Deer may be beautiful and elegant, but they aren’t always welcome in the garden. Even just a few visiting deer can tear up a landscape, eat an entire crop, destroy a carefully cultivated bed and cause other havoc, such as creating a traffic hazard, damaging bird feeders or leaving behind unwanted “gifts” on sidewalks and pathways. But how can you keep deer out of your yard and away from your garden and landscape?

Popular Deer Deterrent Techniques

People try all sorts of home-grown methods to keep deer from destroying their landscape and gardens. Some of the more common tactics include…

• 8 ft. fencing, including wire or electric fences
• Big, loud dogs on guard in the yard
• Deer repellents such as commercial chemicals
• Predator urine or other anti-deer scents
• Motion detectors connected to lights or sprinklers

All of these methods work but are limited in their effectiveness. Fencing is costly and unsightly. Repellents and urine wash away. Sprinklers or lighted areas can be easily avoided. So what can you do to keep deer away permanently?

Deer are creatures of habit and they are easily scared. Anything you can do to mix up their habits or make them think there is danger nearby might be enough to make them go elsewhere in search of food. But deer aren’t foolish and if they realize the danger isn’t real, they will return. Therefore, you must rotate any scare tactics you try and reapply repellents frequently. This can be a lot of work to keep your garden safe, but you can make your garden do the work for you.

Plants Deer Won’t Like

While deer in large herds with insufficient food will eat almost any garden vegetation, particularly in harsh winters, you can opt for plants that aren’t popular with deer to minimize deer damage. At the same time, avoid planting favorite deer plants, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, yews, roses, Japanese maples, winged euonymous, hemlocks and arborvitae, as well as any edible garden produce.

So what can you plant in your landscape to discourage deer? There are many attractive plants deer will avoid. Stop by your local garden center and ask for assistance. Commonly they will have information to help with your selection.

What are your garden’s trouble spots? Do you need an evergreen hedge? A tall anchor plant at the back of a deep garden bed? How about an interesting groundcover? Perhaps your garden needs a medium-sized transition plant. Try a euonymus! This versatile plant does it all, and whatever your landscape needs, this family of plants probably includes your solution. Some are deciduous while others are evergreen, but all are easy to grow and adapt well to a variety of environments.

About Euonymus

With more than 175 varieties of Euonymus available, there is sure to be one to meet your landscaping needs and climate conditions. Evergreen types tend to prefer somewhat sheltered locations, while deciduous euonymus will thrive in full or part sun. Watering should be regular, with more frequent watering (1-2 times per week) in very dry conditions. Well-drained soil is best to prevent root-rot and while richer soil is ideal, euonymus can adapt to nearly any soil type. Pruning can help keep these shrubs compact and neat, and if left unchecked they may outgrow spaces and variegated leaves could revert to plain colors.

Euonymus Varieties in Autumn

In the fall, the burning bright colors of a deciduous euonymus are unmistakable and add rich autumn foliage to the landscape. The strawberry bush (E. americanus) burns bright yellow with scarlet red fruits with orange seeds. The spindle tree, (E. europaeus) has more red in its fall color and the berries are pink or red with white seeds. Probably one of the best known is the Winged Euonymus (E. alatus), often used as a deciduous screen, with unique “winged” twigs and bright red fall color. Choose from a number of different varieties with unique colors and varying mature heights.

The many members of E. japonicus provide solutions for evergreen hedges, edging plants and intermediate-sized shrubs. They range from 1-12′ tall. Some are green, while others have variegated yellow or silver leaf edges. Popular ‘Green Spire’ grows to 7′ tall but at only 1-2′ wide, it creates a narrow and easily maintained taller hedge ideal for screens and privacy. ‘Silver Princess’ grows only 3′ high and wide creates a beautiful silver-tinged border or is a great option for terraces or small bed areas.

For groundcovers, check out the prostrate varieties of E. fortunei such as ‘Coloratus’ (Purple-Leaf Winter Creeper) which turns dark purple in the fall or ‘Wolong Ghost’ with dark green leaves with white veins. There is even a dwarf groundcover, E. fortunei ‘Minimus’ which grows less than 6″ high!

