeks!     Close up of a spider mite – they are actually the size of a speck of dust !   Spider mites are in the spider family (8 legs).  They are not technically insects (six legs), and as such do not respond to the same type of insecticides made for insects.  The pesticides that use synergists (chemicals) made for insects don’t work on spider mites because their chem ..read more