Introduction Are you dreaming of a garden filled with vibrant flowers and lush greenery? The key to unlocking that dream may lie in a simple, yet often overlooked, gardening technique known as seed stratification. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, understanding and applying this method can greatly improve the germination and overall success of your plants. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the what, why, and how of seed stratification to help you transform your garden into a thriving oasis. Understanding Seed Stratification What is Stratification? Seed stratification is ..read more

Introduction Mulching is integral to gardening, offering numerous benefits such as moisture retention, weed suppression, and soil improvement. However, deciding whether to mulch in spring or fall depends on various factors. In this blog post, explore the pros and cons of spring mulching versus fall mulching and discuss different types of mulch and their advantages and drawbacks. Why use mulch? Mulch is hailed as essential to the gardening process, but why? Here are a few reasons: Adds Curb Appeal: Mulching enhances the aesthetics of your house and landscaping by providing a polished appearan ..read more

Introduction As we continue into summer, it’s not uncommon to feel a slight dip in your gardening enthusiasm. The once-flourishing plants in your garden may not live up to picture-perfect expectations and the scorching heat certainly doesn’t help. But fear not! If you find yourself and your garden in the midsummer doldrums, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to perk you up. Midsummer Checklist Planting with Precision: Overplanting can hinder your plants’ performance and growth. Avoid overcrowding by understanding the mature size of your plants. Then, space them accordingly with planting. A ..read more

Vegetables to Plant During a Wintery Spring   Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted an early spring but it might take a little longer to warm up.   In the meantime, use the last few weeks of winter to help grow some cool weather veggies so you can enjoy garden-fresh greens all season. We know it’s tempting to start planting your juicy tomatoes and wishing for warmer weather now, but homegrown vegetables can start much earlier than the end of spring. Cool weather vegetables prefer lower temperatures and are fairly easy plants as they are hardy to an occasional frost and with the cooler weather ..read more

Written by Ann Meisoll Tomatoes are the mainstay of many Richmond gardens. They should be producing well this time of year, but sometimes issues do pop up. Some of the more common ones, along with solutions, are listed below. Hornworms Do your plants look fine one day, but leaves and stems are totally gone the next day? If so, you probably have hornworms on the plant. Hornworms are lime green, sort of ridged, and they’re LARGE. Unfortunately, they blend in really well on a tomato plant, so you have to really hunt for them. They can eat a large tomato plant down to nothing in just a few days ..read more