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Determinate tomato plants are also known as “bush tomatoes”. They are smaller than normal tomato plants and generally need no staking but still produce well. Nothing tastes quite like a home grown tomato. They are sweet and juicy and so easy to grow. But they also take a lot of room, so are not so …

Read More about Growing Determinate Tomato Plants – Perfect for Containers

The Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana are like a living museum with art, nature, and structure all coordinating beautifully. The waters of Christiana Creek stream through the gardens, which are a combination of nature, art and hardscaping that is sure to delight. The Botanic Gardens feature 36 acres of lush gardens against a backdrop …

Read More about Wellfield Botanic Gardens – A Fun Filled Day in a Living Museum

If you want to attract both butterflies and bees to your garden this year, try growing liatris. This perennial corm flowers in mid summer with a blast of flowers that are a magnet for them. I have 10 garden beds around my home and I’m always interested in growing perennials of all types since they come …

Read More about 13 Tips for Growing Liatris – Attract Bees like a Magnet!

Pink flowers are soft and romantic looking in a garden bed. They are often seen in cottage gardens and there are so many varieties of them that it’s hard to pick favorites. I am a romantic at heart.  One would never think it to look at me.  I’m a rugged girl and my nails usually …

Read More about Pink Flowers – The Best Flowering Pink Annuals and Perennials for Your Garden

If you enjoy vegetable gardening, you may have heard about heirloom vegetable seeds. These are vegetables grown from heirloom seeds which are an open pollinated variety of seeds developed prior to 1940. There are many advantages for growing this type of vegetable. Experts vary in their definition of heirloom vegetables, but typically they will agree …

Read More about Why Heirloom Vegetable Seeds? – 6 Advantages for Growing Heirloom Seeds

Growing melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew require a few things:  plenty of sunshine and lots of room to grow. We tend to think of edible gardens as those that grow vegetables but there are also many fruits that can be grown just as easily at home. There are several types of melons that are right …

Read More about Growing Melons – How to Grow Cantaloupe & Honey Dew

Shallots are starting to be seen in grocery stores more and often lately. What are shallots? Like onions and garlic, shallots are a member of the allium family. They are a cold hardy vegetable and, like onions, are easy to grow. Their flavor is richer and sweeter and they are very versatile in recipes. This …

Read More about 15 Tested Tips for Using, Storing and Growing Shallots

This gorgeous succulent arrangement started out life as a wooden drawer meant for tools of some sort. The upcycled junk gardening planter got a new coat of paint, some TLC and a few succulent plants and offsets and now looks as though it had been intentionally designed for the job. If you love succulents as …

Read More about Wooden Succulent Arrangement – Upcycled Junk Gardening Planter for Succulents

Forsythia bushes have a wonderful arching habit will makes them a great focal point when planted in a large garden bed. All shrubs need pruning, but what do you do when you have totally overgrown forsythia shrub? It’s either time for hard pruning or renovation pruning for them. Rejuvenating forsythia gives them a new lease …

Read More about Renovation Pruning Forsythia Shrubs vs Hard Pruning Forsythia

Garden arbors and arches are set up as walk through areas in home gardens or public parks where one can welcome guests. There are many styles of arbors to choose from. Some are man made and others formed over time by nature. Trellises are often a part of arbors for the garden, giving some support …

Read More about Garden Arbors and Arches – Types of Gardening Trellises and Walk Through Arbors

Today we will visit Hahn Horticulture Garden in Blacksburg, Virginia. Garden tours are one of my favorite things to do when I am on the road. I love touring Botanical Gardens that I have not previously visited and sharing details and photos of them with my readers.  This Horticulture Gardens are set on 6 acres of …

Read More about Hahn Horticulture Garden – Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, VA

Nothing is more attractive to a gardener than getting new plants without having to pay for them.  And since succulents are a very sought-after plant, it stands to reason that propagating succulent leaves and cuttings is a popular project for many gardeners. Best of all, it’s easy and free! Succulents make fantastic houseplants and can …

Read More about Propagating Succulent Leaves and Cuttings – Tips for Propagating Succulents

