The Buzz is where you’ll find expert help from our gurus of gardens and floristy.
We’re here to help you with your outdoor and indoor gardening needs. Have questions? Just ask our experts!
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- Houseplants
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- Winter Care
Proper Spring Care for Your Hydrangea Macrophylla (Mophead Hydrangea)
Every year in the spring we start getting tons of inquiries regarding everyone's favorite hydrangea, the hydrangea macrophylla, also known as mophead hydrangeas or big leaf hydrangeas. And most of those questions and inquiries are about pruning this specific type of hydrangea, because everybody loves to prune their mophead hydrangeas. Sean, our horticulture guru here at The Gardener’s Center, says, “Stop! Back away from your pruners!”
Organic Spring Lawn Treatments: Recommendations to Improve the Health of Your Lawn
Our Connecticut lawns are in need of spring treatments to ensure we have healthy turf for the rest of the growing season. Sean, our lawn and garden Guru, has three product recommendations to address the pH level of your soil and making sure your lawn gets properly fed.
Hairy Bittercress: Identification & Natural Weed Treatment
A member of the mustard family, Hairy Bittercress is usually the first weed to appear in the lawn in late winter and early spring. They spread quickly in the lawn, but they are very easy to pull and treat (and eat!) Yep, you can eat this weed. But don't be fooled by the name—Hairy Bittercress is edible with a flavor that’s mild and peppery, not bitter. If you're not interested in adding it to your salads or pulling by hand, use Bonide Lawnweed Brew before these weeds flower and set seed.
Propagating Methods for Houseplants
First things first… What is propagation? Joy says it’s basically like cloning your plant. Say your pothos is getting a little too long and leggy, and you need to give it a haircut. And maybe you feel bad throwing those leggy cuttings away. Time to grab a propagation station!
Re-Potting – or Up-Potting – Your Houseplants
Big question: How do you know when it’s time to re-pot (or up-pot) your plant? Joy, our houseplant guru, says there are some key signs to look for when your plant is telling you, “Now’s the time!” Then she provides a step-by-step guide for successfully up-potting
Houseplants With Fascinating Foliage
Joy, our houseplant guru, wants you to know about some unique plants and special varieties that are giving her all the feels. What’s so special about these? She loves their interesting growing patterns, or the way they react to temperature, light or vibrations. Or they’re just exceptionally cool.
Identifying and Treating Houseplant Pests
Joy, our houseplant guru here at The Gardener’s Center, has seen her fair share of houseplant pests! She has all the deets on three common little buggers that will wreak havoc either on your plant or your sanity. Read on to see how to identify them and how to treat them. We are talking brown soft scale, mealy bugs and fungus gnats.
Pet-Friendly (and Not) Houseplants
If you have or want to add houseplants to your home, but you’re thinking about adopting a new dog or you already have a very curious cat, Joy, our houseplant guru here at The Gardener’s Center, wants to share which popular houseplants are pet friendly. And which ones are not.
Tips For Keeping Your Houseplants Happy in the Winter
During colder months, your houseplants have to live inside and hibernate for the winter just like the rest of us. Joy, our houseplant guru here at The Gardener’s Center, tells us what to watch for and how to care for our plants during this time.
All About the Popular Alocasia
Joy introduces us to alocasias, an increasingly-popular houseplant. Also known as Elephant Ear, many gardeners recognize the big, green, arrowhead-shaped leaves on this tropical plant that typically lives outside in the warmer months.
Compelling Reasons to Include Hellebores in Your Garden
First to bloom in spring, Hellebores are shade-flowering perennials that grow in hardiness zones 5-8. And they can live 30+ years under the right conditions. Sean's got all of the deets...
The Secrets to Growing Lavender in the Northeast
Perennial lavender is a desirable plant, but it’s very challenging to grow here in the northeast. There are lots of things that lavenders don’t like about living and growing in Connecticut (and it has nothing to do with traffic or taxes!), but they center around our climate and our soil structure.