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Posts with tag vine

Berry-picking tips for a juicy summer

Baby in an orchard next to a green plastic bucket with rope handle partially filled with blueberries.
Summer is here and it's berry season. Mmm: fresh blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are at hand! We went you-pick blueberry picking last June and had the best time, although it was incredibly hot. Are you planning to pick berries this summer? The best source for berry-picking tips is the website Pick Your Own. Here are a handful of their top tips:

1. It's summer: bring lots of drinks, plus snacks, hats, sunscreen and bug repellent.

2. Bend down and look up through the middle of the plant. You will find tons of berries other pickers have missed.

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Avant Yard: Control your weedy wisteria

closeup of lavender Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinesis) blooms hanging from a pergola
When I was a kid, my dad would routinely get out his pruning tools and ruthlessly cut back our lovely wisteria. This would always upset me greatly because the vine was so very beautiful when it bloomed in Spring. Would it ever come back and flower again? Yes, it always did. Always.

What I understand now is that wisteria is one tough and relentless vine once established. The form of wisteria I'm talking about is Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinesis), which actually belongs to the pea family. This big, sprawling deciduous vine has fast-growing branches that twine up and around anything it can get a hold on.

Wisteria was introduced to the US from China by gardening enthusiasts back in the early 1800s. If those folks were around today to see what they had wrought they'd probably say, "oops." That's because W. sinesis has become an invasive pest, wrapping it's vine-y arms around roadsides and woods up and down the east coast. As it spreads, wisteria chokes out native shrubs and trees with ease, and is known to climb as high as 65-feet. That's one powerful vine!

Gallery: Wisteria control

Beautiful wisteria bloomsWisteria in all its gloryWisteria foliageWisteria leavesLawn invasion

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Pergola care: surviving the dreaded repaint


We have a pergola out in our yard. A sprawling wisteria makes its home there, twining its way relentlessly around the wooden support posts. When the wisteria blooms in spring, it's a beautiful sight to see. Sadly, the above photo was taken the spring before last, and lately I'm noticing my poor pergola's not looking quite so charming.

Yes, it's time to consider a little pergola maintenance. Honestly, I'm dreading it. All those posts! All that pruning and trimming! All that sanding! All that wrestling with the ladder and drop sheets! Ugh. So I made a plan. First, I did a little online research on pergola maintenance, to arm myself with the facts. Second, I figure I'll psych myself up all winter, so when the weather warms up and it's time to paint, I'll be all prepared and will have no excuse to procrastinate further!

So much for my plan. Let me share with you the tips I found.

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