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DIY Gifts for Gardeners Bird nesting house – Built out of wood, a bird nesting box helps attract songbirds to the backyard. These musical gardening gifts are suitable for bird loving gardeners of all ages. Bird seed wreath – Whip up a batch of your favorite sticky birdseed recipe, but instead of stuffing a pinecone, form wreath shapes. Complete the project by attaching a loop of ribbon for hanging these self-contained bird feeders....

What is Eggplant Blossom Rot? BER, or blossom end rot, can be extremely damaging, but at first it may not be very noticeable. As it progresses, it becomes obvious as your eggplants are turning black on end. First, though, the symptoms of BER begin as a small water-soaked area at the blossom end (bottom) of the fruit and can occur when the fruit is still green or during the ripening phase....

Environmental Benefits of Fungi Fungi and mushroom benefits in the environment are huge. Without them, dead plant and animal matter would pile up and decay much more slowly. Fungi are essential for processing dead material, healthy plant growth, nutrition, medicine, and for the entire rise of animal life on earth as well as human civilizations. Environmentally Friendly Fungi Yes, some fungi cause infections in animals and plants, even fatal infections. Mold can make you sick, and poisonous mushrooms can be deadly....

How to Make Felt Food Ornaments There are several methods for making vegetables with felt, so don’t worry if you’re not very crafty or lack sewing skills. You can create these simple felt vegetable ornaments using either felt sheets or crafting felt wool balls. Additional supplies may include thread, embroidery floss, hot glue, cotton, polyester, or wool batting. Making Vegetables with Felt Balls Crafting felt wool balls are available in an array of colors and range in size from approximately 3/8 to 1½ inches (1-4 cm....

Green Worms on Fruit Gardeners must closely monitor fruit trees to ensure that any number of pests do not infest them. Visual inspections during early to mid-spring may yield green worms on fruit. There is only one generation per year, but the larvae pupate and overwinter in the ground to emerge and feed when tender shoots and buds appear. The green worms on fruit may be armyworms or climbing cutworms depending on their behavior....

About Ghost Pepper Plants Ghost pepper plants, otherwise known as Bhut Jolokia, are a type of hot pepper plant grown in India. I used to think that habanero peppers were spicy at a Scoville heat unit measure of 250,000 units, but now that I know of the ghost pepper and its Scoville rating of 1,001,304 units, I shudder to think what it might do to my gastric system. In fact, the fruit from a ghost chili pepper variety called Trinidad Moruga Scorpion has been recorded as the world’s hottest pepper in the Guinness Book of World Records....

Potential Ginseng Plant Issues Growing ginseng is not easy for beginners. There are a number of problems you’ll face, and those experienced with cultivating this plant suggest you throw out all your conventional knowledge about gardening; most of it won’t work with ginseng. Here are some of the issues you may face: Ginseng plants need shade. Depending on the conditions, ginseng can be very susceptible to damage from pests and diseases....

Currants and Gooseberries Pretty enough to work as edible landscaping, the gooseberry is covered in deeply scalloped foliage and bears its fruits along its canes, dangling like pearl earrings. Gooseberries are closely related to currants and these plants share a few significant pests. For example, both currants and gooseberries suffer serious losses from Euphranta canadensis, small flies known as currant fruit flies or gooseberry maggots, depending on their stage of development....

Arugula (Eruca sativa) is the general name for several leafy salad greens with pungent, peppery leaves. Like most salad greens, it’s an annual and does best in cooler weather. The arugula plant is low growing with dull green leaves that can be blanched to almost white when covered while still growing. Arugula is always found in the salad greens mix known as mesclun. Tips for Growing Arugula Most leafy greens can be direct sown in the ground and the arugula plant is no exception....

How to Grow Blackberries in a Container Blackberries are quite easy to grow in USDA zones 6 to 8 but, as mentioned, once established can grow out of hand. A great way to contain their rather rapid growth is by growing blackberries in containers. Blackberries grown in a pot cannot escape into surrounding garden spaces. First things first, selecting the right cultivar for container grown blackberries. Really, any variety of blackberries can be grown in a pot, but thornless varieties are especially suited for small spaces and patios....

