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Doing these fall garden chores will make your spring easier

We tend to think that fall is when the garden winds down, and spring is when the work begins. But there are several chores that, if completed now, will make your spring job much easier. For starters, pulling up weeds by their roots in the fall will dramatically reduce their reappearance ...

Transform fallen leaves into valuable leaf mold for your garden this fall

There are a lot of leaves outside my window, and I’m guessing your view might be similar. This carpet of dead foliage is often viewed as a nuisance, but it can be an important component in the garden. I’ll push a 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) layer of them into beds and borders to serve as ...

First major cold spell brings magical icy blooms known as frost flowers

The first major blast of wintry weather in the U.S. this week brought snow, frigid temperatures and in some places something a little more magical: Frost flowers. Made of thin ribbons of ice that extend out in intricate patterns when frozen water breaks through the slits of certain types of ...

Symbolism of cemetery plants: How flowers, trees and other botanical motifs honor those buried beneath

THE CONVERSATION — If you visit a cemetery, look closely and you’ll likely notice many flowering plants — adorning the graves, or maybe even carved into headstones. As a horticulture Extension specialist and frequent geocacher, I often visit cemeteries in urban and rural areas across the country. The plants seen in cemeteries vary by climate as well as local history and culture. They are planted with purpose, often serving as symbols for the physical and spiritual realms. Early rural cemeteries In the early 1800s, cemeteries in the United States started separating from ...