Published January 8th, 2010 Blueberry bushes are attractive shrubs with abundant pink-tinged white blooms in spring, shiny foliage and stunning fall color. If you have a well-drained full-sun location for foundation shrubs or privacy hedge, consider using blueberry plants. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There’s even a “groundcover” blueberry ideal for …
Published January 8th, 2010 Have you ever hiked the Appalachian Trail or one like it? One of the great pleasures is to enjoy a walk in the woods and fields without having to stumble through the brush or worry about what’s underfoot. You can move quietly through nature, enjoying the wildlife around you. Those of …
Published January 8th, 2010 Local residents and visitors to Adams County in autumn are well aware of the spectacular fall foliage display we have here in our county. While New England states like Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire are well known for showy fall color with their mix of sugar maple, red maple and birch, …
Published January 8th, 2010 There’s nothing like an economic downturn to remind us of what’s really important in life. A family that can grow its own food will always weather tough times and come out stronger, the same way a plant comes back after a hard winter. Some of us are old enough to remember …
Published January 8th, 2010 I think vegetable and fruit gardening is going to become quite fashionable over the upcoming years. It’s a classic case of trends coming full circle; growing our own food is a tradition here in Adams County so suddenly we find ourselves on the leading edge. Concern over food safety, inflation pressure …
Published January 8th, 2010 It can be frustrating to invest money and sweat into a home landscape and not get the “look” you dream about. It takes some imagination plus a dose of real-life experience to visualize landscaping that can transform your home to a showplace for the least possible cost. We all see well-landscaped …
Published January 8th, 2010 Modern gardeners are hungry for a return to traditional gardening methods, like building garden soil with organic compost and fertilizers. Petro-chemical based fertilizers are widely believed to deplete soils over time, fatiguing and defeating the natural process of renewal that makes good garden soils and healthy vegetables. For one thing, petrochemicals …
Published January 8th, 2010 How about trading your “necklace” for a new den? Sounds silly, and maybe you don’t even own a necklace. But we’ll bet you’ve gone to a lot of trouble adorning your house with a “necklace” of foundation shrubs so it’ll look good to the neighbors. We’d like to suggest using plants …
Published January 8th, 2010 The Cincinnati Zoo is a terrific resource for gardeners during the summer months, a time of year when their impressive show gardens are at their peak. In cooperation with the Cincinnati Flower Growers Association (an organization of greenhouse growers) and the Ohio State University Horticulture Program, the Cincinnati Zoo plants over …
Published January 8th, 2010 Plant breeders never sleep. In our lifetime we’ve seen a revolution in genetically engineered plants, giving us such innovations as “Roundup-Ready” soybeans. When a variety is introduced that is clearly superior it becomes well known and other plants are forgotten. A good example of this is Silver Queen corn. We’re now …