Blog Entries for Gardens n Gardening

Hot Time For Hardscaping

nsmith@whgmag.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:18:46 +0100

The hot humid weather of August is not ideal planting weather as most of you know. This time of year many people are on vacation or in the air conditioned house to escape the MD/DC/VA humidity. Point being, that not a lot of you are thinking about your yards. Well start thinking about that hardscape project. This is ideal weather for us to construct that stone, brick or paver patio, steps, retaining wall, or outdoor fireplace.

Alexandria, VA (August 25, 2009) –Fifteen area artists will be displaying their work at the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm beginning August 31, 2009. The show, titled “Eyes on Nature: Botanical Artists Bring their Views to River Farm,” features artwork gleaned from the natural world. Orchids, peonies, arrays of spring bulbs, and other exquisitely rendered flowers will be on display, along with trees, herbs, fruit [...]

3 Things to Consider When Buying Garden Furniture

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:04:28 +0100

I made a fatal mistake last week when I told my wife that I had been researching dining sets for my BBQ website. First of all she wanted to know exactly what I meant my a dining set and once I’d explained that I was referring to tables and chairs it was at that point that the tirade of questions such as “why don’t we get some new furniture” star [...]

Summer Pond Care Tips

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:57:17 +0100

In the summer, you'll be more likely to be in your water garden in the evenings, enjoying your pond, watching the fish swimming lazily through the water. The heat of summer, however provides some challenges in maintaining your pond, and keeping the fish healthy.

These tips wi [...]

A Garden for the Birds

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:45:32 +0100

One of the most rewarding parts of gardening is the frequent visitors combined with compliments. Visitors can be people like ourselves. The most appreciative visitors, however, are the "winged" kind.....Birds.  These feathered creatures add dimension to every part of your garden.

There s [...]

Landscaping That Helps the Bay

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:32:24 +0100

Want to have a great looking, low maintenance yard, while simultaneously supporting the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

Bayscaping is a method to landscape a commercial or residential property that provides habitat for local and migratory animals, improves water q [...]

Bamboo Control

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:28:48 +0100

A plant that causes many problems in our landscapes and with our neighbors is bamboo. This grass grows in two forms clump and spreading.

The spreading bamboo is the most troublesome because of its new shoots that pop up in our lawn or planting beds. It is a common misconception that these new shoots come from seeds. The new shoots that you see are actually sprouting from the rhizome roots. Cherry Dazzle, a dwarf, is the last of seven cr [...]

Growing a Bamboo Garden

nsmith@whgmag.com — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:53:27 +0100

If you like the look of bamboo, you might like to try planting some in your garden. Bamboo can make a great privacy screen or “fence,” or to simply add a new look and some extra greenery to your garden. Unfortunately, bamboo has a bad reputation as an invasive plant that is difficult to control. Fencing is a great tool for adding privacy, security, and aesthetic appeal to your yard or garden. The type of fencing you should have in your yard will vary depending on what purpose it will serve. A fence to improve your privacy should probably be totally solid, and probably only needs to be about 6 feet high in order to prevent your neighbors or [...]

Pepper Problems? Try This

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:39:42 +0100

If your garden hasn't been producing the delicious peppers you want, consider this: peppers that are over-fertilized don't grow fruit. This seems very strange at first sight. I had to think about it before I believed it, but when pepper plants are treated with too much fertilizer, they concentrate on growing lots of leaves and stems, [...]

Wipe Out Weeds and Minimize Weeding Time

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:16:30 +0100

Nobody likes spending hours and hours weeding in the garden. While weeding can initially be interesting and satisfying, it can be frustrating when it takes an hour to clear the weeds from a small section of your yard. Worse than the frustration, however, is the inevitable pain from bending over too long, when back muscles become sore, and knees ache from bending for too long. I can't give you any [...]

Grow Your Favorite Small Fruits

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:08:40 +0100

What's more delicious than home-grown vegetables? Home-grown fruit! Growing fruit doesn't necessarily require a huge amount of space or time. One relatively manageable alternative to growing fruit trees [...]

Healthier Plants with a Smaller Water Bill

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:40:22 +0100

There may be a good way to simultaneously save water and help your plants grow. By collecting rainwater or dew you can collect water that is often better for your plants than tap water, because of the chemicals used to treat tap water to make it safe for human consumption. You can read about the benefits of collecting rain water in this article about rain barrels. A b [...]

Make the Most of Your Container Garden All Year Round

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:34:59 +0100

Container gardens are a lot of fun, and can be a low-maintenance alternative to garden landscaping. This succulent planter is an example of a very low-maintenance planted container. Container gardens are especially useful to anyone who wants to preserve their lawn or fit a beautiful garden into a small space, or on a patio or porch. If you hope to start a new container garden sometime soon, you might want to chec [...]

WHG Reader Brings back Flowers from Holland

nsmith@whgmag.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:48:17 +0100

By Kate Sigety

Photo by Drew Kleibrink/for WHG

With the acres of butterfly gardens in Flevoland, Drew Kleibrink had the chance to witness the creature’s

beauty up close and personal.

Do you ever wonder where those beautiful flowers come from that your loved one sent you? And no, we&rs [...]

Virginia Gardens Beating the Heat

nsmith@whgmag.com — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

I’ve returned from two weeks on the road for

Local Bank Goes 'e' and Plants 1,614 Trees

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:20:22 +0100

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. announced Wednesday that it has sponsored the planting of 1,614 trees nationwide.

This honors its commitment and special partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree for every customer who converted from [...]

Buddy Mayhew's Farm Gets a Visit from the White House

nsmith@whgmag.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:13:00 +0100

This Saturday, July 18, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Energy Secretary Steven Chu are holding a rural community forum at Buddy Mayhew's Farm in Blairs, Va., a White House spokesperson said Thursday.

At the forum, the two officials will share information with local [...]