Updated: October 17, 2024 With the weather cooling as we enter fall, it is time to start preparing for your spring flower garden. Fall is the optimal time to plant your bulbs so they are ready to bloom come springtime. Here are some tips when choosing, planting, and caring for your fall bulbs. Choosing Spring Blooming Bulbs For early blooms, try varieties of crocus, hyacinths, and be sure to add some snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) which often bloom before the snow has even melted. The never-ending varieties of daffodils and tulips have such a wide range of […]
Category: Gardening Tips
Six Tips To Create The Perfect Dog-Friendly Garden
There is nothing like spending time with your dog, especially when that time can be spent in the sunshine! However, just like puppy-proofing your home, it is important to make sure that your garden is also safe for your dog. Your garden can be an oasis to spend your time together – or a potentially dangerous place of worry for your dog. By employing a few simple tips and tricks, it is very easy to turn your garden into a doggie paradise! Tip #1 – Buy Robust Plants Does your dog love to dig and chew? – if so, your […]
Deer-Resistant Gardening Tips
When you stop and contemplate how amazingly successful and adaptive deer have been in our urban environments, you have to simply admire them. They are even more adaptive than we are. The first element for us to recognize is that our homes, neighborhoods, and developments have encroached on their habitats and not the other way around. Deer are not coming into our yards because they like our company, they are searching for a tasty meal that we’ve unintentionally provided. We, as gardeners and indeed humans, are forced into the awkward and embarrassing position of having to become smarter than they […]
4 Tips for Improving Garden Soil
Healthy soil results in healthy plants. Plants growing in a healthy soil ecosystem have easy access to air, water, and nutrients and are less prone to disease and pest issues. With our helpful information below, a little work, and patience, you can achieve healthy soil, no matter what type of soil you are starting with. Tip #1 Organic Matter The best way to improve any soil, whether a heavy clay soil or a well-drained sandy soil is to amend it with organic matter. What is Soil Organic Matter? Soil organic matter is the organic matter of the soil. It is […]
Why Won’t Fruit Grow on My Trees?
Fruit (& nut) producing trees and shrubs are an exciting thing to plan for, and then care for, so when they fail to produce according to our expectations, it can be frustrating and of course disheartening. Fruit trees will grow very similarly to other ornamental plants. However, when it comes to actually bearing fruit, fruit and nut trees and fruiting shrubs will require more time, attention, and specific care regimens to perform well, in order for them to produce to our gardening expectations. How Long Does It Take For Trees To Produce Fruit? The first basic truth to know is […]
Growing Sweet Corn – Types and Isolation Guidelines
One of the highlights of summer is eating fresh sweet corn. Sweet corn hybridizers are constantly striving to develop varieties with improved flavor, seed germination, holding ability, and other desirable characteristics. Types of Sweet Corn Varieties of sweet corn are classified based on the type of sweetness genes they contain. The special characteristics of each class of sweet corn will appeal to different growers for different reasons. Different sweetness genes provide different levels of sweetness and flavor to each kernel, and each type has some specific isolation requirements to ensure high quality and flavor. Isolation can be achieved by physical […]
11 Watering Tips for Your Garden
Updated 5/14/2024 Watering new plants, shrubs, and trees is the single most important factor enabling your plants to succeed, but watering plants isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. It’s important to keep the soil moist around new plants, whether they are tiny seedlings or recently planted trees or shrubs, but excessive moisture can cause problems, too. Know Your Plant’s Watering Needs The usual rule of thumb is that vegetable and flower gardens, to do well, require consistent water of 1 inch per week. Where or when rainfall is lacking, supplemental water must be given. However, moisture-loving plants will need […]
Balcony Gardening
What Is Balcony Gardening and How to Make the Most of It? Balcony gardening can be a very rewarding and relaxing activity, a way of getting in touch with nature and inviting it into your own home, as well as harvesting food you’ve grown yourself. If you’re living in an apartment, maybe you did not consider gardening to be a viable hobby for you, but you can do a little bit of gardening even on the smallest of balconies. Setting up a balcony garden can be quite rewarding. Aside from obvious esthetic reasons, urban gardens, big or small, are also […]
Tomato Growing Guide
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and flavors. Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked and are an excellent addition to many recipes. Growing tomatoes can sometimes be a little challenging. This tomato growing guide will answer all your tomato growing questions and more. Starting Your Tomatoes The seed starting process is the most exciting kick-off to the gardening season. Watching your seedlings grow into sturdy, colorful, tasty plants can be fascinating. Scheduling tomato seeding, starting the process correctly, and proper growing on maintenance is important to your tomato […]
7 Tips To Attracting Reptiles, Toads, & Frogs To Your Garden
Whether you love reptiles or not, no good garden is complete without them! Garden reptiles eat critters you would rather not have around your home and plants, including slugs, grubs, caterpillars, sowbugs, crickets, roaches, worms, firefly larvae, grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, termites, and rodents. Herps are a great way to bring more life to your garden and get rid of unwanted pests. Herps are short for herptiles and it stands for reptiles and amphibians. There are some easy ways to welcome them into your garden and encourage them to stay. Here are 7 ways to provide water, food, and shelter that […]