Garden Wisdom Blog — category: Winter Gardening

As the summer wanes and the fall rains come, our local animals are preparing for the winter. While some birds leave the premises for the winter season and fly south to warmer climes, other birds stay around, fluffing their feathers and seeking shelter from the winter storms. You can make your garden a haven for these winter birds, and it’s not all that difficult. You just have to do some gardening for birds. First, neglect some of that fall garden cleaning. Wild birds love wild seeds, and by keeping the seedheads on the plants, you’ll provide a rich source of...

Before the severe cold and damp of winter arrive, it’s a good idea to take a couple of steps to care for garden tools. With a bit of simple care, you can extend the life of a garden hose or hoe by years. We have assembled some tidbits of advice here, but would love to hear any other ideas from our legions of gardening friends. Please feel free to add a response to this article. Irrigation – Most importantly, don’t let water freeze inside your irrigation tools. Hoses should not be left attached to outdoor spigots during freezing temperatures. Instead,...

To lime, or not to lime? Most homeowners ponder this question at some point without understanding: 1. What is dolomite lime? Lime is an important alkaline source of calcium and magnesium for your lawn and garden, mainly composed of ground limestone. Dolomite is most often used limestone as it contains equal parts of magnesium and calcium. Lime is used to increase the soil’s pH and decrease acidity. By neutralizing acidic soil, plants can easily absorb nutrients from the soil. Lime also improves soil texture and helps convert other soil nutrients into usable forms. Vegetables such as peas, beans, corn, cabbage,...