“Succulents are not really beautiful. They’re weird. ” Mike Wallace’s candor about succulent plants stems from 40 years of studying and collecting them. A self-taught succulent guru and certified horticulturist, […]
Read MoreA visitor recently asked me about Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s conservation efforts. It made me stop and think. So many of those efforts are simply part of our everyday activities. […]
Read MoreHave you ever wondered which plants are butterfly host plants? Since it is officially summer, I recently packed up the car for a camping trip with friends to Crabtree Falls to see if I could learn more. The […]
Read MoreRandy Minor has always had a connection to plants. His mother, Flordeen Cabiness, took him to the James River Park System often when he was a kid. They lived near Forest […]
Read MoreLandscape need a punch of color? Front entry desperate for a bit of cheer? Or perhaps your spring annuals are withering in the heat? Beth Burrell, garden designer and consultant, […]
Read MoreMaking a Difference with Urban Greening The last few months have been a whirlwind, as the Garden launched and wrapped up its first training cohort of Ginter Urban Gardeners. I […]
Read More“I wish people would put as much emphasis on their trees as their lawns,” said Joel Koci, a certified arborist with the Urban Forestry Extension of Virginia State University. “Trees […]
Read MoreVases and jars brimming with fresh-cut flowers make a house “home.” It can create a dilemma, though – where to find flowers? Florists can be pricey, and commercial growers leave […]
Read MoreFirst Look at the Marion Morton Native Plant Garden If you peered out the window the last time you visited the Lora M. Robins Library, you may have noticed a […]
Read MoreAttracting Wildlife to Your Winter Garden Although some animals migrate for the winter, there are many species that remain in the Richmond area over our coldest months. Non-migratory birds, mammals, […]
Read MoreGardening basics seldom change — like “right plant, right place”— but preferences can be downright trendy. So before tilling dirt this spring, check out what’s hot and what’s not for […]
Read MoreThe first class of Beautiful RVA‘s Ginter Urban Gardeners gathers twice a week, for 12 weeks, to do the very important work of making a difference: learning new things, building relationships, getting […]
Read MoreUpdated 1/17/17 Awash in the Health Benefits of Nature My mother was right. She may not have known why, but she was right. When she sent me outside to play […]
Read More“Look to the wild,” suggested Thomas Rainer, co-author of “Planting in a Post-Wild World.”” His advice is intended for anyone who influences a patch of land, whether a sprawling backyard […]
Read MoreEditor’s note: This is a timely post on an important topic. We are reprinting it with permission from the authors, noted below. Mind Your Holiday Decorations: Safeguarding Your Boxwoods from […]
Read MoreGetting the Lowdown on Luffa Luffa sponges don’t come from the ocean. And they’re not from manmade materials. Rough-textured exfoliators originate from luffa: dried fiber from the vegetable of the same […]
Read MoreDiscover the Weird and Wacky in Nature Oddities of nature surround us. The great outdoors is where curiosity is not disappointed, it finds discovery. Quirky findings aren’t rare, they abound. Strangeness […]
Read More“An estimated 15 to 30 percent of the world’s flowering plants have yet to be discovered.” —Missouri Botanical Garden Plant hunters dabble in science, adventure, horticulture and research — whether working in […]
Read MoreNewton Ancarrow had a passion for his hometown river, the James. He’d always loved boating, and took up boat-building as an adult. With two 300-horsepower Cadillac engines and fins […]
Read MoreAn Urban Forest Growing in Your City Urban forests are thriving in Richmond. For 25 consecutive years, RVA has been designated a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation. […]
Read MoreAre we friends on Instagram? We should be! As one of the readers of our blog, you are likely one of our biggest fans. You deserve to be among the first to […]
Read MoreWhy plant fruit trees in backyard orchards? Store-bought fruit offers advantages: convenience, variety and year-round availability. However, sometimes commercially grown products conjure nagging questions. Where was it grown? When was it […]
Read MoreTomatoes are a favorite summer vegetable for many, and for good reason. There is nothing like a sweet juicy tomato fresh off the vine in the middle of July! Tomatoes […]
Read MoreCarMax Cares about our Garden What would you do with 295 hours? You could sleep for 16 days straight, or brush your teeth 8,850 times. Or you could help with […]
Read MoreAs heirlooms are cherished, so are heirloom vegetables and heritage herbs of yesteryear. Virginia’s rich lineage of historic perennials, annuals, herbs, shrubs and trees are still available for planting today, including […]
Read More