The beginning of a new year finds many gardeners preparing for the growing season ahead. Clearing space to start seeds indoors, inventorying seeds and supplies, and ordering seeds, plants, and more are usually part of the process. While organizing, you may uncover seeds from past seasons. Do not discard these just yet. When seeds are… Continue reading Testing Leftover Seeds for Viability
Tag: gardening
Give Your Landscape a Late Summer Facelift
Whether it is the hot weather, the age of your landscape or simply the need for change; a late summer makeover can help you increase your landscape’s beauty. Put the “wow” back into your garden with a few new plantings, garden art, or other simple improvements. Many established landscapes have a few or many… Continue reading Give Your Landscape a Late Summer Facelift
Bring in the Birds with These Winning Plant Varieties
Fill your gardens with beautiful plants that produce an abundance of seeds the birds will love. You’ll enjoy the flowers as well as the birds that visit to dine on the seeds. Best of all, there is no feeder to refill or clean. Sunflowers are likely the first seed-producing plant that comes to mind.… Continue reading Bring in the Birds with These Winning Plant Varieties
Garden Your Way to Better Health
Break out the tools and garden your way to a healthier mind, body and spirit. Gardeners know and research proves that getting outdoors, digging in the soil and gardening help strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, reduce stress and elevate our mood. Include gardening as a major component of your workout schedule. You’ll stretch and strengthen muscles… Continue reading Garden Your Way to Better Health
Extend Your Garden Season
No matter where you garden there never seems to be enough time to grow all the fresh vegetables desired. Planting earlier or just providing plants with some added warmth on chilly days and nights can reduce the time from planting to harvest. Southern gardeners will enjoy the additional time for harvesting heat-sensitive plants before the stifling… Continue reading Extend Your Garden Season
9 Garden Planning Tips for the Greatest Return
We’ve all done it…gotten overzealous in spring and overplanted or planted the wrong varieties for our tastes and needs. Make this the year you plan your garden for the best return on your investment. First, prepare a list before placing your catalog order or making that first trip to the garden center. Without a bit of… Continue reading 9 Garden Planning Tips for the Greatest Return
Designing a Beautiful Garden for You and the Pollinators
You don’t need a prairie or large lot to attract and support pollinators. A meadow or informal, formal and even container gardens can bring in bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to help pollinate plants. It’s just a matter of selecting the right plants, adjusting your maintenance practices, and skipping the pesticides. Create your garden by converting… Continue reading Designing a Beautiful Garden for You and the Pollinators
Landscape Structures Provide Function and Beauty
Incorporate arbors, trellises and other structures into your designs when planning new or updating existing gardens and landscapes. These structures help form the framework of any garden, add year-round interest and provide years of beauty and function. Utilize arbors to define and connect distinct areas of the landscape. Invite visitors into your landscape with a… Continue reading Landscape Structures Provide Function and Beauty
Best Ways to Avoid Back Injuries
Summer’s arrival brings family gatherings, outdoor sports, outings with friends, vacations and sprucing up the yard. But summer fun can also bring a higher risk of back injuries. “Too often we start the summer with enthusiasm, only to be sidetracked by back pain,” says Dr. Bradford Butler, a chiropractor and the author of Blueprint for… Continue reading Best Ways to Avoid Back Injuries
Flower Care Maintenance Keeps Gardens Looking Their Best All Summer Long
A bit of grooming and care will keep your flower gardens looking their best throughout the hot summer months and into fall. Remove the flower stems of salvias, veronicas and similar flowers as the blooms begin to fade. Use a pruner or sharp garden scissors and cut just above the first set of leaves or… Continue reading Flower Care Maintenance Keeps Gardens Looking Their Best All Summer Long
Take the Hassle out of Daily Watering
Proper watering is key to gardening success, but untangling and dragging heavy hoses across the yard, smashing delicate flowers and young vegetable plants along the way is a common occurrence in many yards. If this describes your escapades when watering garden beds and planters, it may be time to look for some time-saving solutions that… Continue reading Take the Hassle out of Daily Watering
Dahlias Bring Diverse Shapes, Sizes, Colors to the Garden
Dahlias have been a fixture in summer flower gardens for generations. But it may be time to update your idea of dahlias! With hundreds of varieties to choose from in a fabulous array of colors, shapes and flower sizes, it is no surprise the National Garden Bureau has declared 2019 the Year of the Dahlia.… Continue reading Dahlias Bring Diverse Shapes, Sizes, Colors to the Garden
Winning Tomatoes Add Vibrant Color and Flavor to Gardens and Meals
Impress your guests with a garden, container and dinner table filled with tasty and colorful winning tomato varieties. Small-fruited varieties are perfect for salads and snacking and those with larger fruit ideal for slicing, canning and sauces. These winning tomatoes were tested nationally by All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant trialing organization. Volunteer judges evaluated… Continue reading Winning Tomatoes Add Vibrant Color and Flavor to Gardens and Meals
Colorful Vines and Groundcovers for the Fall Garden
Create a colorful and fragrant fall finale in your garden with groundcovers and vines. Blanket the earth with hardy groundcovers that add seasonal interest. Then direct your eye skyward with vines climbing on trellises, fences and arbors. Add a cloud of fragrant beauty with the white flowers of sweet autumn clematis. This vigorous vine quickly… Continue reading Colorful Vines and Groundcovers for the Fall Garden
Harvest and Preserve Herbs for Flavorful Meals Year-round
Add a flavorful boost to any meal with garden-fresh herbs. You’ll quickly discover the difference fresh herbs make when preparing any meal or dessert. Harvest herbs whenever you need them for cooking or garnishing a favorite dish. Adjust the quantity of herbs used to allow for variations in flavor intensity and your family’s preference. In general,… Continue reading Harvest and Preserve Herbs for Flavorful Meals Year-round
Poor Air Quality Does Not Offset Exercise’s Heart Benefits
Even in areas with moderate-to-high levels of traffic pollution, regular physical activity reduced the risk of first and recurrent heart attack, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “While exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, pollution can increase… Continue reading Poor Air Quality Does Not Offset Exercise’s Heart Benefits
Twelve Must Plant Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
Fill your garden with colorful annuals you and the pollinators can enjoy all season long. Look for outstanding varieties chosen by All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant trialing organization, to brighten your garden, attract pollinators and outperform other varieties on the market. Attract hummingbirds and second looks from passersby with the vibrant bright orange flowers… Continue reading Twelve Must Plant Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
The Art of Waterwise Gardening
Making a few changes in your garden care can yield great benefits. Less time and water wasted means more time for you to relax or entertain friends and family in your beautiful landscape. Water is critical throughout the life of a plant, but deciding when and how much water to provide each plant can be… Continue reading The Art of Waterwise Gardening