Navigating the rollercoaster ride of weather in the early spring garden
Early spring in South Jersey allows us to experience all of the seasons — sometimes all in one day! First, we start with a little tease when the sun comes out on a brisk day, then we bake in the sun and decide to pack up our winter clothes. As soon as we don our...
Playing host to the eastern black swallowtail butterfly
Did you know that you can play host to New Jersey’s state butterfly, the eastern black swallowtail? These beautiful butterflies with black wings and blue, yellow, and orange markings will be welcome guests to any garden. But before you rush to the garden market to...
Beauty with a price: The rise of the Bradford pear
As spring arrived, you undoubtedly noticed an abundance of white flowering trees growing just about everywhere. These trees are the highly invasive Bradford pear. The Bradford pear is a specific type of tree that belongs to the Callery pear family. It became very...
Eastern redbuds: Flowering trees with year-round interest
Flowering trees are one of the joys of spring. Eastern redbuds are among these early bloomers and are widely used by homeowners as ornamental landscape trees for their many interesting attributes. This native tree produces lavender-pink flowers that bloom in early...
Ranunculus flowers, from humble beginnings to Queen of the spring garden
Once ranunculus flowers catch your eye for the first time, you will be smitten with these beauties of spring and will want to fill your garden with them. Also known as the rose of spring, ranunculus have been compared to peonies, roses and camellias. But these members...
