Landscaping Around Swimming Pools
In many parts of the country, swimming pools are a prominent feature in the garden. Whether you are starting from scratch or looking to spruce up an existing pool, here are some important things to consider.
Tomatoes are America's most popular garden crop, but they are not necessarily the easiest crop to grow. Even the most experienced gardeners occasionally find themselves at a loss as to why their tomato plants fail. Here are a few helpful guidelines for understanding tomatoes.
Fueling Your Annuals with Fertilizer
Annuals are the flowering powerhouses of the plant world, and fertilizer is the fuel that keeps their engines firing. Knowing how to fertilize them is important. Once your annuals start blooming, a proper feeding schedule will keep them blooming vigorously for the rest of the growing season.
Tips for Protecting Your Plants When Painting Your Home
A beautifully painted exterior is a great way to increase your home's curb appeal. A little bit of planning is all you need to keep your plants out of harm's way.
Plant Seeds Now for a Second Season Crop
Mid to late summer is a great time to plant seeds for a "second season" crop. After harvesting early maturing crops like salad greens, radishes, peas, and spinach, plant a second wave of your favorite cool-season vegetables for a bountiful fall harvest.
Perennial Flower Garden Maintenance
To keep your perennial flowers healthy and looking their best, you need to get in the habit of some routine maintenance. Here are some strategies that allow you to spend more time enjoying your garden, and less time working in it.
Scent Fences for Repelling Deer and Rabbits
Although walls and fences are the most effective means of keeping deer and rabbits out of your garden, they are not always a practical solution. "Scent fences" can be an alternative - especially when they have plenty of other places to go in search of food.
The pH of soil affects the ability of plants to take up nutrients in the soil through their roots. If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline (basic) important nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus become less available to your plants.
Tips for Buying Gardening Gloves
Gardening can be tough on your hands. A good set of gardening gloves is one the most important tools in a gardener's tool shed. Here are some tips for finding the perfect pair.
Few plants can rival the dramatic spring beauty of a wisteria vine in full bloom. With the right growing conditions and some occasional pruning, wisteria is a beautiful, fast growing vine - and a worthwhile addition to nearly any garden.
In the current housing market, homeowners need every advantage they can get when selling their home. Making time to enhance your curb appeal is not only smart, it's an absolute must when competing for potential buyers.
Beautiful gardens are filled with colorful plants, meandering paths, and places where you can stop and linger to enjoy the fruits of your labor - that is, providing you have a place to sit down.
If you like potatoes, consider planting a few hills in your garden. For the small amount of space they take up, they will easily earn their keep by providing you with a high return on your investment. Here are some tips for harvesting and storing them.
Organic Solutions for Crabgrass
Crabgrass can be relentless. Because it grows fast and tends to thrive in hostile conditions, it can quickly turn your lawn into a tangled patch of weeds. Here are a couple of organic solutions for fighting crabgrass that are easy, safe, and effective.
Five Ways to Groom Your Flower Garden
Whether your grow annuals or perennials, grooming techniques like thinning, pinching, and deadheading are quick and easy ways to keep your plants looking their best and producing flowers all season long.
Some garden experts feel that we rely too much on marigolds to fill in our flower beds. I disagree. Marigolds are easy to grow, and their cheerful flowers offer a summer-long burst of color anywhere you plant them.
When gardening organically, there are several ways to manage pests without the use of chemicals. Occasionally, the need arises for the use of an organic pesticide. Here are explanations of some of the more common options as well as some tips for using them effectively.
Staking garden plants is an important technique for keeping plants healthy and looking their best. There may be a number of different methods to staking plants, but there are really only two rules: stake plants early and try to be discreet.
Herbs become invasive in two ways. Some freely scatter their seeds, and others send out rhizomes (root-like stems) that meander along just under the soil's surface. Here are some ways to keep these invasive herbal companions in check.
5 Water-Saving Solutions for Your Garden
Water is one of the earth's most valuable resources, so it is important to make sure that we garden in a way that doesn't over-use or waste water. With a little planning, you can reduce your garden water waste, and save yourself a little money at the same time.
Organic Solutions for Powdery Mildew
If you garden long enough, sooner or later you'll find yourself dealing with powdery mildew problems. This common fungal disease can affect virtually all types of plants. Here are some ways to tackle the problem organically.
Tips For Drying And Storing Seeds
It is true that garden seeds germinate best when they are fresh. If dried and stored properly, some vegetable and flower seeds can remain viable for several years. Here are some tips for keeping them for as long as possible.
Azaleas are beautiful and versatile in the landscape. They come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, and have a wide enough hardiness range that even gardeners in the coldest of zones can enjoy growing them.
Basil is one of the most popular herbs in the home garden. Known for its strong, peppery flavor (with hints of licorice), and its striking ornamental foliage. Basil is as versatile in the landscape as it is in the kitchen.
