The Charleston Gazette - Gardening

Into the Garden: ‘Perennial Diva' shares humor, advice

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Stephanie Cohen is known as the "Perennial Diva" in gardening circles. She likes to refer to herself as "The Vertically Challenged Gardener." (Shes a short little thing -- probably under 5 feet -- and ...

State sees changes on USDA grow map

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:09:27 -0500

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia gardeners may be tempted to try some new varieties this growing season, based on the U.S. Department of Agricultures just-released growing map.

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Into the Garden: Industry must cultivate customers

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Jeff Warschauer of Nexus Corp. (a greenhouse manufacturer) is worried about the future of the plant industry: "The green side of our industry isnt growing. We can blame the economy -- and thats part of the problem -- but the...

Into the Garden: Tangerine Tango will be hot in the garden, too

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I was honored and humbled to talk to the Kanawha County Master Gardeners earlier this month. Talk about preaching to the choir. As I looked over the group, I felt like I was giving my first book report in grade school -- nervous...

Into the Garden: Change is in the air

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- There are changes in the air in the plant industry. Danny Takao is pushing for a unified marketing campaign. Takao is a former president of OFA, a national association of floriculture professionals including greenhouse growers, ...

Into the Garden: Fields of clover -- in my yard.

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Every year, I resolve to redo the grassy areas in my yard. I dont want to be a slave to the mower -- it takes a lot of time, uses a lot of gas and is just downright noisy. I dont want to use chemicals -- to help it grow, or to ...

Into the Garden: Plant this, not that

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- This new year, Im making a resolution to plant more native, noninvasive plants. I havent always been diligent about this in the past, and when a plant causes problems later in its lifecycle, I often realize the reason is that it ...

Into the Garden: Christmas plants grow from centuries of lore

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Today, as you unwrap presents from under the Christmas tree, or sneak a kiss under the mistletoe, or raise a glass over the poinsettia centerpiece, know that these Christmas plants are all steeped in lore from across the centurie...

Into the Garden: Some (very little) freebies for the garden writer

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Everyone asks if I get free stuff as a garden writer. I always answer no, because I usually dont get more than weeds or insects from loyal readers, asking if I can identify them. However, Proven Winners sent a couple of teeny (a...

Into the Garden: Hydrating mix fireproofs Christmas tree

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My friend Scott Mourier sent this Christmas tree fireproofing solution to me recently, and I find it fascinating. Scott works at Dow, and he said while hes never tried the solution, it sounds reasonable to him. Its from the Loui...

Into the Garden: Old tomato cages make new Christmas décor

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My daughter introduced me to Pinterest, a website that allows members to "pin" favorite websites/photos/blogs to different bulletin boards. You can follow different "pinners" and they can follow you. As far a...

Into the Garden: Old home gets new landscape

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The historic McFarland-Hubbard House has finished phase two of a total landscaping re-do, and the new plantings complement the old house beautifully. Cheryl Marsh, operations manager for the West Virginia Humanities Council that owns t...

Two gardeners claim state plant records

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:18:04 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Two West Virginia gardeners are in the record books for growing big plants. The Department of Agriculture says Glen Knox of Wheeling set two state produce records with a 27.45-pound cantaloupe and a 3.9-pound tomato. Stephanie ...

Into the Garden: Lots of wire, and other wreath-making secrets

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:00:00 -0500

WALTON, W.Va. -- Ive tried to make my own natural Christmas wreaths with limited success. So I went to Walton to visit an expert, and I learned some great tips and techniques. Janet Smith owns Still Meadows Farm with her husband, Stan. The 65-acre w...

Into the Garden: Garden show host entertains conventioneers

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Joe Lampl broke a branch off one of his mothers shrubs. Fearing Mamas wrath, he stuck it in the ground and ran. When he went back several weeks later, it had rooted. His love of gardening began. Lampl has been the host of "...

Dazzling dahlias dot St. Albans retiree's yard

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:00:00 -0500

ST. ALBANS, W.Va. -- Reginald Jacobs has 84 dahlia species in his St. Albans yard. And hes been growing them for 70 years. "My timeline for understanding the best life cycle for growing dahlias started 70 years ago helping my mother teach me he...