- Dragons in your Garden: Dragonflies are powerful pest-eaters consuming hundreds of tiny nuisances, like flies and mosquitoes, every day. Attract these winged delights into your garden with a varied habitat with lots of flowers that invite insects to catch. Dragonflies like to perch on plants or structures above the ground in the sun. Adding a small water feature is a bonus. Attracting dragonflies to your garden not only helps control mosquitoes but supports overal lbiodiversity and serves as an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
- Attention “Odd” Gardeners: As you add, change, or start a new garden design, remember this basic rule that elevates the look of your garden. The “rule of three” is a design concept that uses groups of odd numbers, three, five or seven to create a balanced, natural look which draws the eye and creates a focal point. It is also used in art, photography, and interior design. Stagger plants instead of placing in a straight line or arrange them in a triangle. The same applies to rocks, plants lined up in pots, and shrub and tree placement. With two plants, add a birdbath or statuary to achieve the magical three. Please click HERE.
Location, Location, Location: Did you ever look out your window or patio doors this spring and miss seeing the beautiful crabapples, redbuds, magnolias, and dogwoods? Place and plant these spectacular spring trees this summer in a location that can be viewed from an inside window or from your porch or deck. You can also enjoy looking out and seeing the great summer leaf color of The Rising Sun™ and Forest Pansy redbuds, Japanese maples, and Europeen beech ‘Purpurea Tricolor’. Location is also important to enjoy the fragrance of lilacs, sweetbay magnolia, summersweet clethra, and Korean spice viburnum as you walk out your door or sit in your outdoor spaces.- Perennial Plant of the Year: The Perennial Plant Association has chosen Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) as the 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year. This native plant is a butterfly and pollinator magnet all season long as well as hardy, deer resistant, disease free, and drought tolerant once established. Mountain mint is a perfect choice to use in a naturalized area where it is free to roam. The leaves have a strong minty fragrance and can be used in tea and cooking. Click HERE
- Snags for Wildlife: Snags are standing dead trees. Even those that have fallen provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for wildlife. If a dead tree is out of the way and doesn’t pose a safety issue, think about letting it stand or just cut the top half and let the rest decay to provide ecological benefits. Try some creative tree alternatives in your landscaping such as using a stump as a plant stand or laying a log or a gnarled root on the ground as a focal point to showcase your plants. Both you and wildlife will benefit.
–Sue Cook, Master Gardener Volunteer