Remember, many of these euonymus varieties add autumn beauty to your garden, so this is an excellent time to see them at their peak and choose which of these unique and stunning plants should be part of your landscape.

Many gardeners believe garden gloves are easy to do without. Those of us who love gardening enjoy the feel of soil running through our fingers, and we don’t mind the line of dirt under our fingernails. We prefer to not have anything impede the dexterity needed to sow small seeds or pinch a plant, and we like the textures of the plants we cultivate. We would rather spend our budgeted gardening dollars on the latest herbaceous sensation rather than unnecessary gloves, and, frankly, nobody likes sweaty hands.

Why Gloves Matter

Despite the prejudice against covering our hands, gloves are the single most important piece of garden clothing that a person should own. In addition to the fact that they come in every color and pattern under the sun, making them an attractive and matching accessory to your garden wardrobe, garden gloves provide many benefits, such as…

• Improving your grip on tools, minimizing accidental drops that can damage expensive tools.
• Keeping hands warm in cold weather so we can garden in comfort even in early spring or late fall.
• Keeping hands dry in wet weather to prevent skin irritation and problems that could limit our gardening.
• Preventing contact with animal waste that may carry bacteria, mites or other pests that could harbor diseases.
• Helping avert calluses and blisters that can make even simple gardening tasks painful and unpleasant.
• Protecting hands from cuts, splinters and thorn pricks from aggressive plants so we aren’t limited in our gardening choices.
• Preventing contact with poisonous plant oils that cause rashes and allergic dermatitis.
• Keeping nails clean and help prevent nail breakage so our hands can be as beautiful as our garden.
• Protecting from soil borne fungal and bacterial infections that could be spread around the garden easily.

With so many great reasons to use garden gloves, which ones should you choose?

Selecting Gloves

Gardening gloves come in an almost limitless array of colors, styles and patterns. Features may include…

• Different types of fabric or weave densities that affect air circulation to keep hands cool and comfortable
• Anti-slip grips or rubber palms and fingers for excellent traction in all types of gardening conditions
• Broad, wide cuffs for an easy fit or snug, form-fitting cuffs for a secure fit that won’t let in any dirt or debris
• Different sizes and proportions to suit men, women and children

With so many gloves on the market there’s a style available for every garden chore, season, weather condition, hand size and preference. Check out our selection today. We are happy to help you choose a pair or two that work best for you and your gardening needs.

Gardeners love the Eastern redbud tree (Cercis canadensis). Native to North America, these hardy, slow-growing, small trees richly deserve their places front and center in the landscape. They flower very early in the spring (as early as April), provide beautiful fall color, remain reasonably small, are low maintenance and create quite a display when planted in groupings or as a single specimen. They even grow well in parking lots, sidewalk strips and in containers, making them ultimately versatile for all types of landscaping plans. What else could you ask for?

New and Exciting Redbud Varieties

As if the classic eastern redbud wasn’t beautiful enough, there are always new varieties that give these stunning trees even more charm and character. Which one will be the centerpiece of your landscape?

Recent introductions include ‘Lavender Twist’, which grows in an elegant weeping form, and the compact ‘Ace of Hearts’, which excels in a small garden or container as a blooming, dome-shaped, focal point. ‘Alba’ flowers in pure white and ‘Appalachian Red’ blooms with deep burgundy pink flowers. The leaves of ‘Hearts of Gold’ open red in the spring and slowly change to gold.

‘Rising Sun’ redbud, another new introduction, stops most people in their tracks. In spring, before leaves appear, lavender-pink pea-like flowers cover the trunk and branches. The show really starts when the leaves open and the heart-shaped, deep-apricot colored leaves transition through orange, yellow and gold to lime-green with all colors showing at the same time. In fall, the tree shimmers in shades of gold. Amazing!

