Hello fellow readers, Chipmunks are darn cute but often the most frustrating garden pest, even more so than deer primarily because there’s no effective spray or fencing to keep them out. So what’s the best chipmunk control? The jury is out. Barbara from Succasunna, NJ, wri

Hello fellow readers, The reasons to prune are similar to the reasons for caring for ourselves and our families– Improving appearance and health, training the young, controlling size, preventing injury or damage, rejuvenating the old, and influencing bounty. But choosing the rig

Hello fellow readers, ‘It looks like a sea anemone!’ wrote Ruth of Hope referring to the alien-looking bright orange thingy with finger-like protrusions found on a cedar tree. Turns out this two-inch slimy blob is caused by a fungi called Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae (wowee; t

Hello fellow readers, Bruce from Bangor PA, asked if he had a woodchuck or groundhog problem borrowing holes all over his yard. Same critter Bruce just a different label. They’re Marmota monax, to be exact, and are in the same family as squirrels – but much bigger eaters. And to

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, Were you bitten by a Kissing Bug during Valentine’s? Chances are no -not that I don’t wish you love. You may recall Craig from Frelinghuysen, our comical guest, with his willows gone wild and fairy ring dilemmas. When Craig asked about Kissing Bugs I reminisced a

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week’s buck rub chat inspired John from Pen Argyl, PA, to ask if feeding deer would keep them from eating his shrubs. There are signs around town offering deer corn for sale, which means folks with kind intentions feed them. Or, maybe planning to bate them f

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