Gardening ideas: new articles and tips every day!

By goldfinch4 May 24, 2013 Vines as Ground Covers When most people think of vines, they think vertical growth. However, many types of vines can also be used as ground covers. (548 words - Full article) (no comments) (5)

By zuzu May 23, 2013 Training Climbing Roses Climbing roses produce colorful vertical accents in your gardening landscape, create a frame for the fenced portions of your garden, and are particularly valuable to space-challenged gardeners, producing a huge impact while taking up only a little room on the ground. (724 words - Full article) (14 comments) (13)

By dave May 22, 2013 ATP Podcast #19: Vines and Climbers with Dan Long of Brushwood Nursery In today's podcast we are joined with everyone's favorite vines and climber guy: Dan Long! You are in for a real treat as Dan shares his favorite tips and ideas for growing these great plants. (65 words - Full article) (2 comments) (7)

By Char May 21, 2013 Discovering Passion, the Flowers of Passiflora The genus Passiflora contains some of the most beautiful and intriguing flowers in the world of tropical plants. With their mysterious blooms, Passionflowers will add an exotic touch to your garden or container planting. (1,124 words - Full article) (15 comments) (16)

By dave May 20, 2013 A Vines and Climbers Themed Not-A-Raffle-Raffle This month's raffle is, of course, all about vines and climbers, sponsored by our friends at Brushwood Nursery. (146 words - Full article) (27 comments) (17)

By goldfinch4 May 19, 2013 The Importance of Pruning Clematis If you’ve ever seen a clematis that is one big mountain of tangled up stems, it’s almost enough to scare you away from growing them. But let’s take a look at why, when, and how to prune these remarkable vines and you’ll find it’s not as difficult as it seems. (1,442 words - Full article) (9 comments) (16)

By Sharon May 18, 2013 In Support of Vines and Climbers Are you in an ongoing battle with climbers that insist on invading your space? Do they double in size overnight and block your way out the door? Here are a couple of ideas that might help. (966 words - Full article) (25 comments) (16)

By Xeramtheum May 17, 2013 Easy Way To Deep Water a Large Bed As I morph into a Cranky Little Old Lady, working in the garden takes just a little bit longer each year, I'm always trying to figure out ways to save time and make it easier on me. One of the things that took a lot of time was deep watering large beds. (125 words - Full article) (no comments) (11)

By jvdubb May 16, 2013 Your Sempervivum May Not Be Dead! If a pest has eaten the center of your Sempervivum, don't automatically discard it. Sometimes with a little patience and protection the center will start to grow back! (2 comments) (6)

By dave May 15, 2013 ATP Podcast #18: A Checklist of May Gardening Chores It's mid May and most of the country is hopefully in the middle of springtime, and that means it's time to review what's happened so far and contemplate those important springtime tasks that need doing. (12 words - Full article) (2 comments) (5)

By Xeramtheum May 14, 2013 Weeding With the Bread Knife I’m the first to admit I’m a lazy gardener to some degree. One of the worst chores for me, especially as I have positional vertigo, was weeding large beds. Again, enter the most versatile of garden tools, the Bread Knife! (107 words - Full article) (15 comments) (14)

By goldfinch4 May 13, 2013 Serpentine Layering Most vines propagate well by serpentine layering. Dig a shallow trench next to the base of the vine. Take a section of the vine long enough to lay on the ground. Make a small cut on the bottom of the vine a couple feet away from the base. Bury the portion of the vine where it’s cut. You may want to anchor it down with a pin or small rock. Depending on the type of vine, the roots should form in several weeks to several months. (8 comments) (13)

By wildflowers May 12, 2013 Improve Clay Soil This isn't a quick fix, but if you have areas where you simply cannot garden due to the heavy clay soil, Gypsum (aka calcium sulfate) can improve the soil structure. There's no need to dig or till the gypsum in. Just add it to the top of the clay soil. The Gypsum will break up the clay on a molecular level, allowing water to permeate through. It's best to apply several applications (over a year or more) before you add your other amendments and finally begin your new garden. We've done this and I think it's worth the time. Gypsum can also be used to remove sodium from saline soils. (one comment) (12)

By flaflwrgrl May 11, 2013 Hairpins for Seedlings Use ordinary old fashioned hairpins (not bobby pins) to secure things like iris & daylily seedlings until they can stand on their own. (14 words - Full article) (9 comments) (10)

By Skiekitty May 10, 2013 Help for Heavy Clay Soil This method of dealing with heavy soil is easy, cheap, and effective. In early spring after the snow melts and/or the ground is workable, start breaking up the lumps of clay with a garden fork. Then add shredded paper to the soil, working it in as you go. The paper will break down, adding organic matter to the clay, and it is a lot cheaper than "clay buster"! (17 comments) (17)

By Xeramtheum May 9, 2013 Get Rid of the Ants in Your Containers A large part of my garden is in containers, so I am constantly battling ants that would like to take up residence. Here is how I get rid of them. When I find a pot crawling with ants, I sprinkle a little granular insecticide on the ground and a little on the surface of the soil in the pots, then water. Ants will vacate the premises in about 48 hours. I've also started sprinkling a little granular insecticide when I set out pots on the ground in the spring before the ants even have a chance to build a new home. It usually keeps the pots ant free for 2 months or so. This also works well for plants I keep in the greenhouse with saucers under them. (23 comments) (6)

By dave May 8, 2013 ATP Podcast #17: An Introduction to Permaculture, featuring Terra Perma Design In this special edition of the ATP podcast, we are so excited to be joined today by Jonathan Teller-Elsberg. Who's that? Well, he's a permaculture designer in Vermont, and he is a permaculture expert. What's permaculture? Well, it's hard to describe in a sentence or two, but I promise you're going to find it fascinating and educational. (55 words - Full article) (4 comments) (2)

By serse May 7, 2013 Thrifty Containers Containers can come from anywhere, not just your local garden center. Head out and get inspired with the selections in your local thrift stores and garage sales, and use your extra cash for more plants instead. (319 words - Full article) (9 comments) (11)

By goldfinch4 May 6, 2013 Don't Plant When Wet Working with wet soil can compact air spaces. Wait until the soil dries out before attempting to work in it. (4 comments) (15)

By GigiPlumeria May 5, 2013 Tips for Rooting Dehydrated Plumeria Cuttings It is the time of the year when the weather is getting warmer, and it's a great time to start rooting those plumeria cuttings we hid during the winter. Some may be dehydrated, but a wet paper towel wrapped around the stem works well to re-hydrate the stem of the cuttings while rooting. (220 words - Full article) (10 comments) (8)