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Chris Brown/Chris Brown Photography/TNS

On Gardening: This summer head to Rockapulco for shady color

Gardening / Gardening News /

The past couple of weeks gardeners have been writing to me asking for ideas for colorful combinations in baskets, window boxes and containers for shady environments. I like to quip back in humor and ask how they would like a rose? Everyone would, of course, except for the thorns, but the rose I am talking about is for the shade, has no thorns ...Read more

The Greener View: Climate Change and Trees

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Q: We have a new landscape, and we want to plant trees that will help with climate change. Any suggestions?

A: What is your definition of climate change? Do you think your area is going to get warmer or colder? What are you trying to accomplish by planting a tree? Are you planting the tree to absorb carbon or to shade the house? Will a tree ...Read more

NORMAN WINTER/TNS

On Gardening: To avoid mixed-container stress, go mono-a-mono

Gardening / Gardening News /

The Garden Guy sees a lot of needless garden stress when it comes to choosing plant partners for your containers. After watching the excitement that Andrea Owens Schnapp created with a shared photo on my Facebook page the answer to this stress may just be to go mono-a-mono.

Obviously, I am taking a gardener approach to mono-a-mono, but Andrea ...Read more

The Greener View: Purple Tomatoes

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Home gardeners can finally grow their own genetically engineered vegetable crop. Before I tell you what it is, we need to define the terms. "GMO" is a widely misused term. It stands for genetically modified organism. In the United States, this term has no legal definition. Many people think they are against anything that is genetically modified,...Read more

Chris Brown Photography/TNS/TNS

On Gardening: The Year of the Angelonia: Let the celebration commence

Gardening / Gardening News /

The National Garden Bureau has designated 2024 as the "Year of the Angelonia" and I am in full celebration mode. As I was preparing for my contribution to the celebration, I was however sent into taxonomic trauma.

For the last 26 years of deep love for the angelonia, or summer snapdragon, I have told everyone via newspaper, radio and TV that ...Read more

The Greener View: Florel the Little Chemical that Could

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Q: Didn't you write about a product that could stop all the stinky ginkgo fruit from falling off my trees? I think it was supposed to be applied in the spring, and spring is coming soon. I don't want to cut down my two ginkgo trees, but the fruit makes a huge mess in the fall.

A: I think you are right. The product is called Florel, and as far ...Read more

Norman Winter/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Add pop to the garden with ColorBlaze coleus

Gardening / Gardening News /

The excitement for spring planting is building at a feverish pitch and many are wondering what they can do to add more pop to the landscape. The answer just may be ColorBlaze coleus, and I am not just talking a dab.

A dab is precisely how many of you have looked at coleus. One little coleus here should do just fine. This prevalent thinking ...Read more

The Greener View: More All-America Selections Flower Winners

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Finding the red, white and blue logo of All-America Selections on seed packets, bedding plant tags or catalogs will help you find flowers and vegetables that will grow great in your garden. Last week, we discussed the three vegetable winners for 2024 and three of the flower winners. Today, we finish with five more flower winners.

The judges ...Read more

Norman Winter/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Superbells Coral Sun offers award-winning options

Gardening / Gardening News /

Superbells Coral Sun made its debut in 2020 and has been racking up awards from north to south. By that I mean Top Performer from Michigan State to Mississippi State and you can add Perfect Score at University of Tennessee and Director’s Select at Penn State. Now that I have grown it for a few years, The Garden Guy can give it a "Holy wow" too...Read more

The Greener View: 2024 All-America Selections Winners

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

One way that I know a plant could work well in my garden is that I look for the red, white and blue logo of All-America Selections on seed packets, on bedding plant tags or in catalogs. Even AAS winners from several years ago are more likely to prove successful than nonwinners.

The AAS testing program is an independent nonprofit organization ...Read more

Norman Winter/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Let's Dance Sky View is 2024 'Hydrangea of the Year'

Gardening / Gardening News /

The last 13-14 months of weather turned me into "The Gardening Curmudgeon." Truth be told, my garden was the most beautiful ever, and I’m not tossing blue sky to you. Well maybe I am to a point, but I’ll explain. A Polar Vortex after a mild fall in 2022 followed by a late freeze after leaf emergence took a toll on buds of many blooming ...Read more

The Greener View: Valentine Flowers

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

I have a few questions about Valentine's Day, and maybe you do too. Why do they sell "I only love you" cards in a 10-pack? What is Galentine's Day? I can't answer the first question, but Galentine's Day is the day before Valentine's Day, and it is the day ladies celebrate their girlfriends.

No matter if you celebrate one or both days, flowers ...Read more

Norman Winter/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Artist Blue Ageratums quench your thirst for garden blue

Gardening / Gardening News /

As I watch comments on my Facebook page, there is something about this winter that has everyone counting the days until spring. I know I have seen at least two countdown clocks, marking the hours and minutes. When I post a photo that shows any color of blue, particularly in combination with orange, you can feel the moaning stretching across ...Read more

The Greener View: Are Cicadas Going To Be a Problem This Year?

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Q: We were planning on planting several new trees this spring, but we were told by some friends that this summer, cicadas are coming, and they could kill small trees. Do you think is it worth the effort to plant trees this year, or should we wait?

A: I say plant away. Trees are not made in a factory when you want one. The tree you want to plant...Read more

Chris Brown Photography/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Cashmere for Swallowtails plus, best of show for your garden

Gardening / Gardening News /

There is a new verbena coming this spring that is like "Cashmere for Swallowtails," plus its beauty and garden charm will sweep you off your feet. It’s called Superbena Pink Cashmere and the excitement it is creating has most of us counting the days until spring.

I wrote about Superbena Pink Cashmere around seven months ago as The Garden Guy,...Read more

The Greener View: American Garden Rose Selection 2024 Winners

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

The American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) judges have announced the newest roses to be selected in their testing program. This year there are three new winners.

The All America Rose Selection program ran from 1940 until 2013. The AGRS program began in 2016. Roses that have been selected in either program are the best ones for gardeners to try....Read more

Chris Brown Photography/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: It may be frigid now, but when summer heat hits, you'll need a little Mojave magic

Gardening / Gardening News /

By the time you read this The Garden Guy will be smack in the middle of the Arctic blast. How can this be? I'm still having drought nightmares. Such is the dilemma we face as gardeners, garden gurus and garden guys. Planning, however, is one thing we can do once we’ve protected the plants the best we can. So, I’m thinking Mojave, and while I...Read more

The Greener View: Attracting Cardinals to My Bird Feeder

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Q: I started feeding birds back when I was forced to stay home. I do get several species of birds daily but not cardinals. They come maybe once a week. I am wondering: What can be done to attract them more often?

A: Cardinals, like all animals, need food, water and shelter. They also don't live everywhere, and in the areas they do live, they ...Read more

Norman Winter/Norman Winter/TNS

On Gardening: Pugster Amethyst takes honors in Japan

Gardening / Gardening News /

It is so much fun this time of the year as we celebrate the Pantone color of the year Peach Fuzz, Proven Winners annual of the year Supertunia Jazzberry petunia and now how about the 2024 Flower of the Year in Japan. I know you are thinking, Why would we celebrate that? We certainly do, if it is one of our guys or gals!

That’s right, one of ...Read more

The Greener View: Cats Versus Flowerpots

Gardening / Jeff Rugg /

Q: We have a new rescue cat. For reasons we don't know, it has been digging the soil out of the tops of all the house plants. It is using the litter box just fine, so it isn't that. We tried several home remedies and sprays that didn't work. I just want to put a barrier on the soil, but I am afraid of harming the plants and I don't want to make ...Read more

 

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