Posts

With the fate of many pollinators hanging in the balance these days, it may be time to reconsider the pure grass, well-trimmed lawn and start creating pollinator friendly lawns instead. This article will help with how to create a bee-friendly yard. Creating Pollinator Friendly Lawn Grass Before the invention of the lawn mower in the 1830’s, only rich aristocrats had large, perfectly manicured grassy lawn areas for entertaining outdoors. It was a sign of stature to be able to have an open lawn that didn’t need to be used for crop production....

Pear Trees and Pollination Growing your own pears is a rewarding endeavor that provides you with a ready supply of these tantalizing fruits but successful pollination is the necessary catalyst that produces the succulent pomes. There are several pear tree pollination guides available but there are also some simple rules that will help you choose the best trees with the greatest chance of producing. Self-pollinating trees are those that do not strictly need another member of the family to set fruit....

What are Cucamelons? Native growing Mexican sour gherkins hail from Mexico (of course) and Central America. The plant is an unbridled vining specimen with pointed, serrated leaves and small (grape sized) fruit that look exactly like miniature watermelons. In flavor, Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers (Melothria scabra) are similar to cucumber with a fresh, tangy, succulent flavor. They can be used sautéed, pickled or fresh in salads with no need to peel the little beauties....

How to Dog Proof Gardens While it’s essentially difficult to fully dog proof gardens, you can make them more dog friendly simply by using the following potty training techniques in the garden: When nature calls, no doubt dogs will answer, but with a little effort your pet can learn to use a designated area. Begin by choosing a corner of the yard that affords your dog some privacy and is not a main thoroughfare for visitors....

Indoor Edible Gardening The key to attractive indoor edible gardening is to blend those pots and planters in with your current décor and use those edible plants as accent points. For instance, instead of hanging a potted philodendron, plant a “globe” of lettuce using a wire basket. Here are a few more innovative ways to grow indoor fruit, vegetables, and herbs: Hydroponic jars – Recycle spaghetti sauce jars into hydroponic growing containers for herbs and lettuce....

How to Create an Edible Bog Garden While the term “bog” generally refers to wet, muddy areas that tend to be poorly oxygenated and low in nutrients, a bog filter garden is a water feature designed as a natural method for cleaning and filtering backyard ponds. Bog filter gardens are built adjacent to a backyard pond and use pea gravel, which acts as a biological and physical filter. Water is pumped from the pond into the gravel bed where bacteria “digest” organic waste....

Information About Emmer Wheat Did you think I just switched topics? No, farro is actually the Italian word for three varieties of heirloom grains: einkorn, spelt, and emmer wheat. Referred to respectively as farro piccolo, farro grande, and farro medio, it has come to be the catch-all word for each of these three grains. So, what exactly is emmer wheat and what other emmer wheat facts and nutrition info can we dig up?...

Facts About Cedar Trees There are many types of cedar trees. All cedars are large, coniferous, evergreen trees. Because of their size, these trees are not often found in gardens and are usually seen lining streets or in parks. However, they make an excellent windbreak and are suitable on large pieces of property to add a living hedge or winter interest. They grow fast and can be found in a wide range of climate zones....

Why Plant Wildflowers for Fall? There are many good reasons to choose wildflowers for the garden. As long as you stick with species native to your area, you’ll be providing a space beneficial to wildlife, including pollinators. A wildflower garden or bed typically requires less maintenance than other types of gardens. After all, wildflowers by definition grow readily and without human intervention. As for fall wildflowers, these are important for maintaining continuous blooms in the garden....

Maybe you’ve thought of making a succulent wreath with autumn colors. If so, you’re in the right place, as we’ve been thinking of it as well and realized that now is a great time to create one for display. Making a Succulent Wreath for Fall Wreaths are simple to make, sometimes decisions are not. If this is your first wreath-making project, you must decide on what base you’ll use. Grapevines twisted into circles are favorites, simple to make, and something you can buy inexpensively from hobby stores or even your local dollar store....

