Begonias are renowned for their vibrant, colorful blooms and distinctive foliage. With over 1,800 species, begonias come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making them a popular choice for gardeners and plant enthusiasts alike. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, but can also be grown indoors as houseplants. Begonias are valued not only for their stunning appearance but also for their ease of care, making them an ideal plant for both novice and experienced gardeners. Whether you’re looking to brighten up your garden or add some color to your indoor space, begonias […]
Category: Gardening Tips
An Easy Guide To Planting & Growing Strawberries
Planting and growing strawberries is a rewarding and delicious endeavor. Strawberries are not only easy to grow, but they also produce a sweet, juicy fruit that can be enjoyed fresh or used in various culinary creations. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about planting and growing strawberries from plants. Choosing A Strawberry Type The first step is choosing the right strawberry type. There are different types of strawberries to choose from, including June-bearing and everbearing/day-neutral. June-bearing strawberries produce fruit in early summer, while everbearing/day-neutral strawberries can produce fruit throughout the growing season, depending on your […]
Cutting Flower Garden: Planning, Maintenance, & Preserving
A favorite activity of mine is walking around the landscape on a summer morning and finding flowers and foliage to use as cut flowers. My garden is in northern Wisconsin, where the climate is cold, and deer are plentiful. These conditions make it difficult to grow many flowers. However, I can still find fun bouquets from plants like bleeding hearts, alliums, and even ferns. As gardeners, we have access to various types of plants with beautiful flowers and foliage. What Are Cutting Gardens? Cutting gardens are spaces dedicated to growing plants for floral decorations. These plants can include annuals, perennials, […]
Spring Gardening: March Garden Checklist Zones 3-6
March is a tough month for gardeners. Signs of spring are showing, with birds returning and bulbs emerging. Unfortunately, winter still appears and keeps us from getting carried away with planting. Regardless of the weather, there’s a variety of gardening tasks you can accomplish this month. Houseplants Pest Control At this point, your houseplants are used to being inside, but you should watch them for signs of insect pests. If your houseplants are becoming leggy, consider moving them to a sunnier part of your house or purchasing a grow light. Keeping your plants healthy will reduce pest and disease problems. […]
Easy Tips For Pruning Berry Bushes
Updated: February 6, 2025 It’s hard to beat the taste and quality of homegrown fruit. In recent years, more gardeners have been growing their fruit to reap the reward of harvesting their food. Small berries have many benefits and can be grown in sites with limited space. Whether you’re growing fruit or considering it in the future, pruning is vital for a successful harvest. Why Should I Prune Berry Bushes? Pruning takes practice, but this annual habit will increase production on your plants each year. Your plants may produce fruit without pruning, but they will make less over time as […]
Winter Sowing Garden Guide
Updated: January 9, 2025 The cold has arrived. As gardeners, we find ourselves longing for spring, when our gardens come back to life and we can spend time outside. It’s tempting to believe we can’t plant anything now, but there is a way to plant seeds for next spring. Winter sowing is a type of planting that involves planting seeds outdoors in winter. It sounds too easy, but it works! Many hardy annuals and perennials can be sown in winter to give plants a head start in spring. What is Winter Sowing? To answer this question, we’ll look at the […]
Fall Gardening: Using Fall Leaves In The Garden
Fall is here, bringing cooler weather and chores in the yard. For many, raking leaves is an annual task to keep your landscape tidy. Fall is an excellent time to clean the yard. Still, many people miss out on the opportunity to improve their landscape using leaves. It’s easy to think we should remove any leaf clutter from our yards, but those leaves are a great source of organic matter. What Is Organic Matter In Soil? Organic matter is any carbon-based compound that stores and releases nutrients into the soil. In other words, using leaves in the garden will add […]
Extend The Growing Season: Using Row Covers & Other Techniques
Keep Growing Fresh Vegetables All Year Long! Want to extend the growing season? You can grow fresh vegetables well into the fall—or even all year long—by protecting them from the cold with a simple row cover, grow tunnel, or DIY cold frame. With all the hard work you did upfront, let’s keep your plants going strong! Learn more. Where To Grow Late Summer Or Fall Vegetables Before we talk about using season extenders, let’s take a moment to think about where you grow the vegetables you want to keep producing in the colder months. Here are some ways to use your garden’s location to your advantage: […]
An Easy Guide To Forcing Bulbs
Updated: October 24, 2024 Every year, I look forward to planting bulbs in the fall. However, waiting for them to bloom requires patience. Fortunately, you can enjoy flowers in the middle of winter without traveling to a warm climate. Many of your favorite bulbs can be forced indoors, allowing you to keep away the winter blues. Before we dive into the specifics, we’ll look at the basics of bulb physiology. The bulbs we plant in fall require a cold period to bloom, which occurs during winter. Bulbs can also receive this cold period through other means, like a refrigerator. Forcing […]
A Gardener’s Guide To Plant Nutrition
Every gardener knows that plants require several different nutrients to grow, but what specific nutrients do plants use and for what purpose? Here is a little overview and a science refresher. Macronutrients Macronutrients are those that plants need in the most significant amounts. The BIG 3, we call them. Nitrogen. Phosphorus. Potassium. These primary nutrients are represented by the letters from the periodic table of N, P, and K. Nitrogen (N) is the most commonly deficient soil nutrient plants require to produce chlorophyll, proteins, and enzymes for growth and reproduction. Phosphorus (P) is the nutrient that helps the plant regulate […]