The Meyer Lemon as Houseplant
By Christa Watters, Extension Master Gardener Last fall I harvested five beautiful Meyer lemons from a potted dwarf lemon tree I had received as a Christmas present in 2015. Along …
Regional Gardens: The United States National Arboretum
Text by Elaine Mills, Certified Master Gardener Photos by Elaine Mills & Bob Kline The United States National Arboretum, established in 1927 by an Act of Congress, defines its function …
Hellebores – A Gardener’s Comfort
By Dina Lehmann-Kim, Extension Master Gardener Avid gardeners spend the winter months gazing through plant catalogs, planning for changes and new additions to their gardens while eagerly awaiting the first …
Organic Fertilizers: Giving a Jump Start to New Plantings
Most of the soil test results we receive at the VCE Horticultural Help Desk for vegetable gardens are high in phosphorus and potassium leaving nitrogen as the nutrient needed most. However, many of our organic fertilizers contain similar amounts of all three nutrients. So, what can we use that provides more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium?
What’s up with those Cicadas?
If you think it is too early to find the exoskeletons of annual cicadas scattered along the sidewalk, then you are correct. What you see are the exoskeletons of periodical cicadas. Some of the Brood X 17-year cicadas have started to surface–four years early–in Virginia, Maryland, DC, Delaware, Ohio and Tennessee.
Five Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Bonsai
In honor of World Bonsai Day on May 12, we looked into the history and art of bonsai. You may know the proper pronunciation is “bones-eye” or “bone-sigh,” but did you know the Japanese weren’t the first to practice the art or that a gardener of tiny bonsai plants might need a crowbar?