Gardening

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.

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.

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.

A guide to planting, growing and harvesting carrots from seeds in pots and containers in your garden. How long does it take for carrots to grow from seed? How long does it take for a carrot seed to germinate? Carrot Juice recipe

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 that are safe and effective.

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.

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.

If your indoor plants are starting to look rather sickly, there are simple ways to perk them up and keep them happy and healthy all year-round. You can master proper plant care and acquire a green thumb with these 10 simple tips.

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.

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

This article will provide tips on pruning raspberries properly for growing more fruit every season. This guide will also offer helpful advice on general care for these wonderful plants.

Don't you hate it when pests destroy your plants? Learn how to protect your seedlings from destructive snails and slugs.

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

Designing a landscape that matches the type of climate you have can save lots of money in dead plants, fertilizer, pesticides, and water. Here are several climate factors to consider when you plant.

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

Learn how to identify poison ivy and remove it from your yard safely.

Did you ever want to grow your own garlic? This hub explains how to grow garlic, when to grow garlic and how to cultivate and harvest it. Garlic has many health benefits too, so why not give it a go?

When most people think of spring, they think of bright yellow daffodils. Daffodils are easy to grow and last for years.

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.

Read more about what is required for proper cherry tree hole preparation in the desert, tree location, soil prep, insect and disease treatment and control, and fertilizer. Enjoy summer cherry dessert!

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

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

Pots and soil can be messy, but it's easy and cheap to grow houseplants in nothing more than a vase, water, and some liquid fertilizer!

Better Homes and Gardens magazine has been inspiring gardeners for decades. A visit to the magazine's test garden in Des Moines provides a real-life look at some great garden design ideas.

Many native perennials look like weeds, but not these beauties. Plant a garden your neighbors will be proud to live next to and help the planet at the same time.

An adventure in windowsill gardening.

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.

Numerous photos and videos showcase many of the flowering plants in our garden at this time of year. Learn how to grow and care for them.

Many first time renters are uncomfortable with houseplants, although they long to have them. Using them for decor is one thing, but how do you care for them, especially watering?

Exotic and unusual orchids that look like monkeys, bees, babies, flying ducks and doves. Plus descriptions of all their funny little quirks, botanical names and pictures of orchids.

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.

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

Your garden can bloom from early spring until late fall if you plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times. Select plants ahead of time for all season long flowers.

Plant-related poisonings are the third leading cause of illnesses and death in children, and they're responsible for thousands of pet poisoning emergencies each year. These 8 plants are safe to keep in your home, and they won't pose a threat to kids or pets.

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

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.

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.

Skunk cabbage is a native plant, actually two native plants that grow in marshes, bogs and shallow streams. Both emit an odor that smells a lot like skunk which how they got their name.

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.

While in other places you would plant potatoes as early as February or March, here in the desert foothills, June is a good month to start. Learn this and more about growing potatoes.

Apples are probably one of the most favored snack foods in the world and the people who raise them in orchards for us to buy at the supermarket have learned how to raise them well. If you are interested in growing your own, however, you might not be as knowledgeable, so this article should help.

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.

This guide shows you what fittings you need to connect up your garden hose to an indoor or garden tap and also how to attach it to spray nozzles, sprinklers, pressure washers and coiled hoses.

There are many great ways to keep those pesky bugs out of your garden, but often the natural way is the best way. Here are some plants that you can plant in your garden to keep bugs away!

The bird of paradise plant looks exotic, but it is one of the most popular houseplants. Properly cared for, it will reward you with year-round bloom.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

How to grow cabbage from seeds in the garden. Gardening tips for planting, growing and harvesting cabbage successfully. It grows very well in cool weather. The seeds germinate quickly and are easy to transplant.

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.

How to grow strawberries in pots and containers from seeds. Gardening tips for planting, growing and harvesting strawberry plants. You can grow new strawberry plants from runners for next year. Step-by-step instructions. I have included Jam recipes.

Roses are gorgeous but they aren't without their share of problems - pests and diseases. This article will address a few of the common problems that you may be facing with your own roses, and offer solutions that will, hopefully, get your plants back into shape.

Grow your own quinoa as a grain substitute and excellent source of protein for vegetarian and vegan diets.

