How I Keep Squirrels from Digging Up My Seedlings and SeedsThere is nothing more disheartening than checking on your seedlings and pots only to discover that the squirrels have been digging in them. This is my solution to keeping squirrels out of my seedlings and pots in the spring.
Galvanized Trough Drilling 101Using galvanized livestock troughs for planting is a great idea, but the drilling is no easy job.
Cowpen Daisy, Verbesina encelioidesThis lovely flower deserves a place of honor in every butterfly garden.
Grow Your Own BouquetsGrow your own bouquets by keeping a cutting garden of your own.
ATP Podcast #100: Welcome to The National Gardening AssociationAfter a 4 month break, the ATP podcast is back and we're sharing news about our taking over the National Gardening Association. In this episode, we tell the story of how we came to acquire the NGA, what our hopes and dreams are, and what we're planning to do with it in the short and long term.
Growing Adenium PlantsAlthough the Adenium ("Desert Rose") has all the looks of a succulent, with a water-reservoir trunk and root form, it is not grown the same way as a typical succulent.
The National Gardening Association and All Things PlantsWe have some big news to share with our members. Click to read more.
Bury the Remote Temperature SensorTo get an idea of ground temperatures, bury the remote sensor of a thermometer.
Repurpose Yogurt Cups into Small Plant PotsSave a few bucks, and do yourself and the landfill a favor. Save that yogurt cup. Instead of spending your hard earned cash on small single plant sized pots, just make a simple alteration and you are good to go.
Temporary GreenhouseMany people don't have the room for or don't want to/can't spend the money for a permanent greenhouse. Building a temporary one outside can be challenging because high winds can literally blow it away. Here is a solution to that dilemma.
Starting Seeds Indoors Under Fluorescent LightsStarting seeds indoors over winter can give you a leg up, save lots of money, and give you something to do in the dreary period. I grow from 500 to 1000 plants in my basement each year. A decent set up can be put together without spending a fortune.
February's Flower: Violas (Violets and Pansies)Violets are February's Birth Flower. Let's learn about these dainty little spring blooming plants.
The Top 10 Hand Tools Every Gardener NeedsWe put the question to the National Gardening Association members: What are your favorite hand tools? They responded with all their favorites, and after combing through all the nominations, we now present the list of the top hand tools from Garden.org!
Tell us your Favorite Shade PlantsWe're putting together a list of the ATP members' favorite shade plants! Come on in and read how to nominate your favorites! We will later publish a final article on the top picks.
Tell us your Favorite Hand ToolsWe're putting together a list of the ATP members' favorite hand tools. Nominate your favorite tools this week, and soon afterwards we will have a special vote where the members will decide which are the ATP Favorite Hand Tools. This is going to be a fun activity.
Post your Multi-Plant PhotosIn an effort to promote our Multi-Plant Photos feature, Paul2032 is giving bonus acorns to the next 10 different members who post a photo to this area of the site. Update: The activity is now over!
Three Group Seed Swaps You Should Check OutThere are three group seed swaps currently recruiting members. The idea is that a large group of members get together, and each person lists the seeds they have. They then each call dibs on each other's seeds and at the end each person mails what was dibbed to a central person, who then mails each person's items back out. It's a fantastic way to get a huge amount of new seeds. Click to find out more!
The Contest is Over! Associating Forum Images with Plants was a Huge Success!For the past week, we've been holding a fun activity where members associated images in the forums with plants in the database. It was wildly successful. Open to find out more.
Contest: Associate Forum Images with PlantsIt's December and we're holding a fun activity that will have you exploring the forums, finding photos that have been posted, and associating those photos with plants in the database. Open to find out more!
The Winners of the 2015 All Things Plants Photo Contest Are...All judging and voting is finished and we are ready to unveil the Best of Show winner, along with the blue ribbon winners of each category. Come in and check it out!
Voting for the Photo Contest Best of Show Has Been ExtendedThe new deadline for casting your votes for the Best of Show is Tuesday evening (Oops, Monday evening) at 6:00pm CT, after which the winners will all be announced.
ATP Photo Contest: Cast Your Votes for the Best of ShowThe first place winning photos in each category are now revealed, but voting isn't over! You now must choose your favorites from among them. The ones with the most votes will receive the Best of Show microbadge. You have 48 hours to vote.
Cast Your Votes for the Winners of the 2015 All Things Plants Photo ContestThe entries are in and it's time to check out the photos that were submitted in our 2nd annual photo contest. Each member may cast up to 3 votes in each category, so head over to the photo contest page, start browsing the many beautiful photos, and cast your votes for your favorites.
Constructing a Garden TuteurGarden tuteurs, or obelisks, give your garden upright forms to train vines and other climbing plants. They also add interest to an area by lifting the eye upward. Tuteurs can be as plain, or as ornate, as you wish them to be. As simple as a few bamboo canes lashed together, or as elaborate as a tall metal structure fused into a rather fussy design, these pyramid shaped frames have been part of gardens for hundreds of years.
All about PoinsettiasWell, we're heading into the Christmas season, so why not talk about the houseplant that everyone loves to grow indoors during this season?
