Gardenwise of Central New York

03/25/2022

Bought myself some flowers. 😁

08/12/2021

It's been such a blessing getting regular rain and some cooler weather in between the hot spells. Our gardens and containers have been flourishing. Here are some photo highlights.

04/19/2020

Time for me to go on a real garden rant here. I noticed this on a neighborhood walk recently. Some unsuspecting homeowner trying to improve their landscaping has just been "led up the garden path" as they say. Let me start with the tree which has been so unfortunately trimmed with a technique (Should we call it a"technique" when no self respecting arborist or tree expert would EVER do this to a tree?) called "topping". What's wrong with topping? Well just for a start, it severely damages the health of trees making them more likely to become hazardous, requires constant maintenance and looks like heck. If that weren't enough, notice the giant mulch pile around the base of the tree. This is called a mulch volcano and results in an increase in disease and decay at the base of the trunk as a result of moisture, increases rodent and insect damage, and can cause root girdling and eventual death of the tree because the root flair of the tree is covered.
So please, dear homeowner, do your homework before hiring a landscaping company or tree cutting service and make sure they know what they are doing or all of your hard earned money will go right down the rabbit hole. Here are some links on these two practices if you need convincing.
https://www.treesaregood.org/portals/0/docs/treecare/WhyToppingHurts.pdf
https://extension.psu.edu/mulch-volcanoes-are-erupting-everywhere

03/29/2020

Not much gardening happening here yet, but while we're indoors, I'm prepping for spring by getting ready for the influx of spring migrants. If you want to a great way to test your birding skills, sign up for a free account at Ebird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and then take their bird quizzes. You can select a date and a place and the quiz will be customized to select birds you might see there around that time. I've been prepping for our Beaver Lake walks this way. Here's a link to the quiz page:

Practice your skills. Help science.

06/25/2019

Just wanted those who are checking this page for garden help to know that my garden coaching business has ended as of this spring 2019. So grateful to all of my customers and Facebook followers for their support and engagement over the past years. I miss meeting with gardeners in their outdoor spaces and helping them grow in their gifts and experience. But I've been enjoying taking the time to engage more fully in my own garden. This page won't go away...I'll continue to post some information that fellow gardeners might be interested in. Have a wonderful summer!

03/07/2019

Container gardening season is fast approaching (although you can't tell by the weather). If you'd like to learn more about how to create custom container plantings for your own yard and garden, join me tomorrow at Maker Madness 2019 at Penfield Library at SUNY-Oswego (runs from 1 PM to 5 PM). I'll be providing lots of great how-tos and design ideas and I'd love to see you there.

01/14/2019

For all you Syracuse area birders out there, here's what we saw on Caughdenoy Road (north of 31) on Saturday. She (?) was flying out over the open fields by the road searching for a meal and then graciously landed for us to take photos. My first sighting of a Snowy Owl which kind of made my week. Wish the photo was clearer, but it was tough catching her from the car. Let me know if you see her there as well.

01/10/2019

Campbell is hiding until spring comes again (which means he'll be waiting quite awhile....). Even though spring is a long time coming, this is a great time to evaluate last years garden successes and failures (we all have them) and do some planning. How about wandering through one of my favorite online nursery catalogs to get some ideas? Here's a link for you: https://www.avantgardensne.com/ Have fun and post your favorite plants here!

12/10/2018

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another" (Charles DIckens). Want to lighten the load for a gardening friend or relative (or a gardener wannabe)?
Why not purchase a garden coaching gift certificate for the folks you care about who could use some guidance and help in their yard and garden. Contact me here: http://www.gardenwiseofcny.com/contact.html or via email or phone call. Happy gifting!!

11/27/2018

Why not purchase a gift certificate for garden coaching for anyone on your Christmas giving list who needs help and guidance in their yard or garden? Just contact me (email, text or phone) and we can arrange to have one delivered to you or your friend or family member in time for Christmas gifting. A unique and thoughtful gift (and no need to battle the crowds at the mall). Everybody wins!

Create stunning social graphics - in seconds.

10/31/2018

How careful are you about using pesticides in your garden? Here's a very important reason to think twice before using sprays like Roundup in your yard or garden: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roundup-weed-killer-may-play-role-in-widespread-bee-deaths-study-finds/