Growing and Making Your Own SpicesIn the duo of "herbs and spices", herbs tend to get most of the attention when it comes to growing them and making seasonings and flavorings at home. However, a number of spices are equally as easy to grow and preserve yourself. There's also the added reassurance of knowing exactly how they were grown.
Supporting Tall PlantsFor sporadic planting of taller plants, (which makes them more susceptible to windy weather than grouped plants), use tomato cages to keep them upright. A cage will also keep plants protected from the occasional animal that wants to lie on them!
Pruner Care and MaintenanceTo avoid spreading disease, soak your garden pruners in a solution of bleach (at a ratio of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water) in between your cuttings, and after each use. Then rinse, dry, and spray with some WD-40. They'll be good as new, every time you reach for them!
How To Stake Small PlantsBBQ skewers are the perfect size to stake cuttings and small plants.
Keep the Squirrels out of BirdseedFeed birds, not squirrels! Add a generous amount of cheap cayenne when you're making up a suet mixture. The birds don't mind, because they can't taste it.
Heirlooms, Hybrids and GMOsWhat makes a plant an heirloom? What constitutes a hybrid? And what on earth is a GMO? Heirlooms, hybrids and GMOs have added a good deal of confusion for gardeners and farmers new and old. Here is a short tutorial on their definitions and differences.
Dealing with Poison IvyIf there's poison ivy anywhere in your yard, wear gloves and CHANGE THEM every time you weed or dig out there. Dirty gloves go straight into the washer!
Hair Clips for PlantsIf the little girls in your life have outgrown their small hair clips, use the clips to tether plants or vines.
Tie Tomato Plants to FencesCaging your tomatoes? If you already have a wire yard fence, make a border along the fence, place metal t-posts and wire livestock fencing to the posts. This will corral the plants between the two fences.
Keep the Bugs out of Potted PlantsTo keep insects from burrowing into your pots, cut small squares of nylon screening. Place the square over the hole in the bottom of the pot before adding soil.
Garden Tours: Onewish1: AllisonLet's go to New Jersey this week to take a look at Allison's gardens. Her makeover is amazing and what she does with containers is beautiful. You are going to enjoy this!
Gardening Kneeling Pad CareIf you have a favorite garden kneeling pad, as I do, and you want to keep it clean when working in wet or muddy areas, just slip it into a kitchen catcher with tabs and secure the ends so that it doesn't slip out.
All-Heal, Heart of the EarthSome may call it a common weed while others call it a wildflower, or as its name implies some still call it a medicinal herb. All-heal grows practically all over the world and has been regarded as a healing plant since ancient times.
Keeping Your Tools HandyI keep all of my small garden tools and gloves in a plastic bucket that I can just grab and go to work, knowing everything that I need is there and I don't have to go looking for them.
Quick Cleanup After WeedingKeep your beds, borders and containers clean during weed eating. Use old bed sheets to cover raised beds and borders when you do the weed eating. Once finished, just fold the sheets up and lift them off the beds, shake off over the lawn and wash them for the next time. The sheets are light weight enough that they will float over the plants and not press them down. On small areas you could use any piece of light weight cloth.
Swiss Chard for Spring PlantingThis green leafy vegetable has to be one of my all-time favorites for a number of good reasons. If you've never tried growing it, there's no time like the present. It's perfect for spring planting, amazingly easy to grow, and very resilient.
Tomato Cages Aren't Just for TomatoesUse tomato cages in flower pots to hold up plants that like to grow leggy and need extra support.
Springtime Care for ClematisDon't give up on the clematis that seems to have died over the winter. Give it a good soaking with a little Epsom salts in the water, and you may be pleasantly surprised to see the resurrection of your lost plant!
Vinegar Is a Weed KillerBE CAREFUL. It kills any plant it comes into contact with. Use 1 part vinegar, 1 tablespoon soap, and 1 part water.
What's Blooming in MarchIt can't be long now! For those of us who garden in temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, spring is just around the corner. While we gardeners anxiously await that magical time of year, come join me for one final look at what's blooming indoors. You'll also discover the identity of the mystery flower for February, who identified it, and what the mystery flower for this month looks like.
Daylily ProliferationsHemerocallis will sometimes set proliferations. Once these little plants show up on a scape, and a root begins to emerge, remove the proliferation, and either plant it in a small container, keeping it moist but not wet, or put the proliferation into water with the crown above the water line. You will get a new little plant that may eventually reward you with blooms identical to the plant it was taken from.
Thwarting CutwormsUse empty toilet paper rolls around your young vegetables to protect them from cutworms.
Chopsticks for Seedling SupportSave your chopsticks from the Chinese restaurant. They make great small stakes for young plants. You can use 3 to make a "teepee" for a vine seedling.
The Journey to Your GardenHave you ever wondered where all the plants came from that you buy from your local garden centre? Here’s a look at some common annuals and their journey to your garden.
Don't Rot Your HostasWhen planting a new Hosta liner, make sure when planting it in the ground not to bury the crown of the plant. This will lead to potential crown rot and imminent death. Make sure the crown is level with the soil.
