Pruning a Japanese Dappled Willow Severely

I love our Japanese dappled willow hedgeline but in reality it is way overdue for a pruning. In fact 2 of the shrubs were completely dead. That was mostly due to the ever changing conditions in the garden. As the nearby birch trees grew they shaded out the smaller shrub willows. With little sunlight the … Read more

Aster Yellows Disease in Coneflower (Echinacea)

Coneflowers are one of my favorite perennials. Environmentally there are few things to worry about with them. They are drought tolerant, bloom prolifically, and help to create a beautiful landscape. Unfortunately there is one major issue that can destroy whole gardens of these perennials: Aster Yellows. Recently I filmed a short video on a coneflower in my garden that has Aster Yellows disease. It’s easy to spot. Check out the video below for more information on Aster Yellows disease:

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Cause of Aster Yellows Disease

Aster Yellows main characteristics are deformed and discolored flowers.
  • Phyoplasma causes the deformities
  • Leaf hoppers and juice sucking inspects transfer it from plant to plant.

Prevention of Aster Yellows Disease

  • Remove infected plants
  • Plan your garden plantings with some space between members of the aster family.

If you enjoy coneflowers or are considering adding a few to your garden read this post: Echinacea in the Garden, Why You Should Plant It.

Garden Shed – April Video Update!

This is the first video update from the garden shed. Hopefully I’ll be able to add more videos to The Home Garden over time include how-to’s and mini-garden tours! I hope you enjoy the look inside my messy construction and plant filled shed. Please be forgiving, as always it is a work in progress!

From the Beginning Until Now

I thought it might be interesting to look back at my greenhouse shed project from where it began to its current and still incomplete state. I have a lot more to do to get it ready for holding equipment, gardening supplies, and (of course) the plants! I put together a slideshow to share the greenhouse … Read more