Ever since it was established in 1970, people around the world take part in Earth Day Activities as a way to celebrate National Earth Day on April 22. This day is now a worldwide event where more than 1 billion people take part in a day of action. Here are some things that you can …

Read More about Earth Day Activities – Crafts, Food and Fun for April 22

Growing Cilantro is quite easy as long as you take care to keep it away from the hottest heat. Love it or hate it, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is still one of the most popular herbs for kitchen gardens . Cilantro is a staple of Mexican and Asian cooking. It makes a great garnish and is best served …

Read More about Growing Cilantro – How to Grow, Harvest and Use Fresh Cilantro

Echeveria Neon Breakers is a Renee O’Donnell hybrid of the succulent Pink Frills crossed with an unknown parent. It is a drought tolerant succulent with green leaves that have pretty pink frilly edges and deep margins. Succulents like echeveria are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow, easy to repot, and make fantastic …

Read More about Echeveria Neon Breakers – Grow this Amazing Succulent for Great Color

Microgreens are the closest a gardener can get to instant gratification. Instead of three months, you can enjoy your harvest in just two weeks. These tips for growing microgreens will help you get started. Microgreens have lots of uses. Throw a microgreen mix into your smoothie to boost the nutritional value. Add some radish microgreens …

Read More about Growing Microgreens – How to Grow Micro Greens at Home

Watering cans are a staple of any gardener but, for me,  they are not just for watering plants.  I love turning them into watering can planters and using them as garden art. The size is perfect for potted indoor plants and the look of them transforms a plant into a work of art that looks great …

Read More about Watering Can Planters and Garden Art – Recycle your Watering Cans

These tips for preparing spring flower beds will make things much less hectic when the warm weather arrives in a few weeks (or months!) Spring is just around the corner and daylight savings on the horizon, we’ll soon be wanting to start planting for flowers and vegetable gardening.  The weather is so cool now, and …

Read More about Preparing Spring Flower Beds – Leaf Mulch – Soil Testing – Lasagna Garden Beds

Looking for a pretty indoor plant to brighten up a window sill or table?  Try this purple passion plant – gynura aurantiaca. This distinctive plant has velvety leaves with slightly raised hairs on greenish purple stems. Gynura aurantiaca is native to Java and is fairly easy to grow if you have a brightly lit room. …

Read More about Purple Passion Plant (Gynura Aurantiaca) – Growing Purple Velvet Plants

Butternut pumpkin is one of my favorite types of squash. It is resistant to squash bugs and tastes wonderful when roasted. Instead of planting the crop in soil enriched with compost, I experimented this year by planting in compost to see what would happen.  This type of planting works best in a rolling compost pile …

Read More about Planting in Compost – A Gardening Experiment (Updated)

Growing Columbine – aquilegia in your garden will reward you with delightful dangling bell shaped flowers that come in almost every color of the rainbow.  This hardy perennial is easy to grow and much sought after by many gardeners.  Since they self seed readily, you will never be without them once you have them planted. There is …

Read More about Growing Columbine – How to Grow Aquilegia for Unique Bell Shaped Flowers

If you like to cook French cuisine, growing chervil is a good idea, since the fresh herb is hard to find at local grocery stores and Farmer’s Markets. Chervil is a delicate herb that comes from the carrot family.  Close cousins are dill, parsley and fennel. Chervil is a native of Southeastern Europe, southern Russia …

Read More about Growing Chervil – How to Grow Chervil Herb (And Some Substitutes!)

Plants, vegetables and trees can grow into the most amazing shapes. These oddities of nature show that twists, bends and outgrowths can turn an ordinary plant into something that looks totally different.  This inspiration for this post came from a morning breakfast jaunt. After breakfast Richard and I were driving around and we came upon …

Read More about Oddities of Nature – Crooked Vegetables – Funny Fruits and Scary Shaped Trees

There are dozens of uses for license plates if you just think outside the box a bit. The colors and designs lend them selves to loads of home decor projects, both inside and outside the home. Have you ever thought about using number plates in DIY projects?  Using recycled items saves money on the projects …

Read More about Uses for License Plates – Using Number Plates in DIY Projects