Gardening

This article includes photos of my hosta plant in different stages of growth, from the beginning sprouts to full growth and blooming. Photos taken in Virginia.

Love watermelon but hate the seeds? Follow these five tips to grow seedless watermelons in your home garden successfully.

How to go from no garden to new garden using simple methods and only hand tools.

Moss in a lawn competes with grass, looks unsightly and can make mowing more difficult. Fortunately it is easy to get rid of, and measures can be taken to prevent it

Ladybugs are your friends in the garden. They do no damage, yet eat most of the pesky pests that do! Release some ladybugs and keep your flowers and plants growing beautifully.

Brighten up the shaded areas of your yard with shade-loving flowering plants. Types of plants (with photographs) with the types of shade they prefer.

The article explores the history and philosophy of the Japanese rock garden, in addition to giving step-by-step instructions on how to design and build one.

Whether you are in the planning stages or have an established forest garden, this article will help you make the most of the biomass in your yard to create rich, healthy soil.

I offers tips for growing figs in northern climates. Where the winter cold can kill a fig tree, try growing the plant in containers. When it gets cold outside, move the fig inside for the winter.

Mass cane, more commonly referred to as corn plant, is one of the most widely used indoor Dracaenas. Better understand basic care and the reasons for the popularity of this house plant.

I have been growing chia organically for the past ten years, and I have fine-tuned my growing and harvesting techniques. Chia is easy to grow, and chia seeds have lots of nutritional value.

These dazzling white blossomed trees herald Spring each year. See photos & learn how to best care for these trees which also grace Fall with their magnificent colored leaves.

When moved to a new pot or plot, a strawberry plant can be very forgiving. But do it wrong and even the hardiest plant might wilt and die. Here's how to do it right.

Hydroponic gardening was first developed by scientists for growing food in space ships. Using a similar system you can grow vegetables & herbs in an apartment window indoors.

Gardening with kids is great fun but sometimes it can be hard to get kids into the garden. These 10 fun and interactive plants are a sure fire way to get your kids off the couch and into nature.

You can buy "ready made" plants in a store, but it can be much more fun to grow them yourself from seed. The magical phenomenon of seed germination is entertaining for both adults and children alike. This step by step guide shows you how to sow poppy seeds and grow them on into mature plants.

As the weather gets cooler, ornamental cabbage and kale are leafy plants that produce bright foliage that gets more intense the colder it becomes. Both plants are close relatives to several vegetables, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, and mustard greens.

The genus of Adenium plants consists of 10 or 11 distinct taxa (species and subspecies), weird-looking plants that are considered "fat" (caudiciforms). Even a novice gardener should be able to successfully grow any of the Adenium species with the information provided here.

Ground cover plants can add color and depth to a garden, pathway, or lawn. Creeping thyme requires little maintenance but produces lots of beautiful foliage and color.

Do plants like music? It's a controversial topic: Studies have supported the claim that music can result in better growth, but many disagree with those findings. Hear both sides & decide for yourself.

Some easy tips for growing strong and healthy tomato plants that will produce lots of delicious fruit.

Can a garden thrive in times of drought? You bet! Here is a practical guide to more productive watering techniques that will help save money and conserve our very precious resource.

Landscapes consist of a variety of physical components combined together to form a "look" or style - plants, softscape, and hardscape. This article describes what they are and how to use them.

Black walnut is a great tree to have around. It yields beautiful wood, great tasting nuts, and the hulls have medicinal properties. It has a wonderful taste and you can use it in cooking. Find out more about this interesting plant and fruit.

All plants need some light. Houseplants that will thrive in low light conditions still need some sunlight for photosynthesis. Here are 12 houseplants that will grow in low or indirect light.

From fighting off pesky nematodes to decorating wedding ceremonies, French marigolds have many unique uses. No wonder these fascinating plants are loved the world over.

Wisteria--an easily grown and spectacular ornamental "tree" or vine.

The Venus flytrap is a fascinating plant that is very popular. The wild population grows in a limited area in the United States and is in trouble.

Learn how to plant and grow beautiful asters. Most varieties bloom in the late summer and fall when other flowers are finished for the season. The blooms come in many colors.

Designing a simple landscape plan requires a careful assessment of the garden site: determine the sun exposure, soil pH, moisture level, and location of the garden prior to selecting plants. Sample garden plans for different situations are included in this article about how to create a simple garden.

Learn some easy ways you can turn your yard into a bird-friendly habitat and create a beautiful backyard sanctuary for songbirds.

Learn to make decorative ice gems in five easy steps. Includes step-by-step instructions and images. Ice gems are a fun, easy craft for adults and kids alike, and are a wonderful conversation starter. Add flair and an artistic touch to your winter garden this year!

Using the right kinds of sprinkler heads can have a big impact on how healthy your landscape is. There are three main kinds of sprinkler heads, each with a different purpose.

