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Learn to garden like a pro with Linvilla Orchards’ free gardening classes

Spring is approaching and it’s time to plan your home garden. Whether you’ve never planted a garden before or want to make the most of your garden this season, Linvilla Orchards has you covered! Linvilla is hosting three informative seminars led by their gardening experts at NO COST, so why not pick up a tip or two to get your garden growing.

Step one, Get your Garden Growing. On Saturday, March 17th, at 10:30 a.m., Master Gardener Joe Daniels will explain how to wake up your garden from its winter slumber and get it ready for springtime planting. Please come and feel comfortable asking any questions as this class is geared towards the novice gardener. You’ll surely leave on the right track knowing how to make a bountiful garden.

Then, learn the ins and outs of gardening vegetables. On Saturday, March 24 at 10:30 a.m., master gardener Joe Daniels will be back to teach Vegetable Gardening 101. Bring your questions and be ready to learn how to make a successfully fruitful garden of vegetables perfect to freshen up those summer salads.

Take your planting up a notch and try Building your own Home Orchard. Whether you have one fruit tree or a dozen, Linvilla’s farm manager, Norm Schultz will discuss what you need to know to maintain your fruit trees. Learn when and what to spray, when and how to prune and other important details that will keep your trees fruitful with Linvilla on Saturday, April 14th at 10:30 a.m.

Remember, all these events are FREE so take advantage of a lesson or two or all three from the farming experts at Linvilla Orchards. While you’re there, you can always pick up a fresh pie from the bakery or grab a bite to eat at the garden center café.

Linvilla Orchards has over 300 acres dedicated to agriculture, education and entertainment. Linvilla’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays. To learn more, call 610.876.7116 or visit Linvilla at 137 W. Knowlton Road in Media, PA http://www.linvilla.com.

Gardening with Carrie ~ Get your Garden October Ready

Deadhead perennials

Begin leaf raking…ugh!

Plant spring flowering bulbs

Harvest Pumpkins & Gourds

Harvest last bit of fruits

Empty out and clean outdoor flower pots, boxes & urns

Tidy up roses, prune weak or damaged branches

Clear out spent vegetables

Harvest green tomatoes (before 1^st frost) and bring indoors to ripen (put them in a dark room)

Clean garden tools after last use

Sharpen garden tools

Decorate for fall using items from the vegetable garden: pumpkins, gourds, and dried out cornstalks

Visit local farms for fun; i.e. corn mazes, hayrides, and running threw muddy pumpkin patches!! 

Happy Gardening!



Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, of http://www.baileylawnandlandscape.com/. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University. Carrie also has a indie biz, named Buggie Sews, where she handmakes and sells (via etsy) ruffled camera strap covers and rose necklaces.

Gardening with Carrie ~ Beautiful Fall Flowers

The Fall is finally here, which usually means time for mums and pumpkins. Well there are so many other colorful flowers that are also blooming this time of year. Unfortunately with the amount of rain that we had this past summer, I’m thinking that the leaves are not going to give us as much of a spectacular show as what we have seen in past years. So to make up for it, there are tons of great perennials and some somewhat frost tolerant annuals that you can plant now, to enjoy their colors instead. Fall is the best time for planting, but make sure you do not plant too late in the season, preferably 3 to 6 weeks before the first frost is estimated to hit. Here’s a list of some of my favorites, that are not only low maintenance but grow great in our local area.

Sedum– ‘Autumn Joy’ is a great, the blooms start out pink then turn burgundy!
Anemone (anemone japonica)- these are white or pink single cupped flowers on long stalks.
Golden Rod– usually considered a weed, their yellow plumes are great in flower vases.
Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia)- flowers are shaped like daisies with yellow centers.
Aster– these come in tall and compact varieties, usually white, pink, or purple colored thin daisy-like petals.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)- another tall perennial, purple-pink flowers and butterflies will LOVE you if you plant these, Joe Pye Weeds are one of their favorite nectar sources.
Chrysanthemums– make sure you ask for ‘Hardy’ Mums, these come in tons of colors.
Cabbage/Kale– are great for a change of texture to your flower beds, some are two toned, even lace edged. (annual)
Pansies– again, make sure you ask for ‘Hardy’ Pansies, they come in all sorts of colors. (annual)
Burning Bush– this is a great shrub that has fiery red leaves, they almost look like they are on fire.(bush)
Toad Lily (Tricyrtis)- a tall perennial, their blooms are very exotic looking but have cute spots and freckles on them.
Lirope– this is a great border plant that has a purple stalks that rise from it’s center, some varieties are variegated.
Hot Poker Plant (Kniphofia)- cone shaped bright flowers rise out of this grass-like leaved perennial.



Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, of Bailey Lawn and Landscape. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University. Carrie also has a indie biz & blog, named Buggie Sews, where she handmakes and sells (via etsy) ruffled camera strap covers and rose necklaces.

Gardening with Carrie ~ Your Gardening to-do list for September

Fall is finally here, well almost, and the kiddos are back in school, now time to get caught up in the garden.

Start canning vegetables and fruits
Plant winter lettuces and parsley
Reseed barespots in lawn
Pick peaches
Seperate, plant & transplant perennials that have gotten too big
Check local garden centers for deals, fall is the best season to plant, especially trees!
Harvest sunflowers
Bring houseplants back indoors, treat for bugs and/or diseases first
Pot up outdoor herbs and bring indoors (when night time temperatures drop below 50 degrees)
Dig up tender bulbs, like dahlias, cannas & gladiolas, store in peat moss in a dry, cool place till spring
Stop fertilizing plants, trees and lawn, it’s time for them to begin the dormancy process
Weed, boo!
Continue to water, but only when the rainfall is below an inch after 7 days or so.
Plant Spring flowering bulbs

Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, of http://www.baileylawnandlandscape.com/. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University. Carrie also has a indie biz, named Buggie Sews, where she handmakes and sells (via etsy) ruffled camera strap covers and rose necklaces.

Gardening with Carrie: Trip To Tyler Arboretum

If you are ever in Delaware County and need a great place to take the kids, I highly suggest taking them to Tyler Arboretum, tylerarboretum.org. I was just there with my sister, my niece (16), my nephew (almost 9) and my daughter(almost 3), and we all had a blast…yes, even the 16 year old!

Tyler Arboretum is located in Media, Pa and encompasses a whopping total of 650 acres! (Only a few minutes outside of Chester County.) They have over 20 miles of marked nature trails, some of which have actually won awards. It is a great place to pack a lunch and picnic under one of their towering trees.

Quick History…Back in 1681 William Penn signed an agreement with Thomas Minshall, for the property that the Arboretum now occupies. The property was home to the Minshall, Painter and Tyler families. In 1944 Laura Tyler bequeathed the estate to the public as an arboretum.

The main route of the Arboretum is only a little over a mile to walk. It is very accessible by stroller, a plus, especially if you have little children. It takes you by their main exhibits, like their Magical Habitats, were the Gnomes are, see below..

They have several exhibits that house these little fellows. Not to mention fairies, hobbits, enchanted mushrooms & even frogs. My daughter, was searching this house (above) for yes, you guessed it, Gnomeo! Love it! They even have a station where you can stop and try to build your own fairy house. All of these little creature’s homes were all made out of something from the woods.

Tyler Arboretum is also featuring 7 Totally Terrific Treehouses. All of which are amazing! Some have some great views and one even had musical instruments which the children could play with till their hearts content. Pictured below is their Cape May Birdhouse Treehouse, my favorite!

But do not be afraid to vary off of your path. We actually walked back to the edge of the property and got to see a Giant Sequoia tree. I had to see it, just in case I never get to make it out to California. Here’s a pic…

Now unfortunately a thief, back in 1895 had topped this giant, and took it home for his Christmas Tree. This caused the tree to develop a double trunk. But this specimen is the tallest of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania! Pretty cool, huh? And it is practically right in our backyard!

Tyler Arboretum’s Mission: “..To preserve, develop and share our diverse horticultural, historical and natural site resources in order to stimulate stewardship and an understanding of our living world.”

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what Tyler Arboretum offers and hopefully it has inspired you to take your family on a quick little visit!

Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, www.baileylawnandlandscape.com. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University.

Gardening with Carrie ~ Gardening in August "To Do List"

Plant lettuce, beans, parsley, salad greens, peas & spinach for late fall harvesting

Continue weeding & watering

Peonies & Phlox mildewed

Trim boxwood, yews & hedges

Feed fruit trees

Finish fertilizing lawns & perennials by mid month (not woody plants)

Deadhead flowers

Mulch beds with composted manure

Spray Roses for blackspot

Harvest Onions, let dry in a cool, dark space

Harvest Corn, if you have a freezer & have alot of them; slice off kernels & freeze

Reseed any bare spots in your lawn, water

Pick beans, squash, peppers, & tomatoes to promote more fruit

Order spring flowering bulbs; plant in late fall, early winter

Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, http://www.baileylawnandlandscape.com/. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University.

