The Strader's Blog

It’s tulip planting season! Learn how to choose, plant, and care for tulips this fall to enjoy bright, beautiful blooms and lasting color in your spring garden.

Discover the beauty of perennial flowering vines for your landscape! These versatile climbers provide vertical interest, privacy screening, and decorative appeal while using minimal ground space. Learn key selection factors including intended use, planting location, and proper support systems for long-lasting garden success.

Design a thriving perennial garden that deer will leave alone! Learn strategic planting techniques using aromatic, textured plants deer dislike. Explore top deer-resistant perennials for sun and shade including native black-eyed susan, bee balm, and coral bells plus non-native favorites like lavender and catmint.

Concerned about pesticides, GMOs, and food safety? Growing your own produce gives you complete control over what you eat. Discover the benefits of homegrown food including personal satisfaction, cost savings, guaranteed freshness, and reduced carbon footprint. Get essential tips for soil testing, plant sourcing, and harvest timing.

Create a deer-resistant landscape with shrubs that naturally deter browsing! Learn why plants with strong scents, fuzzy leaves, or bitter tastes repel deer. Explore top native options like elderberry, spicebush, and winterberry holly, plus non-native choices like boxwood and lilac for beautiful, protected gardens.

Japanese beetles can devastate gardens, feeding on 200+ plant varieties after emerging from underground grubs. Learn their life cycle from root-eating larvae to destructive adults. Discover effective control methods including beneficial nematodes, natural predators, chemical treatments, and hand-picking techniques to protect your landscape.

Discover the art of combining mulch and decorative stone in landscaping! Learn professional design strategies for tree rings, walkways, and flower bed borders. Get expert tips on material placement, color coordination, and maintenance to create stunning contrast, improve functionality, and boost curb appeal year-round.

Create your own herbal tea garden for fresh, organic teas! Discover easy-to-grow plants like chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender. Learn the benefits of homegrown over store-bought teas, plus get complete guidance on planting, harvesting, drying, and brewing your own therapeutic herbal blends.

Stop deer from devouring your flower garden! Learn the difference between deer-resistant and deer-proof plants, plus discover top annual varieties like marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and begonias that deer typically avoid. Get proven protection strategies including repellents, barriers, and smart planting techniques for both garden beds and containers.

Heat stress above 90°F can devastate vegetable gardens, causing wilting, blossom drop, and reduced yields. Learn how high temperatures affect plant health and discover proven protection strategies including proper watering techniques, mulching, shade cloth installation, and soil management to keep your crops thriving during scorching summer weather.