How to create a pollinator friendly garden What may seem like a small contribution — a tiny flower planted in a pot or the ground can actually provide a valuable place for pollinators like hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Chances are you’re already taking steps to help pollinators and you may not even know it! Sometimes keeping your yard a little …
Watering Tips
After all the trips you’ve made to the garden center, and all of the flowers and vegetables have been planted into the garden, many gardeners feel that their work is done. Now is the time to sit back and enjoy all your hard work. Yet, when Mother Nature turns up the heat in your garden, it’s time to get watering! …
Earwigs
Ewwww ….!! It’s an earwig! Or what some people call “one of those pincher bugs”! A balance of earwigs in your garden can actually be beneficial as they will eliminate other pests such as aphids, mites and insect larvae. Earwigs can look frightening, but they are pretty much harmless to us. In the garden though, an abundance of earwigs can …
Annual vs. Perennial
Annuals True annuals are plants that germinate, flower, set seed and die all in one season. Their ultimate goal is to reproduce themselves (by setting seed). Once a plant has done that, then its mission has been accomplished. Until this happens though, they will flower like mad and can provide plenty of colorful enjoyment. If you decide to deadhead these …
Perennials
Perennial flowers are well worth the investment as they come back year after year and many are low maintenance, easy care plants. Many perennials will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Some perennials will spread while growing, and most perennials can be divided in late fall or early spring so you can start off with a small garden and expand it over the …
Roses
Roses are the masterpiece of all the flowers. In the world full of different flowers, the rose is considered as the symbol of love and also of friendship, enthusiasm, purity and joy. Rose Types Hybrid Tea are large single or double flowers usually on straight long stems that are good for cutting. Floribunda blooms range from single to double produced in …
Small Space Gardening
If you only have just three feet or less of a ground area to work with for planting space, you can choose to focus on plants that perhaps grow taller than wider or have more of a mounding effect. There are many upright or mounding annual plants and perennials or shrubs that will fit this description, as do some climbing …
Seed Potatoes
Seed Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Even though they are referred to as seed potatoes you are actually planting a piece of a potato, because they are not true to seed. They are cool weather crops, so planting in soil that is still cool is totally acceptable! They prefer a cooler temperature in the soil, rather …
Gardening Terms
Dazzle your friends, and yourself, with your knowledge of gardening terms! Annual – a plant that grows, flowers and produces seeds all in one season. It does not survive the winter and must be planted new each year. Perennial – Plants that survive for many growing seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows …
Composting
Organic Matter is Magic Amending your soil is a topic that many people find quite intimidating. The idea of soil tests and soil analysis to get started just sounds like it’s something too difficult to do, so a lot of people don’t even try to compost. While some soils would certainly benefit from an in-depth analysis, the truth is you …