Why aren’t my tomatoes ripe yet? Gardening expert Ken Spencer has your...
A reader and I recently compared notes about tomato varieties we are growing this season and some we’ve grown in the past. It seems we like some of the same varieties, including Early Girl, an early...
View ArticleWhat is this thing? It’s pokeweed, a purple berry-producing foe
Q. These weeds suddenly, and prolifically, sprouted in an area of the garden after I scrubbed it of pine needles and ivy vines. We’d never seen them before, in our almost 40 years here. They pull up...
View ArticleGardening Q&A: When mums have met their end, try pansies or violas
Q. The beautiful mums in front of my condo that I started from a small indoor plant thrived and multiplied for more than 10 years. Every year after the blooms faded, they were cut down, and they...
View ArticleGardening Q&A: Before you plant trees and shrubs, plan. A lot.
Landscape professionals may disagree on plenty, but one thing is more or less universally accepted: Late fall to early spring is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. That means we’re entering...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let the leaves be. The lawn and garden will thank you.
While I’m somewhat unsure what season we’re in right now, the deciduous trees have had it figured out for quite some time. They began preparing for winter a long time ago, by recalling and sequestering...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New plant hardiness map: Many Virginians shift to warmer zones
In the news recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised its plant hardiness zone map for the first time in more than a decade. As always, this is a hot topic in horticultural circles. What is...
View ArticlePut fireplace ash to good use in lawn and garden
It’s that time of year. With winter come nights with clear, cold skies, often accompanied by the smoke and aroma from wood-burning fireplaces. Many folks enjoy a roaring wood fire and the warmth,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It’s time! 10 things to do and avoid as you prune your trees and bushes
It’s that time of year: pruning time. For several reasons, late winter to early spring is the best time to tackle this task for many trees and shrubs: With leaves gone, it’s much easier to see the...
View ArticleGardening Q&A: Is it safe to transplant a lime outside now?
Q. We planted our lime outside in the summer of 2022. I replanted it in a container and kept it inside our sunroom during the winter, where it received several hours of nice sunshine every day. And I...
View ArticleWhy is the bark on this redbud cracking? Ken Spencer explains.
Q. I planted three redbud trees (variety Merlot) in August 2022 when we moved into our new house. Now, one of the three appears to be dead, with the bark split in several places along the length of the...
View Article