Making a Tussie Mussie
Tussie mussies and lavender bottles' delicate fragrances shielded and delighted the noses of the Victorians. Both are quite easy to make today. Traditionally, tussie mussies were made using aromatic herbs such as artemesia and bergamot. Today, ... [... more]
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Is That a Good Ladybug or a Bad Ladybug?
Ladybugs are some of the most lovable insects around. But did you know that some species might actually hurt your garden? Ladybugs species can look very different from one another. Ladybugs can be pink, red, orange, or yellow, with anywhere from ... [... more]
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Bringing Color Theory to Your Garden
Every home gardener should have a basic knowledge of color theory. In general, choosing plants with similar hues makes for a muted garden with a blended palette. For example, a garden with pink, lilac, and blue flowers feels harmonious, as if ... [... more]
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Container Gardening: Big Results In Small Spaces
The Country Gardener, J.B. McGowan, offers some timely tips for container gardening If your home or your schedule can't accommodate a large garden, container gardening may be for you. Pots are portable so you can rearrange them as often as you do ... [... more]
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Phloem -- Philosophically Speaking
A text book journey yields a gentle reminder of the miraculous microcosm of our world inside a tiny plant It was a simple challenge from a friend -- "What is phloem?" I could have ignored his question. But that didn't seem right, given that my . [... more]
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Suggestions for the determined
Good fences make good neighbors when deer move into the garden No, this is not "An Ode to Our White-Tailed Neighbors" but rather as close to profane as one should get on a website. Allow me to lay out briefly my philosophy about deer, then we [... more]
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Transplanting Trees
I know spring gardening is well underway when questions arise about two of the season's best ornamentals: Transplant young lilac bushes in early spring or right after they blossom so you don't lose the current year's display. If you have a lot of ... [... more]
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The Tour De Plants
Public garden tours offer access to exquisite private gardens. Thinking about taking a garden tour? Here are some suggestions on getting the most out of a peek into someone else's horticultural world. But first, lets back up six months or so, to ... [... more]
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Developing A Landscaping Plan
Careful planning can increase your enjoyment of your property. Careful landscape planning can increase your family's enjoyment of your property andadd significantly to the value of your home. Far too often homeowners begin landscaping without a ... [... more]
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Go Out On A Limb To Care For Young Trees
The most important steps in caring for a young tree start before you buy the tree, according to a community forestry expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Elmendorf suggests consumers think carefully about the color, size and ... [... more]
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Photo: Jennifer Anderson,
Backyard wetlands: Mini-marshes can provide benefits of natural wetlands Wetlands filter excess pesticides, nutrients; provide habitat for plants and animals A mini-wetland in your yard can provide many of the same benefits that natural wetlands ... [... more]
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Don't Top That Tree
Early spring is a good time to prune many trees, but it is important to do this properly. Topping -- cutting the crown off -- not only makes a tree ugly, it can lead to its early death. Topping severely weakens trees because it removes too many ... [... more]
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