GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello fellow readers, Yay! John from Belvidere asked about worm composting -what fun! The process is called vermicomposting. It takes very little space, and there’s little or no odor. Best of all, a couple of pounds of worms can make nutrient-rich compost out of your trash in ab

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

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s chat about how leaves change color inspired several to ask what to do once they litter the ground. First, consider them as free vitamin supplements, not litter, as they are packed with nutrients that trees absorb from our good earth. John from H

Hello, fellow readers, I’ll bet Bridget of Forks Township is not the only one who wants to know what influences the glorious colors of fall. We all know it has to do with cooler temperatures and shorter days, but why do some trees turn red while others stay orange and yellow? Du

Hello Fellow Readers, Seems we’re crowded with cute creepy crawlers, caterpillars that is. I have an affinity for the woollybear caterpillars because of the folklore about winter predictions; the wider the brown middle band, the milder the winter, so it is said. In fact I love photogr

Hello Fellow Readers, I visited William and Sarah of Bangor and admired a tree that I had never seen. They called it a Paulownia Tree (pronounced Pa-loan-i-a); Paulownia tomentosa is the Botanical name and is native to China. It’s also known as Princess or Empress Tree and I can see w

Hello Fellow Readers, Stephanie from Denville NJ wrote ‘I’m so excited! I ordered a bunch of daffodil bulbs but it looks like they won’t ship until late October.’ That’s right Stephanie, you don’t want to plant bulbs too early as it can lead to fungus or disease problems. Ideall