Early autumn in New England is generally considered an ideal time to apply fertilize shrubs and trees. Here’s why and how.
Gardens
Every fall I buy beautiful hardy mums, but they don’t seem to survive the winter in my landscape. What am I doing wrong? — D.B., Cambridge, MA The chrysanthemums we see everywhere commonly called “hardy mums” are really not designed to survive our challenging New England winter climate — these are seasonal beauties bred to […]
Gardens
Landscaping for Tick Control
Read More: Protect yourself from ticks Protect your pet from ticks These key landscaping tips for tick control come from Connecticut’s Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Your primary goal is to manage tick and host habitats (including prime rodent nesting spots and hideouts) within the part of your property that your family members use […]
Gardens
Resources for Lyme Disease
General Information & Advocacy American Lyme Disease Foundation, Lyme, CT Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT. 203-974-8485 (Tick Management Handbook)Get Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe Greater Hartford Lyme Disease Support & Action Group, Farmington, CT Lyme […]
“Nobody is a better landscaper than nature,” states Raina Weber, dirt-streaked and beaming, from her Housatonic, Massachusetts, native-plant nursery. It’s hard to believe that this hardworking young woman, executive director of the nonprofit Project Native, dropped out of high school and ran away to Hawaii, where she supported herself as a caretaker and by selling […]
The leaves on my blueberry bushes and crab apple trees are tattered. I notice lots of inch-long green caterpillars on the branches. What can I do to stop this damage? — D.S., Hanson, MA The leaf damage you describe is likely caused by the winter moth. This European pest has just recently become established in […]
Gardens
Koi Pond: Home Projects
Project: Indoor-outdoor koi pond When John and Charlotte Pratt relocated to Bethlehem, Connecticut, they transported the koi from their outdoor pond in a horse trough. Charlotte dreamed of having a place in their new house where she could enjoy the fish year-round. She now has a pond in the breakfast nook where she and her […]