Thursday, February 21, 2013
Know what you are buying, because wildflowers and native plants are not the same thing.
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Thursday, February 21
Native plants have become a hot topic in the last several years. Smart gardeners have come to realize that native plants have some built-in advantages. The biggest is that these plants have been growing in Michigan for thousands of years and are well-adapted to the climate and soils. Insects and diseases are infrequent. Choosing to include native plants in a home landscape can add variety plus give a glimpse of what that area was at one time. There are some new gardeners who assume that native plants and wildflowers are synonymous. They buy seed packs for wildflowers and think this is the envelope for care-free, native, perennial plants. A wildflower pack might have a few native plant seeds, but the vast majority of seeds are going to be …
Monday, February 18, 2013
These homes are listed for sale in the White Lake and Highland area, for the week of Feb. 18.
Click through the photo gallery above — courtesy of AOL Real Estate — to see some of the homes for sale in the White Lake-Highland area. 4652 Pebble Ct, White Lake 3411 N. Quarry Creek, White Lake 2741 Cherry Rd, Highland 2925 White Lake Road, Highland
Friday, February 15, 2013
Gain a better idea of which critter is digging up your yard or garden by the damage they cause.
“Fee, fie, fo, fum. I see the dirt from some furry bum.” Many have walked into the yard and found perplexing piles of soil in their lawn or flower beds. They want to know what critter made the heap and are worried that it means something worse is going wrong. There are several animals that are common yard visitors. Keep in mind that the usual motivation for digging up yards comes down to two things: food and lodging. The time of the year makes a difference in the frequency of digging. Often, more damage occurs in the fall and spring. Michigan State University Extension hotlines receive many calls at certain times of the year about mystery mounds. In the fall, animals are trying to pick up as many calories as possible to make it through the…
Monday, February 11, 2013
These homes are listed for sale in the White Lake and Highland area, for the week of Feb. 11.
Click through the photo gallery above — courtesy of AOL Real Estate — to see some of the homes for sale in the White Lake-Highland area. 3123 Allison Ln, Highland 2623 Fry Road, Highland 9542 Elizabeth Lake Road, White Lake 10695 Oxbow Lakeshore, White Lake
Friday, February 8, 2013
Homeowners may think that dealing with pesky grubs is inevitable in the quest for a beautiful lawn. But there is a solution.
Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs) researchers have come up with a lawn care routine for Michigan homeowners resulting in a green, healthy lawn that can tolerate grubs. “By following the simple steps we’ve laid out, homeowners can manage a low-maintenance lawn that will be able to stand up against grubs without the use of expensive insecticides,” said Dave Smitley, MSU entomologist. It starts, he said, by choosing the right grass. “Kentucky bluegrass and red fescue are the best grasses for this region,” Smitley confirmed. “If managed properly, they produce a large root mass, which is imperative for grub-tolerant grass. The denser the root…
Monday, February 4, 2013
Salmon and trout in Lake Michigan often relate to specific water temperatures or edges where warm and cold water currents meet. Savvy anglers have been using websites to plan trips and find fish for years, and online resources keep improving.
Finding fish in Lake Michigan may not seem to have much in common with finding fish in inland lakes, but most predatory fish relate to edges. While bass might relate to drop-offs or weed edges, salmon and trout in Lake Michigan, more often, relate to temperature and current breaks. Depth contours and weed edges can provide reliable fishing throughout the year in smaller lakes, but Lake Michigan is constantly changing. Fortunately, big lake anglers have a variety of online tools available that can help cut down on the time required to find productive water and put more fish in the boat. The Great Lakes CoastWatch site provides surface temperature charts developed from satellite data. Charts are updated several times a day depending on …
These homes were newly listed for sale in the White Lake and Highland area, for the week of Feb. 4.
Click through the photo gallery above — courtesy of AOL Real Estate — to see some of the homes for sale in the White Lake-Highland area. 1499 Hillway St, White Lake 2632 W Meadow Dr, White Lake 836 Chatham Dr, Milford 3192 Delrose St, Highland
Friday, February 1, 2013
Mulching fall leaves into lawn can help you reduce fertilizer and weed control.
Turfgrass specialists from Michigan State University know that the best dressed lawns begin in fall. After a long, hot summer, you may be thinking to yourself, “Why would I want to be thinking about my lawn when I just want to go inside and forget about it?” Over 20 years of turf research has proven that fall is the optimum time to “invest” in the green you will enjoy next spring. If fertilization is on your dance card, then you are on the right track, but don’t forget about a resource that may be staring you right in the face – tree leaves. For years, turf managers and homeowners have been raking and bagging leaves because we all know that when leaves pile up with wet, heavy snow, it can mean disaster for the turf plant below. The ban on …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Check out these newly listed homes for sale in the White Lake and Highland area, for the week of Jan. 27.
Click through the photo gallery above — courtesy of AOL Real Estate — to see some of the homes for sale in the White Lake-Highland area.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Forcing branches to bloom indoors is an easy process that will allow you to enjoy spring plants in your home during the winter months.
Why wait for spring time to enjoy colorful plants such as forsythia, crabapple and witch-hazel? Many plants will flower from cuttings taken in the wintertime. Even the catkins (fuzzy flower heads) of the pussy willow will open indoors from cuttings. This is an easy process that anyone can do. Choose branches from trees and shrubs that flower in the spring. These plants developed their flower buds during the previous summer. Flower buds are usually plump and rounded compared to buds from which leaves develop. Do not attempt to force buds to open on plants that flower later in the summer such as Rose of Sharon. This type of plant does not develop flower buds until the growing season begins. If you did try to use a later blooming plant, you …
WRaffin
11:00 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I LOVE this idea, and it is great in theory, but what about the moles that come along with grubs?? We have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of the moles. Seriously, you name it, we tried it. I hate all of the chemicals, but it was the only way to get rid of the grubs that destroyed our entire lawn. more ›