Last year’s record-high temperatures across much of the country took a toll on gardens and landscapes. Once again, above-normal summer temperatures are in the forecast for many regions of the country. Adjusting how you manage your gardens and landscape can help plants thrive as temperatures rise. Water plants thoroughly to promote deep drought-tolerant roots that… Continue reading Keep Plants Thriving Despite the Heat of Summer
Tag: gardening
Pain Relief Found in The Garden
Look to the garden, farmer’s market, or refrigerator next time you are battling sore muscles, indigestion, and headaches. These five foods fresh from the garden contain powerful pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. Mint Infuse mint into your tea or ice water to refresh and rejuvenate. It also helps relieve headaches and general aches and pain. Grow… Continue reading Pain Relief Found in The Garden
Ring in the New Year with Traditions, Fruits, and Vegetables
Start your New Year with a bit of luck and nutritious eating. Try a few of these food-related traditions and then plan on growing a few of your own to enjoy. Eating grapes on New Year’s Eve is a Mexican food tradition. One grape is eaten with each stroke of midnight and is believed to… Continue reading Ring in the New Year with Traditions, Fruits, and Vegetables
Fall Care of Perennials
As you transition your gardens from fall to winter, you may be contemplating a bit of garden clean up. Before reaching for the pruners and rakes, consider all the benefits and beauty of leaving healthy perennials stand for winter. The seed heads of many perennials like coneflower, rudbeckias, liatris and bee balm attract seed-eating songbirds… Continue reading Fall Care of Perennials
Boost Your Indoor Garden’s Beauty
Whether your indoor garden has outgrown its location or you are looking to expand your garden, a bit of pinching, pruning or propagating may be the answer. Grooming houseplants keeps your indoor garden looking its best and plants contained to the available space. You can use some of the trimmings to start new plants. Give… Continue reading Boost Your Indoor Garden’s Beauty
Winning Perennials for Your Garden
After a busy summer of vacations, BBQ’s, and garden care, it is fun to turn our attention to planting. Fall is a great time to plant perennials and many garden centers are busy refreshing their supply of perennial plants. Consider including one or more of these winners when making your perennial plant selections this fall.… Continue reading Winning Perennials for Your Garden
Create Works of Art with Flowers
Preserve a few memories of this summer’s garden or create gifts to share with family and friends. Pounding flowers onto fabric or paper is a fun and easy way to preserve the beauty of garden flowers. Use watercolor or other rough surface paper when pounding on paper. Purchase ready to dye (RTD) or prepared for… Continue reading Create Works of Art with Flowers
Harvest, Store and Preserve Herbs from the Garden
Keep enjoying your homegrown herbs all year round. Harvest throughout the growing season and include them in garden-fresh meals. Then preserve a few for the winter ahead. Snip a few leaves or leaf-covered stems as needed. For the same intensity of flavor, you generally need two to three times more fresh herbs than dried except for… Continue reading Harvest, Store and Preserve Herbs from the Garden
Composting Directly in the Garden
Don’t toss those imperfect lettuce leaves, onion tops and strawberry tops into the trash. Instead, convert them into compost right in the garden. Worm and pile composting are great ways to manage these scraps. But if these methods aren’t for you, try trench composting. This centuries old technique is low effort and effective. The process is basically invisible, eliminates the need to turn… Continue reading Composting Directly in the Garden
Managing Garden Pests with Pollinators in Mind
Every garden season is filled with beautiful and tasty surprises along with a few challenges. One challenge gardeners face each year is managing insect pests while keeping the pollinators safe. Fortunately, only a very small percent of insects in our landscapes are harmful. The rest help pollinate plants, feed upon or parasitize bad insects, or help… Continue reading Managing Garden Pests with Pollinators in Mind
Use Rain Barrels to Capture Rainwater
Put rainwater to use in your landscape with the help of rain barrels. This centuries old technique allows you to capture rainfall to use for watering ornamental gardens and containers. Always start with a call to your local municipality. Some have restrictions on water harvesting, but most encourage this practice and some even offer rebates or… Continue reading Use Rain Barrels to Capture Rainwater
Increase Your Perennial Garden’s Beauty This Spring
Give your perennials a boost this spring with a topdressing of compost, aged manure, or other organic matter. It’s a great way to revive tired gardens, improve a garden’s overall health, and keep vibrant perennials healthy and blooming. Research found topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most, if not all… Continue reading Increase Your Perennial Garden’s Beauty This Spring
Enlist Nature’s Help for Managing Garden Pests
Put away the harsh chemicals and work in concert with nature to manage pests in the garden. Create an inviting habitat for nature’s pest controllers to enlist their help with your gardening efforts. Lady beetles, praying mantis and other beneficial insects feed on damaging pests like aphids. Just tolerate a bit of damage and wait… Continue reading Enlist Nature’s Help for Managing Garden Pests
Boost Your Garden’s Harvest While Reducing Pest Problems
Boost this year’s harvest and reduce pest problems with less effort, while being kind to the environment. Employ row covers, chicken wire cloches and crop cages to prevent damage without the aid of chemicals. Floating row covers of spun-bonded or woven materials let air, light, and water through to the covered plantings. The… Continue reading Boost Your Garden’s Harvest While Reducing Pest Problems
From Seed to Bouquet – Grow Your Own Flowers for Cutting
You don’t need a lot of space or a big budget to grow and enjoy garden-fresh bouquets. Just fill a few vacant spaces, add an extra row in garden beds or fill a container with easy care flowers started from seeds. You’ll jump-start the season and enjoy earlier blooms by starting some of the… Continue reading From Seed to Bouquet – Grow Your Own Flowers for Cutting
Raised Bed Gardening Provides Easy Access and Increased Productivity
Raise your garden to new heights for easier access and greater productivity. Raised beds allow you to overcome poor soil by creating the ideal growing mix. They also make gardening more comfortable thanks to less bending and kneeling. Whether you purchase a kit or build your own, there are a few things to consider when… Continue reading Raised Bed Gardening Provides Easy Access and Increased Productivity
Garden-Fresh Vegetables Help Fight Cancer
Cancer prevention starts on your dinner plate; actually, it starts in the garden. Growing your own nutrient-rich cancer fighting vegetables allows you to grow pesticide-free vegetables, harvest them at their peak, and use them right away, ensuring the highest nutrient value and best flavor. It’s never too soon to start planning. Be sure to include… Continue reading Garden-Fresh Vegetables Help Fight Cancer
Designing Gardens for Year-Round Color and Protecting Your Investment
Create a colorful year-round garden filled with flowers, greenery, colorful fruit, fall color, winter interest and a few surprises. Consider seasonal interest when planning a new garden or landscape. Adding a few key plants to existing gardens can help boost your landscape’s seasonal appeal. Include a variety of plants with multiple seasons of interest as… Continue reading Designing Gardens for Year-Round Color and Protecting Your Investment