Green Circle Growers sustained significant damage to a one acre production barn and five acres of greenhouse structure in an early evening blaze that took firefighters 10 hours to extinguish last night. Cause is yet to be determined, but the fire originated in an outdoor area is used to store materials. ...read more

Feeling depressed? Anxious? Overstressed? Stop by your local garden center and pick up a pot of posies. A new study on the emotional impact of flowers by behavioral researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey proves scientifically what we know empirically: Flowers make us feel good! Rutgers researchers found that flowers have a remarkable power to improve emotional health. Simply being in the presence of flowers was found to elevate mood significantly, measurably increase feelings of life satisfaction, and promote positive social behavior. That’s a lot of power for a pot of pansies, or Viola Wittrockiana, the happy-faced flower’s scientific name. ...read more

Mopheads, snowballs and lacecaps are funny names for flowers but very descriptive of the different types of Hydrangea they describe. An old-fashioned favorite and perennial garden staple, hydrangeas are a flowering shrub with attractive foliage and large, showy flowers. Flower heads are composed of dozens of tiny, 4-petaled florets that grow in a variety of shapes -- sphere, panicle or flat – depending on variety. While America does have native hydrangea species, the large-blossomed plants that first captured the interest of 19th century gardeners were imported from Japan and China where hydrangeas were not only prized for their beautiful flowers and lush green foliage, but were also used to brew a sweet herbal tea.  ...read more

There’s a trick floral designers use to create attractive hanging baskets and container plantings. Called thriller-filler-spiller, it’s an easy method for creating pleasing, balanced arrangements that attract attention. ...read more

A lush, thick, green lawn is a pleasure in and of itself; but it also provides a verdant “frame” for a picture-perfect garden. Bare spots in your lawn detract from the total landscape by drawing the eye away from the pleasing symmetry of floral plantings and focusing attention on those stark brown patches of barren earth. The effect is unpleasantly jarring, but correctable.  ...read more

Flowers have long been a traditional Mother’s Day gift. What better way to recognize your mother than with a floral bouquet as beautiful as she is. But cut flowers don’t have much staying power. As beautiful as they are when presented, cut flowers fade away in a week or two. This year why not give your mom flowers she can enjoy all year long? Whether you select a lovely indoor plant or an outdoor garden favorite, the gift of a growing flower or plant will delight your mother for months, possibly even years, to come, providing a daily reminder of your love. ...read more

Bring the fragrance of spring into your home by displaying houseplants known for their fragrant scents.  ...read more

Table or floor space can be hard to come by in smaller living spaces like apartments and condominiums. Even in more spacious homes, active children, furniture arrangements, pets and the “stuff” we all accumulate can make it difficult to find table space for a cheerful pot of Reiger Begonias or floor space for a container of Kimberly Queen Ferns (Nephrolepis). The solution is to move your garden upward. Hanging baskets filled with lush green plants create a space-saving garden that will chase away the winter blues and bring year-round pleasure.  ...read more

After spending the summer feeding, weeding and watering your garden, a bad winter can destroy those hours of hard work in an instant. It’s not usually the cold or snow that does in carefully-nurtured garden plants; it’s the application of rock salt and salt-based deicers on ice-slicked walkways and driveways that turns spring shoots brown and causes emerging plants to shrivel up and die.  ...read more

Spring may still be long, dreary months away, but devoted gardeners are already immersed in garden planning. The National Garden Bureau’s recent announcement of its 2011 All-America Selections gives gardeners several exciting new plants to look forward to and include in their garden plans.  ...read more