Gardening Articles, Tips and How-tos
Garden smarter with our library of articles written by our team of expert gardeners. Daily posts include everything from beginner gardening tips to in-depth articles on botany and landscaping.
Raisins and Raisin Pie
One of the world?s oldest sweet treats, the raisin is the dried fruit of the grape. A good source of fiber, iron and certain antioxidants and phytochemicals, raisins are easy to eat out of hand and add delicious texture and flavor to many recipes. Read More
What's on the Market for Winter Gardeners?
The bounty of items available today for cool season gardening and for plant protection is simply staggering. Read More
Identifying and Treating Fire Blight in Pear Trees
Fire blight is one of the deadliest diseases found in apple and pear trees. It strikes during many phases of the tree's growth and flowering. Outbreaks can occur anywhere but are especially prevalent in the northeastern United States, where periodic outbreaks affect both commercial and backyard orchards. Read More
The Beauty of the Simple Cloche
The humble cloche is simply a cover over one or many plants that protects them from cold weather and encourages solar heat. Not to be confused with the hat by the same name, the traditional glass covering might have come into common use in 15th century France. Read More
Celebrating the Fruits of our Work as Gardeners
All the work of sowing seeds, nurturing the seedlings, transplanting, watering, mulching, weeding, bug Read More
Living Walls out of Pallets
Where ground space is limited or just for a different approach, these walls of greenery come in various sizes from small wall hangings to massive walls that resemble privacy hedges for the rich and famous. Read More
Create Your Own Vertical Garden
It?s time to think ?up? when it comes to your garden. Vertical gardening can offer you the ability to grow more plants in less space and in places you hadn?t considered. Many flowers, fruits and vegetables will grow and thrive on fences, on trellises, on walls and other vertical objects. The results can offer many benefits in terms of added beauty for your garden and added savings for your wallet. Read More
Compost tea, love it or leave it? You decide
Does compost tea sound like the best thing since sliced bread to you? Or do you think it's an overhyped fad of organic gardening movement? Either way, you have plenty of company. But if you aren't sure where you stand, keep reading. Read More
Outdoor Succulents for Almost Every Climate
Viewed as strictly desert plants, it seems incongruous that succulents might be at home in climates which get snow and some freezing. However, these plants are stand outs for their tolerance to cooler conditions, with some that will survive winter's harshest weather. Read More
Making a Naturally Elevated Berm
Lasagna gardening is a way of composting sod and producing rich organic growing beds over time. The process is very simple, requiring just some muscle, newspaper and extra soil. Excavating the area is probably the hardest part of the process and it can be made simpler by marking the bed berm borders before you start cutting the sod. Read More
The Hooded Oriole
Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, the unsung hooded oriole returns to my neighborhood around March 19. Here it will find what it needs for nesting: palms, insects, and hummingbird feeders. Read More
Natural Ways to Treat Chigger Bites
Chiggers are tiny, yet powerful arachnids that thrive in wooded areas, berry patches, around lakes, and along hiking trails during the summertime. You probably won?t realize when they jump off tall weeds and onto your skin until you finally notice tiny, red bumps on your body. Read More
Sweet corn: pass the floss, please....
For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Read More
Chemical-Free Ways to Deal With Invasive Weeds
Weeds are inevitable, but sometimes they get completely out of control. When this happens, weeds steal nutrients in the soil, choking the life from other surrounding plants. The sooner you deal with invasive weeds the more likely you?ll be able to control them and save nearby plants. Read More
Top 5 Easy Maintenance Pond Plants
Ponds add aesthetic appeal to any property, but only if properly maintained. Algae can quickly take over any pond, coating crystal clear waters with a thick layer of muck. Read More
In Defense of Thugs
I recently wrote about thugs. Then I had second thoughts. I've owned thugs, I've given and received thugs, and there are a few thugs living the high life in my own garden. Thugs can cause big maintenance woes, but they also have their merits. Read More
Easy Ways to Keep Melons Pest Free
Growing melons is a rewarding experience that largely depends on pest management. Whether you want to grow a small melon patch or several acres of melons, it?s crucial to learn methods of control pests due to the high growing costs. Read More
Plant a Container Garden for Butterflies
Butterfly gardens appeal to children and adults alike. You don't need a lot of space to plant colorful flowers that will attract butterflies to your garden. A window box, planter or decorative container can be planted with a variety of annuals that attract butterflies of all types. Read More
Tender Bloomers - Overwinter Your Bulbs
There are two classifications for bulbs, corms and tubers regarding their hardiness. Hardy bulbs are generally those that bloom in spring and are planted in fall. They don't mind winter's chill and survive in ground for years. Tender varieties cannot tolerate freezing temperatures and will rot in ground or simply fail to bloom. In order to save these precious varieties you need to pull them out of the ground in fall and pack them away carefully to await spring planting. Read More
Training and Feeding Your Squash
Warty, smooth, soft and unyielding. These are a few of the characteristics of squash that you can have in your garden for delicious variety, longevity of storage and nutrient density. Read More
