We know this time of year the weather can get hot. For us, we can stay cool by being indoors but what about our vegetable plants? Problems With Higher Temperatures High temperatures can wreak havoc in our gardens. Do you have radishes producing all greens and no bulbous roots? It’s the heat. Do you have lettuce or broccoli plants pushing up bloom stalks? They are bolting from the heat. The solution to these couple of examples is simple, plant earlier in the spring and replant additional crops for fall harvest. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Gardening is tough enough to […]
Category: Summer Gardening
Iris Growing Guide
Irises are popular, easy-to-grow “old-fashioned” perennials. They are attractive plants for beds and borders but also make lovely cut flowers. Irises attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Learn more about growing and caring for your iris flowers. Types of Irises There are a number of different types of Iris with a dizzying range of colors, flower forms, and heights. The most familiar type is the bearded iris. Depending on the type of Iris, they grow from either a rhizome or bulb. Dutch Irises are considered bulbous types. Rhizome Irises The stems of the rhizome iris grow horizontally just beneath the […]
12 Fun Garden Activities To Do With Your Kids
The kids are out of school now, for maybe more time than we planned. These bonus spring break weeks can offer a great way to spend quality time with your family and to find some new and exciting activities for the kids. This is a fantastic time to find ways to keep our minds off of Coronavirus news and get those little busybodies moving, learning, and growing. Whether you’re in a home with a huge yard for growing or in an apartment with only a window sill for your mini garden, there are tons of ways to start turning those […]
Squash and Pumpkin – Growing Tips
Squash and pumpkins are North American native vegetables. There are a large number of different types of squash, and different varieties vary significantly in fruit shape and color, as well as plant habit. Many types are attractive enough to be used for fall decorating and displays. Varieties of Squash Winter squash varieties are grown for their mature fruit, which can be stored for use during fall and winter. The Butterscotch Hybrid Squash is an AAS Winner that has an exceptionally sweet flavor. With compact vines, they are great for small spaces. Spaghetti squash is a type of winter squash that […]
Companion Planting Guide
When planning your vegetable garden, it is beneficial to learn the principles of companion planting to help you design a successful garden. What is Companion Planting? Companion plants are neighboring plants that will provide each other with additional beneficial nutrients and can provide an easy pest management strategy to help your garden flourish. Be careful, however, as some neighboring plants can have the opposite effect on each other. Before you start planting your garden, it is important to learn what plants should and should not be neighbors in your vegetable garden. Companion Planting Favorites Two plants all vegetable gardens can […]
Popular Rose Types
Roses are called the “Queen of Flowers” for the beauty they provide to the landscape. They need proper care to ensure that they produce the best possible display each season, but the rewards are well worth the effort. The American Rose Society classifies roses into three main groups; Species Roses (wild roses), Old Garden Roses (existing prior to 1867), and Modern Roses (varieties created after 1867, when the first man-made hybrid tea ‘La France’ was created). Within these groups of roses, home gardeners will discover very special, unique features and a plethora of growth characteristics, to make roses a wonderful […]