Bougainvillea vines are rapid growers and climbers, and prolific bloomers, but watch out, because they will grow into the soffit and gutters of your home.

The kalanchoe plant is beloved by florists and plant-lovers for their upright-growing, tight-clustered blooms. A fairly low-maintenance plant, the kalanchoe blooms in response to the amount of sunlight (or lack thereof), so you can force it to bloom almost any time of year.

Romaine Lettuce is one of those vegetables that is easy to regrow from cuttings. Just one bunch of lettuce, some soil, and this leafy green can be added to the garden with hardly any fuss.

This is a how-to article on growing camellia flowers from cuttings. If you have a beautiful camellia plant, you can actually "clone" it!

A great way to grow potatoes in small spaces. Try growing potatoes in containers to save space and grow in an environment that's easy to maintain.

How to plant and grow a goji berry tree in your garden. How long it takes to grow goji berries from seed or young plants. What are the health benefits of goji berries. Step-by-step instructions with videos and pictures

Interested in making compost for your garden? These 25 tips will help you get started. (Recipe for super-fast compost included.)

When you are out in the yard and you don’t want to get bit by mosquitoes, this organic yard spray, safe for humans and plants, may be the solution for you.

Weeds are unsightly and spoil a neatly tended garden or yard. Fortunately there are lots of ways to deal with them, either with chemicals or in a natural, environmentally friendly way

Flowering crabapple trees are not only beautiful, but provide vital food for wildlife during the long winter and early spring. Here's how to find varieties that keep their fruit over winter.

This article includes pictures and videos showing varieties of iris plants and how to grow them. Read about our experiences, plus other information you may wish to know about this flowering perennial.

Moth Orchid or Phalaenopsis is an easy to grow houseplant that is inexpensive and easy to find. Flowers are long lived, lasting over a month. With proper care, get your Phal to thrive and rebloom

Tomatoes are easy to grow and taste delicious picked fresh from the garden. Here is a guide to planting, growing, fertilizing and harvesting tomatoes.

Plant related poisonings are the the third leading cause of illness and death in children, and responsible for thousands of pet emergencies each year.

As an organic farmer, I look for natural ways to solve any pest control problems. Neem is the ideal plant as it's a vigorous growing tree and both its leaves and seeds have repellent properties.

It's enjoyable to have plants in a home, but some house plants are poisonous. These need to be treated carefully and kept away from children and pets.

Walks through through the countryside with a basket for wild blackberries and strawberries are fantastic to imagine, but unrealistic for most urban-dwellers. Today, a growing community of urban foragers is finding food in the most seemingly food-bare environments. Learn about urban foraging, and some of the most common edible, urban plants.

Learn everything you need to know to grow a big pumpkin. Learn which variety of seeds works best, how to plant indoors and in the garden, and tips to growing a really big pumpkin.

Did you know that plants can be cloned? You can make new plants for your garden using the technique of taking cuttings. For many plants, this process is simple and only takes minutes to do.

This article is about how to make bottles trees using just a few simple items. The history and 'functionality' of these trees is equally fascinating. Read on to discover more!

Learn to mix your own bonsai soil the right way to ensure your bonsai will stay healthy and grow to be vigorous works of art.

Knowing the characteristics of your soil is something many novice gardeners fail to do before planting. Read about pH levels, N-P-K levels, and mulching.

Want a beautiful garden or at least a beautiful bouquet. It's helpful to know what flowers flourish in what month to know how to enjoy beautiful flowers all year long.

Find out how to make small succulent gardens that look amazing and take only a few minutes! Easy, affordable, delightful to look at and hardly any maintenance needed.

Make a compost tea brewing system from a few basic materials. While there are many commercial products available, making a simple and effective compost tea brewing system is an easy DIY project.

Purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and Michaelmas daisies are colourful members of the Aster family. Each flower is associated with some interesting facts.

Powdery mildew, while not usually a fatal plant disease, will severely affect a garden plant's vitality. There ARE organic ways to kill powdery mildew which are safe and effective.

It's one thing to read about hydroponic gardening in your home and quite another to actually do it. Here are instructions for how to build a vertical indoor vegetable garden using hydroponics.

Six drought-resistant ground covers with showy flowers. Perfect for dry, poor soil areas.

Learn everything you need know How to grow Asiatic Lilies. They are some of the most beautiful flowers available. The lilies grow from bulbs that spread.

Christmas or holiday plants are a wonderful addition to a home during the Christmas season. While some are harmless or have low toxicity, others are poisonous.

Learn the basics of hydroponic gardening before you start one. The rewards of growing a hydroponics garden include greater yield and flexibility of location.

Here is a list of the top 10 climbing plants perfectly suited for a small garden trellis. Bringing color, scent and interest into your yard, climbers also create a decorative screen or an ornamental feature that will bring months of pleasure.

If you love a burst of color in an unexpected time of the year and are looking for a substantial plant that requires little to no maintenance, camellias may be the perfect solution for your garden.