Honey bees are an essential part of our world as we know it, here are 25 great questions that are asked frequently and with full explanations.

This guide will show you how to plant, grow and harvest spring onions, also known as scallions or green onions. I also provide some recipes for coleslaw and potato salad, so that you can make some tasty side dishes with your own freshly grown vegetables.

This is a guide to the top 10 easy perennial plants to grow from seed. Perhaps you are looking at packets of perennial flower seeds and are wondering which ones are the best and the easiest to grow. Hopefully something here will be of help.

Step-by-step instructions with photos on how to install new bees into a hive.

Hostas are hardy plants and a staple in northern shade gardens. Knowing how and when to divide them can add more healthy plants to your garden.

Blackberry lilies can be a plus in your garden each year, especially if you need to have some taller flowers, as they will grow up to four feet tall. The six-petaled orange flowers have red spots and when they are finished blooming, shiny black seed pods appear that resemble blackberries.

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.

Learn some easy ways you can turn your garden or yard into a bird-friendly habitat and design a beautiful backyard sanctuary for songbirds. Create an environment with the proper feeders, water sources and vegetation and beautiful songbirds will visit often!

Aromatic plants, whether trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, or herbs add a distinctive touch to your home garden design. Here is a list of easy to find scented plants for a romantic garden.

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.

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?

A symbol of good luck, lucky bamboo is a beautiful plant that is surprisingly easy to cultivate. Learn plant care tips as well as information about its significance for both feng shui and vastu shastra.

Sedum, or stonecrop, is a succulent plant that comes in many varieties and can be used in many ways in the garden. Learn more about popular varieties and how to care for them.

Tomatillos are easy to grow and are resistant to many pests and diseases. This fruit is extremely nutritious and is the main ingredient in salsa verde. Learn how to grow and prepare tomatillos.

Flying termites are a natural phenomenon, but termites in trees are dangerous. Termite damage in one of my gum trees caused the tree to snap in a high wind. I now encourage nature's predators.

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.

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.

My temperate climate's growing season is not as long as it was in the tropics. When you live off the grid as I do, spring is a time for celebration—and for getting jobs done quickly. My 6 top jobs.

This article will provide you with all the information you need to know to dig up your tuberous begonias and store their roots over the winter. It will also describe how to restart your plant from tubers in the spring, as well as provide additional information about tuberous begonias in general.

Summer is here and everything is now growing at full pace. Here are some ideas on choosing tools for sowing and planting, trimming and general maintenance of 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.

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.

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.

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.

Organic and sustainable, liquid seaweed fertilizer can be harvested without damaging the environment and is one of the best fertilizers you can use on your plants. This guide will cover how it's made and provide a variety of tips on how best to use the miracle algae.

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

Gardeners struggle to find shrubs that can survive in shade. These 10 beautiful bushes are perfect for shady planting locations, with many photos and details to help you choose the best one for your garden.

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.

This is one hardy, evergreen & perennial favorite shrub that blooms much of the year in outdoor southern climates. See photos & videos.

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.

Broccoli is a cool-season vegetable grown in spring and autumn. In Ohio, summer harvests can last all season long—if the weather isn’t overly hot.

Putting the garden to bed for the winter is an important gardening task. Clearing up debris, cutting back perennials, composting, and mulching will create a healthier spring garden!

Wisterias are beautiful vines known for their vibrant colors that can stop traffic. But they are also notorious for growing aggressively. This article will explain how to successively grow and care for one.

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

Includes directions for two methods of in-ground composting--the one-hole and the two-hole method.

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

There are many differences between organic and non-organic soils. Mulch, compost, and manure are organic and will transform a nutrient deficient soil into a rich organic environment for plants. Perlite, vermiculite, expanded clay aggregate, and rockwool are non-organic. They are heavily used in hydroponics and as soil amendments for potted plants.

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.

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

Creeping juniper is an evergreen groundcover that is perfect for filling in gaps in hard places like along hills or sidewalks. It also makes a great accent when paired with flowering shrubs.

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.

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

Mass cane, more commonly referred to as corn plant, is one of the most widely used indoor dracaenas. This article shows you how to care for this plant, especially in situations when the leaves turn brown or yellow.

Oaks—some of the sturdiest trees growing in Ohio—are susceptible to diseases that can damage or destroy them.