Hello fellow readers, Last year, a fox den provided a reprieve from my chipmunk dilemma. They’re back! – Leaving piles of dirt around the garden pots. But their antics pale compared to Phil’s squirrel dilemma in Whitehall, PA, worthy of a standup comedy routine. Phil

Hello fellow readers, Last year I missed the opportunity for annuals, then scrambled to doll up my empty pots with perennials late in the season. Overwintered in the garage, I loved when their little faces emerged. This year I made time for the annual trek in time to find my favored a

Hello fellow readers, What’s with all the poison ivy? I asked myself as I employed the “Mary-technique” of removing poison ivy using a plastic grocery bag, a technique most dog owners find familiar, except perhaps for the protective gear. With long sleeves, long pant

Hello fellow readers, At last, the internet and cell service are restored after a week without due to the Wizard of Oz-like storm coupled with my computer fixer-upper (dear Curt) away on business. There are benefits to being unplugged. It heightens the sounds in nature, the pleasure o

Hello Fellow Readers, (Excuse the late posting of this week’s column. I’ve been hobbling along without internet since last Tuesday’s Wizard of Oz storm. Humbling!) We have the green light for annuals based on the wisdom to wait until after the last frost date, typica

Hello Fellow Readers, Just before our gardens kicked into gear, I attended a succulent event hosted by A&J Messina Greenhouses in Blairstown, NJ, which served as a mini-gardening warmup. What a lively group of over seventy guests learning how to make a terrarium. Trays of succulen

Hello Fellow Readers, Springtime is mulch time, and John from Andover, NJ, asked what kind of mulch is best. First and foremost, remember to apply only two to three inches of mulch and stay clear of trunks and stems to prevent disease (a polite way of saying no volcano mulch). There w