The Blog

Looking for ways to keep your green thumb green over the winter? Well, there are plenty of opportunities to work in the garden throughout those cold winter months. And, while most of us are more concerned with caring for our lawn and garden during the growing season, winter prep is just as important for keeping things looking good year-round. We’ve put together a list of essential tasks that should be done throughout the winter months to keep your lawn and garden in tip-top shape come springtime.

Bird watching is one of America's fastest-growing hobbies, and creating a backyard habitat is a convenient way to enjoy these fine-feathered friends. Surveys reveal that nearly half the households in the United States provide food and shelter for wild birds. What has made watching birds the fastest growing hobby in the country second only to gardening? Their colorful and entertaining presence is fascinating to observe, especially through the long, dreary days of winter. Birdwatchers are always excited about seeing the birds enter and leave their houses year after year.

Looking for unique plants to tuck around your home? You'll love Tillandsia (also known as Air Plants). Set them on a stack of books, hang them near a window, grow them on driftwood or simply set them in a shallow dish. No soil needed!

by Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener and gardening writer living in York County, Virginia

When an unexpected warm day arrives in January, I use the gift to walk my yard, looking for signs of life. Exfoliating bark on the crape myrtles and winter-flowering camellias catch my eye, but it’s the Edgeworthia chrysantha in the back corner of the yard that really entices me to walk closer. Edgeworthia, nicknamed “paperbush,” has a split personality, in my viewpoint.

The cold keeps coming up with ways to keep us out of the garden. We keep coming up with new ways to keep us digging in the dirt! It's a great time of year to invite a wide and varied bunch of plants into your home with succulents. These unique plants are low-maintenance, get by on minimal water, and come in interesting shapes, varied patterns, unusual colors and many even boast beautiful flowers! These plants are all the rage in the home and garden, appearing everywhere from table-top terrariums, dish gardens and even in glass orbs suspended in air.