Category: Gardens

  • Dos & Don’ts Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes

    Dos & Don’ts Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes

    Growing great tomatoes doesn’t happen just by putting a few plants into the ground and turning on the hose. But anyone can master growing great tomatoes by following a few simple dos and don’ts. In the world of vegetable gardening, there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh home grown tomatoes. The flavor of […]

  • Composting Tips – Tricks for Creating Nature’s Black Gold

    Composting  Tips – Tricks for Creating Nature’s Black Gold

    If you enjoy vegetable gardening or growing flowers, adding organic matter formed by composting will give you great results.  Have you always thought that making compost is difficult?  These Composting Tips will take the mystery out of it for you. Composting may seem like something that only our ancestors did, but many modern gardeners take […]

  • Dieffenbachia Poisoning – How Toxic is this Houseplant?

    Dieffenbachia Poisoning – How Toxic is this Houseplant?

    Dieffenbachia poisoning is talked about all the time when the plant is reviewed on line, but how toxic is the plant to your cats, dogs and children, really? Dieffenbachia one of the most common indoor plants, is easy to care and great as an office plant. However the plant can be poisonous so there are some situations […]

  • Borax Weed Killer for Creeping Charlie

    Borax Weed Killer for Creeping Charlie

    This Borax weed killer for Creeping Charlie is a more natural remedy that resorting to chemical herbicides and Round Up. It can be used on established lawns and works well to get of this common weed. Are you plagued with Creeping Charlie in your lawn? So are many home owners and they are looking for […]

  • Soda Bottle Drip Feeder for Garden Plants – Water Plants with a Soda Bottle

    Soda Bottle Drip Feeder for Garden Plants – Water Plants with a Soda Bottle

    There are many retail products available for watering plants at the roots, but this Soda Bottle Drip Feeder makes use or recycled materials and works really well. Drip feeders are a great idea for vegetable gardening projects.  Many plants prefer the moisture at their roots instead of from overhead sprinklers which can encourage some leaf problems.  It […]

  • Bleeding Heart – How to grow Dicentra spectabilis

    Bleeding Heart – How to grow Dicentra spectabilis

    There is something so romantic about the look of a Bleeding Heart plant. After all, what is more romantic that the heart shaped flowers of this amazing plant? If you love growing perennials, this plant is a must have for your shady garden spot. Dicentra Spectabilis is a clear favorite among American gardeners. It is native […]

  • Mosquito Repelling Plants – Keep Those Bugs Away!

    Mosquito Repelling Plants – Keep Those Bugs Away!

    With summer comes lots of outdoor living.  Sadly, that can mean lots of mosquitoes. I don’t like to use chemical products but, thankfully, Mother Nature has the perfect answer – Mosquito Repelling Plants! We can grow annuals, perennials and herbs that will keep the bugs away naturally. With all the hype about West Nile Virus, […]

  • How to Keep Ants Out of the House

    How to Keep Ants Out of the House

    It is ant season again! You can kill ants with various home remedies, but are there are lots of other things that you can do to keep ants out of the house?   As soon as the weather starts to heat up, and particularly after a warm rainy day, ants decide that indoors is a good […]

  • How to Grow Lamb’s Ear – (Stachys byzantina)

    How to Grow Lamb’s Ear – (Stachys byzantina)

    Remember going to the petting zoo with your kids and touching baby lambs? This the feeling of the leaves of Stachys byzantina, also known as Lamb’s Ear. If you love growing perennials, you need to give this hardy plant a try. It is easy to grow, has a lovely texture and the prettiest flowers on […]

  • Transplanting Monkey Grass – Division is Simple and Easy to Do

    Transplanting Monkey Grass – Division is Simple and Easy to Do

    Liriope is commonly known as monkey grass or spider grass. It is a versatile and easy to grow ground cover that tolerates heat well and can be divided easily. Transplanting monkey grass is a simple process if you keep just a few things in mind. As far as growing perennials is concerned, it is one of […]

  • Add A Blast of Sunshine with Yellow Flowers for Water a Flower Day

    Add A Blast of Sunshine with Yellow Flowers for Water a Flower Day

    Nothing quite brightens a mood like cheerful yellow flowers.  There are loads of annuals and perennials that bring this bright splash of color to your garden. The contrast of the cheerful color against the green leaves makes a fabulous play in a garden bed. Did you know that May 30 is Water a Flower Day?  […]

  • Growing Strawberries -Tips and Tricks for Best Success

    Growing Strawberries -Tips and Tricks for Best Success

    One of the joys of summer time is the flavor of home grown strawberries.  Growing strawberries is very easy as long as you understand the type of plant that you are trying to grow. Of all the fruit plants, strawberries are one of the easiest to grow and so rewarding.  The taste of the berries makes […]