Growing Your Redbud

No matter which type of redbud you choose, you’ll want to take good care of it to be sure it reaches its full beauty. First, be sure to plant your redbud in an area where it can stretch to its full size and show off the unique branching growth habit. You will also want to choose a position where the redbud won’t be crowded or overshadowed by other plants. These trees prefer at least four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day, so full or partial sun positioning is best. These are hardy trees and grow well in most soil types, but adding organic material to the soil and mulching around the tree is always a wise idea to protect and nurture it.

Whether planted as a specimen, en masse, or in a container, we’re sure you’ll agree these little trees deserve consideration for a special place in your garden.

One of the most common and easy to recognize plant diseases, powdery mildew, is caused by fungus spores that overwinter in garden debris and are spread by wind the following season. In late spring and early summer, the warmer days and high humidity provide perfect conditions for spore germination. The disease spreads over the surface of leaves of plants like Bee Balm, Lilac, Rose and Phlox. While the plant may look extremely unattractive, its overall health is not affected. Although we can’t change the conditions that favor powdery mildew, we can stop or slow its spread to keep your plants looking their best.

To control powdery mildew…

• Place susceptible plants in locations where they receive early morning sun. This allows the dew to dry quickly from their leaves to inhibit the spread of mildew spores.
• Increase the plants’ resistance by minimizing stress and providing adequate water, sun and soil requirements. This will help the plants naturally resist powdery mildew and other common diseases.
• Give plants plenty of room for good air circulation. This helps leaves dry more quickly and lowers humidity so conditions are not as favorable for the mildew spores.
• Water the soil not the leaves of susceptible plants. Use soaker hoses, drip systems or watering wands to get water just to the base of the plant and out to the drip line without watering the foliage.
• Select mildew-resistant varieties of plants. These will vary in different areas and depend on your soil conditions and landscaping needs.
• Prevent the disease from effecting susceptible plants by spraying with a fungicide like Bonide Fung-onyl, Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control or Safer Garden Fungicide every 7-14 days while conditions are favorable. Always read fungicide labels completely before applying and follow instructions carefully to prevent mishaps that could damage your plants.
• Eliminate the breeding grounds for powdery mildew by cleaning up the garden and yard each fall, removing leaf litter, pruning branches and replacing old mulch. This will minimize the areas where spores can overwinter, reducing the chances of more mildew spreading in the spring.

Powdery mildew may not be pretty, but it can be pretty easy to control if the right steps are taken to protect your plants. Using multiple techniques will be the most effective way to reduce the spread of the mildew and keep it under control or completely eliminated so your plants always look their best.

Merriam-Webster defines ergonomics as: An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely. Experts in ergonomics strive to design and produce items that better match the capabilities, limitations and needs of the people who use them. The result is a safer product that causes less fatigue and stress on the body, while still allowing you to perform the same functions as with regular tools or items.

How Gardening Can Hurt Your Body

Repetitive gardening activities can put you at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, and can exacerbate other conditions such as arthritis, sciatica and other aches and pains. Poor movement or sudden strains can pull muscles or pinch nerves, which can lead to days or weeks of recovery, doctor appointments, tests, medications and other treatments. Even worse movements could lead to more severe injuries, falls or sprains which could cause you to miss out on a gardening season altogether. Listen to your body – if a movement hurts, change what you are doing and the tools you are using.

Ergonomic Garden Tools

Before purchasing the tools required to perform your garden chores it is best to choose those that fit the job – weeding, pruning, digging, trimming, harvesting, raking, etc. It is equally important, however, that the tools fit you as well – your size, your grip, your posture and your preferences.

Ergonomic tools will help you accomplish different garden tasks with greater efficiency and reduced effort, force, bending, leaning or twisting. With the correct tools you will be able to dig, trim and cut more, in less time, with less effort and more gardening enjoyment. Some ergonomic tools may look no different than the familiar tools you’ve been using for years, but they may be made of different materials to be lighter or stronger. There may be angle or length changes in handles to allow for easier use, or handles may be cushioned to provide firmer grips without causing pain or fatigue. Some tools, such as portable stools or combined tools that include buckets as well as a seat or kneeling pad, help make gardening chores more accessible and comfortable as well.

