We recently had a young couple move in next door to us. They moved from a one bedroom apartment, into a home with an established front and back yard they need to maintain. Of course, me being the tool geek I am, I started talking to them about what tools they need to take care of their property. Having trees, shrubs, lawn and flowers, I came up with a list of essential tools that would help them maintain their new property. Top of my list for our new neighbors; a pair of loppers, hand pruners, folding saw, rake and shovel. Why these tools? Keep reading to find out and share you suggestions in the comments.

We often talk about the therapeutic aspects of gardening, working in the soil and reducing stress in our day to day lives. It's such a great activity with numerous benefits. So why doesn't everyone  want to have a garden? We'll tell that to someone who's hortiphobic, a fear of growing plants, and they are likely to break out in a cold sweat and stress just thinking about it. It's almost like having a pet that you need to feed and care for. And if you forget to water it, it will die. Who needs that kind of stress? If that's you, you're not alone. Many Americans fear growing anything whether it's one plant, or an entire garden. This post is designed to take the fear factor out of plants, so you can move closer to a stress-free lifestyle that takes advantage of all that gardening can provide. Read on to learn how you can overcome your fear of growing plants.

One of the most interesting things we see quite often from gardeners and landscapers, is the confusion about which tool to use for the job. There seems to be a misconception, from beginners to advanced, that one tool is good enough for all jobs. This post sets the record straight when to use bypass pruners and when to anvil pruners. At the most basic level, bypass are ideal for pruning and cutting fresh, live green stems. This will make the cleanest cuts, allowing the plant to properly heal and promote new growth. For hard, dead wood, an anvil pruner cuts through this dense material easily, without risk to the plant or tree, and even your pruner. Read on to find out the why's for both and why not's of using these tool interchangeably. It will help protect your plants, your tools and yourself.

Ask any gardener what they want most from their garden, and you're likely to hear, more produce, abundant blooms and perfectly shaped trees, shrubs and hedges. One of the best ways to help ensure that gardening nirvana is pruning. Experts know that well-pruned plants and trees will yield more fruit, bigger and better blooms and healthier plants. And with spring just around the corner, it's time to get the work done. You can do it quickly and efficiently with these 4 essential pruning tools; bypass pruners for fresh green stems, anvil pruners for removing and cutting out dead wood, bypass loppers for the bigger limbs and a folding hand saw to remove the bigger stuff. Done right, your trees and plants will reward you with a successful bounty, season after season. Not sure where to start? Keep reading for some great ideas and resources that can help.

Despite bone chilling temperatures this winter, courtesy of the Polar Vortex, you would think that would be enough to wipe out one of the most invasive tree pests, the Emerald Ash Borer, a.k.a, EAB. But you'd be wrong. This single insect has been the demise of millions of North American Ash trees and their destructive reign continues. In this guest post, Dr. Dave Coyle, assistant professor at Clemson University, shares his insights on the EAB and how to deal with it. He was also a guest on the Green Industry Leaders Network podcast, Blurring the Tree Lines, discussing tree stress and pests like EAB, in urban, suburban and forest trees.