Hello fellow readers, We are officially through our risk of frost so it’s time to shop for annuals. Many nurseries sell perennials in flats as well. Bob from Hackettstown was brave enough to ask what the difference between annuals and perennials is. I am certain it is confusing to man

Hello fellow readers, Mother’s Day triggers shopping for Annuals as gifts and adding continuous color to our gardens and pots. There’s something fun about being in the frenzy of it all – The hurry to grab a plant cart, drooling over all the colors, and the tendency to load up wi

Hello fellow readers, One hundred columns ago, we began out garden chat. It’s far more than about digging in the dirt. Gardens relate to all that grows in this garden of life. So for column 101, it seems fitting to reflect on our very first topic; Proper Planting & Mulching.

Column updated April 1, 2021  Hello fellow readers, Divide and multiply, and while you’re at it, why not move those that may be better living somewhere else. Of course, I am referring to dividing and moving perennials, not family members :^) Sally from Wind Gap asked if spring is a go

Hello fellow readers, Our world is greening up, and the snowdrops are finally peaking almost a month behind last year. As predicted, the ticks have made a robust comeback after a long winter protected by the snow. Nasty pests I think our creator could have done without, though I suppo

Hello Fellow Readers, Remember Ed from Basking Ridge who wrote in about his digger dog?  It seems Dulcie also loves a good game of fetch and Ed wonders how to create a lawn to stand up to speedy turns. His current lawn rolls up, has little root structure and is mostly crabgrass and cl

Hello Fellow Readers, At last, it’s the official start of spring! One of the chores many delve into, along with their spring cleanup, is freshening up their mulch. John from Andover asked what mulch he should use. Last week we spoke about the trend in using cocoa mulch but learn

Hello Fellow Readers, Ready to dig in? A rule of thumb is eight weeks before the last frost date (typically May 19th here in Northern New Jersey) is the time to start seeds indoors. I don’t know about you, but I am counting on normal despite our crazy winter! Hence I plan to start see

Hello fellow readers, We’ve flipped the calendar to March which means we are getting close to the new beginning of spring! We’re all more than ready for a jump start. It’s exciting that the Springfest Garden Show held at the Sussex County Fairground in Augusta is only a few days away.

Hello fellow readers, This is getting silly – another 15 inches of snow followed by an icy wintery mix! John from Blairstown stopped while I was walking Ellie during the latest one-two punch and said, “You get an A for effort!”  Thanks, John, I like to think of myself as an achi