The only thing better than enjoying beautiful blooms in your garden is enjoying them again with a repeat bloom. While annuals provide ongoing flowering throughout the growing season, perennials and shrubs are often one-and-done when it comes to blooms. But there are perennials that produce more than one set of blooms in a growing season, which is known as remontancy. This term is most often used to describe reblooming roses, but there are many other remontant plants as well.   Plants can be remontant due to their natural growth pattern, certain environmental conditions (e.g., soil/air t ..read more

Mums (Chrysanthemums) are part of the fall landscape in our area, often grouped together to create sweeping swaths of stunning color. Father of modern taxonomy, Carolus Linnaeus, named the flower from the Greek word “Chrys” meaning “golden” (the color of the original flowers) and “anthemon” meaning “flower.” Originally grown in the Eurasian region, the Chrysanthemum was introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks around 400 AD. Japanese emperors were so enamored with the flower (called “Kiku” in Japan) that they sat upon thrones of Chrysanthemums.   A member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) fam ..read more

Feeling kind of washed out from summer’s heat and humidity? You’re not alone. The plants in your landscape can be affected, too, and may be suffering from heat stress, which affects a number of processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, membrane thermostability, and osmotic regulation. High temperatures and extended periods of time of extreme heat cause roots to struggle to draw enough water from the soil to keep up with the rate of water vapor coming from their leaves through transpiration.     A few facts about heat stress in plants:   Most plants grow bes ..read more

In Part 1 of our mini-series last week, we discussed the signs of trouble to look out for in your shrubs and perennials. This week, in Part 2 of our mini-series, we bring you what to look out for in your trees and lawn. Here’s are some signs to look out for in your yard which may indicate trouble: Trees Changes in Leaves – Leaves that wilt, are brown, yellow and/or drop during the spring or summer are a solid indication of a problem. This can be anything from insects to fungal diseases, heat stress or even soil issues. Fruit trees like ornamental pear and plum trees are especially vulne ..read more

Welcome to Part 1 of our 2 part mini-series on Signs of Trouble in Your Landscape! Insects, fungus, drought, heat, flooding – there are so many factors that can affect the health and beauty of your landscape. Signs of trouble can be obvious – like holes in leaves that have been chewed by insects, but others can be more subtle, like leaf mottling, or even confusing like determining if yellow leaves are from too much or too little water. Of course, the best way to keep your landscaping healthy and looking great is to start off with the right plantings for your specific planting zone and lands ..read more

Insects, fungus, drought, heat, flooding – there are so many factors that can affect the health and beauty of your landscape. Signs of trouble can be obvious – like holes in leaves that have been chewed by insects, but other can be more subtle, like leaf mottling, or even confusing like determining if yellow leaves are from too much or too little water.   Of course, the best way to keep your landscaping healthy and looking great is to start off with the right plantings for your specific planting zone and landscape and soil type. Here are some helpful tips:   Opt for Native – Native ..read more

Be on the Lookout for the Spotted Lanternfly – The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, an invasive pest native to China, India, and Vietnam, was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in Berks County in 2014, and has spread to other states including New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut and Ohio.   Though harmless to humans and animals, the spotted lanternfly is a voracious eater that causes significant feeding damage such as oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling and dieback in trees, vines, crops and many other types of plants. I ..read more

Don’t have the space for a pond or other water element for your garden? The same way you can create a container garden with soil for plants, you can create a water garden in a container.   It can be as small as one or two plants in a glazed, planter with no holes, or a galvanized tub with several plants. Here’s what you need to get started.   Find the Right Spot Most aquatic plants thrive in a site that gets between 4-6 hours of direct sun. More than that can cause issues with algae growth, and water plants typically don’t do as well in shadier conditions. It’s also helpful to have ..read more

Hardscaping can be an integral part of a truly beautiful and functional landscape design. What is hardscaping? Essentially, it’s any man-made, non-living element of your landscape, which can range as something as simple as a garden path or extravagant as an outdoor kitchen or structure like a pergola.   Along with visual appeal, hardscaping can make your outdoor space more livable, which not only enhances your enjoyment of your home, but can increase its value as well. Benefits of hardscaping include:   Enhancing your living space – Whether it’s a simple patio, a refreshing pool, a ..read more

At 9:30pm, June 2, 2023 we had a fire next to our house starting in the 1884 barn. Richard was the only one home who was in the living room at the time and who witnessed the fire first. Miles Jr. and Lisa and Richard’s wife, Morgan, were not at home. Morgan and Lisa arrived at the house a little after 10pm. Miles Jr. was driving back from Albany and arrived at the house at 11:30pm. Racheal arrived 12:30am Saturday morning, Wesley arrived Saturday night, Miles III arrived Sunday afternoon and Anna Marie, Tobin & Aspen arrived from Michigan Sunday night. Praise God that no one was hurt ami ..read more