Kiwifruit: Fuzzy Brown Things

Kiwifruit: Fuzzy Brown Things

Undoubtedly, you’ve seen those fuzzy brown fruits in your grocery store. Perhaps you wondered about them. Some call them Actinidia deliciosa; others call them “delicious.” Have you tried to eat one? Like most of us, you liked it. Now you want to grow your own. Did you know you could?

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Hollies and Winter Berries for the Holidays

Hollies and Winter Berries for the Holidays

Ho, ho, ho! Maybe you don’t need the reminder…but the holidays are quickly approaching. What plant do you think of for the holidays? HOLLY, of course.

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Bringing Houseplants in for the Winter

Bringing Houseplants in for the Winter

Most of the plants we grow in our houses are from the tropics. That’s why they grow well in our warm houses in the winter. Many also thrive outside in our temperate summer. However, when the temperatures start dropping, it’s time to return our green friends to the confines of the house where they will continue to grow while we enjoy their greenery indoors.

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The Great Squirrel Battle for the Bulbs

The Great Squirrel Battle for the Bulbs

This is the catalog time of year. Gardeners devour and drool over the spring-blooming bulb catalogs. We picture drifts of crocus and gaily swaying tulips…you know what I mean… ah, the garden will be great this next spring.

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September and October in the Garden

September and October in the Garden

Click the headline above to read important tips for gardening this season!

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Protecting Plants from Winter Wind

Protecting Plants from Winter Wind

Winter wind is mysterious…You can’t see it but it can cause two types of damage. One is obvious. The force of the wind breaks branches, tears leaves and knocks down trees. The second is more insidious, it can kill plants and trees by drying the roots! Wondering how?

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Attracting Your BFF (Bird Friends Forever) to the Garden

Attracting Your BFF (Bird Friends Forever) to the Garden

Birds are fascinating. They can also be your secret weapon in your pest management program by eating your insect pests. Invite them in and keep them around. A well-planned three part “bird program” will be the perfect welcome to your feathered friends. Providing food, water and shelter is just the ticket.

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Fairy Garden Magic

Fairy Garden Magic

Do you think your tiny balcony terrace means you can’t have a grand garden? Looking for a clever imaginative way to introduce a child to the world of plants? Ever dreamed of your own “McGregor’s Garden?” One of the newest gardening trends can do all these and a whole lot more!

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The Allium Family in the Winter Garden: Onion, Leeks, Garlic and Shallots

The Allium Family in the Winter Garden: Onion, Leeks, Garlic and Shallots

Alliums, including onion, leeks, garlic and shallots are perfect vegetables to grow in the winter. Cool wet weather encourages strong root and foliage growth to produce larger bulbs and hardier plants. In addition, by growing your own, you’ll be able to say, “I grew it myself.”

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Itoh Peony: Huge, Long-lasting, Colorful Flowers!

Itoh Peony: Huge, Long-lasting, Colorful Flowers!

What happens when you cross a tree peony with a perennial peony? You get an “intersectional hybrid” peony! This is exactly what Toichi Itoh did in 1948. Now this beautiful plant bears his name.

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Fuchsia Baskets (aka “Ladies Eardrops”)

Fuchsia Baskets (aka “Ladies Eardrops”)

Countless generations of children were tough on fuchsias. Little girls picked the brightly colored flowers with long hanging pistils and pretended they were ballerinas.

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Buddha’s Hands

Buddha’s Hands

California and citrus have a long-term marriage. In 1769, Father Junipero Serra planted the first citrus trees and today’s citrus orchards contribute more than $1billion to the California economy.

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