Sylvia Dekker

They may not be actual weevils, but there is no question that these pests are sneaky. Hiding inside the pea seeds within the pods, they can ruin an otherwise beautiful, bountiful crop.We link to vendors to help you find relevant product

Want to play a little game?Name a plant that boasts the ability to do w

When I worked as the integrated pest management (IPM) specialist at an ornamental plant nursery, spider mites were always on my radar.There was no waiting until I saw leaves with damage. No room

We love spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) for their easy-going nature, beautiful foliage, and fast growth.That and the little b

Beekeeping is a never-ending learning journey and I love a good word about bees, so I jumped at the chance to read “Common Sense Natural Beekeeping: Sustainable, Bee-Friendly Techniques to Help Your Hives Survive and Thrive.”A relatively quick read, this book is packed with enlightening moments and interesting

Think of a hydrangea, and visions of Hydrangea macrophylla likely fill your mind. This big, bold Hydrangeaceae relative is a popular choice, but have you ever considered H. paniculata for your garden instead?Those of us who live in colder climates especially love this

I always think jade plants look like mini trees, their thick stems bejeweled with plump glossy leaves.We link to vendors to help you find relev

My siblings and I called them pincher bugs, and they were the only creepy crawlies I feared as a kid. To be honest, I still get squeamish when I find them hiding under the lids of my beehives.As omnivores that will happily scavenge and snack on leaves, fruits,

Despite its common name – beet armyworm – pointing to one specific crop, no garden is safe from this pest. It will chow down on everything from corn to tomatoes to flowers.If only our kids loved as many different types of vegetab

One, two, 1,000 hungry, sap-sucking thrips.The result: scarred flowers, deformed leaves

The first time I saw one of these mowing through a leaf like I attack a chocolate bar, I couldn’t believe the size of it.The presence of a horn on the back end of the green and white cat

Philadelphus is a green-leaved deciduous shrub with sweet-scented, bridal white blooms that grows tall and wide if you let it, and it is a worthy, easy addition to your garden.If you’ve ever gotten a whiff of mock orange flowers, you

One busy Valentine’s day at my high school co-op job in the local flower shop, someone ordered a bouquet of so many roses I could barely wrap my fingers around the stems as I assembled it.Imagine fifty deep red roses surrounded by dark gre

Just about every proud plant parent has a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) on their shelf.And every spider plant parent can relate with th

The loud song of a cicada buzzing in the heat is one sound that takes me right back to childhood summers spent in Ontario.Somehow, hearing their shrill solos made the sun seem even hotter than it was

English or common bluebells are the flowering perennial bulbs you can find carpeting woodlands with layers of blue in Europe in the springtime. They’re steeped in folklore and history.These classic spring bloomers are suitable for cultivation in USD

Bold, cheerful, summery, and even delicious, sunflowers are a plant that just about everyone recognizes and seems to love.Unfortunately, pests love them too!Not to

Hydrangeas are perfect garden bushes. The plants are quick growing, low maintenance, and produce loads of bright, voluminous blooms.Naturally, they grow as multi-stemmed

Nothing beats homegrown blueberries. Well, except for maybe one thing… more blueberries!If you want to expand your berr

Little black insects are hanging around your plants, looking suspicious. You do a quick search online and immediately two results pop up: fungus gnats or shore flies. But which one are you dealing with?Both are often found hovering around plants.

Once you notice them, flying slightly above your plants or in your face, you can’t ignore fungus gnats.Somehow, these quiet, tiny flies are as annoying as noisy house flies, and you’r

I refuse to pull dandelions from my yard during the first bloom. I don’t even let my husband mow.Those cheerful drops of sunshine are not only pretty to me, but as a beekeeper, I k

Wasps, often miscalled bees, are probably one of the least favorite of all six-legged backyard friends and foes, and for good reason.They buzz around your head, they sit on your food and

If you’re here reading this article, this is a good indication that you want to do some experimenting. Like an artist mixing colors on a palette.Sure, you could just let your snapdragon bed do it

Shasta daisies occupy a quiet corner of my mind. I remember the glow of white flower petals in my parents’ garden at night, reflecting the moonlight as we roasted hotdogs on bonfires and hunted for fireflies.Daisies as a group are garden favorites. The Shasta variety

The sun is blazing down on your vegetable patch, and as the day heats up, you notice your cabbage is looking a little wilted.That’s weird, the soil seemed moist enough when yo

Prairie, cliff, pink wild, autumn, or fall glade onion… I’ll just sit back and let the many common names of Allium stellatum tell you all about this pretty plant for me.“Pretty” and “onion” in the same sentence? Why, yes!

Sporting delicate white frills perched on tall stems, and that cute purple center flower that’s so often a feature, Queen Anne’s lace was one of my favorite childhood wildflowers. They grew everywhere.One summer, my sister and I ambitiously harvested a f

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10 and annual in other temperate regions, are one of the most popular garden plants and cut flowers out there, and for good reason.If you like bright colors, they’ve got t

“It’s called butterfly bush,” a coworker at my parents’ flower shop told me, “and it really does attract butterflies!”I was 10, I collected butterfly wings, and I was i

Jade plants are succulent stunners, sporting thick, round, deep green jewels for leaves.Described botanically as C

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are colorful, fragrant, popular additions to the garden and vase.Snapdragon seeds are readily available

The butterflies and other pollinators this plant attracts provide ample motivation to plant a row of Buddleia. But they offer more: sweet smelling, colorful, arching blooms that demand little from you as the gardener to maintain.There are over 160 cultivars of butterfly bush, in nearly every colo

Have you ever wondered what was causing those meandering, silvery paths in the leaves of so many different plants, both out in nature and in your garden?The answer: leaf miner larvae. They’re exactly what their name suggests, tiny immature

A flock of blackbirds were having a lark on my parents’ backyard lawn, scratching, hopping, and gobbling on a patch that had been looking a little sad for a month.My dad did a little digging of his own and unearthed a few fat, grayish-w