Garden and Landscaping

By Melinda Myers Help your houseplants make a smooth transition from their outdoor summer home back inside for winter. The lower light and humidity indoors, along with any insects that hitched a ride indoors, make it difficult to keep these plants looking their best. Here are some basic steps you can follow. Give them a shower before they move indoors. A gentle blast of water …

Provided by Prince William County Do you have a love of plants, aspire to know more about gardening and a desire to share that knowledge with others? Than you should consider becoming a Master Gardener with the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Master Gardeners learn about general botany, invasive plants and insects, soils, trees, streams, water quality, pruning and just about anything …

Provided by Prince William County The all-organic and sustainability garden behind the Manassas Senior Center is full of life and color, including different shades of purples, greens and reds. While the garden is pretty to look at, it is also put to good use by the center. Len Postman is the volunteer who planted and oversees the garden. She said …

By Melinda Myers Give your perennials a boost this fall with a topdressing of organic matter. It’s a great way to revive tired gardens, improve a garden’s overall health, and keep vibrant perennials healthy and blooming at their best. Research found topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most, if not all the nutrients most perennials need.  …

Provided by Prince William County Any good gardener knows pollinators are a necessary part of successful gardening. Attracting pollinators is essential for getting your vegetables, fruits and flowers to grow. You can help pollinators stay healthy by getting rid of the stuff that kills them and planting native plants. Nancy Berlin, a natural resource specialist with the Virginia Cooperative Extension …

If grubs overtake your lawn this spring, will you know how to get rid of them? Do you have the time and skill to effectively patch those ugly bare spots that developed over the winter? A lush lawn and beautiful landscape are on virtually every homeowner’s wish list, but a lack of time and knowledge commonly keep people from effectively …

By Melinda Myers Adding excitement to your garden is easy.  You can create instant, year-round color, structure, motion and fun to your landscape with a bit of garden art. Just like shopping for plants, look for pieces that complement your gardening style. And consider all the benefits each piece of art provides. Many pieces are functional as well as beautiful, …

By Melinda Myers Sliced, sauced, or cooked in your favorite recipe; tomatoes are a favorite and versatile vegetable. What’s more, they taste best when grown and harvested from your own garden or container. Ensure the best flavor and greatest results by selecting the most disease-resistant varieties and growing your tomatoes in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Select plants with …

By Melinda Myers Raise your gardening efforts to a new level with keyhole gardening. You’ll increase your garden’s productivity in a smaller space, while using less water and fertilizer. This intensive technique was first used in Africa where it’s hot and dry and the topsoil is shallow.   Now gardeners growing in a variety of climates around the world are using …

Provided by DRS and Associates There has never been any doubt about the relationship that humans have with water. It’s elemental. It’s restorative. It’s a biological necessity (we all know that we cannot live without water). In early Rome, baths and bathing were an important part of cultural life; citizens used communal baths as much for relaxation as for social …