We gardeners don’t need a weatherman to know it’s been an abnormally dry year in the Charlottesville area. Federal weather data confirms what we’re seeing in our yards: total precipitation for our locality is around four inches below what we would … [Read more...]
Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
The following is a list of landscape plants rated according to their resistance to deer damage. The list was compiled with input from nursery and landscape professionals, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative … [Read more...]
COLEUS
Coleus plants (Coleus scutellarioides) are prized for their colorful foliage, which may combine shades of green, yellow, pink, red, rust, and maroon. New introductions of this popular summer annual plant have been selected for increased sun and heat … [Read more...]
BUILDING BIODIVERSITY
Nature loves a layer. She cements courses of sediment into solid stone. She laminates an annual succession of circles into living trees. She layers an onion in pungent iterations of itself, one inside the other. And, sandwiched between the strata of … [Read more...]
Constructing and Caring for Container Water Gardens
A decorative pot of water garden plants on your patio or deck is not only beautiful, it might just be the lowest maintenance gardening you will ever do. You can't over water them and it is very hard to under water them, too. Read more: … [Read more...]
Edgeworthia chrysantha
Edgeworthia chrysantha, also known as the paperbush plant, provides superb winter interest and fragrance. Read more: … [Read more...]
Growing Sugar Snap Peas
Growing sugar snap peas in the home garden is relatively easy if you take a few simple steps to prepare the garden beds and give peas plenty of cool weather days to grow and flourish. Read More: … [Read more...]
MARCH MADNESS! SPRING GARDENING IS AFOOT!
The hot summer months will soon be upon us, so ready or not, it is time to be thinking about all those garden chores that need to be done. The quiet winter and early spring months are great times to get those garden tools and … [Read more...]
Gifts from the Garden
Cooler weather has reduced the frenzy of garden chores, so let’s have fun. It is time to get crafty with Supervisory Horticulturist Melinda Whicher! Learn how to upcycle things around your house or from your local thrift store to create beautiful … [Read more...]
Native Plants for Winter Interest
A number of plants native to our region provide continuing value and interest in our gardens into the winter. Their evergreen foliage or interesting bark add beauty to the landscape, while their berries, seeds, or stems provide support to wildlife … [Read more...]