Blackstone Landscaping

01/04/2020

Crape myrtles are the shining summer stars of the South – until we start butchering them with barbaric topping. I just do not get it. Some of the excuses I’ve ...

03/12/2018

Chow Chow
5 cups coarsely chopped green tomatoes
5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion or sweet onion
2 cups coarsely chopped bell pepper, at least 1 red for color
1/3 cup kosher salt or pickling salt
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional
Combine the chopped vegetables in a large nonreactive kettle or bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine thoroughly. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight. Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly. In a large nonreactive stockpot bring the vinegar, brown sugar, and seeds and spices to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Add the drained vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, pack the vegetables into prepared jars. Cover vegetables with the pickling liquid, leaving about 1/4-inch headspace. With a clean dampened cloth, wipe the rims of the jars. Place the flat lids on the jars then close caps with screw-on rings tightly, but do not over-tighten. Arrange the filled jars in the canner and add more water, as needed, to be at least 1 inch above the jars. Bring to a full boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Remove the relish to a rack to cool completely.

06/24/2017

Please stay alert while working in the garden and protect yourself as you enjoy your plants.

As summer gets underway experts advise staying vigilant when it comes to two species of spiders that you may come into contact with.

06/13/2017

Getting lots of questions lately on pruning Knock Out roses... this should help answer your questions.

Learn to Prune Knockout Roses is part of growing this hot, colorful, prolific, minimal care, drought tolerant, black spot resistant rose [LEARN MORE]

03/27/2017

Knock out roses need pruning occasionally to keep them vigorous and in bounds.. Here are some suggestions for you.

Learn to Prune Knockout Roses is part of growing this hot, colorful, prolific, minimal care, drought tolerant, black spot resistant rose [LEARN MORE]

03/27/2017

I never would have thought of this but it is brilliant.
Happy Gardening.

If you’re a homeowner, and you’re burdened with old medicine bottles that you just don’t know what to do with, look no further. This unbelievably simple craft is a total game changer. Have you ever been locked out of your house before? If you have, you know that it’s absolutely awful. You reach into...

03/27/2017

This should answer most of the other questions you have... enjoy.
Happy Gardening.

The black widow spider considered the most venomous spider in North America. Where do Black Widow Spiders live? How to control them?

03/27/2017

I have been getting a lot of spider questions since people are out gardening now that it is warming up... This should answer some of the most commonly asked questions.
Happy Gardening.

Wolf spiders common in the US, considered some of the most venomous spiders in the world. Strong, fast and aggressive and they hunt them. [LEARN MORE]

03/27/2017

This is a wonderful variety of the shrimp plant that has been braided and grown into a patio tree. Hughes Plant Farm currently has these in stock at a very good price.

The shrimp plant Justicia brandegeana earned its well deserved name from its normally arching, bronze-coppery flowerheads. It can display masses of bloom all year and is easy to grow. I always love to see “common plants” displayed and grown in unusual ways. The image above is a shrimp variety from H...

03/27/2017

If you have not tried this plant you might want to give it a try this summer... They work well in pots that are well drained and get afternoon shade. This also comes in red and burgundy. Happy gardening.

The Golden Shrimp Plant whose botanical name is Pachystachys lutea is an upright tropical shrub that attains a mature height of 36 to 48 inches. Its showy, orange, gold, or yellow flowers that bloom during the summer resemble a shrimp’s layered scales. Over the years, the Golden Shrimp Plant has gro...