Cicadas – Brood X

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist, Burke Nursery & Garden Centre May 16, 2021: Brood X is officially here in Northern Virginia. For weeks people have come into the Nursery with pictures of holes in the ground wondering what they were…Actually they were the initial signs that they had Brood X cicadas in their yard. Yesterday, as […]

Spring Flowering Bulbs: Consider More Than the Usual Suspects

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist, ©2019 I got interested in planting spring flowering bulbs in the fall season just after I purchased a new home many years ago. I could envision a space between my driveway and sidewalk where I would see the first sign of spring as I pulled into the driveway. Initially I thought […]

Container Gardening: Creating Whimsy

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist ©2019 I often hear this question from customers and clients: What’s all this excitement that I hear about container gardening and why is that important? Container gardening isn’t just the next new craze in gardening. It’s a wonderful way to increase your gardening space and add whimsy to your yard. Whether […]

Extend Your Vegetable Garden Into Fall

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist, ©2019 Summer vegetable garden chores aren’t over when the last zucchini is picked and you still find some green tomatoes clinging to their vines, yet you know they won’t ripen any longer because the season is changing to fall. This is an exciting time to start planting cool season crops, what […]

Fall Lawn Maintenance

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist ©2019 Fall in Northern Virginia is the most important time to take care of your lawn since the majority of homes have cool season grasses. That means your lawn is either tall fescue, or a combination of tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. (For those of you who have a […]

Growing Greens on Your Patio

By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist ©2019 Fall is the time for cold crops. These are edible plants which love to grow in the cool months of Fall. The most common cold crop is lettuce. But there are other cold crops as well: beans, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, peas, radishes, spinach, […]

Building a Raised Bed

Building a Raised Bed By Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist, Copyright 2018 Raised beds are gardens which are higher than the surrounding soil and usually limited to a size where you can work the bed without having to step in it. There are several advantages to a raised bed: You can improve soil conditions without having to […]

Herbs and Companion Planting

Compiled by Misty Kuceris, Horticulturalist, Copyright 2018 Herbs, while wonderful for culinary purposes, are great companion plants in your vegetable garden. They attract beneficial insects which protect your plants from harmful insects. They increase pollination rates which can increase the growth and production of your vegetables. They can also repel harmful insects and predators. Basil. […]