Be sure to keep these things in mind when selecting your next garden tool. Choose wisely 🙂

A simple water feature can make a large impact even in small spaces. The addition of a container water garden will transform, beautify and diversify your existing garden into an oasis that brings relief during the dog days of summer and beyond. Sit back, relax and enjoy the melodious sound of dancing water from your garden pond, and it will provide soothing, background music to your summer retreat. Bring wildlife into the garden by incorporating fish, frogs and snails into your mini aquascape. A simple water feature may be placed in the garden, on a deck, patio or porch or even added to a rooftop garden for a tremendous impact in a tiny space.

Choosing a Container

Container water gardens can be created from practically anything that has the capability of holding water or supporting a liner. Ceramic sinks or tubs, half-barrels, buckets, pottery or planters and troughs can all be used to create beautiful ponds. Remember, these features will look their best when the shape and materials are similar in style to that of your home and surrounding gardens.

Lining Your Container

If you have chosen a whiskey barrel or other similar wood container, follow these simple instructions to incorporate a liner to waterproof the container.

1. Center your flexible liner over the whiskey barrel or other container. Push down in the center so excess material is evenly spaced over the outside lip. Begin folding the liner over itself at 4 to 6 inch increments, working your way around the container and minimizing any bulges. Fasten each fold with a half inch staple placed about a half inch from the top of the container.
2. Trim the liner so it is even with the lip of the barrel or container.
3. Fill your container with water, and then arrange your aquatic plants and pump/filter system.

Rigid pond liners are also available to insert into half whiskey barrels for ease of waterproofing these containers, but double check sizes to be sure you choose the right fit.

With such a wide assortment available, pots and planters make great garden ponds when properly prepared.

1. Plug the drainage hole with a small piece of pond liner spread with caulk.
2. Seal any minor cracks with caulk.
3. Paint the inside of the container with a water garden sealant.

Properly lined, your container will hold water easily without slow leaks that can traumatize plants and destroy your water garden.

Picking Plants

The use of aquatic plants will help you avoid the need for algaecides by reducing pond algae in two ways. First, aquatic plants remove excess phosphorus and nitrogen from the water. Second, plants shade the water from sunlight, thereby inhibiting algae growth. For a healthy balance, cover half of your pond surface with floating plants for shading. Submerged plants should be planted at a rate of one bunch, 6-10 plants, for every 5 square feet of surface area. Marginal or bog plants will complete the ecological balancing act.

• Floaters: Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) and Miniature Water Lilies (Nymphae spp.). These plants provide habitat and will shade the pond water surface to reduce the production of algae.
• Submerged Oxygenators: Anacharis (Elodea Canadensis), Water Buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis) and Fanwort (Cambomba caroliniana) are great choices that help maintain water clarity by consuming excess nutrients that contribute to the production of algae. These plants can reproduce rapidly, but they are easily controlled in the small pond by simply removing surplus growth.
• Marginal Plants: Sweet Flag (Acorus spp.), Dwarf Cattail (Typha minima), Dwarf Papyrus (Cyperus profiler), Iris (Iris pseudacorus) and Camelion plant (Houttuynia cordata). Placed at a pond’s edge, these marginal aquatic plants add color, height and variation to the water garden. They also provide cover, habitat and oxygen.

Be careful not overwhelm your container water garden with too many plants or it will be difficult to maintain a natural balance.

Fish and Other Pond Life

Different types of wildlife will love to be a part of even a small water garden.

• Fish: Fish create additional interest to a water garden by adding sparkle and movement. Good choices for a small water garden are: Goldfish, Red Comets, Calico Fantails and Shubunkins. Do not overstock your water feature. As a rule of thumb, each inch of fish should have 6 square inches to one square foot of water.
• Snails: Slow and steady, snails can help keep your water garden clean and healthy. Japanese Trapdoor Snails eat algae stuck to the sides of the pond and will consume excess fish food.
• Tadpoles and Frogs: Tadpoles will morph into amusing frogs. Tadpoles eat algae and add motion and interest to the pond, especially for children. Frogs will lend sound to the garden and aid in insect control.

