This guide for taking care of houseplants in winter will make sure that your indoor plants survive (and thrive!) during the winter months. Indoor plants are easy to grow during the spring and summer when sunlight is abundant. However, when the days are short and cold, they need extra care to do well indoors. Whether …
Learn How To Garden Like a Pro With These Gardening Tips and Tutorials
These 20 seed starting tips will help you to get your garden going early this year. With seeds, it’s never too early to get gardening! There are some plants that need a long time to mature, and others, like bell peppers, which need extra time to turn red. Starting seeds indoors helps with these. I’ve …
I asked my Facebook fans to share their Winter Garden Views and also to tell me where they lived so we could all get an idea of how the country looks in January in various parts of the country. The weather outside does not lend itself to gardening right now unless you are fond of growing plants …
Topping tomato plants is a process that involves cutting off the growing tips of tomato plants. It is often done in late summer before frost arrives. When you top a tomato plant, you send a message to the plant to stop producing new flowers and fruit and send its energy to the existing fruit. This …
Tomato suckers are small shoots that grow from the area where the main stem and leaf stem of a tomato plant meet. When left to grow naturally, suckers will turn into more stems on your plant. These stems can develop their own suckers and tomatoes which can make for a very top-heavy plant. Should suckers …
One of the delights of a summer vegetable garden is a luscious, ripe, red tomato. However, sometimes tomatoes don’t always do what we want. Tomatoes not turning red is a common vegetable garden frustration. In general, the fruit on your tomato plant should begin turning red about 6-8 weeks after the flowers are pollinated. If …
Winter flowering plants bring a blast of color to your yard and garden when you need it most – when the temperatures are really cold and not much is growing. It’s cold outside for most of us in the USA, but that does not mean that we have to sit idly by and wait for spring …
The sight of a Christmas cactus blooming is one of the joys of the season, for me. This plant is one of the traditional Christmas plants that are often seen for sale this time of the year. This holiday cactus plant is sold with buds on it each year, but how do you get this …
These Christmas plants will have your home full of color, beauty, and good cheer this year. Even though the outdoor garden season has ended for many of us, that doesn’t mean that holiday plants can’t be front and center right now. December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. It is fitting that the most popular Christmas …
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 holiday cactus is a short-day plant which produces flower buds when daylight hours decrease. Fortunately for gardeners, this happens when much of the garden is not blooming, just in time for the major holidays – Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. There are three different types of holiday cactus plants, Christmas cactus – Schlumbergera x buckleyi, …
Would you like a list of winter spices, or wonder what the best herbs for Christmas are that you can grow and use in recipes? This Christmas spices list is for you! The holidays will soon be here, and a home-cooked dinner, along with all the trimmings, is on many menus this year. Whether your …
If you like exploring on cold autumn mornings, you may have encountered frost flowers. These short-lived ice formations, also known as “ice flowers”, “ice fringes”, “rabbit ice” and “ice filaments”, are a special oddity of nature. In spite of the name, these formations are not actually flowers. When the air is very dry and there …
Learn how to grow irises with our handy guide. This popular flowering plant is an early spring bloomer, which is easy to care for. Irises have showy flowers and are popular in cottage gardens. They come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. They are deer-resistant and attractive to both birds and butterflies. With more than …
Sedum rubrotinctum is a showy and colorful succulent plant that looks great in rock gardens. Also called “jelly bean plant”, and “pork and beans plant”, this succulent is easy to care for and makes a great addition to any succulent collection. This low-growing plant has plump, bean-shaped leaves with red tips that intensify under sunlight …
Direct composting, also known as trench composting, on-the-spot composting, or in-situ composting, is an effective way to recycle organic waste by using it directly in your garden. Traditional composting requires you to collect organic material in a compost bin or pile and then wait for it to decompose before using it in your garden. On …
Growing butternut pumpkins in a home vegetable garden is easy to do. This versatile vegetable is delicious and packed with nutrients. Butternut pumpkin is a type of winter squash, which means that the skin is hard and the fruit can be stored for several months after harvest. It is planted in spring and harvested in …
Green beans are a popular vegetable garden plant, second only to tomatoes in popularity. However, before you decide to grow them, it’s important to understand the differences between pole beans vs. bush beans. There are many varieties of green beans, but all can be categorized into one of two ways: bush beans or pole beans. …
What are portobello mushrooms? This question may pop up for people new to gourmet cooking, or those seeking healthy diet options. Portobello mushrooms belong to a family of mushrooms known as Agaricus bisporus, which includes portobello, cremini, and white button mushrooms. When left to grow, white button mushrooms will spread out and develop a large …
Do you want to make your backyard both eco-friendly and enchanting? These solar outdoor lighting ideas can turn a plain space into a wonderland at night and don’t need electricity to work. Solar lighting is energy-efficient, easy to install, and adds a magical touch to your outdoor space. It’s the perfect way to light up …
Hydrangeas are the rockstars of summer gardens, but with uncontrolled growth, these perennials can become unruly. Knowing when to prune hydrangeas is important if you wish to maximize your blooms each season. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for when to prune this summer shrub. However, if you know what type of hydrangea you are …
This DIY seed starting mix is a cost-effective way to provide your spring garden seeds with the ideal environment for germination and early growth, and ensure they develop into healthy, thriving plants. Starting seeds indoors is a rewarding way to get a head start with plants that will be ready to transplant later this spring …
As the heat of summer approaches, many vegetable gardeners face a familiar problem – tomato sunscald. This phenomenon, caused by too much sunlight and made worse by improper pruning practices, can pose a significant threat to your tomato yields. Tomato plants love sunlight, but sometimes it can be a case of “too much of a …
Let’s have a look at cooking with bay leaves. These little green leaves pack quite a punch when it comes to adding flavor and aroma to your recipes. Bay leaves are commonly used in soups and stews, sauces, and marinades, where they simmer alongside other ingredients. Whole bay leaves are most commonly used due to …
Welcome to our guide for how to dry bay leaves from your own backyard bay laurel plant. It is so much easier than you might think! Dried bay leaves are sold at most supermarkets, but if you have your own plant, you can easily dry the leaves to use in your recipes (and the flavor …
Growing zucchini (AKA summer squash) involves selecting the right variety, spacing plants correctly and being effective with pest control. Otherwise, most gardeners will tell you that zucchini almost grows itself! Be careful though! Your neighbors might have to lock their door when they see you coming over with armfuls of zucchini! Growing summer squash will …