Hello Fellow Readers, I recently helped JoAnn of Blairstown plant five new maple trees. Sun Valley Red Maples to be specific (Acer Rubrum ‘Sun Valley’) as their exceptional red fall color is in its glory later than most. It occurred to me that it would be wise to protect t

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, Recently I met with Andrea of Morristown whose property is graced with grand old ash trees one of which has died. Dave Dubee, arborist of Greenwood Tree, shared that while the dreaded Emerald Ash Borer is getting close to home, Andrea’s ash was not a victim

Hello fellow readers,  When I was a girl, my sister dared me to rub a leaf all over me. Even then, I was a plant person and always up to the ‘I dare you’ challenge. The leaf was in a grouping of three, and I picked one and dutifully painted myself with it. I bet you know w

Hello fellow readers, While sitting with Mom outside her nursing home in Virginia, I noticed a crust of bread being hauled off by an ant.  I marvel at how much an ant can carry – ten to fifty times their body weight, they say. Mom, who inspired my gardening start, can’t talk muc

Hello fellow readers, One of the notable things about our chats is the cycle of gardening dilemmas each year. It’s Japanese beetle time, and they must be out in full force based on all who have asked what to do. Last year we talked about the store-bought Japanese beetle bags and

Hello fellow readers, Last week we heard from Craig of Frelinghuysen about his Willows Gone Wild next to his pool. ‘They’re beautiful trees but cause countless hours of cleanup,’ explained Craig, who went on to rant about each stage of his dirty dilemma, giving us all a good laugh. Th

Hello fellow readers, Craig of Frelinghuysen admits he has a “love-hate relationship with his willows gone wild.” He and Caroline have three Weeping Willows next to their pool, an ‘ongoing issue’ between them. Caroline, like me, hates to kill trees. ‘They

Hello fellow readers, Last week, we spoke about George’s weedy invasion resulting in the need for a garden do-over. Thankfully, he opted for a more organic approach, including a non-chemical remedy called soil solarization. Here’s how. Preparing your garden for planting is

Hello fellow readers, It’s the unofficial start to summer which brings on outdoor activities and vacations including tent camping for diehards. Ben from Bangor asked what to do about the wormy things building tents in the crevices of his cherry tree right above his grill. Easter