Water Garden Container Care

Several common problems can occur even in small water gardens, but they are easily controlled and you can keep your water garden looking beautiful.

• Algae: Despite all your planning, it is perfectly natural for your pond to turn green at first. Once the plants get to work, the green will fade. If you find that you require a little extra help in algae control, try Microbe-Lift or Barley Straw pellets, both are natural algae controls. Adding an extra snail or other algae-eater to the pond can also help control the color naturally.
• Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes may be managed in several ways. Adding water movement to the pond with a pump and small fountain will keep the insects from breeding or settling on the water. Adding BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) to the water in the form of Mosquito Dunks will also discourage the insects. Incorporate small fish into your pond garden, they eat mosquito larvae. Other mosquito predators include: dragonflies, bats, tadpoles and frogs, all of which can be a part of your backyard ecosystem.

Maintenance

Check the pond weekly. You need to be observant to animal activity and any abnormal growths or marks. Inspect plants and fish for health, insects or disease. Clean up any dead or yellowing foliage. Replace evaporated water as necessary. If your water contains chlorine or other chemicals, be sure they are removed before adding this water to your pond. Chlorine is toxic to fish and beneficial bacteria. Chlorine will dissipate after a few days if it is exposed to air, but do not add fish or plants until after this is accomplished.

With just a little thoughtful planning, the right plants and proper care, you can have a small water garden to brighten up a small space in your yard.

It’s not unusual for houseplants to become infested with different pests, but with conscientious care, even the most tenacious pests can be controlled. By acting quickly when pests are first noticed, you can completely remove the infestation and keep your houseplants healthy and thriving.

Top 5 Common Houseplant Pests and Controlling Them

Different plants may be susceptible to different types of pests depending on your home’s environmental conditions and the plants’ overall health. These pests, however, are the most widespread houseplant pests….

Fungus Gnats

These tiny, flying pests don’t do any harm to houseplants in their mature, adult form, but fungus gnat larvae live in houseplant soil and feed on organic material. This not only robs the plant of nutrition, but the larvae may nibble on the plant’s roots as well. While they don’t cause much overall damage to an otherwise healthy plant, fungus gnats can be very irritating when they form cloud-like flocks around a plant’s foliage.

Overwatering in rich soil encourages fungus gnats, and they can be notoriously difficult to eradicate. Reducing watering so the top 1-2 inches of soil can dry out is the first step, but it is often best to completely repot an infested plant. The roots should be rinsed carefully to remove any lingering larvae, and if the same pot will be reused, it must be sterilized first. Use well-draining soil or water the plant from the bottom to make the soil less attractive to fungus gnats. You may also mix diatomaceous earth into the soil to deter these pests, add additional perlite to the soil to increase drainage, use a fine gravel top dressing, or apply Bt var. israelensis (Bti or H-14 strain) to organically kill fungus gnat larvae. Another tried and true product for that is Bonide Systemic House Plant Insect Control. This comes in granular form.

Mealybugs

These sap-sucking insects are no more than a half-inch long and have a white or light gray fluffy appearance. They are typically seen along the stems of houseplants, especially in the joints where foliage sprouts. As they suck the plant’s sap, the leaves wither and wilt. Yellowing leaves can also be another sign of a mealybug infestation, particularly if leaves are yellowing throughout the plant rather than just older bottom foliage.

When a houseplant is heavily infested with mealybugs, the fastest way to control the pests is to prune away infected foliage and discard of it carefully. If the infestation is light, however, the bugs can be deterred with a Neem oil spray or rubbing alcohol. Apply the alcohol directly to the pests with a cotton ball or swab to kill them.

Spider Mites

These pests can be very destructive to all houseplants and can be challenging to get rid of. The mites themselves are so tiny that they may not be noticeable even with a heavier infestation, but their webs on the undersides of foliage or stretching between stems will be easier to see. Leaves that show yellow stippling may also indicate a spider mite infestation.

Spider mites thrive in dry conditions, so keeping houseplants’ humidity high is a good way to deter them. Running a humidifier, frequent misting, grouping pots together, and sitting pots on water filled pebble tray are all helpful solutions. When the bugs are present, neem oil spray should be used weekly to remove them and keep them from returning. Alternatively, light cleaning with insecticidal soap is also an effective way to control spider mites.

