Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
Cacti and succulents are popular houseplants. If you are just getting started with these, or looking to expand your collection, check out Happy Cactus: Cacti, Succulents, and More. It is an easy-to-use book, filled with helpful advice.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Eastern Redcedar’s dense foliage provides excellent roosting/nesting cover for birds, and wildlife favor its fruit. This long-lived juniper, which is native to eastern North America, was prized by Virginia colonists for its wood. Today, its wood is valued as a closet/chest lining; oils are distilled for use in fragrances; and the fruit gives gin its characteristic flavor.
Gardeners usually think of winter as a time for taking stock of the year’s successes and failures and then planning for the upcoming growing season. One important task they should consider before designing new beds or perusing seed catalogs is preparing their gardening tools for off-season storage. Tools that are well cared for will last longer, take less effort to use, cause less damage to plants, and help to prevent the spread of diseases.
Vegetable Gardening information for January 2023
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Common in the southeast, this low maintenance, ornamental shade tree is prized for its timber and sweet, gummy aromatic sap, from which it derives its common name. It is distinguished by star-shaped leaves as well as prickly seed balls that litter the ground as they drop from fall to spring.
Featured Glossary word: Alate
alate: winged
When you hear the word wings, you probably visualize birds, insects, or planes. Unless you are a botanist or an avid gardener, plants are not images that you first call to mind. However, some plant species have alate or winged parts.
