Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. It was April Fool’s Day when I entered Willowwood Arboretum. The meadows had not yet emerged but were dancing with daffodils. I made my way to the parking lot, where Bruce Crawford, Morris County Park Commission’s Manager of Hortic

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. It’s mulch time, and John from Andover, NJ, asked what kind of mulch to use. First and foremost, stay clear of trunks and stems to prevent disease. That’s my polite way of saying no volcano mulch, please. To avoid mushrooms in the

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, It’s spring madness mode for those of us in the horticultural industry and for home gardeners, busy planning and planting this year’s bounty. The same is true for critters such as the peepers I adore in the pond with their evening

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Have you ever considered Broadleaf Plantain, the flat-leaved weed with spikey seed heads that invades your lawn, a beneficial plant? It was news to me to learn that it’s a valuable herb, though I’ve known for years that Dandelions

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, It felt therapeutic to tend to the rejuvenation pruning of the Smokebush and other shrubs. Rejuvenation pruning involves drastically cutting back overgrown plants to restore them to their intended shape or to manage their size, which was the ca

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we spoke about Early Spring Transplants, and Brian of Stone Church, PA, asked about root pruning. Great question, Brian. And read on for how root pruning relates to the journey of growth in our lives. Transplanting is always stressf

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Early Spring, after the ground thaws, is ideal for transplanting many deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs before they break dormancy. It’s the second-best time in my book. The first best time is after the leaves drop or when they go

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Do you recall Valentine’s Day traditions as a kid having to bring cards to school? It was an assignment. An obligation. One for each classmate. Cards came in assortment packs and while the sayings were mostly about friendliness, which is

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, After the first snow, followed by heavy rains, I roamed the property looking for beauty amongst the dreary skies, muddy lawn, and lack of frosting. I came upon festive Partridge Berry, a charming native ground cover I didn’t know we had.

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, The Press takes a hiatus between their Christmas and New Year’s editions, and so, my faithful online readers, I thought I’d revisit a story from long ago, A Long Winter’s Nap, when dear Ellie was by our side, with a few tweak