Category: Home & Garden

It takes seconds to form a first impression. Ask yourself this — what kind of first impression is your home making? Is your yard helping or hurting you in getting top dollar this home-buying season? The majority of homeowners (71 percent) agreed that curb appeal is important in choosing their home, according to the new… Read More

When you’re done with spring cleaning, you may assume you’ve eliminated any allergy triggers that were lurking in your home. But the truth is, if you don’t clean the right way, you might be making the problem worse. More than 40 million Americans suffer from allergy problems, and 25 million have asthma. If your cleaning… Read More

By Ann Hazelrigg, Extension Plant Pathologist at UVM Composting can reduce the amount of waste material going into our landfills and can serve as a beneficial soil amendment used to improve organic matter and biological activity in gardens. Unfortunately, as was found out last spring, compost can also harbor some not-so-beneficial things. In June 2012… Read More

by Eileen Schilling, Horsford Gardens & Nursery Impatiens Downy Mildew is a disease that is specific to Impatiens wallerianna. All varieties are affected. This is the most common species of Impatiens planted. It includes the Accent, Blitz, Double, Trailing, and Butterfly varieties. Impatiens Downy Mildew was first reported in the United States in the 1940s… Read More

By gardening expert,TV/radio host & author Melinda Myers Add a little extra color and motion to your summer garden with containers designed to attract birds and butterflies. Many garden centers continue to sell annuals throughout the summer and many of these mid-season annuals are a bit bigger, providing instant impact. It’s easier than you think… Read More

Whether you love or hate spring cleaning, here’s some good news: Cleaning could save you money. Make the following tips part of your spring cleaning list and you’ll cut your energy costs by getting better performance from your appliances, exhaust fans, and lights. Get clothes dry faster: Clear lint from your clothes dryer exhaust hose.… Read More

Volunteers are needed to help monitor trees in local communities for the first signs of the Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, and hemlock woolly adelgid. Once introduced to an area, these pests invade quickly, causing devastating damage to forests. That’s why early detection is so vital, and why this spring Vermont’s Forest Pest First… Read More

Beans are full of protein and other nutrients, easy to grow and process, and have a local market that’s ready for them. The UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Local Food Program is continuing its work to help farmers and buyers explore the potential for this Vermont-produced crop at a free evening event. Joe Bossen of… Read More

When it comes to improving your home, it’s easier than ever to make eco-friendly choices that save you money, are better for the environment, and make your home more beautiful. Here are a few easy ways you can go green all over the house. Light it up — As you make the switch from incandescent… Read More

What makes your garbage smelly? Food scraps. What helps plants grow tall and strong? Food scraps! Yep, those same food scraps some of you are still sending to the landfill are actually a source of valuable nutrients. We have dubbed the month of April “Compost Month,” a time to celebrate the role that food scraps,… Read More