Winter is a crucial time for the birds that remain in our area. They spend their time facing the elements of bitter cold and snowstorms. There are no insects to eat and the natural seeds are covered with snow; the berries and crab apples are gone. Birds need enough food to maintain their body temperatures and must search for food from sun up to dusk. Fortunately, for the birds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 41 million Americans …
Margaritas get a festive boost with the addition of your favorite bubbly. Doesn’t this sound heavenly? I will definitely be making this pitcher full of festive joy! Here’s How to Make It: What You Need: 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup silver tequila 1/2 cup orange liquer (I’m a Grand Marnier gal myself…) 1 bottle of champagne (about 3 cups… but don’t be stingy) lime wedges, for the rim salt, for the rim How You Do It: Combine all ingredients in …
Fall planting gives garlic a crucial head-start. Plants will be stronger and bulbs will be bigger at harvest. October is usually the best month to plant garlic in North America. Planting garlic in the fall for the following year gives your garlic time to grow sturdy, solid roots which keep it firmly anchored in the ground. In Michigan, the best time to plant garlic is right around Halloween. Garlic Planting Step by Step… Break up your garlic heads. Simply separate …
Allium is an easy to grow, absolutely amazing plant. It’s best when you plant it from a bulb in the fall and then it blooms well into spring. Allium Globemaster is the variety that we planted in the flowerbeds in front of the store, along Sprinkle Road. I also planted this in my yard. When spring came, it developed into one of the most amazing and beautiful plants that I have ever seen. This had to have been the most …
September 7, 2017 It is best to stop fertilizing your roses in September so they can start to go dormant. It is also important to stop deadheading. Deadheading encourages new blooms at a time when we want our roses to put more energy into healthy roots for the coming winter. Keep watering until the temperature starts to get down to 35 degrees during the day. If you don’t keep watering, you will get a lot more die back over the winter. Lack of …
July 6, 2017 One of the best things that you can do to promote more flowers, is to deadhead your roses regularly. This allows your rose to put more energy into producing new flowers, instead of trying to keep the spent blossoms alive. When deadheading, find the first set of 5 leaves and cut just above them at an angle. You will see a small nub next to the stem, which is where the new flower will come from. …
Roses can be susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. The first signs of a problem will be found by a visual inspection during a walk-through of your garden. Many pests begin their attack on the underside of your leaves. Aphids, spider mites, and rose sawfly worms usually start there and will need to be addressed quickly. There are several remedies for each of these insects. Neem oil is an organic product, but needs to be reapplied after a …
This colorful succulent plant is easy to grow and almost as easy to bloom. Kalanchoe has thick, rich green, succulent leaves with clusters of small, upright flowers in a rainbow of colors, which can include red, orange, pink and yellow. Most often grown in pots as a brightly-colored houseplant, Kalanchoe can also be used as a landscape plant provided you live in the right climate. However, their needs vary slightly depending on whether they are planted indoors or outdoors. Indoors, Kalanchoe …
