Bone Meal: Help or Hype?

One saying that stuck with me early on in my plant adventure was, “For every dollar you spend in the garden, .90 cents should be on the soil.” I would add, soil and roots.  The size of the plant/root system matters almost as much as…
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What to do about the Darn Clay

Almost all plants prefer rich but well-draining soil.  Clay is rich in nutrients but terrible at draining.  Sand is great at draining but very low on nutrients.  In the middle is loam to varying degrees. The goal when we plant in our…
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11 of Our Favorite Plants of 2022

Sombrero Sangrita Coneflower It's the middle of July, and a great time to reflect on the season while we hide in the shade in the middle of the day with an iced tea.  We stretched ourselves with the amount of plants we grew this season, maybe…
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8 Tips for Growing Tomatoes in WNC

Some of these tips are from learning things the hard way and some are from my chats with old-timers that knew better.  Take what you like, with a four-finger pinch of salt. Fertilize the heck out of them.  Tomatoes are hungry plants…
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2 Must-Have Electric Landscaping Tools

Ego 56V with turbo, baby We've come a long way with electric tools. Some still aren't there yet (I still haven't found an electric weed whacker I like), but ther are two in my toolbox now that I wouldn't do without. First is an electric…
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The Easy Way to Prune Spring Blooming Shrubs

https://youtu.be/utpP7ZIQ5m4 Electric tools have come a long way.  Two of my favorites are my 40V hedge trimmer and 56V blower. The hedge trimmer won't get through big branches but is perfect for shrubs that tend to get leggy, like the…
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To Till or Not to Till

Tardiva Hydrangea A few years ago I was lamenting my clay soil at work one day when a friend mentioned Ruth Stout and the lasagna gardening method. It sounds great, skip the tilling and layer hay between green organic materials and boom, great…
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How to Grow Strawberries in WNC

When it comes to growing strawberries in Asheville and WNC, it REALLY matters to your success (and sanity) which type of plant you decide to grow.  I may be 62% full of it, but believe me on this one. There are a slew of issues that…
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Planting Fruit Trees in Asheville: 10 Things to Know Before You Begin

Here are ten tips for planting fruit trees in Asheville and Western North Carolina.  Although our climate is excellent for growing many types of fruit trees and shrubs, there are quite a few challenges involved.  We have a lot of disease…
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6 of the Easiest Plants to Grow in Asheville, NC

6 of the easiest plant to grow in Asheville, NC and Western North Carolina. These will give you flowers no matter how brown your thumb is.
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7 Cool Winter Plants for the Asheville Area That AREN’T Evergreens

Hellebore or Lenten Rose Most of us think of evergreens when we think of plants that give us landscape interest in the winter months.  Evergreens are great for adding definition and structure to your landscape, but it’s fun to add some flare,…
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Don’t Take Crap From Your Lilac

When in bloom, there is nothing like a lilac.  They are wonderful plants, full of fragrant blooms in the spring and tough as nails.  There are tons of varieties available, but most of us think of grama’s gangly old bush out back by the…
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