  • Amazing Rose Photos

    Amazing Rose Photos

    Roses are one of the most popular flowers. They make great cut flowers, are right at home in any perennial garden, and are easy to grow. Roses also come in an astounding number of shades, sizes, and petal colors. These amazing rose photos show the versatility of the popular plant. This rose by Shakespeare says […]

  • Summer Garden Tips & Garden Tour – Garden Maintenance in the Summer

    Summer Garden Tips & Garden Tour – Garden Maintenance in the Summer

    My gardens are the big love of my life this time of the year.  I spend hours outside tending them.  I have 10 garden beds on a block that is about 1/2 acre and I do things to improve the look of them each year.   These summer garden tips will ensure that you have […]

  • Red Hot Poker – Growing and Caring for Torch Lilies

    Red Hot Poker – Growing and Caring for Torch Lilies

    The red hot poker is a showy and dramatic plant.  If you love growing perennials that give color all summer long, this is the plant for you. Other names for this showy plant are torch lily and poker plant. The botanical name for this plant is kniphofia uvaria and there are more than 70 known species […]

  • How to Preserve Flowers with Borax

    How to Preserve Flowers with Borax

    If you love the look of dried flowers in your home, don’t buy them.  It is easy to preserve flowers yourself with two common household ingredients:  Borax and Cornmeal.  One of the true joys of gardening is having so many flowers in my garden. I sometimes cut them to bring indoors, and also like to dry […]

  • 25 Succulent Planters – You Can Grow these Hardy Plants in Just About Anything!

    25 Succulent Planters – You Can Grow these Hardy Plants in Just About Anything!

    These 25 fun succulent planters will show you that if it can hold dirt, it can be planted with a succulent! From teacups to wooden drawers, these planters are unique and a fun way to pot your succulent houseplants. Succulents are so versatile and easy to care for. They are very drought tolerant, perfect if you […]

  • Vertical Onion Garden – Fun Kid’s Gardening Project

    Vertical Onion Garden – Fun Kid’s Gardening Project

    This Vertical Onion Garden is a fun project that the kids will just love.  They will enjoy helping you put it together and watching as the onions start to sprout and grow out the sides of the bottle that you have set up for a container.   Growing food from scraps and pieces is a […]

  • Astilbe Companion Plants – What to Grow with Astilbe

    Astilbe Companion Plants – What to Grow with Astilbe

    These astilbe companion plants like the same moisture and light conditions and will make a beautifully coordinated garden bed. Astilbe is a gorgeous perennial that is right at home in a shady moist garden.   You can grow it alone, but a well designed garden looks better with more than just one type of plant. Keep […]

  • Chocolate Cosmos – One of the Rarest Flowers

    Chocolate Cosmos – One of the Rarest Flowers

    There are many chocolate colored flowers available, but Chocolate Cosmos gets a special boost.  I give it this rating because, not only does it have a lovely dark chocolate fragrance, but it is also one of the top 10 rarest flowers in the world. The plant is a perennial and is easy to grow and […]

  • Re-growing Carrot Greens from Scraps

    Re-growing Carrot Greens from Scraps

    I thought it would be fun to share this project that shows how easy Re-growing Carrot Greens from carrot scraps is. Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22.  It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now remembered in more that 193 countries! When I think of Earth Day, I think of recycling, taking […]

  • Growing Garlic Greens Indoors

    Growing Garlic Greens Indoors

    The other day I grabbed my onion basket to get some garlic and found a clove that had sprouted. My first thought was I guess I will see how Growing Garlic Greens Indoors works out! This time of the year, I love to tend indoor plants, since there is not much growing outside. I use […]

  • Cement Blocks Raised Garden Bed

    Cement Blocks Raised Garden Bed

    This cement blocks raised garden bed makes a great home for hardy succulents and colorful annuals. It is easy to assemble and makes tending the plants a breeze. A few years ago, I used a group of cement blocks to make a corner planter for my succulents. I LIKED it but didn’t love it.  It […]

  • Growing Onion Bottoms in Pots

    Growing Onion Bottoms in Pots

    Growing onion bottoms is a great way to use parts of the onion that would otherwise end up in the trash. Onions are such a versatile vegetable. I use them almost every day in recipes.  I always seem to have onions growing in various places in my house and garden. Growing onions indoors can be […]

  • Lithops Care – How to Grow Living Stones

    Lithops Care – How to Grow Living Stones

    Lithops, a variety of succulent from South Africa, has the common name living stone.  The term living stones seems to be a paradox?  How can a stone be alive, you might ask?   Succulents like lithops are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants.  Be sure to check out […]

  • Natural Ant Killer Remedies

    Natural Ant Killer Remedies

    These natural ant killer remedies will help to control the ants in your home in a non toxic way. I am so looking forward to the return of warm weather. With the sunny days come flowers, gardening and time spent outdoors. Unfortunately, with the warm weather also come ants! It is fun for kids to […]