Gardening & Horticulture

Apr 13th, 2016

How to Pick a Perfect Tree

Joel Koci knows a good tree when he sees it. He’s a tree guy. A highly respected local arborist and Virginia Forestry Extension Associate at Virginia State University. Koci visited […]

Apr 10th, 2016

A Day of Service

National Volunteer Week is April 10-16, the perfect time to show our gratitude to the volunteers who work hard year round to keep Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden beautiful and thriving. […]

Apr 7th, 2016

Cracking the Code to Nature’s Calendar

Predicting the future can be tricky business. It’s the stuff of tea leaves and tarot cards, Magic 8 Balls and Ouija boards. And yet, for farmers, horticulturists and even home […]

Apr 6th, 2016

Azaleas Abloom in Spring

Walking around Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on this early day of spring is like getting lost in a fantasy world where everything is fair and lovely. One would easily be […]

Mar 30th, 2016

Virginia Bluebells: Spring’s Gift

If ever there was a plant with a fandom in Virginia, it would be the Virginia bluebell. Mertensia virginica makes fast friends with anyone new she meets. A native wildflower, you are just […]

Mar 28th, 2016

Gardener vs. Deer

A herd of deer in the distance looks innocent and peaceful, but don’t be fooled: they can wreak havoc in residential landscapes. Gardens and ornamental plantings are no more than […]

Mar 11th, 2016

Horticulture Therapy Benefits

Gardening is more than hobbies and harvests. It is therapeutic horticulture and more. After hours staring at a computer screen or glued to a TV, Dr. Jean Larson recommends heading outdoors […]

Mar 6th, 2016

Salt: Necessary Evil

In gardening as in life, the solution to one problem can be the cause of another. It happens when we burn fossil fuels for energy and the byproducts contribute to […]

Mar 4th, 2016

Plant This, Not That

Is your garden in the grip of aggressive invasives? Are you enslaved to fussy dahlias? Do your hydrangea bloom begrudgingly? If you, gentle gardener, have ever thought to yourself, “There’s […]

Mar 2nd, 2016

Technology in the Garden

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden welcomed more than 386,000 visitors last year — plus many more who never left home. Virtual visitation continues to grow in remarkable ways, and along with […]

Feb 20th, 2016

5 Provocative Perspectives

What do gardeners do in the winter at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden? They plant themselves at the Winter Symposium! The Winter Symposium appeals to a broad range of interest levels, […]

Feb 19th, 2016

Good Bugs in Your Garden

Is the term “good bug” an oxymoron? Mosquitoes bite. Ants invade. Wasps sting. Termites demolish. What’s good about that? You may think of bugs as the enemy in nature’s narrative, […]

Feb 15th, 2016

10 Tips for Gardening in Winter

If autumn is nature’s grand finale, in winter the curtain falls. The annual performance finished, nature’s theater goes dark. Backstage, costumes are refreshed and actors rest. Players audition for new […]

Feb 14th, 2016

Happy Valentine’s Day

Yesterday we told you all about what’s blooming inside the Conservatory. Today, we celebrate the beauty of the blooms outside. Yes, it’s cold, but a walk in the brisk air […]

Feb 3rd, 2016

California Dreaming

Last September, I started a 3 year term as a Director at Large for the American Public Gardens Association. Every 3 months, the 14 members of the Board, who are […]

Jan 27th, 2016

Volcanoes vs. Doughnuts

There may be volcanoes in your yard. Don’t worry, they’re not active. They’re mulch volcanoes. But beware. They may be endangering your trees! Those of us who are guilty of […]

Jan 21st, 2016

Preparing Plants for Snow

Got your bread and milk? Now it’s time to prepare your plants for the snow storm. Here are some tips from our horticulturists: If you have a tree or plant […]

Jan 11th, 2016

Gardening Trends for 2016

Some things never change, but gardening trends certainly do. Following are predictions for the New Year’s trends, according to retailers and the “2016 Garden Trends Report.” Synced to nature. With […]

Dec 19th, 2015

Living Gifts Keep on Giving

Weary of giving (and receiving!) the same holiday gifts year after year? One solution is living gifts! With a few supplies, a couple hours and a dose of creativity, you […]

Nov 30th, 2015

Recycle Nature’s Bounty by Making Distinctive Papers

Homemade paper: the ancient Egyptians and Chinese made it, and now you can, too! Using a few household items and nature’s treasures — dried leaves, spent flowers, pine tags, even […]

Nov 22nd, 2015

Ruler of the Ginkgo

In front of Bloemendaal House, a botanical oddity grows on the grounds of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Our Ginkgo biloba happens to be the one female, besides Grace Arents, that […]

Oct 19th, 2015

Trees with Knees?

Last month I uncovered something mysterious growing around the rim of the West Island Garden. Our swamp cypress trees have knees. It’s not that we didn’t know they had knees. We did. We […]

Oct 17th, 2015

Tricks & Treats

Pumpkins on a stick, bumpy gourds and alien-looking plants – you never know what you’ll find in the Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in October. Last Sunday I […]

Oct 16th, 2015

Vines by Design

Vines are not only easy to grow, they’re fascinating. Some varieties twist and twine, while others climb upward or creep outward. Many are easily trained, others mischievously meander. Natives typically […]

Sep 28th, 2015

Wildflowers: Heralds of Spring

Fall is the time to plan and plant spring wildflowers “You anticipate them all winter long, but when you finally find them, they don’t last very long,” said Nancy Vehrs, Prince […]