September 12, 2020 - Issue #478

By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower. Rabindranath Tagore

ARTICLES TO READ

All About Beautyberry

Beautyberry is a deciduous shrub noted for its brightly colored, tightly clustered berries that remain on the bush into winter. Other common names are American beautyberry and American mulberry.

Edible Landscaping - The Winter Vegetable Garden in Warm Climates

You can garden through the winter in almost any climate. Even northern gardeners can enjoy harvests of root crops and greens in the winter if they are willing to put in the effort to protect plants with cloches, cold frames, or hoop houses.

How To: Prune Grape Vines

Grape growing is booming across the country. As more people try to grow their own edible landscapes, they are realizing that grapes fit into the picture perfectly. Grapes produce fruit a few years after planting, the vines are vigorous but can be pruned to fit in small spaces, there are varieties adapted to almost any climate in the country, and the plants are long lived, yielding grapes for eating, juicing and wine making for years.

Growing the Dwarf Alberta Spruce

The dwarf Alberta spruce is a small, dense evergreen, most widely used as an accent specimen or novelty tree in the landscape. It is also a great choice for small spaces.

Russian Sages: Plant Care and Collection of Varieties

With it airy spires of small, purple-blue flowers and finely-cut, gray-green foliage on upright, grayish-white stems, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) adds a haze of color to the garden from midsummer into fall, blending well with just about any other flower color.

Overwinter your Herbs

I've enjoyed harvesting fresh basil, parsley, and fennel from my garden all summer. Now that fall has arrived, it's easy to forget about those fresh herbs and resign myself to cooking with dried herbs. But I'm not giving up just yet. Some herb plants can be brought indoors to grow for months, providing summer flavor for my cooking. Others can be protected in the garden over the winter and they will bounce back next spring.

Saving Annual and Perennial Seeds

Collecting your own seeds saves money, helps preserve desirable traits, and keeps you in good horticultural practice in case you ever want to live off the land.