Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Lora asked how to determine if the praying mantis egg sack in her yard was native or non-native. She’s concerned as she raises monarch and painted lady butterflies, plus a few toads she wishes to protect. The comment came after I shared

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. In recent weeks, while recording the podcast, I’ve apologetically mentioned the ruckus of cicadas in the trees. The sounds remind me of a cicada encounter during a garden installation and a reminiscence of how the late summer sounds of c

Hello lovers of all things green, You may remember the treat of learning about John Cabot Roses through my writer friend Koleen Garland who lives in Canada. Well, Koleen recently sent a saga about her dagnabbit rabbit dilemma sure to delight. Koleen’s story: I like to garden wit

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Humid and rainy summers provide a perfect setting for slugs, always a top garden dilemma. Thankfully, there are natural slug remedies, though some may be a tad icky. “What are the holes all over my hosta?”  Holy moly, Dave, I’

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I am recovering from a respiratory infection that snuck up on me, much like plant diseases can. Gratefully, I’m on the mend, as are two unsightly rose dilemmas calling for holy moly rose remedies (smile). We’ve chatted about the pl

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Today’s topic hits close to home. Sandy from Sparta, NJ, wrote, “Brian bought pine bark nuggets to mulch the garden, and there are tons of huge black ants and some termites in it. What do I do?” The close-to-home part is that

Hello, fellow readers. Leaves are well on their way in their fall shift, but many have dropped dry, never changing color. Likely due to the spring draught followed by our wet summer. Tired leaves fall early. At the same time, many are still green, giving us hope for glorious fall colo

Hello fellow readers, I have a newfound admiration for ants and how they benefit our gardens and work as a team which may contradict treatments to solve ant dilemmas shared over the years (links below). But there are safe remedies and ways to invite them to live away from your home an

Hello fellow readers, I woke this morning to my adored sunflowers grown from seed in the garden pots chomped by Bambi, as were the ‘Palace Purple’ Heuchera (Coral Bells). Unlike years past, I didn’t lose my cool – a good thing in the recent heat wave. “No point

Hello fellow Readers, Spring is a busy time for folks in the horticultural industry – Spring Madness Mode, I call it, and it’s hard to keep up. It’s also a busy time for wildlife. Birds are flitting about to find their best spots. It’s fun to anticipate new baby bird