Aphids

While better known for their outdoor infestations, aphids can also be a problem on indoor houseplants. They are tiny insects, no more than one-eighth of an inch in size and range from green or black to reddish or white. They are very plump insects and get that way as they suck sap from the plant, usually on the foliage or stems. The plant will gradually wilt as it is unable to stay firmly upright while the aphids drain its sap.

Aphids are easily dislodged with a blast of water, so a cleansing shower is a good way to remove many of these pests without any unnecessary chemicals. If the infestation is extreme, it may be necessary to wash the plant gently with an insecticidal soap to get rid of aphids. Neem oil spray can also be effective for controlling aphids on houseplants.

Scale

These insects have a hard, oval-shaped shell that gives them a tough, scale-like exterior as they line up on a plant’s stems in tight clusters, similar to barnacles on a boat’s hull. These pests suck sap from the plant, and then produce a sticky, honeydew residue that can coat the plant and lead to mildew or may attract additional pests.

Your first line of defense is to gently scrape scale bugs off a plant with your fingernail, taking care not to scratch or damage the already stressed plant. Dabbing the insects with swab soaked in rubbing alcohol or spraying with neem oil can also be effective.

Minimizing Houseplant Pests

No matter which pests may be a problem, it’s always best to avoid infestations altogether rather than try to control them after the insects have already made an appearance. To minimize the risk of bugs taking over your houseplants…

• Purchase new plants only from a reputable retailer, like Poor Boy’s Garden Center , that offers proper care to the plants and can offer support for any problems after purchase.
• Inspect new plants carefully before purchasing and avoid plants with signs of pests.
• Quarantine any new plant for at least a week to be sure it doesn’t have any unwanted guests, including outdoor summer plants that will overwinter as houseplants.
• Use high quality, well-drained potting soil for all houseplants, rather than garden soil that isn’t sterilized and can even harbor pests.
• Provide houseplants with optimum care so they are not stressed as stress can make them more susceptible to pest infestations.
• Sterilize all houseplant equipment regularly, including pots that will be reused, pruners and shears, and watering cans, to be sure no pests are carried between plants.
• Stay alert at all times for signs of possible insect infestations. The faster you are able to act, the easier it will be to control these unwanted guests.

It can be frustrating to find pests on your houseplants, but with careful monitoring and appropriate control measures, your plants will soon be pest-free.

In the summer months, insects can take their toll on your plants if you are not on the alert for problems. If the right product is used at the right time and under the right conditions, however, pesticides can be reduced to a minimum and your plants will be well-protected.

Organic Products

Apply organic products early in the morning when bugs are eating. To stop insect damage, the spray must be applied to the insect itself or sometimes to where the bug is eating. The entire plant must often be sprayed to keep the pests from moving on to untreated areas. Organic controls include insecticidal soap, Bonide All Season Spray (horticultural oil), Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, tobacco dust, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), rotenone and pyrethrin sprays.

Contact Products

Inorganic in composition, these insecticides must be applied either to the insect or the leaf where the pest is feeding. Apply in the morning for best results, and as with the organic controls, soak the entire plant so the insects do not find a safer spot to nibble. Contact pesticides include Malathion and Sevin.

Systemic Products

Systemic insecticides circulate to all parts of the plant. Therefore, if you are only able to spray part of a shrub, the product will move to all leaves within 24 hours to control feeding insects for about two weeks. Systemics are best applied in the evenings when there is no chance of rain and sprinklers will not be used. The product will be absorbed only as long as the leaf stays wet. When the leaf dries by mid-morning, the product is then moved through the entire plant when the insects resume feeding. Systemic insecticides available to the homeowner include Bonide Systemic Insect Spray, Ortho Systemic Insecticide and Bayer Season-Long Tree & Shrub.

Not sure how to deal with your pests and unwanted insects? This handy chart can help!

Environmentally Friendly Controls for Common Garden Pests