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A Greener View: Make it so in 2024 – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Hopefully 2024 will be a better year, because every year should be better than the one before. Gardening makes everything better, so let’s talk about how to make gardening better. Make a New Year’s resolution to learn more about gardening. Resolve to take a gardening class with your local extension…
Read MoreA Greener View: A live Christmas Tree and protect shrubs from winter animals – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Question: We were thinking of using a live Christmas tree this year instead of cutting one down. After the New Year, we want to plant it in our yard. Is there anything we should know about how to do this? Answer: There are several evergreen tree species that can be…
Read MoreA Greener View: Poinsettias – Jeff Rugg
poinsettias for christmas
Read MoreA Greener View: Feeder Watch – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer It is that time of year again: The weather is getting colder, and it is time to begin preparing for winter. As our gardens prepare to go dormant for the winter, we can think ahead to the joy that bird-feeding will bring. Fall is a good time to wash the…
Read MoreA Greener View: Mums and bulbs – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: I love chrysanthemums. I buy several colors of them each fall. I have tried planting them in the ground but they have never come back in the spring. Any suggestions? A: There are several reasons that they don’t make it through the winter. First, you need to buy a…
Read MoreA Greener View: Garden Tools – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer In November, most of us will see our transition into winter, although many northern and high-altitude areas have already experienced their first – and second – snow. November is a cleanup month. It is a good time to fix up, clean up and put away tools and get out the…
Read MoreA Greener View: Fall Landscaper Questions – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: My landscaper told me a couple of things that I don’t understand. I think he is just trying to make some money. Is this a good time to fertilize a bluegrass lawn? Is this a good time to apply weed controls in the lawn or flower bed? How low…
Read MoreA Greener View: Your Thanksgiving, Christmas Cactus – Jeff Rugg
You will see poinsettias everywhere this time of year, and if you are tired of them you might want to try the easy-to-grow Thanksgiving cactus. You probably have heard them be called Christmas cacti. There are three species of similar tropical cacti. One blooms in the fall, one in the winter and one in the…
Read MoreA Greener View: Protecting potted plants over the winter – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: I have several potted trees that I don’t think I am going to be able to plant this fall. The area they are going to go into is not ready to be graded to the final grade. There is a maple, an oak and two crabapples. How can I…
Read MoreA Greener View: Hawk Migration – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer For gardeners in the northern two-thirds of the country, the fall is a time to clean up the leaves, plant a few bulbs and pack things up for the winter. Even in the south, the fall is a good time to reflect on how things looked over the summer and…
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