Garden with Carrie: Your July "Gardening To Do" List

July Gardening To Do List:

Water

Weed

Stake Tomatoes

Pull peas & lettuce that has bolted, throw in compost pile

Plant squash, cucumbers for late fall harvest

Prune roses

Prune mums, this prevents them from blooming too early, and promotes more flower buds
Turn & aerate compost pile

Fertilize houseplants

Deadhead perennials to promote future blooming

Rotate flower pots, so that they grow evenly

Harvest cabbage, onions, potatoes, & beets

Replant broccoli Brussels sprouts, cabbage for fall harvest

Plant ornamental kale and cabbage for Halloween decorating

Cut flowers to enjoy indoors, especially Hydrangeas (my favs)

Pick strawberries, raspberries, & blueberries

Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc, http://www.baileylawnandlandscape.com/. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University.

Gardening with Carrie: June "To Do" List

Pick Strawberries, maybe visit a Strawberry pickin farm w/the fam?

Walk around yard, note all fall projects, like seeding lawn bare spots

Stake Peppers, Tomatoes, & Eggplants

Water everything!

Weed everything!

Deadhead perennials & roses to promote further blooming

Plant pumpkins, gourds and winter squash

Pick cherries

Harvest peas

Order bulbs for fall planting

Increase height on lawnmowers

Fertilize everything!

Tie cauliflower leaves up to blanch developing heads

Trim new growth off of hedges (boxwood, yew, arborvitae, hemlock, junipers, etc)

Happy Gardening!!

Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc of Bailey Lawn & Landscape.  Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University.

Gardening with Carrie: Fertilizer Numbers.. What do they mean?

So you head to the Home Center looking for a bag of fertilizer for your lawn, and you notice that they have a ton of them, all of which say they are the BEST for YOUR lawn! So how do you pick the right one? Here’s how…

First the numbers are the percentage (by weight) of the three major ingredients used in plant growth. N-P-K, I know, flashback to High School Chemistry class, yuck! The N stands for Nitrogen, the P is for Phosphorous, and the K is for Potassium (sometimes called Potash.) They are in alphabetical order, so it is easy to remember them.

Nitrogen helps the plants ability to produce chlorophyll, another flash back to High School, this time Biology class. This basically means it helps the plant produce lush, green leaves. If your plant/lawn is deficient in nitrogen, it is usually yellowish, and doesn’t grow well. If you want your already established lawn to be really green, you want this number to be high. But don’t be surprised when you may have to cut your lawn more frequently.

Phosphorous concentrates on root growth and is also referred to as a ‘bloom booster.’ It increases the plant, fruit or seed’s abililty to bloom large flowers and extend their roots. If you have a newly seeded lawn or planted tree you would want to use a product with a high percentage of Phosphorous. It will help the lawn and/or tree to become more quickly rooted into it’s new home. Plants that are deficient in Phosphorous sometimes tend to be purplish and are almost non-growing.

Potassium is the real workhorse, it strengthens the plants stems and wall structures, helps the plant threw changing weather conditions, it protects the plant against diseases, and aids in photosynthesis. A plant deficient in Potassium may have really weak stems and also would be slow growing. A product high in this number is great to be used when insects and diseases attack your “stressed” lawns/plants, like at the start of summer or winter.

If this all really confuses you, a great little tip that a Jonathan Green salesmen once told me was, “Look at the numbers like this, Up, Down and All Around.” If you want the plant to grow UP, pick a high first number, if you want the plant to concentrate on it’s roots (Down) & get established pick a high middle number, and if you want a great all around (doing both up and down) pick a fertilizer bag with a high third number.

I hope this helps you maneuver around the fertilizer aisle more quickly! If you still are uncertain of what path to follow, your local Cooperative Extension Office can test your soil at no charge (or for a small free.) But if you follow these guidelines and match your lawns needs to these numbers your garden should top Martha’s in a heartbeat!

About the author: Carrie Longacre is a Mommy to a very active toddler, Hannah, and wife to her Landscaper husband, Marc. Carrie has been gardening ever since she could walk and has a degree in Horticultural Business from Penn State University.