Phran Novelli

A Gardener’s Gift

Gardeners are good at sharing. They share flowers, plants and clippings – and some things simply rooted in kindness.

2013/04/16

Horticulture Classes At Barnes Arboretum

The Arboretum School of the Barnes Foundation is where I went to learn more about horticulture – and you can too.

2013/04/15

Wind-Swept Pollen Causing Early Allergies

Blame tall trees for early Spring allergies.

2013/04/10

Leave Leaves To Feed Trees

When you take leaves away from under a tree and dump mulch on the ground in their place, the mulch can’t begin to replace all the nutrients the leaves had naturally.

2013/04/09

Corn Gluten Meal As ‘Organic’ Weed Preventer

When the forsythia blooms it’s a sign of spring – and your cue to apply a weed preventer like corn gluten meal to stop weeds from starting.

2013/04/08

People like to bring branches inside this time of year, put them in a vase of water, then wait for them to open. It’s known as ‘forcing’ because your warm house pushes the buds to open sooner than they would outside when it’s still cold.

2013/04/03

Too Much Mulch

No matter how many times you see it that way in someone’s yard or a parking lot, mulch should never be piled up against a tree trunk like a volcano.

2013/04/02

Too Early To Plant Annuals

Take it from me – it’s better to wait until mid-May to plant tender annuals than risk being an April fool.

2013/04/01

Fall-Planted Pansies Bloom Early

Long before you could ever go out and plant annuals in the spring, fall-planted pansies are already in full bloom!

2013/03/27

Don’t Bother Blooming Bulbs

Bulbs are shooting up outside, anything you need to do?

2013/03/26

Planting ‘Forced’ Bulbs May Be A Bright Idea

People will tell you that forced bulbs never flower again but I have seen evidence to the contrary. Why not try?

2013/03/25

Crocuses Are First Sign ‘It’s Spring’

All of a sudden, it seems, in late winter come the first signs of spring – lawns loaded with pretty purple, light lavender or sometimes yellow or white crocuses.

2013/03/20

Hoping For An Early Spring Might Be Fruitless

An early spring means some plants flower earlier than they’re supposed to – and then get wiped out by a following frost. This can cause a widespread shortage of some of our favorite fruits. Some things are worth the wait.

2013/03/19

Plenty Of Seeds To Share

Seed packets are so small and light it’s easy to get carried away; but if you’re looking to plant some this spring, remember, you don’t need very many.

2013/03/18

Plant Tags Serve As Welcome Reminder

While you may not love the look of plastic plant tags sticking up in your garden, I don’t really mind them so much. In winter they’re a reminder of what’s to come in the spring and summer

2013/03/13

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