I find March to be a very frustrating time! If you are anything like me, as the snow starts to disappear you eagerly poke around your garden looking for those early Crocus, Hepatica, Hellebore, Galanthus, Aconite, and other signs of spring. My unease, however, always begins to grow as I…
This year Avant Gardening & Landscaping became certified as a sustainable business under the Wisconsin Green Master’s Program. The programs provides each recognized business with a sustainability score. We are constantly striving to improve our score and we find it an important part of accountability to share our efforts with…
Why add birds to your garden? Their flashes of color, the entertainment they provide and their natural pest controlling abilities would be high on the list of advantages. But how can you attract birds? Well, they need four main things for basic survival: shelter, nesting sites, food and water. Shelter…
It's spring! While we are grateful that the temps are raising and the sun is shining (mostly), there are some new critters on the block worth knowing about that could affect your home and garden! Jumping worms found their way into Dane County gardens about five years ago and have…
The key to success in managing damage caused by wildlife is first and foremost to correctly identify the species doing the damage. Rabbits, for example, have strong front teeth which cause pruning like damage (a clean cut). Usually a sharp 45 degree angle that is at or below one foot…
Many people believe that four season interest means that they’re limited to evergreens but that’s not always the case! There are several plants that offer year round interest, especially in winter, through their unique bark and/or berries. Here are a few of our favorites. Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is a…
“I drifted into a summer-nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicadae lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder.” - Terri Guillemets Come July you may be tempted by that hammock in the shade, swaying gently in the breeze… now is the time you can comfortably…
What better time than spring to talk about the tulip bulb? However, let’s look less at its beauty and more at its influence as an economic influence. The tulip may be one of the world’s most recognizable flowers but it is also at the center of one of the world’s…
If you have a bad case of spring fever and really want to stretch every last penny this month... a visit to the WPT Garden Expo may be the cure! Make plans to join Avant Gardening and Landscaping at the 2016 Wisconsin Public Television Garden Expo February 10th-12th at the Alliant Energy Center…
The first snow of the year can be a thing of beauty. By the 15th snowfall however, we start to get real sick of white everywhere. Enter the Redtwig Dogwood! As the name implies this shrub boasts some very colorful stems that look great against the snow and add a…
