I have a garden on my deck where I grow herb plants when it is warm, but most of them die off in the colder months. Since I use herbs for cooking all the time, my answer is growing herbs indoors during the winter. Some herbs are annuals and need to be planted each year, and…
Many people who garden do not like to use commercial products to fertilize their plants. They prefer natural ingredients. Green is in when it comes to gardening. If this is you…you are in luck. Here are 5 ways to make your own Home Made Miracle Grow and other plant fertilizers. Normal retail plant fertilizers often…
When the days get cooler and shorter, it is time to put the garden to bed for the winter. Cleaning clay pots this time of the year keeps my garden still in mind and makes sure that they are ready to use when it comes to for early spring bloomers in a few months. Getting…
I have recently discovered a love for window boxes. During my summer vacation, we toured 10 states and visited many Botanical Gardens. Seeing how many ways there are to dress up your home with window box planters was inspiring. They are a fabulous way to create curb appeal and are easy to take care of. Window…
Rosemary is a perennial herb that I use all the time in cooking. It is earthy, flavorful and very hardy in the garden. Rosemary is quite easy to control if you keep it in a pot, but if you have it growing freely in the garden, it can easily get woody and shabby looking. This…
For many of you, vegetable gardening is coming to an end. My beans are almost done, tomatoes are long gone (thanks to my squirrels) and lettuce bolted long ago. Fall Gardens often look bare, but there are plenty of vegetables that will actually produce if planted in late summer. Plant Now to Harvest in Fall…
Our summer vacation this year was a mainly tour of Historic Homes and Botanical Gardens in 7 Eastern and Midwest States. But while we were in Ohio, we stopped into the Cleveland Zoo and spent a few hours admiring the animals. This big zoo houses 3,000 animals of over 600 species on abut 180 acres…
It is getting to that time of the year again. My vegetable gardening projects are slowing down and I have to start thinking about the first frost. It is also the time to start thinking about preserving herbs that seem to be in abundant supply right now. I have a huge group of fresh herbs…
Succulents are very drought hardy plants that are often uses for indoor gardens. They are easy to grow and also easy to root for new plants. These tips for propagating succulents will give you dozens of extra plants in no time at all. Get plants for free with these tips for propagating succulents. Plants for…
If you study the habits of any gardener who has wonderful looking plants and shrubs, you will know that proper pruning is a key to their success. Done correctly, pruning will add to the beauty of any garden perennial or shrub. But done incorrectly, one might just as well not bother at all. These pruning…
Most gardeners love being out in the garden, but few want to see it as a chore. Even though the temperatures are getting cooler in most of the country, there are still lots of opportunities to make gardening easier. Make Gardening Easier by Following these 10 Tips With a bit of planning and a…
Most organic vegetable gardeners are aware of the benefits of having compost pile. Adding kitchen scraps to a bin or mound of decaying plant matter gives the perfect mix of green brown matter to make a compost pile work well. But what can you do if you don’t have the time or space for composting…
Here are some of my favorites gardening ideas from the best of the internet. The ideas range from soup to nuts. There is something for all gardening styles here. My only requirement for a recipe to land on this page is that it must inspire me and have something to do with creative gardening. Searching…
There is nothing quite like the sight of hummingbirds around a feeder, fluttering their wings the way only hummingbirds seem to do. For me, it is sort of a sign that summer is really in full steam. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, there are a few things that you should keep in mind…
I love to find ideas about recycling or re-purposing household items in garden projects. Someone else’s trash can always be a garden treasure Bicycle planters make great garden accents for both annuals and perennial plants. Bicycle Planters in the Garden. Using items around the house in new and unusual ways add a whimsical look to…
Nothing makes me smile more than going out into my garden and seeing Swallowtail butterflies fluttering around. Did you know that planting certain plants will make sure that you have these pretty visitors to your yard? These swallowtail nectar plants will attract the butterflies to your garden. They just can’t resist them! Swallowtail butterflies are very…
Vinegar is a versatile and effective household product that is more useful than just for making salad dressing. There are dozens of vinegar uses in the home. From soaking your sponges to keeping your counters free of ants, this product is a must have. I recently had to deal with ants in my kitchen and tested some…
With all the talk of GMOs, pesticides and large scale farming, one has to ask the question “How important are bees to our Food Supply and to nature in general?” I, for one, and many of my gardening friends have noted the declining bee population. And those that do visit our yards are the bumble bees, rather…
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The opinions and text are all mine. It is time for some tips for dealing with invasive pests. Anyone who spends time in the garden knows how disheartening it can be…
A lot of my time spent in maintaining my summer garden is spent in deadheading. So, finding plants that don’t need deadheading to add to my garden beds is something that I am always in search of. What is deadheading? Basically, this gardening term refers to the time spent removing old flower blooms to allow…
If you love perennial plants with a long blooming season, you will likely have a fondness for growing hollyhocks. This lovely perennial is a popular garden favorite that flowers throughout most of the summer months. Hollyhocks (Puccinia malvacearum) are often found in cottage gardens. They make a great background plant for shorter perennials and come in…
Balloon Flower, or Platycodon grandiflorus, is also known as Chinese Bell flower. The common names of this pretty perennial plant come from the plump found flower buds that resemble hot air balloons or Chinese lanterns before they open. Growing Balloon Flower Perennial This hardy and easy care perennial is one of my favorite summer blooming perennials. The…
Vegetable gardening is so satisfying and home grown tomatoes are at the top of my favorites list. The taste of home grown tomatoes is nothing at all like those that you buy in the stores. Even the vine ripened ones can’t compare in taste to the sweetness of those you grow yourself. Have you ever…
Nothing quite brightens a mood like cheerful yellow flowers. There are loads of annuals and perennials that bring this bright splash of color to your garden. The contrast of the cheerful color against the green leaves makes a fabulous play in a garden bed. Yellow Flowers for Summer Gardens Yellow flowers add a touch of…
We are right in the middle of the hottest part of the summer. The early spring bloomers are finished and now it is time for the tough summer blooming plants to be the stars in the garden. Summer blooming plants have to be able to withstand the high temperatures that come with summer. They also need…
We have a patch of poison ivy that seems to keep re-appearing in one of my garden beds every so often. Since I don’t like to use chemicals in the garden, I have been trying to find natural treatments for poison Ivy prevention so that I don’t have to use poisons Poison Oak and…
