Farming

Mulch has become a landscape staple, almost to a fault when it is over applied, smothering roots and girdling trunks.  
When done properly, it can help to suppress weeds, retain moisture and moderate temperature.  
These things can be achieved using a variety of materials but which type of mulch suits your needs best?
Predominately, we use organic materials for mulching.  Organic mulches include plant- or animal-derived materials like wood chips, pine needles, tree bark, grass clippings, composted manure and worm castings.

I was catching up on some magazine reading the other day and on two occasions I read the phrase “choose thin spears” and I got so frustrated.  
These spring articles were about asparagus and I would like to go on the record that when it comes to homegrown asparagus (and even the wild growing in the fence rows) fat is good.
The fat spears have always been tender from the garden so don’t let anyone fool you on the fresh from the garden variety. They are particularly well-suited for the charcoal grill.

Did you know that azaleas and rhododendrons are essentially the same thing?  

They are both members of the rhododendron genus; they have similar blooms and similar cultural requirements.  Some say the primary difference between the two is the number of pollen-bearing stamens: rhododendron have 10 or more per flower and azaleas have only five.