How to Create an Italian Herb Theme Garden If you are desirous of the makings for a stellar pesto or the local Italian restaurant’s puttanesca, you’ll want to delve into the ingredients of those recipes to learn what to plant in your Italian herb garden. Certainly, notable Italian herbs should be included, but you may also wish to incorporate plants such as: Broccoli or broccolini Romano pole bean Fava or cannellini beans Chioggia or candy-stripe beets Cipollini onions Peppers Artichokes Garlic...

Making hand soap at home is fun, easy, and inexpensive. Check out the following homemade hand soap recipes. Making Natural Hand Soap at Home Here are some easy ways to make your own hand soap: Natural Hand Soap Using Bar Soap Start with a bar of soap. Look for a chemical-free bar soap with 100 percent natural ingredients. Natural bar soaps are available commercially, but you may enjoy using homemade herbal soaps from your local farmers market....

The Plantain Lily, or Hosta, is one of those foliage plants that brightens dark corners and enlivens the landscape with its flower displays. Pacific Northwest Hostas are game changers for gardeners with heavy shade. They are reliable perennials that grow well in Washington; Oregon Hostas are scene stealers, as well. Hostas, Pacific Northwest Winners If you are looking for a no-nonsense shade loving plant, consider Hostas in the northwest. The plants spring from tubers that are reliably hardy in the northwest part of the United States....

Dusting and Cleaning Houseplant Leaves Dust diminishes the ability of the leaves to function. The leaves need to breathe in order to grow. Dust will block the breathing pores (stomata) and reduce the amount of light that can feed the growth-activating cells within the leaves. Many houseplants are kept and grown specifically for their beautiful leaves. If the leaves become dirty or damaged, it takes away from the beauty of your indoor garden....

How to Display Houseplants Let’s explore various ways of arranging houseplants on your walls, ceilings, and floors. Displaying Potted Plants on Walls There are many interesting ways to display potted plants on your walls: Create a living wall with numerous hanging plants placed on a bookshelf or even on a mounted wall shelf. Choose trailing plants such as spider plants, pothos, philodendron, and hoyas. As they grow and trail, you will be creating a living green wall....

Wheat Harvesting at Home Harvesting wheat from your home garden can seem like a daunting task. After all, farmers use a large piece of equipment called a combine to bring this crop in from the fields. But for 10,000 years, humans have harvested wheat using a sickle to cut the plants and a flail to thresh the grain. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to these ancient tools. A sharp pair of scissors, large kitchen knife or hedge shears can be used to cut wheat....

The very first step is understanding if you actually have a Christmas cactus. Easter and Thanksgiving cacti look deceptively similar. Click here to figure out which holiday cactus you have. How to Plant Christmas Cactus The Christmas cactus is easily propagated by cutting a short Y-shaped segment from the stem tips. Make certain, however, that the cutting is taken from healthy plant foliage only. Plant the segment approximately a quarter of its length deep in slightly sandy soil....

How to Plant Centipede Grass Centipede grass can be grown from centipede grass seed, sod, or plugs. Which method you use depends largely on what you prefer in terms of cost, labor, and time to established lawn. Planting Centipede Grass Seed Centipede grass seed is the cheapest, but has the most labor involved and takes the longest to an established lawn. The first step to starting centipede grass seed is to till the area where you would like the centipede grass seed to grow....

How to Preserve Vegetables from the Garden Here are the most common methods for preserving vegetable crops: Freezing Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve vegetables for winter. Almost all vegetables are suitable, with the exception of cabbage and potatoes, which tend to become limp and waterlogged. Most vegetables need to be blanched first, which involves boiling them for a set amount of time– usually one to three minutes....

About Hoya Wax Plants Among the picturesque names for Hoya are wax plant and porcelain flower. This is a tropical plant, best suited to indoor growing in all but the warmest climates. The flowers may be a rarity in home situations but, if you get lucky, the delicate flowers present a perfect display that almost looks too good to be real. Hoya is a terrific plant for a beginner gardener to learn indoor plant care....