Ladybug Blog

• The Winter Garden: Selecting Plants to Brighten Up Short Days
  While we wait for the hellebores, daffodils, and snow drops to appear in the spring, I can’t help but admire the plants still showing off their beauty during the winter months. If you are yearning for more winter interest in your garden, consider adding some plants that stand the test of time (and weather!) all […]
• Seaweed—A Case of False Advertisement 
  Its name seems self-explanatory. A weed in the sea, right?   Well, the compounded nature of this word doesn’t exactly paint an accurate picture.   By definition, a weed is any plant which grows unintentionally – the keyword being “plant.” The kicker here is: seaweed is not even a plant at all.   “Seaweed” is a general term to encapsulate two kinds of multicellular algae – microalgae and macroalgae. Both types, like the terrestrial plants we are […]
• Is Your Soil Too Tired? Signs of Compaction and How to Fix It
  From many homeowners, I hear some version of the same story at UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab: “I fertilized, I reseeded, I even watered more. The lawn by the driveway still looks tired and thin. What am I missing?”  Often, the problem isn’t what you are adding. It is what your soil can no longer […]