Many of us look forward to picking pumpkins for fall projects, recipes and decor. If you have planted and nurtured a crop of these vegetables, you likely have wondered when to harvest pumpkins. Depending on the variety, pumpkins normally take between 90 and 120 days from planting seed to maturity. Early varieties like Darling and …
For many gardeners, the promise of lush, red tomatoes is one of the highlights of summer. However, a common question that I get from readers is “why are my tomatoes splitting?” Cracked tomatoes can show up at any stage of the plants growth, either when green or ripe and red. No matter what time it …
Yellow leaves on tomato plants can be caused by several reasons. Nutritional deficiencies, plant diseases, and even the way you water tomatoes can play a part. Getting the right answer for why there are yellow leaves on tomato plants in your garden requires lots of research and a bit of trial and error. Tomatoes are …
Fan flower (Scaevola aemula) is an excellent warm weather plant that is often grown as a summer annual. It is useful to grow in window boxes, hanging baskets, containers, or as a border plant. Even if you are a seasoned gardener, you may not of heard of scaevola. It is a relative new-comer to the …
There is one thing that you can be sure to find in flower shops and nurseries early in spring each year. The trumpet-shaped flower of the Easter Lily – (lilium longiflorum) – is a well known Easter plant decoration. These beautiful perennials are forced to bloom around the time of the religious holiday, but this …
Growing a forsythia hedge allows you to add privacy and beauty to the borders of your yard. While not a quick project, it is one that brings beautiful dividends over time. With its abundance of bright yellow flowers and early bloom time, forsythia adds a burst of color to your lovely garden each spring. This …
Chain link fences are great for security and for keeping critters out, but not so pretty to look at. The answer is easy – landscaping along a chain link fence hides it beautifully. These chain link fence covering ideas use plants and shrubs to hide an ugly fence quickly! Our neighborhood is made up of …
These tips for kalanchoe blossfeldiana care will show you how to care for and get this plant to keep blooming all winter long. Flowering kalanchoes are plants that are often seen around the holidays and in the winter months. The holiday plant is also known as Florist Kalanchoe, Christmas Kalanchoe, Flaming Katy and Widow’s Thrill. …
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 …
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 …
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 the weather outside! Are you wondering what to do with an old mailbox? For me, the best way to store garden tools is inside …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
Covering drainage holes in pots is a necessary evil. Without something to cover the hole in the bottom of your planter, the soil will eventually wash out of the pot through the hole in the planter and the plant will settle. This also means that your furniture will take a beating. Planters without drainage holes …
If you have never tried to grow sweet potatoes before, you are in for a treat. Starting sweet potato slips is easy to do and lots of fun. Slips are the rooted sprouts that grow from an actual mature sweet potato. They are used to grow new sweet potato plants. Growing sweet potato slips is a …
Do you use baking soda for plants? Baking soda in the garden can be used in lots of different ways. Many of us think of baking soda in conjunction with various indoor “green cleaning” techniques. It has so many uses in the house, that it makes sense that it will work outdoors too. We all …
Growing ginger from root is a fun kid’s project. Ginger is a tropical plant that is easy to grow indoors. All you need is a piece of fresh ginger, some water and some soil to get a plant growing. It seems that I am on a growing from scraps kick lately. There are many vegetables …
The weather is getting colder outside, but this does not mean that gardening is over. Read on to get some tips for Thanksgiving cactus care and enjoy blossoms indoors even when there is snow on the ground! We often think of Christmas as a time for lots of flowering plants in the house, but there …
These top 10 ways to protect the environment at home take very little time to do. It’s just a matter of making a commitment to doing something good for the planet and sticking to that plan. I call this “my environmental to do list.” Earth Day happens in April and lots of people talk about …
Save your money and help the environment at the same time with these DIY log planters. They are rustic and easy to make and look natural in any garden setting. You don’t have to spend a fortune on planters at the nursery store. Like so much else in gardening, start by looking in your own …
It’s time for one of my DIY garden ideas on a budget! This Rotisserie Chicken Mini Terrarium is inexpensive to make and looks great as a table decoration. It is also a fun way to get a head start on spring gardening by using the recycled container to start seeds. Early spring or late winter …
Make your own seed tape with some seeds and a roll of toilet paper. Why waste money on store bought seed planting tape when you can make your own seed tape with this common household item? The tutorial shows you how easy it is to plant tiny seeds in a vegetable garden. Have you ever …
These homemade greenhouse ideas make use of recycled household materials in a fun new way. Extend your growing season with one of these creative ideas for DIY greenhouses, cold frames and terrariums. When I tour Botanical gardens around the USA, the ones that appeal to me most are those that have greenhouses as part of …