The Easiest Way To Ruin Lavender

 

Photo source:  Southern Living

"This plant isn’t finicky, but you do need to understand its needs and how it grows in its original native range. “Lavender is a resilient, drought-tolerant plant, native to the Mediterranean,” says Josh Geiger, propagation manager for the Southern Living Plant Collection. “It thrives in dry, sunny conditions and well-drained soil.”  Comment from Southern Living

Click here to go to the Southern Living article if you are a gardener who grows or wants to grow lavender.

read more

Don't Start Your Spring Yard Cleanup Too Soon

 

Photo source:  Better Homes and Gardens

"As the weather warms and the first green shoots appear after the winter, many gardeners are eager to start tidying up their yard. Yet, starting yard cleanup too soon can do more harm than good. That's because our yards are important habitats for a wide range of beneficial insects that play a key role in maintaining the health of our garden plants."  Comment from Better Homes and Gardens

Click here to go to the Better Homes and Gardens article.

read more

Best Place to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder

 

Photo source:  Real Simple

"You’ve purchased and hung your hummingbird feeder, added the nectar, and waited for your fluttering friends to arrive… but they haven’t. “Hummingbirds are remarkably good at finding feeders,” says Noah Perlut, PhD, ornithologist and professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England. So, if you’re noticing a lack of feathery guests, it’s probably a sign your setup isn’t quite right."  Comment from Real Simple

This is an article that I need to pay attention to and learn what I am doing wrong!

Click here to go to the Real Simple article.

read more

How To Use Stone As A Mulch

 

Photo source:  This Is My Garden

"When it comes to using stone as a mulch in the landscape successfully, it all comes down to knowing where stone will work well, and where using it may cause more problems than it solves."  Comment from This Is My Garden

This article speaks to me since this is what I want to do in my gardens.

Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article.

read more

Christmas Cactus Annual Care

 

Photo source:  Rural Sprout

The editor for Rural Sprout gets questions from gardeners  around October about their Christmas Cactus and what to do to make their plant bloom.  He has the unfortunate task to answer the following.

“Well, these plants have specific needs that must be met throughout the year for them to have enough energy to bloom. At this point in the cycle, there isn’t a whole lot you can do. However, I’ll happily walk you through what you need to do next year to ensure you have plenty of blossoms come Christmastime.”

Check out the article at Rural Sprout to get the answers.

Click here to go to there.

read more