Updated: December 12, 2024 Designing your garden can be a fun and creative experience. There are many things to consider during the planning phase. We have put together six tips to help you get started pairing your plants perfectly. Choose Wisely, Pair Creatively To have success with gardening we must make solid logical, thoughtful decisions, but don’t let those limit your expression of creativity. For artistic and auspicious plant pairings, first, do your homework. Observe, study, and learn about the plants you have and those plants you want to have. Be playful and relaxed about what plants you pair together […]
Author: Jaclyn Johnsen
Prevent 4 Common Potato Plant Problems
Potatoes are some of the easiest crops for home gardeners to grow, but this does not mean that they can’t have problems. Just like most garden vegetables, the best potato tubers come from the healthiest, well-cared-for plants. Don’t let common garden problems get the best of your potatoes. Be prepared and practice proper prevention to harvest some pretty potatoes this year. Skip The Scab Scab is probably the ugliest named garden disease, and it happens to affect several root-type veggies, but potatoes are impacted most. Scab is caused by soil bacteria called Streptomyces. There are several different pathogens but it’s […]
Summer Herbs Garden Guide
Herbs are a perfect addition to the garden, offering a combination of fragrance, flavor, and aesthetics. These plants are easy to grow and can be used in various garden settings, like containers and landscape beds. Herbs are normally used to add flavor to food, but many of them offer medicinal value as well. Growing Container Herbs There are numerous benefits to growing herbs in containers. Herbs tend to stay small, making them easy to grow in compact spaces. Consider mixing different herbs to add interest to your pots. For mixed herb pots, it’s good to use plants that have similar […]
8 Easy Tips For Growing Succulents
Have you forgotten to water your plants? Most of us can remember when we neglected a houseplant, only discovering it was too late to save it. Succulents are plants that thrive on neglect, making them easy to grow and maintain. This group of plants has the unique ability to store water in their leaves, allowing them to go without water for extended periods. Drought tolerance is only one feature of these remarkable plants. Succulents come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, ideal for gardeners with different preferences. Growing succulents is easy, but there are a few things to consider before […]
Grow A Vertical Vegetable Garden
Vegetable gardening is a great way to access healthy food, but many of us have limited space, making it difficult to grow our favorite produce. One way to address this problem is to grow vertically. You can train many veggies to grow upward instead of outward. Vertical growing conserves space and improves plant health, leading to a bountiful harvest. Whether gardening on a balcony or a small yard, growing vertical offers options to increase your yield and be creative. Benefits of Growing Vertically Space I enjoy growing cucumbers, but they occupy too much space in my small, raised beds. One […]
Grow Your Own Cucumbers – 3 Types For Your Garden
Cucumber breeders have been busy, in the last few decades, trying to limit bitter taste, increase yields, and breed more disease resistance into their plants. There are now three cucumber varieties commonly available; Monoecious, Gynoecious, and Parthenocarpic. Each has its own specific qualities that will appeal to certain kinds of gardeners and growers. Monoecious What Are Monoecious Cucumbers? Monoecious types are plants that produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. Monoecious Varieties Examples of monoecious Jung Seed Co. cucumber varieties are; ‘Homemade Pickles’, ‘Muncher’, and ‘Spacemaster 80 Bush’. Most heritage and heirloom-type cucumber varieties are monoecious. They […]
Bee Kind Gardening – A Guide To Plant & Pollinator Balance
The word “Native” is an ambiguous definition when it comes to plants. Native to where? To North America? To a geographic region? To your entire state, county, or just your neighborhood? Plants don’t read books, but they are smart; they simply grow where they have suitable conditions for success. All plants have adopted strategies and mechanisms that send cues and signals to attract pollinators that form the foundation of our earthly balance between all plants and animals. Going All Native? Not So Fast! Maybe a gardener will choose to put in plants for a specific habitat or pick plants that […]
5 Things Gardeners Should Know Before Getting a Chicken Coop
Go behind the hype and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly about using chickens to help manage your garden. Learn how to get the good without all the rest! In this article, we discuss how helpful chickens really are as pest control and fertilizer producers for a household vegetable garden. You’ll also learn the most effective strategies for managing your birds without harming your garden plants, and for growing your garden without harming your hens. My parents had me crawling around the garden before I could walk, and I was busy seeding, weeding, and harvesting by the […]
Growing Citrus in Containers
Have you ever visited a place where citrus trees grow? The sight of those beautiful trees may leave you wishing you could grow your own citrus. Luckily, citrus can be grown in containers, even in northern climates. Citrus trees offer many benefits to gardeners. Grafting has created compact varieties of citrus that bear fruit at an early age and are suitable for growing in containers. In addition to edible fruit, the trees produce fragrant flowers, which often bloom during winter. You also gain the satisfaction of growing citrus fruit in your home. Before growing citrus, it’s essential to know what […]
Tomatoes: Starting & Growing Frequently Asked Questions
Tomatoes are a popular choice for a vegetable garden. They come in a variety of types, sizes, and colors. They are great for cooking, canning, and eating raw. Growing tomatoes doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve taken some of the most frequently asked questions to help give you a great start to this year’s growing season. When Should You Start The Tomato Seed Indoors? Tomato seeds should be started approximately 6 weeks prior to your last average frost date. How Long Does It Take For A Tomato Seed To Germinate? Most tomato seeds will germinate in about a week. What […]