Hello fellow readers, I’m not quite sure what inspired me to start collecting coffee grounds from the pods I once was resistant to use. Coffee grounds are terrific for your compost pile, but I don’t have one because of our resident bear. A while back, I considered worm composting indo

Hello fellow readers, Vinegar goes beyond salad. Using white vinegar in household cleaning is inexpensive and effective. While it leaves your house smelling like a pickle, the more natural approach is well worth it. Plus, vinegar can help control weeds. Horticultural-grade Vinegar Ron

Hello fellow readers, “They’ve been around since before the dinosaurs, and few people get angry at frogs,” said Tedor Whitman, Executive Director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum (CHA) in Short Hills NJ, during a Frog Watch USA training I was blessed to attend. Clever

Hello fellow readers, It seems we’re all aching for fields of green with pops of color. This week several asked about starting wildflower gardens. Adding a wildflower meadow as an eco-friendly lawn alternative is appealing. Folks think you just toss seeds out in the field, and v

Hello fellow readers, Gloria from Columbia, NJ, wrote in part two of an inquiry she made back in September about rooting a branch from a “curly willow bush” used as part of her daughter’s wedding centerpieces in 2008. She wishes to start a baby willow to give to her

Hello fellow readers, It occurs to me when we are young, entering adulthood, we are in a stage of growing and gathering. Typically choosing a partner, thereby adding an extended family. Pursuing a career, nesting in a home, maybe having children. When young, we tend to look forward ra

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week I mentioned that my neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is, Calvatia gigantean. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but it didn’t occur to me to eat it! I’ve always admired folks that kn

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard of fairy rings? Neither have I until now. I always enjoy questions from Craig of Frelinghuysen, New Jersey. Without exception, his garden dilemmas always bring a chuckle. Remember his willows gone wild with the icky sticky slime? This time, he

Hello fellow readers, It’s fun to grow herbs and enjoy them all summer long. But I’ll admit, I still dive into my stash of dry herbs even though there’s fresh ones out in the garden. Lazy Mary? Maybe. But a big part if it is, I’m used to cooking with dry herbs. Bill from Stone Church

Hello fellow readers, Last week we spoke about how fall is a great time for planting most trees and shrubs. What about perennials asked Dorothy of Bangor? By and large I prefer spring for planting most new perennials. But if you can’t resist a bargain, fall can work just fine. In fact