Expert Advice on Home Improvement

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.

In October, gardeners have a color show unequaled in any other season. While many summer annuals are still blooming, trees begin their yearly show of fall color. Berries and nuts add polka-dots to shrub and tree borders, and fall-blooming perennials explode into bloom. The shifting angle of sunrays provides a gorgeous backlight in late afternoon, and the crisp air wakes up the senses. Read in full.

September heralds the fall gardening season with cooler temperatures and a first taste of autumn in the air. Now’s the time to be outside to enjoy the beautiful weather while taking care of some of the following lawn and garden tasks for September. Read in full.

August begins right in the middle of the “dog days of summer,” the hottest and most sultry time of the year. Ancient cultures believed that the excessive heat was caused by the alignment of Sirius, the Dog Star, with the sun during the summer. These are the days when everything seems languid and still – except mosquitoes, of course – and the sun threatens to bake lawns, gardens, and gardeners alike. Read in full.

Rainfall is scarce in July, and soaring temperatures can cause your garden and lawn to slow down and conserve energy. Vegetable gardens kick into high gear and need some extra attention to stay happy. Other plants in your garden can benefit from special treatment as well. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

June marks the official start of summer and is a great month for working in the garden. Most parts of the country are green and teeming with birds, butterflies, and flowers; but the heat is not yet unbearable and summer drought hasn’t taken hold. Read on for a list of tasks to complete in your lawn and garden during June. Read in full.

For those in colder climates who have been gazing longingly at the spring chores popping up in our garden calendar, May is the month for you! Much of the country will experience the last frost of the season this month, bringing us to the heady days of spring gardening. So whether you’re just getting your hands dirty for the first time, or already have calluses from digging, here are some tips and chores for the May garden. Read in full.

Spring can be an antsy time in the garden. The weather is warming, evening sunlight coaxes us outdoors, trees and spring bulbs are showing off blooms, yet cold weather threatens the eager gardener who gets started too early. Nevertheless, as lawns and gardens (and gardeners) begin to wake up this month, the mad rush of planting, pruning, plowing, and sprucing descends with joyful, muddy industriousness. Read in full.

Spring is on the way! This year, March 20 marks the Vernal or Spring Equinox, when day and night are the same length. Don’t be fooled by the calendar though. Depending on where you live, freezing weather can persist well past the official start of spring. Read more to find out how to get your lawn and garden ready for the new season. Read in full.

February 2nd marks the official midpoint of winter, and on this day many cultures look to folklore and tradition for signs of the coming spring. For most of us,however, February remains a wintertime month, with plants either still dormant or just beginning to stir. Still, there are things to be done on nice days outdoors, such as these monthly garden tasks. Read in full.