Home & Garden category, Page 8
Bring spring indoors early — very early — by forcing bulbs
Daffodils sitting on a windowsill against a backdrop of white snow make a fragrant and pretty midwinter scene. This picture, with bulbs “forced” for early bloom, takes planning that should start now. Choose plump, fresh-looking bulbs from those now on display at garden centers, hardware stores and supermarkets. Prep the...
Grow fresh herbs on your windowsill all winter long
Question: I’d like to grow some herbs on my windowsill in my kitchen this winter. Can I use any herbs, or do they have to be a special type for growing indoors? Any tips for success? Answer: Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow in containers and many...
10 plants sure to please this holiday season
There was a time when poinsettias, paperwhites and amaryllis were the only three traditional plants being offered for the holidays. The details of growing and enjoying those plants are covered below, but there are some other interesting things to grow indoors for this festive season. There’s nothing wrong with the...
Learn how to sow seeds of shrubs, trees in the winter
If you’re looking to increase the number of trees and shrubs on your property and you’re up for a challenge, now is a great time to start new trees and shrubs from seeds. Yes, it’s an exercise in patience, but it brings big rewards for generations to come. Winter sowing...
The best evergreen ground covers for a slope
Question: We are looking for some ground covers that stay green all winter long. We have a steep slope behind the garage that currently is filled with clumps of daylilies. We like them, but they die back in the winter. We’d like to plant some type of evergreen ground cover...
Doug Oster offers his annual gift guide for gardeners
It’s always fun to put together the annual gift guide for gardeners. They (we) are easy to buy for, so here’s a list of some of my favorite things that will make you a hero when they unwrap these unique gifts. • Growing vegetables and flowers from seeds is fun,...
How to keep root crops in the ground for winter harvests
There’s nothing quite like pulling a homegrown carrot from the soil for a winter meal. If you’ve never managed this feat before, perhaps this will be your year! Overwintering root vegetables is easier than you think, if you employ a successful overwintering strategy. While many gardeners store harvested root crops...
Greensburg Garden Center’s greens sale is a holiday traditionVideo
On the ground floor of the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, there’s a room stocked floor to ceiling with holiday decor items, from artificial trees and glittering bulbs to colorful ribbons and bows. From this work space, members of the Greensburg Garden Center craft one-of-a-kind items to sell at the...
Phipps’ winter flower show, light garden is holiday tradition
One of the most beloved winter holiday symbols — decorated and brightly lit trees — will take center stage in “Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden” at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. It’s not only traditional Christmas trees that will fill the exhibit rooms at the Victorian glass...
How to care for a frost-damaged lipstick plant
Question: My daughter lives in Georgia and has had a healthy, blooming lipstick plant for years. Primarily it lives inside, but she puts it on the patio in summer. A few days ago while daytime temps were in the 70s, they had a frost or freeze while she was out...
How to plant that live Christmas tree in your yard
There’s an unmistakable pine scent released when brushing against the evergreen trees lined up outside of Best Feeds Garden Center’s location in Ross. That aroma conjures up childhood memories of sleepless nights and presents under the tree the next morning. Owner and manager Dwayne Evans is getting ready for the...
How to grow and enjoy celeriac (AKA celery root)
If celeriac hasn’t yet found its way into your garden plot, make next year the year. This surprisingly tasty, bulbous root can be eaten fresh in salads, or cooked and used in soups and stews. Softball sized and looking like a lumpy chunk of tree bark, celeriac, also called celery...
The scoop on hardy hibiscus, their common pests
Question: When can I cut back my hardy hibiscus? Also, something devastated the leaves on my hardy hibiscus this summer. How can I prevent this from happening again? Answer: Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) are show-stopping late-season bloomers for sunny gardens. These big beauties are hardy down to -20 degrees F,...
50+ deer-resistant plants to add to your landscape
As I stepped out the kitchen door to walk the dog, a young deer munching on hydrangeas confronted us. This buck was in rut and looked at us as if we were competitors in the race to mate. As my dog barked wildly, the deer backed off a little but...
Finish up these final fall garden chores
While the important message to “leave the leaves” has hopefully kept most gardeners from raking up every last leaf in their landscape (leaves are critical overwintering habitat for many creatures and should be left in flower and shrub beds for the winter), there are still plenty of other things to...
Take advantage of seasonal pause to make 2020 garden plans
The outdoor growing season is over in most of the U.S., and it’s time to pause and take stock. Review those gardening impressions that delighted you as well as those that disappointed. Apply what one veteran planter calls “creative staring” to improve the look of your landscape and the rewards...
Canna roots must be dug, stored for the winter
Question: We had several huge canna lilies in our garden this year. They have now been killed by these recent cold temperatures. Is it too late to dig them up? If we do, how do we keep them through the winter? Answer: Cannas are beautiful, tropical plants that make a...
Snag a few bargains now at the garden center
It’s always a sad day to walk out to the garden after the first hard frost of the season. But as another year of growing tender plants comes to an end, there’s still time to sneak in some bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs. Often times they can be found on...
Air plants are fun to grow, but they do require some special care
Air plants have made a comeback. These members of the bromeliad family, known as Tillandsia, were popular with 1970s houseplant growers, and they’re now back in vogue. While many folks think these cute little plants survive on just air, they’re mistaken. Air plants need a little more TLC than you...
Try something new with uncommonly delicious (and ugly) fruit
As I savor one of my just-picked American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana), I’m reminded how this fruit — and a few other delectable fruits — would never sell. Why not? Because they’re ugly! Although the persimmons hung from the branches as handsome, plump, orange orbs up to a few weeks ago,...
Planting fall bulbs ensures spring flowers
There was a little patch of purple and yellow crocus flowers blooming annually at my childhood home. They were right at the base of a hose spigot near our well. When I would run home after school in the spring, I’d see those flowers and connect the dots, knowing the...
How to harvest fresh herbs in the winter
While the first frost certainly signals the end of fresh basil harvests, it doesn’t have to signal the end of all herb harvests, especially if you’re willing to get a little creative. With a little effort, you can harvest several types of fresh herbs all winter long by potting up...
These are the best ways to save seeds
Question: Now that the gardening season is over, we would like to save some seeds from our flowers and vegetables to replant in the garden next year. What’s the best way for us to do this, and can we save seeds from all plants or just certain ones? Answer: Saving...
Students get hands-on in Pioneer Education Center’s sensory garden
The soft plumes of tall, ornamental grass sway in the breeze in the Sensory Garden at Pioneer Education Center in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The school was designed and built as a special education center. Many of its students are medically fragile with multiple disabilities. The garden at Pioneer...
You can still save those green tomatoes
The last green and blushing tomatoes still hang in the garden. It’s been a longer than usual season and they won’t be harvested until there’s a credible chance of frost. Even then, it’s not critical to have them off the vine, but soon after. Holding a tomato which has just...
