With October comes the cooler temperatures, falling of leaves, and of course pumpkin carving time. For the perfect carved Jack O Lantern, be sure to familiarize yourself with this list of the best pumpkins for carving. When it comes to choosing pumpkins for carving projects, not all pumpkins are equal. As a matter of fact, …
A commonly asked question from readers of my blog is “how to keep squirrels from digging up bulbs in my garden?” Since fall is bulb-planting time for daffodils, crocuses, and tulips, the question is posed even more often right now. If you spend much time in the garden, you will likely have had a run-in …
It’s time to get your spook on – with creepy flowers, Halloween plants and all sorts of growing things that are sure to make you feel a Halloween mood. Traditional Halloween decorating is done with just a few plants and colors. This time of the year is cold and plants in most areas of the …
If you are traveling with children and looking for things to do in Kansas, be sure to put Botanica, The Wichita Gardens on your list of things to do. Nestled in the heart of Wichita is one of the best kept secrets in Kansas. This stunning attraction is a botanical garden that is beautiful in …
These lovely bird cage planters are a great way to showcase your succulent plant collection and are great for any trailing plants. Their size is perfect and the wire framework of most birdcages makes them very easy to water. You can use plants in bird cages both outdoors and inside the home. I am always …
If you are a gardener on the road and looking for things to do in Wyoming, one of your most often searched terms is likely to be “botanic gardens near me.” Luckily for you, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens will be a search result worth exploring. My husband and I are spending a few weeks visiting botanical …
Looking for things to do in Idaho? If you have an interest in drought tolerant plants, desert gardens and plants for a pollinator garden, be sure to include a visit to Orton Botanical Garden in Twin Falls, Idaho to your itinerary. Also known as Plantasia Cactus Gardens, this five acre garden is beautifully planted with native …
If you are a gardener and are looking for things to do in Montana, be sure to add Tizer Botanic Garden & Arboretum to your trip itinerary. Located in the heart of the Elkhorn Mountains, in Jefferson City, Montana, is a delightful botanic garden with a whimsical feel. The garden is situated on 6 acres …
The Memphis Botanic Garden in Memphis, Tennessee gives visitors a chance to connect with nature in a relaxing and enjoyable way. Sculptures, plants and water all coordinate beautifully in this lovely botanical garden. The botanic garden offers lush walking trails with plenty of tall trees to shade visitors from the hot summer sun. The garden …
If you are in the Southeast California area, be sure to add this list of things to do in Sequoia National Park to your must-see attractions. Sequoia National Park is home to giant sequoia trees, and along with King’s Canyon National Park, is a vast designated wilderness comprising over 800,000 acres. The drive through Sequoia National …
Do you have a problem with soil born diseases in your cucumber plants? These cucumber trellis ideas will help to solve this stumbling block. Anyone who has grown cucumbers knows that they take up a LOT of room in a vegetable garden. One way to overcome the space problem is to use trellises or other climbing …
It’s about this time of the year that I get lots of questions from readers about ripening tomatoes on the vine. I’ve written a whole article about how to ripen tomatoes indoors. Now it’s time to see if we can hurry things up on the vine itself! Nothing is quite as frustrating as tomato plants …
Are you wondering what to do with an old mailbox? For me, the best way to store garden tools is inside a repurposed mailbox. This neat garden tool storage DIY project not only looks great in the garden, but is functional and weather-proof, too. This means that you can have your tools handy, no matter …
Crassula Ovata ‘Hobbit’ is a small shrubby tender succulent that is popular with followers of J.R.R. Tolkien. because of the shape of its leaves. Grow the Hobbit Jade plant if you enjoy succulents with an unusual look. Crassula are a genus of succulents that are often seen at garden centers. They come in many forms …
Do you have plants in your garden that love to climb? English cottage gardens often do, and a wooden garden obelisk (or tuteur) is a structure that gives them room to roam. You can buy these structures, but the cost is prohibitive. $70 is the cheapest one that I have seen and they can run …
Hydrangea color change is always a surprise to gardeners. You buy a plant with blue blooms only to discover later that the blossoms are now pink. Why does this happen and what can you do about it? Hydrangeas are a very popular garden plant. They are a perennial shrub that comes in a variety of …
This visual guide to herb identification makes identifying herbs a snap. How well do you know the names of the fresh herbs? Many herbs look quite similar, so it’s easy to be confused. Do you often ask yourself – “What herb is this?” I can’t tell you how many times I have come back from …
Every morning I take a garden walk to see what is growing and what needs tending. Today, I spent the morning deadheading daylilies. I have clumps of daylilies – hemerocallis – that have naturalized into plants with numerous blooms on them. Some of them have 12 or 13 blooms out in a day. Since daylily …
Gloriosa lily (gloriosa rothschildiana) is a climbing tender perennial that is sure to catch the eye of anyone who likes dramatic flowers. The flame-colored red flowers have scalloped yellow edges and swept back petals. If you have a bare trellis or a wall in your garden that needs spicing up, plant gloriosa and prepare yourself …
I have a new favorite flower – it’s my beautiful mandevilla vine! This stunning plant is now covered with gorgeous pink flowers that have been blooming for months and shows no signs of slowing down. One of my favorite places to sit outside during the summer in on my back deck overlooking my garden beds. …
The gardens are booming right now and many of my readers ask “why are my cucumbers turning yellow, round and deformed?” Cucumbers are a popular warm season vegetable. Many beginning gardeners choose them since they are normally fairly easy to grow. Cucumbers are easy to plant, taste great, and will give you a big harvest. …
If you like the cottage gardening style, you will likely have a cutting garden. A common question from readers of my blog asks “how to keep cut flowers fresh?” When you purchase a bouquet of flowers from a florist or specialty shop, it will likely have a package of flower food attached. But what about …
Trying to control squash bugs can seem like an insurmountable task when you find them in your vegetable garden. If you grow zucchini or squash, you may be familiar with trying to deal with a squash bug infestation. These bugs can do a huge amount of damage, particularly to new plants. Young seedlings and plants …
I love watermelons. They are sweet, juicy, messy to eat, and remind me of summer like nothing else does. Did you know that there are many watermelon varieties which you probably haven’t even heard of? How many varieties of watermelon are there? More than 50 watermelon varieties are grown around the world. Because of the …
Onions are a vegetable that I use almost every day in recipes. Growing onions at home is easy, as long as you have a sunny garden spot and a patient nature. Onions are a cool weather crop. Get started early on your planting and you will be enjoying fresh onion bulbs by the middle 0f …
Bay Leaf plants are slow growing trees with leaves that are used as seasoning in cooking. It is also known as bay laurel, sweet bay and simply laurel. If you enjoy growing herbs, this is a great one to try, since it has a very aromatic flavor. Bay leaf plants are a member of the …