Home & Garden category, Page 3
Should you worry about lichens, moss, algae on trees?
Now that deciduous trees are bare, trunks and branches have taken center stage, and you might be noticing nuances and irregularities that evaded your attention over the summer. For instance, what are those green masses growing on your trees? Those growths could be either lichens, moss or algae, and the...
Honeybees are at risk, along with the crops they pollinate
PHILADELPHIA — The honeybees looked perfectly healthy, buzzing about their boxy wooden hive on a warm autumn day in central Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Capaldi suspected otherwise. Clad in a protective white suit and hat, the biologist reached out with a gloved hand to capture one of the insects in a small...
Christmas tree recycling is a good alternative to landfills
Taking down the Christmas tree is only one task after the holiday season. For those with a real tree, figuring out what to do with it can be as easy as placing it by the curb. In most states, it can be the gift that keeps on giving. Discarded Christmas...
Scientists reveal secrets of frog transparency
WASHINGTON — Now you see them, now you don’t. Some frogs found in South and Central America have the rare ability to turn on and off their nearly transparent appearance, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. During the day, these nocturnal frogs sleep by hanging underneath tree leaves. Their...
6 favorite conifers and the cones they produce
In much of the country, much of the landscape goes barren from fall through spring. Evergreens are typically the workhorse plants that carry us through. But not all evergreens are created equal. A subset called conifers provide not only year-round greenery but ornamental cones that command attention, feed birds (and...
Pumpkins can be composted, donated to farms, fed to wildlife
Hold off before throwing that porch pumpkin into the trash along with Halloween candy wrappers. Those jack-o’-lanterns don’t have to end up in the local landfill. Consider composting pumpkins in the garden, donating them to community gardens, farms or even a zoo, or simply leaving them as a snack for...
‘Bucket list’: White House garden tours prune a U.S. divide
WASHINGTON — There were the young women in fresh fall coats, a guy in a suit, hoodied parents with kids, all maneuvering for selfies with the White House south facade. The plant fans and the history fans leaned in to admire the perennials and centuries-old trees on the lawns where...
Some tips to help that dry, stressed out lawn
Much of the country has experienced drought and extreme heat this summer, and turfgrass lawns are feeling the pain. There are steps we can take, however, to mitigate the damage while still trying to conserve precious water resources. Know your lawn There are two classifications of turfgrasses: cool-season grasses, which...
Allegheny Township winery officially hits market for just under $1 million
Wooden Door Winery in Allegheny Township is officially on the market. Owners Jeff and Chrissy Pollick announced they were selling their flagship winery in June, but the property wasn’t officially listed for sale then, and an asking price was not disclosed. The barn-themed winery at 4087 Greenwood Road in Allegheny...
Unearthing your potato harvest: How do you know when to dig?
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about harvesting potatoes, as a lot of gardeners aren’t quite sure when, exactly, to dig them up. And who could blame them? Size, scent and firmness inform the maturity of most fruits and vegetables, but our senses can’t help us here. Dig...
What’s a garden without birds? Create habitat so they thrive
As I write this, I can hear a cardinal trilling in the backyard. I don’t have to look out the open window to confirm the source of the sounds that come through it; I’ve come to recognize the songs and their singers. I know it’s the mourning dove whose cooing...
Monarch butterflies are in trouble; Here’s how you can help
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a butterfly. My money says the fluttering insect you’re envisioning has black-veined, reddish-orange wings outlined with white specks — the iconic attributes of our beloved American monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, the species, which populates many childhood memories, is in trouble. The migrating monarch...
Start harvesting your garden veggies now, and keep it going
One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is not starting to harvest their vegetable gardens early enough. You don’t have to wait until the announcement of an impending frost before reaping what you have sown. Vegetable gardens should be harvested over a long period of time starting as early as...
Greensburg Garden Center member pens song for annual butterfly release
Greensburg Garden Center’s annual butterfly releases will be extra special this year, with a song written especially for the event. Member J.D. Peterson of Greensburg will perform her composition, “The Life Cycle of the Butterfly,” as part of a brief, fun educational program she will present during releases at 11...
How to cook with garden and windowsill herbs this summer
I am a terrible gardener. I hate weeding, and within weeks of planting anything, the tomato, pepper and other plants start to become overrun with unwanted greenery, and it’s just not a pretty sight. The few plants that do seem to persevere despite my sloppy gardening efforts are the herbs,...
Home gardeners invited to enter Greensburg Garden Center flower show
Home gardeners are invited to enter their best blooms in Greensburg Garden Center’s biennial standard flower show. “Growing Wild” will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the McKenna Senior Center, 971 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. Submissions will be accepted from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday at the...
Tips for growing a healthy garden during drought
Many people try to save water just to do the right thing (and save money too). But when serious drought hits, and state and local governments enforce restrictions, water conservation becomes non-negotiable. So far this summer, nearly 65% of the United States and Puerto Rico is experiencing “abnormally dry” weather,...
Edgeworth home wins design award
An Edgeworth property is the recipient of the Professional Silver Award for Design by The Society of American Registered Architects. The property is currently for sale, listed by Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty. William H. Childs Jr. & Associates Inc. were the architects/planners for the home and accepted the award. “This...
Alternatives to store-bought fertilizer are all around you
The cost of everything from gas to burgers may be rising, but home gardeners growing produce have found a way at least to avoid paying $4 for a pound of tomatoes. Fertilizing those tomatoes — or cucumbers or flowers, for that matter — is another story, as the cost of...
The best places in Western Pennsylvania to see mountain laurel in full bloom
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2018. Pennsylvania’s official state flower, the mountain laurel is in full bloom throughout the Pittsburgh region. Although most people are familiar with the laurel’s relatives — rhododendron and azaleas — the official state flower is plentiful but in select environments, mostly rocky,...
Gardening success means avoiding these common mistakes
Much of gardening is learned by trial and error — for many, mostly error. Planting a shade-lover in full sun isn’t likely to breed success, nor is letting your emotions run rampant at the nursery. But we’ve all been there, and the good news is we can learn from others’...
Michigan profs push ‘pee for peonies’ urine diversion plan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A pair of University of Michigan researchers are putting the “pee” in peony. Rather, they’re putting pee ON peonies. Environmental engineering professors Nancy Love and Krista Wigginton are regular visitors to the Ann Arbor school’s Nichols Arboretum, where they have been applying urine-based fertilizer to the...
‘Pollinator Palooza’ passport offers tour of pollinator-friendly gardens
Westmoreland Pollinator Partners is offering a passport for a tour of pollinator-friendly gardens across Westmoreland County. Anyone visiting at least six of the 21 featured gardens will be eligible to receive a free native plant that appeals to local pollinator species. Passport folders for the Pollinator Palooza Tour will be...
Butterfly gardens offer haven for hard-working pollinators
Butterflies aren’t just beautiful — they’re out there working hard, pollinating as they flit from flower to flower. In fact, butterflies are the second-largest group of pollinators, after bees. Unfortunately, like many other pollinators, butterfly numbers are decreasing around the world because of factors including loss of native habitat, replacement...
America’s love affair with the lawn is getting messy
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — LeighAnn Ferrara is transforming her small suburban yard from grass bordered by a few shrubs into an anti-lawn — a patchwork of flower beds, vegetables and fruit trees. It didn’t happen all at once, says the mother of two young kids. “We started smothering small sections...
