Cleaning up some frosted bean and marigold plants the other day, I thought of a weather report I heard recently on the radio. The announcer stated: “Freezing temperatures are predicted for tonight, thus ending the gardening season.” His deadpan delivery of this dramatic — for gardeners ...

Planting a tree is one of the best things you can do to help the planet, and these days it’s gotten easier. There’s a better understanding now of what trees need, including when they should generally be planted (the fall). Why plant trees? It’s well-known that trees mitigate global ...

When thinking of fall, shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown often come to mind. Bright orange pumpkins, chrysanthemums in hues of gold, rust, red, and pink, and golden corn stalks seem to be everywhere. Central Pennsylvania’s trees and forests are awash in these warm colors, creating a ...

Staff and volunteers at the Penn State Extension Office in Clinton County have been contributing articles to this column, which is called “Making Life Better” for more than a decade. Our focus is usually on providing information on research, best practices and Extension programs that can ...

PHOTO PROVIDED Dogwood Circle Garden Club has awarded David and Joan Brungard, 121 Summers Point Drive in Mill Hall with the September Garden of the Month Award. This year’s theme is “Landscaping” and the Brungards along with Dave and Tammy Early have an extensive meticulously shaped ...

In a previous column, I wrote about the ravenous tobacco hornworm in the vegetable garden (July 25, 2020). For those that don’t have gardens, you are not immune to the destructive power of other “worms.” Two insects are making a mess of area landscapes, one of which is killing off ...

Master Gardeners often encourage homeowners to reduce the size of their lawns by adding beds of trees, shrubs, and perennials, especially natives. But the amount of work usually associated with creating a new garden bed can be challenging. Removing grass and weeds, digging up the area, and ...

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2021 Master Gardener Basic Training classes will be delivered online instead of the usual in-person workshops that have traditionally been held annually at the Penn State Extension Office in Lock Haven. Participating in Basic Training is the first step in ...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Since its unwelcome arrival in Pennsylvania several years ago, the spotted lanternfly has been eating away at agricultural commodities, landscapes and the commonwealth’s bottom line. Putting an end to the pest’s feast is the charge of the Cooperative Spotted Lanternfly ...

OMAHA, Neb. — Landscaping at Millwork Commons will be as innovative as the people and enterprises the new development in north downtown Omaha hopes to attract. Reflecting a mix of two design movements, called the new perennial and the biophilic, the intention is to create a more natural ...

Seeds from China have been appearing in mailboxes all over the US, including Clinton County. The mailing observed in our area was a small, white, padded package with reference to origin (China). Bracelet beading was listed as the content description. Some reports have contents from similar ...

Here in Central Pennsylvania we often have an abundance of shrubs blooming in the spring, but by mid-summer most flowering shrubs are a thing of the past. There are, however, some shrubs that bloom or produce colorful berries from mid-summer to fall and they can be welcome additions to ...

The ubiquitous nature of weeds can make them seem like they can grow anywhere, and that’s because they can. Weeds can grow anywhere there’s room for them to sprout, including gardens, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots. One of the things that helps weeds spread so much is how productive ...

Winners of the July Dogwood Circle Garden of the Month Award are the Jeremy and Allison Grubb family including daughters Maren and Rhys. Adhering to the theme of “Landscaping” the Grubb home at 390 Birch St. in Flemington has a variety of ornamental and unusual trees and shrubs: weeping ...

August is the month for two garden W’s: weeding and watering. Regular attention to both keeps a vegetable or flower garden pretty and productive well into autumn. For now, let’s look at watering. It’s not necessarily less rain that makes soils drier in August; it’s August’s ...

METRO — Gardens provide an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In fact, many gardening enthusiasts typically cannot wait for the spring thaw so they can spend the next several months tending to their plants under the warm sun. But a gardener’s work is never truly ...

METRO — Gardening is beneficial in various ways. The AARP states that some of the health perks associated with gardening include improved mood, increased vitamin D levels (which benefits bones and immune system) and reduced risk of dementia. In addition, if gardening efforts include growing ...

METRO — Avid gardeners know that compost can add vital nutrients to soil used in gardens, container plants and lawns. The fact that compost is so versatile and nutrient-dense may not even be its most admirable quality. Made from items used in and around the house, compost costs just about ...

Every year now, gardeners should be rethinking what they grow and where because of climate change, experts say. The growing season has become longer, delivering bigger harvests but requiring more weeding and controls. Plants are under stress because of rising temperatures, less frequent but ...

METRO — Tending to backyard vegetable gardens can fill many hours of enjoyable downtime in the great outdoors. What’s more, the bounty produced by such gardens provides healthy, fresh foods to gardeners and their loved ones. Although spring and summer are widely seen as the peak of ...