Beneficial Visitors, Welcome Guests

Outside my kitchen window is a small herb garden where I have stashed a few tomatoes and peppers. It’s the place where I go for a breath of fresh air. It’s also the place where the insects go, because there’s almost always something in bloom. One of the first things I learned as a Master Gardener is that not all insects are problematic. In fact, many of them are quite beneficial, more so than just the bees and butterflies.

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Don’t Have a Rose Garden; Have Roses in Your Garden

In 1867, Jean Baptiste Guillot created the first hybrid tea rose by crossing a China rose with a tea rose. Hundreds of new varieties followed. These roses with their great blooms, long stems and recurrent bloom quickly became favorites of the floral industry and soon replaced most other roses on the market.

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Holiday Plants Become Lasting Treasures

Christmas brings a unique selection of plants that provide color and interest to your holiday decorating. Christmas cactus, poinsettia, amaryllis, and rosemary are just a few. While these plants add beauty to your home for an extended season, many are puzzled by their sudden decline as winter comes to an end. Rather than toss your frazzled plant, consider some timely details of care, and these tired plants will become lasting treasures.

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If You Think Daylilies Are Only for Spring, Think Again!

Daylilies are one of the most colorful and commonly planted perennials in today’s home and commercial gardens due to their almost indestructible nature and wide variety of colors. While dazzling in their beauty, the truth is that each bloom lasts only a day; hence the Latin genus name Hermerocallis, a name taken from the Greek words for “beauty” and “day.”

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