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Garden Detective

Jessica Damiano's award-winning garden blog gets to the root of things.

Groundhog predicts more winter; I predict mosquitoes

Groundhog Club handler Ron Ploucha holds Punxsutawney Phil,

Photo credit: AP

It's hard to believe that just a year ago, Malverne's Groundhog Day was canceled due to a ridiculous amount of snow, and now here we are in February without jackets.

Just a few minutes ago, the country's most famous rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, was summoned from his burrow -- OK, was dragged from his burrow -- in Gobbler's Knob, Pa., before a crowd of  thousands of revelers, saw his proverbial...

Groundhog Day -- Watch the prediction live!

Last year, Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting groundhog,

Photo credit: AP

Groundhog Day festivities have begun and people have gathered to wait for Punxsutawny Phil to emerge from his hole and make a prediction about how much longer winter will last. And what a wild bunch they are! Last I checked in, they were grooving to the B-52s.

According to tradition and folklore, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter; if not, spring is on its way.

Couldn't...

Mailbag: Caring for hellebores -- winter's flowers

Hellebores actually bloom during winter.

Photo credit: Perennials.com

Hi Jessica:

We have two hellebores in our yard. They are in full bloom and doing beautifully. In Sunday's LI Life section on your monthly calendar, you said that old hellebore foliage should be trimmed back now. My question to you is this: Since our hellebores are doing so nicely and have no dead leaves, etc., do we still need to trim our plants back? My feeling is that since they are blooming...

New Plant Hardiness Zone map released

An updated USDA Hardiness Zone Map was released

Photo credit: U.S.D.A.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled its long-awaited update of its 1990 U.S. Plant Hardiness Zone Map Thursday at the National Arboretum in Washington. The map, which was revised to reflect changing climate patterns across the country, is vital to gardeners trying to determine which plants are most likely to thrive in a location. The new version reveals that some plants and trees can survive...

Protect your trees from snow and ice

Snow should be removed from evergreen branches to

Photo credit: Jessica Damiano

Be sure to get outside and (gently) knock the snow off your evergreens -- otherwise the weight of the snow (especially after it freezes, and you know it will) will buckle and maybe even break branches.

Find the best places to go sledding on Long Island | Check out reader snow photos from around Long Island | Send in your snow photos and videos

And while you're out there shoveling your...

Zipper spiders: the circle of life in Islip

A zipper spider zips her web in reader

Photo credit: Handout

Dear Jessica:

A few weeks ago you published a picture of a zipper spider from one of your readers. A zipper spider was living in my garden a few years ago. When we got up one morning the following June, we got a surprise: baby zippers! The sac had been put in a sheltered corner near our garage and front porch.

There were hundreds of babies. When we got home from work one day,...

USDA approves Monsanto drought-resistant corn

Genetically modified foods are grown from seeds which

Photo credit: iStock

There's one more GMO food to add to the Frankenfood pile: corn engineered to withstand drought.

Monsanto’s genetically engineered, drought-resistant corn variety -- appetizingly named "MON 87460" -- was deregulated last week by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, which means it's cleared for sale and likely will end up in your supermarket produce department soon. Oh, and you...

12 days of Christmas gardening gifts: Day 12

Today's gift: last-minute e-gift cards (emailed instantly)

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you've already bought, wrapped and given your gifts by now. If, however, you're an extreme procrastinator, there's always the online printable or email-able gift card. Here are some choices:

Burpee

Wayside Gardens

Garden.com

Lowe's

Home Depot

Amazon...

12 days of Christmas gardening gifts: Day 11

Bird seed chalet Made of wood and covered

Photo credit: Handout

Day 11: Birdseed chalet

Made of wood and covered in birdseed, and measuring 10 1/2 inches wide by 5 3/4 inches deep by 8 1/2 inches high, this beautiful feeder is available for $39.95 at redenvelope.com....

12 days of Christmas gardening gifts: Day 10

For the birds Art deco crackle-glass bird feeders,

Photo credit: Handout

Today's gift: Art Deco crackle-glass bird feeders

Art Deco crackle-glass bird feeders, available in purple and spring green, hold three cups of seed or can be stocked with fresh fruit to attract orioles and tanagers. Also available is "Moon," a doughnut-shaped feeder that holds 2 cups of seed and provides a spot for birds to perch. $24.95 apiece at gardeners.com....

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