Ground Covers – June 2024 This month we will sidestep our ACES Grow More Videos and look at ground covers. There are many uses for ground covers: a steep slope in your yard, choke out weeds, shady areas where your normal grasses do not grow well, full sun and dry areas, edging, erosion control, and…
Soil Testing Probably the first thing you want to do is to have your soil tested to ensure you have the correct nutrients. The major issue here in Baldwin County is to make sure the soil pH is correct. This means that you will probably have to add lime to your beds. To soil test,…
As mentioned in our short article in this month’s newsletter there are some issues with growing tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) in our area. If your main goal is to help the monarch butterfly – then do not grow tropical milkweed! There are some caveats to this statement which I will mention below. The first thing…
Truly one of the most fascinating and unique plants in the plant world. It is deadly to some insect species and on the other hand absolutely necessary to other species of insects. Born on the wind with their feathered seeds they can spread for large distances. With its hundreds of different variants being found all…
Summer Wild Flower Gardens This article will certainly be longer than usual, and it will occasionally be modified over the summer. So, check back to see new pictures, primarily, and additional information. Any of the plants mentioned herein may be found as seeds and/or potted plants at most of the garden centers mentioned in a…
As mentioned in our newsletter for this month I will address the series of webinars entitled: Urban Green: Back 2 Basics Wednesdays Webinar Series. This series of webinars prepared by the Alabama Extension Home Grounds teams addresses basic gardening and landscaping training for individuals in limited spaces. This series of webinars has been in production…
As mentioned in the May QC Newsletter the Bougainvillea plant is quite easy to grow in our area. Let’s add a few more details on this beautiful plant. Winter care – I would suggest planting bougainvillea in a pot so you can move it inside during our winters. Generally, 40 degrees is the lowest recommended…
This is a short commentary on some of the most popular bulbs for spring planting in our area. Some are grown in the yard some may be planted in pots in the house. They range in size from a foot to six feet, or more. All are growable in our planting zone. Typically, all will…
This month’s article will be rather brief in terms of the number of plants discussed. I will not be discussing how to grow or where to acquire invasive plant species. I am interested in simply bringing to your attention some of the more significant invasive plants in our area, what we can do about them,…
This month I will continuie to look at the flowers you might want to consider in your Fall Garden. Several you have seen in them in your Spring Garden, but they bear repeating at this time of the year. We will also look at some vegatables that do quite well thjis time of the year….