Bee-Friendly, Smart Way To Provide Water for Our PollinatorsEveryone knows that bees, wasps, and other small insects work hard to collect nectar and pollen, but did you know that, like the birds, they also need a source of water?
Simple Recycle, Reuse IdeaIt is seed-starting time for some of us, which presented me with a dilemma. I had my seeds and my beautiful seed- starting compressed bale medium, but no scoop!
Kill Weeds with Hot WaterNo need for chemicals. Use boiling water to kill those weeds.
Metal Basket Container PlantingThere are many metal objects available to use for container planting, such as tubs, troughs, cans, buckets, cups, bowls, etc. While browsing through an antique mall, I found a metal basket that I thought was quite distinctive. The question I asked myself was, "What do I do with it?" My answer: "Plant succulents, of course!"
How To Make Cheap, Permanent Plant TagsTired of trying to remember the name of that plant? Or -- trying to read your faded plant tag that is falling apart? Here's an inexpensive, interchangeable, and permanent plant tag that is easy to make with a few tools and materials.
Chickens in the Vegetable GardenMy three hens live in my vegetable garden. They are wonderful garden helpers: scratching up weeds, patrolling for bugs, and fertilizing. And I get wonderful rich organic eggs! Here is how I get my girls to co-exist with my vegetables.
Make a Lavender Wand SachetBring your garden indoors with a wand sachet made from lavender from your garden.
Stop Snakes Invading Purple Martin HousesMy parents had stored berry/bird netting a couple of years ago and decided to get it out to cover strawberries. They found two big chicken snakes caught in it. My dad cut the dead snakes out of the netting and put the bird netting over the strawberries. Another snake was entangled. Hey! Bright idea!
Love My Dog - Love My GardenBoomer, my one-year-old German Shepherd dog, is always looking for work when he's outside. Unfortunately, he often likes to dig through one of my planters during the winter. By spring I realized I'd have to have a barrier on them to be able to plant flowers.
Recycling Deli ContainersLeftover chicken is not the only item that is used from this quick dinner. The container from a store-bought rotisserie chicken may be used for seed germination.
Followup to the Garden Tower 2 ReviewA couple months ago I posted a video review of the Garden Tower 2 (the combination vertical garden/vermicomposting system) and I was asked to post a followup once the plants have grown a bit. Here it is!
Soil EnrichmentI like to say, "The main thing I grow in my garden is soil." Read more to see why.
Easy Way To Apply Miracle-GroHere's an easy way to save time by having pre-measured Miracle-Gro ready to use.
How To Stop CutwormsI had cutworms killing my tomato plants. To stop it, I did this...
Get Your Potted Plants off the Ground!Build a simple "Planter Pallet" out of free, recycled, or reclaimed materials, to keep tree roots from invading your potted plants. The pallet also helps your containers drain better, because they aren't sitting flush on the surface! These are great for patio containers, and may be cut into various shapes to suit your fancy!
Why You Should Learn About PPMMany folks like to start their plants indoors from seed.
Making a Pedigree Chart for Your Daylily SeedlingsHow to make a beautiful pedigree chart to keep track of the parentage of your seedlings and crosses
Protecting Bulbs from SquirrelsThis is my accidental solution to a squirrel problem.
Climbing Trellis Using 4 Cattle PanelsThis is a simple and easy-to-build climbing trellis, either permanent or seasonal, for all types of climbing or vining plants.
National Garden Bureau Accepting Applications for Therapeutic Garden GrantsNational Garden Bureau, in an ongoing effort to raise awareness of horticulture and support the benefits of gardening, will grant $5,000 this fall to be split among three therapeutic gardens in North America.
Chemical-Free Japanese/Asian Beetle Control for RosesThis is the best method I have come across so far, coupled with milky spore.
Natural, Non-Toxic Solution for Black Spot on RosesHere is a natural, non-toxic fix for black spot on roses that you can easily make yourself, and it costs only pennies.
Daily Garden RecordsHow many of you do a daily garden "walk-around" to see what's just come into bloom and what absolutely must be done (or should have been done yesterday), and how do you keep track of all of this?
Recycle and DIY Garden ScoopHave you ever been working with soil mixes, peat moss, or fertilizer and had to stop and retrieve or look for your scoop?
Properly Isolate Heirloom Tomatoes for Seed SavingThere are many strategies for isolating heirloom varieties if you plan to save seeds for the future. Some people use distance alone. Others use bagging or other barriers to isolate a branch or whole plant to gather seeds. I use a different method. I clone the plant from a cutting, isolate the clone indoors in a sunny window, and grow the clone to produce seeds to save for future years.
