Strolling around the Boyertown area famous “Jake’s Flea Market” two years ago, I encountered a gentleman with a sign that said something like “Plants for the Bees”. I asked if the plants were native and he said that they were. He also said that these two selections would guarantee that the bees would definitely benefit from having these beauties around. I was intrigued and bought the plants, thinking that I would double-check if the plants were native when I got…
So far we have planted over 62,500 sq miles, some 40 million acres, in lawn. Each weekend we mow an area 8 times the size of New Jersey to within 1 inch and then congratulate ourselves on a job well done. Many of our native plants, animals, and birds are now extinct as they have lost their homes and food source. The EPA estimates that Americans spill more than 17 million gallons of fuel each year while refueling lawn equipment,…
Chemical Free Lawn Care with Corn Gluten Meal – This stuff works! As a child growing up in the 70’s, I remember when dandelions in yards were to be picked and made a wish upon! There were fields nearby full of insects and butterflies. I absolutely loved the sound of crickets and katydids at night and I still do. I also think back to my school years and I did not know of anyone with autism, in fact I had…
I took two days off from work to enjoy the nice weather, replenish my Vitamin D and to get started on preparing my garden beds for the spring. I spent yesterday raking leaves and trimming the plants & shrubs that benefit by being cut back before new growth appears. Leaves are very beneficial for the soil and I will leave them on empty beds as the best mulch that there is. Eventually the leaves will form a thick mat and…
Stop volcano mulching!! Spring is approaching when you see landscaping companies spreading mulch around the beds of corporate parks and shopping centers. Unfortunately many of these landscaping companies are not educated in horticulture. The practice of mounding mulch up high around the base of the tree trunk can lead to the death of your tree. I snapped this photo of a freshly over mulched tree victim while leaving a corporate area the other day. Do you ever see trees in…