Gardening

As July heats up, the national Irrigation Association is reminding communities to water efficiently this drought season.

Cutting trees and trimming branches are part of routine yard maintenance for many homeowners, but these tasks can be dangerous when using chainsaws.

Hardly any plant is off limits to deer, but gardeners can employ a few techniques to help keep them away from summer gardens.

Those trekking to spot Virginia’s native wildflowers should expect the unexpected. Of the 3,500 wildflower species in Virginia, about 2,500 are native to the area.

In the May issue of Cultivate magazine, readers will discover the abundance of wildflowers native to Virginia, where to spot them and how to care for these vibrant beauties in the garden.

English ivy is a stress-tolerant groundcover that is an invasive plant that will take over trees and buildings.

Students at Meherrin Elementary School in Southampton County and Powhatan Middle School in Powhatan County will get to cultivate leafy greens in their classrooms with new hydroponics systems presented by Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom.

With houses being built more closely together, it’s often hard to find privacy. But homeowners can plant shrubs that will quickly grow into a barrier screen to block out neighbors or a busy road.

Alternatives to traditional landscaping can provide habitats for pollinators and other important native species, limit erosion and lessen the burden of regular lawn maintenance.

Consumers are embracing the nutritional value of unsprouted vegetables, which can contain up to six times the amount of vitamins and minerals as mature crops of the same variety.