Butterflies can be seen in a variety of bright colors, making them a welcome guest in any garden. They are attracted to any garden with brightly-colored flowers that are rich in nectar. When possible, locate flowering plants in a sunny, protected area as butterflies need sunlight to stay warm. Also, avoid using pesticides in that [...]
Category: Trees & Shrubs
Attracting Hummingbirds
A hummingbird garden can be as simple as a flower box or several containers on a deck, or as elaborate as a large perennial border. The height of the plants chosen is important to vary the space around blooms, allowing the hummingbirds to hover. The goal is to have some flowers in bloom at all [...]
Beneficial Bugs
There are many insects crawling around in our gardens which perform vital duties and help them grow. These naturally beneficial bugs perform valuable services such as pollination as well as pest control. Using these insects to control pests has been a common practice for many years now and is regularly implemented by many experienced gardeners. [...]
The Birch Leaf Miner
The birch leaf miner is a tiny wasp-like sawfly that feeds between the surfaces of birch leaves. Repeated attacks over several years may weaken a tree, making it more susceptible to damage from other insects. Identification and Life Cycle The birch leaf miner overwinters as mature larvae in the soil beneath a tree. In early [...]
Citrus Care
A citrus tree is an ideal plant for a warm, sunny room. Their dark, shiny leaves and fragrant blossoms add to the appeal of their brightly-colored, ornamental fruit. From a size standpoint, the smaller members of the citrus family such as limes, Meyer improved lemons, kumquats and calamondins are the best choices for house plants, [...]
Fruit Tree Pollination
Most fruit trees require cross-pollination (the pollen of a different but compatible variety) to yield a crop of fruit. Pears, sweet cherries and Japanese plums fall into this category. Other fruit trees, such as peaches, figs and sour cherries are self-fruitful, meaning they yield fruit from their own pollen. Another group of fruit trees, including [...]
Ground Covers
Ground covers may include shrubs, vines or even grass. Typically less than 18 inches tall, most ground covers grow quickly as to cover a desired area. Because they spread across the ground but don’t grow tall, no cutting is required. Ground covers are usually chosen for texture, density and how well they spread. Other benefits [...]
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
The hemlock woolly adelgid is a small, aphid-like insect which attacks both the Carolina and eastern hemlock and is capable of severely weakening and killing its host plants. It was introduced into Massachusetts in 1988 from an already existing infestation in Connecticut. Identification and Life Cycle These small insects are brownish-red in color, oval in [...]
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas include shrubs that are mostly deciduous with the exception of the stunning white climber. They come mainly in shrub form from miniature to large shrubs/small trees and feature showy white, pink or blue flowers made up of dozens of small blossoms in a variety of shapes. These eye-catching plants also have large, dark [...]
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses may be annuals or perennials; short or tall; spring or fall flowering; prolific self-seeders or sterile; invasive spreaders or well-behaved clump-formers. They add two elements to the the garden that are not provided by many other plants: movement and sound. Most grasses will grow in areas where other plants will not survive. There [...]