"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
Keep Holiday Plants Looking Their Best By Melinda Myers The holiday season has arrived. That means you will be on the giving or receiving end of a poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, amaryllis or other holiday plant. Extend the beauty and longevity of these holiday beauties with proper care. And that starts the minute you leave […]
By Melinda Myers Millennials to Baby Boomers, Gifts that Grow are All the Rage It’s a jungle in there. Every window, surface and brightly lit corner is filled with decorative or edible greenery. There is no doubt what to gift this person for the holidays. More of the same. A lack of outdoor growing space, […]
By Melinda Myers Create a Healthy Foundation for Fall Plantings| Fall is a great time to start a garden or renovate an existing planting bed. The soil is warm while the air is cool – a perfect combination for establishing new plantings. It is also a great time to prepare gardens for the next planting […]
Powdery mildew occurs when the fungal organism and susceptible plants are present and the environmental conditions are right for the disease to occur. Photo credit: Melinda Myers, LLC Organic Prevention and Management of Powdery Mildew on Plants By Melinda Myers Spots and patches of white or gray talcum powder-like substance on your plant means powdery mildew […]
By Melinda Myers Photo credit: Melinda Myers, LLC The Birds, The Bees, The Butterflies & the Bugs! A garden filled with flowers, birds, bees and butterflies is a sight to behold. These winged beauties add color, sound and motion to our gardens. Plus, they help maximize a garden’s productivity by pollinating plants and managing plant-damaging pests. […]
The Art of Waterwise Gardening By Melinda Myers Making a few changes in your garden care can yield great benefits. Less time and water wasted means more time for you to relax or entertain friends and family in your beautiful landscape. Water is critical throughout the life of a plant, but deciding when and how […]
By Melinda Myers Colorful Caladiums Brighten Shade Gardens All Season Tuck them into the garden, pop some in a container or dress up a window box. Then water as needed, add a bit of fertilizer and wait for the color explosion. The showy heart-shaped leaves of caladiums come in combinations of pink, red, white and […]
How to Grow a Shamrock! In the spirit of the month of March and one of the Old Town Crier’s favorite celebration days – St. Patrick’s Day – we bring you our annual column on growing shamrocks. We are sure you wnat to know the secret to growing these lucky plants! Stories have it that […]
Winter Gardening Tips Even though it may still be cold, damp and miserable outdoors, an occasional dose of sunshine could certainly put the gardening bug into you. With a little luck, Mother Nature will send a few blossoms your way this month. We are now at a time when we can no longer put […]
Brighten Up Your Winter Garden With Colorful Berries Just because the trees are bare and there is snow on the ground doesn’t mean that your garden has to become a winter wasteland. A well-planned garden will provide year-round interest and visual treats. Many evergreens and hardy ornamental grasses can be quite stunning in the […]
