Ask a Master Gardener: Sustainable fall maintenance

When the air becomes cooler, and leaves begin to turn colors, it’s time to gear up for fall garden maintenance. Or is it?

Weeding is often a reality of summer landscape maintenance. Some people don’t mind weeding, some highly dislike it, and other people fall somewhere in between.

We purchase them at the market. We dine on them in salads and sauces. Some of us indulge in the joy of growing our own at home, but how much do you really know about tomatoes?

There’s no denying they’re pretty, but did you know there are practical reasons to plant flowers among the vegetables in your garden? 

Are you looking for a fun gardening project to do with your children?

As warmer weather beckons Addison County residents outdoors this spring, there’s an uninvited guest they should keep watch for in their gardens, lawns and fields: jumping worms.

As warmer weather approaches, it is a great time to consider how you use the outdoor spaces in your life. Whether you rent or own, use public land or private, there are things that you can think about to help make these outdoor spaces work better for you.

There’s more to consider than fresh eggs when raising chickens at home. For gardeners, that includes keeping both chickens and plants safe and productive.

Over the winter, I heard about an intriguing vegetable-growing technique called “lazy gardening.” As far as I knew, that was the kind of gardening I’d been doing for two decades.

Communities around the world are cultivating seed libraries. A surge in new gardeners and struggling supply chains during the pandemic caused the rise of seed libraries.

This time of year, when plants are normally in their dormant stage, usually finds gardeners conducting late-winter pruning of apple and other fruit trees.

Cold frames allow for the early planting of spring vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, carrots and cabbage by protecting them from frost and cold temperatures at the beginning of the season.

Many gardeners start vegetables, annual flowers and herbs from seeds, either indoors or directly in the garden. However, have you ever considered growing your own perennials from seed? 

The holidays are over, and we find ourselves in the cold, dark days of mid-winter. As a gardener, you may feel that the planting season is so far away. Don’t worry as you can start many plants indoors by seed soon.

If you’ve purchased perennial plants or started them from seed, you’ve likely seen notations such as “hardy to zone 5” or “USDA Zones 4a-9b” on the package or in the product description.