Hello fellow readers, One of the native trees that grace my yard is a shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Its common name speaks for itself, with shaggy bark that stands out like a sculpture. But a treasure to some can be a nuisance to others. It’s true; the first time a golf ball-sized n

Hello Fellow Readers, Thanksgiving is a time to gather and reflect on gifts we are grateful for. Versions of the holiday are celebrated at different times of the year by other countries too. While most folks consider it a secular holiday (not based on religion), most religions offer p

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, 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, Greetings from Cape May where I am enjoying a fall respite. Cape May is at the very end of New Jersey and has attracted vacationers since the mid-18th century designating it as the country’s oldest seaside resort. In 1878 a fire destroyed much of the town c

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

Hello fellow readers, Jill from Nazareth is confused. She heard that fall is a great time to plant but then found out that there is a list of Fall Dig Hazard trees. That does seem confusing! Paul of Gardens of the World in Andover has a simple way to explain it. The Fall Dig Hazard li

Hello fellow readers, As requested, here’s some last of the season gardening to-dos. Protect your outside pots. Most concrete, glazed or terracotta pots, with or without plants, will crack if left out in the winter; with the exception of the high-priced ones made to withstand freezing

In the Northeast, late fall is the time to bring out the big guns to prevent transpiration – the loss of water from plant parts, mainly leaves. Deeply water plants before the grounds freeze, and continue to water during winter months when above freezing if Mother Nature doesn’t

Hello fellow readers, I think I’ve opened a can of worms; about composting that is. We’ve talked about using leaves in our gardens but Jennifer of Hackettstown shared that hers never seem to break down. If you shred your leaves and add extra nitrogen, they’ll compost more quickl