Virginia Home Grown

Explore state and national champion trees at Richmond’s historic Maymont park. Tour Dragon Run on the Middle Peninsula to learn about bald cypress and the old growth forest network.

Is your soil ready for your plants? This is a great question and most of us might just look at the soil to say yes — it looks loamy and has that black, rich color, or no — it looks like red Virginia clay to me! There is so much more to soil than meets the eye, and I want to introduce the best way to know more about what is in your dirt: the soil test.

I garden with deer, where more than a dozen think my gardens are their personal restaurant to browse through. I have gardened with deer for many years, and through research backed by expensive trial and error on my part, I now only buy plants with specific traits.

As gardeners, during the winter months we start missing our time in the garden. We spend so much time in our gardens during the warm season, that when we are forced to slow down due to frozen ground or uncomfortable cold, we can start feeling depressed and eager to get back to playing in the soil.

A common question fellow gardeners ask me is about what my favorite plants are. While I have a few favorites, I really do like almost all plants so trying to choose just a few is difficult.

I have always enjoyed going into my backyard and harvesting veggies for a meal, but I find it even more exciting during winter. I often continue growing into the winter by protecting my fall garden beds that get the most sunlight during winter.

When I sit in my sunniest room, flipping through the various catalogs stacked at my feet, I know I need to be very careful with the plant choices I make. My years of experience have taught me that these choices will have an impact on my garden — and on my time — until the end of the season.

At my house, bird watching and bird feeding is a year-round activity. To make the birds safe in your space, think about adding ‘cover’ so they can approach.

January is the coldest month of the year for most of the US and many gardeners manage through the month’s 31 days by hibernating inside with garden catalogs at their fingertips. However, just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do in the garden.

It’s that time of year that’s full of family and friend gatherings; it can be very stressful and overwhelming. During this time, it’s so important to take time to just breathe.