Expert Advice on Home Improvement

If you live in an area with foraging deer, you’ve likely watched with dismay as some of your favorite plants disappear overnight. But before you give up on gardening altogether, try making your yard less appealing to deer by choosing plants that deer find less appealing. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

Fall gardening is an exercise in delayed gratification – new plants will barely put down roots before going dormant, cleaned and amended beds won’t show their gratitude until spring, and bulbs disappear underground, making you wonder if they’ll ever reappear. Don’t despair – instead, use this season to clean up, organize, and take stock of your lawn and garden. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

Potassium is a very important nutrient for overall plant health. If you’re looking to go organic, there are many ways to supplement your lawn or garden with potassium without using chemical fertilizers. Read on for more info on the most popular sources of organic potassium. Read in full.

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.” With the end of daylight saving time this weekend, the idea of “precious sunshine” really hit home as I set out for an evening walk and found that it was already pitch-dark outside! Read in full.

Your lawn’s nutrient needs change in the fall in preparation for the cold weather ahead. If all the conflicting advice about whether or not to winterize your lawn has left you confused, you’re not alone! But figuring out what to do may not be as hard as it seems. Read on to find out how to prepare your lawn for winter. Read in full.

Madison asks, “Why are many fertilizer bags labeled ‘phosphorus free’? I thought phosphorus was one of the three important nutrients for plants?”

You’re right that phosphorus is an important nutrient, but fertilizers containing phosphorus are a major source of groundwater contamination. Read more to find out when to use phosphorus in your garden. Read in full.

Around my house, fall means pumpkin carving time! Last weekend, we visited a local pumpkin patch and lugged home a carful of pumpkins for an evening of friends, mulled cider, pumpkin carving, and – of course – pumpkin cheesecake! Check out these scary guys – I’m sure they’ll keep away any Halloween goblins (and possibly frighten the mailman). Read in full.

Geraniums are one of the most popular container and garden plants. You just can’t beat their bright colors and sturdy, well-shaped foliage. Geraniums can easily be stored over the winter and enjoyed again next year. So if you hate to see your lovely geraniums killed by frost this fall, read on to find out how to overwinter them indoors. Read in full.

Window boxes can be difficult to maintain in the winter. For a little something different this fall, try these easy and budget-friendly window boxes. Read on to find out how. Read in full.

This morning, more or less on schedule, my garden was visited by the first frost of the season. It left everything glittering and gave the last of the summer annuals their “Uh, oh” look. Can it really be time for cold again? Read in full.