If you've put a hummingbird feeder up only to discover it full of ants the following morning, don't despair. Here is an easy and inexpensive way to keep those unwanted ants off your feeders.

If you're wondering how you'll know when bananas are ready to pick, here are photos to showing the various stages. An attentive eye and patience are required to pick your bananas at the perfect time

Looking for a unique addition you your landscaping or garden plan? The spiderwort is hardy, handsome, and easy-to-grow.

Mountain apple is a beautiful fruit tree that grows in many gardens and farms in Hawaii. It has a unique rose flavor, tastes sweet and extremely juicy. Mountain apples are usually eaten fresh or made into jams, pickles, and wines.

Wisteria is a magnificent vining plant that boasts beautiful cascades of lavender, pink, or white flowers each spring. Find out how to successfully grow and care for a wisteria vine.

English ivy is an attractive plant that may be invasive in North America. It's both helpful and harmful for humans, other living things, and the environment.

Learn how to build and maintain a plant terrarium in 7 easy steps. Includes a list of appropriate terrarium plants, how to choose the container and environment, and how to plant and maintain your terrarium. Lots of tips!

Wild primulas and primroses have been cultivated and hybridized to make a huge collection of attractive plants. The flowers have a wonderful range of colours.

You can easily learn how to plant, grow and care for clematis vines. These are easy to grow if you know what you are doing. You'll get a flush of blooms in the spring.

Honey bees are very important to food resources because they pollinate many crops. Beekeepers are seeing massive die-offs. What is killing our honey bees?

Top tips for making a garden on a budget. Including tips on landscaping,composting,growing seed and taking cuttings.

Easy vertical garden ideas for the beginner gardener. How to build a garden trellis with a piece of wood and some nails.

One of the best fertilizers you can use on your plants is liquid seaweed, yet this is probably the last fertilizer people think of buying when they go to their local garden centre or shop online. Liquid seaweed fertilizer is not only organic, but comes from a sustainable source and can be harvested without damaging the environment.

Tips from my 10 years of experience growing and harvesting stevia: Which type to buy, how to grow, harvest, and dry it, and why some stevia has a bitter taste.

How to plant wild asparagus. First you have to find it in the hedgerows.

Here are five "weeds" that are beautiful, edible, and have medicinal qualities and uses that you never knew! They grow in my yard.

What bulbs bloom first in spring? Find the best, early blooming spring bulbs to pack a punch of color in the garden as the snow begins to melt.

If you are new to houseplants, buy one that is inexpensive and does not require a lot of care. Here is what to look for in a new plant and how to take care of it when you get it home.

How to grow strawberries in pots and containers from seeds. Planting, growing and harvesting strawberry plants. They are not hard to grow in the garden. You can grow new strawberry plants from runners for next year. Step-by-step instructions. I have included Jam recipes.

There’s nothing quite like pulling a ripe peach off your own tree, washing it up, and taking a bite…tasty! Juicy, tart, sweet, and tangy peaches grow on trees in Ohio orchards and fruit groves—but you can also cultivate them in your own backyard.

Finding predator tracks in your yard and around your livestock? Use these non-lethal tricks to keep coyotes, wolves, and foxes from killing your animals and entering your yard.

An adventure in windowsill gardening.

This guide gives you some ideas about colorful and easy to grow perennial and annual flowers for planters and flower beds in your garden. None of the plants are particularly fussy and many can be grown easily from seed

Clematis is one of the hardiest, most disease-free plants around, and there are over 300 species from which to choose. So what's not to love about this noble plant, which produces the most colorful and climbing vines and aids in producing jaw-dropping container displays?

These 20 apps, ranging from free to under $20, are fun, useful tools for home gardeners, landscapers & nature lovers. Updated to include specialty apps about cacti, wildflowers, veggies, & mushrooms.

Micro greens are nutritious, easy to grow, and can be a lucrative urban farming business endeavor. GroAction is a one-man operation that grows and sells micro greens to restaurants in Portland, Oregon.

A detailed explanation of how to get rid of ground digger wasps, aka cicada or locust killers, and prevent them from returning.

Grow corn, tall corn, grow it in your backyard from seed. Be amazed. Be awesome. Grow corn.

Do you have a woodchuck, often called a groundhog, in your backyard? This article will cover 12 ways to remove or kill these intruders, so you can enjoy a lawn without any terrible-looking tunnels.

No cottage or country garden would be complete without showy stalks of hollyhock (A. rosea.) From germination to storing seeds, this guide makes growing these old-fashioned favorites a little easier.

This article explains how to grow onions step by step, how to cultivate and harvest onions. They are easy to grow, require little maintenance and have a great flavour.

Frosts and thaws can damage or even kill tender plants. Here are 10 easy, practical ways to protect your garden from killing frost.

If you're a gardener with shady areas around your home, you may struggle with finding shrubs that can survive. A number of beautiful shade shrubs exist for these not-so-ideal planting locations.