When I was young, parents would tell us “go outside and play”. And the grownups would often work outside for a living, and even if not would have a garden and a yard to take care of. And there weren’t computer screens nor smartphones to absorb so much of our time. The first newspaper compositions […]

Many newly constructed homes look like plastic houses from a Monopoly game—all alike, and all rowed up along the street. (If a large healthy native tree or two could have been left, that would have helped immensely.) These homes, along with fresh concrete drives, walks or patios, and fresh unpainted decks of treated pine, almost […]

October is National Apple Month in the United States. This generic promotion celebrates something as American as apples. Well, no, apples came with colonial settlers to the U.S. and Canada, but we still celebrate apples and use the exclamation “as American as apple pie”. Official statistics for apples: 7,500 producer/farmers, grow 240 million bushels in […]

Rainfall aplenty has made for lots of tree leaves that will be flying around before we know it. That same abundant rainfall, along with hot weather until a couple weeks ago, has kept the foliage verdant and green. But, color is coming to a yard or woodsy area near you. And cool weather, so long […]

The jujube, sometimes called Chinese date, is an unusual tree that isn’t picky where you plant it, as it will grow most anywhere. Hot and sunny is the preferred environment for good crops. And the fruits are delicious, fresh from the tree as they begin to turn color, fully colored, or dried like a prune […]

The lazy hot days of summer drag by, but before you know it fall is in the air. In today’s column let’s take stock of the yard and home and possibly do some late summer landscaping. Or, at least some planning for later. Summer is sometimes plagued with drought conditions, but at present there’s plenty […]

Winter finds people, just like animals, hibernating–when we can get away with it. On weekends, and if you’re lucky, during the week, you may get to see your yard, and those of your neighbors, during daylight hours. You’ll find they look much different than they did before the frost and cold winds took away all […]

As the world gets crazier by the day, when those in charge act more irresponsible than they used to, when those who govern haven’t a clue, when the rat-race has you all wound up and you scream “Let Me OFF!” then it may be time you got a waterfall for your place. If you can’t […]

Plants that look attractive and flower with little care, and return year after year. What you are thinking of are the perennials. Annuals and biennials can look super as well, but require more effort. Let us discuss selecting the right perennials for your spot. And we will also talk about how to make some perennial […]

 Wooden fencing, tall hedges, or sometimes just staying indoors, are often ways folks deal with neighbors and the lack of real privacy in their own yard. You see decks where you’re perched up for everyone to view. Patios can be the same if not fenced or screened. To complicate this picture, add zoning or neighborhood […]