Choosing Your Flowering Houseplants Choose your plants wisely in order for them to stand the test of time. Don’t be drawn into the beauty of a huge, light-craving, hot-climate houseplant if you live in a small, dark, cool cottage. And if your home gets the full glare of the midday sun, there’s little point in buying a plant that requires shade. You can pick from the most popular plants available or look for something different from a specialist grower....

A swarm of bugs after rain is not what dreams are made of, but here is a rundown of some of the garden enemies that thrive on moist soil and wet weather. Garden Pests That Like Wet Weather Here are a few of the creepy crawlers that benefit from wet weather: Rain beetles are particularly harmful to fruit bearing trees in Western North America. The larval stage of the beetles feed in the root zone of the trees causing decreased vigor and low yields....

How to Grow Coffee from Coffee Plant Seeds Ideally, to grow coffee bean plants, you should start with a freshly picked coffee cherry, but most of us don’t live in a coffee producing country, so this is a bit problematic. If, however, you do happen to reside in a coffee producing country, pick ripe coffee cherries by hand, pulp them, wash, and ferment in a container until the pulp flops off....

Get some tips on ginseng seed propagation so you can reap the benefits of this potentially helpful herb. Keep reading to learn how to plant ginseng seeds and what special circumstances these helpful roots require. About Ginseng Seed Propagation Ginseng is purported to have a variety of health benefits. It is commonly found dried in health food or supplement stores but getting hold of fresh roots can be difficult unless you have a good Asian market nearby....

Pumpkin Varieties and Types Mini pumpkin varieties, weighing in at 2 pounds (1 kg.) or less, are easy to grow and perfect for decorating. Small pumpkins ranging from 2 to 8 pounds (1-4 kg.) and midsize pumpkins weighing 8 to 15 pounds (4-7 kg.) are ideal for pies and great for painting or carving. At 15 to 25 pounds (7-11 kg.) and up, big pumpkins are often good for pies and make impressive jack o’ lanterns....

About Edging with Herbs When gardeners plan a new garden space, they usually map out the shape of the bed, prepare the soil for planting and sketch out the location of trees, shrubs, and other plants. What is often an afterthought, if a thought at all, is edging. Edging or creating borders often between the garden bed and lawn is the finishing touch. Although it is a finishing touch, it’s actually the first thing the eye is drawn to....

Why Use Ornamental Grasses There are practical reasons for adding ornamental grasses to borders. Warm-season grasses wait until the weather starts warming up and are ideal for filling in spaces after spring bulbs and early flowering perennials have died back. Cool-season grasses take over once fall blooming has ceased and many remain evergreen throughout winter. There are a number of other reasons to include ornamental grass in the border or landscape....

Bulbs and Soil Conditions One reason you may see bulbs coming out of the ground is improper site condition. Soil for bulbs needs to be rich and organic, well worked, and free draining. Bulbs will rot in boggy soil, and they have difficulty growing up through hard pan or heavy clay. Amend the bed with plenty of organic matter to increase porosity or the area will get waterlogged, freeze, and force the bulbs up out of the soil as it thaws and refreezes....

Disheartened because your hydrangea won’t bloom? A hydrangea not blooming can be frustrating. Usually when a hydrangea won’t flower, it is a common problem with some simple solutions. Read on for tips on getting your hydrangea to bloom. Why Aren’t My Hydrangeas Blooming? No flowers on hydrangea bushes? It’s disappointing when your hydrangea won’t bloom. It happens. If your hydrangea isn’t flowering, though, there’s usually a pretty easy solution. First, don’t forget to check your plant hardiness zone to be sure you have the right hydrangea type for your region....

A quick and healthy family meal might just start with tacos. They may contain meat or be a vegetarian version, but one thing a good taco needs is beautiful salsa. Mexican vegetables are readily available in grocery stores, but for the purest flavor, a salsa garden just outside can’t be beat. Those juicy, ripe tomatoes are bursting with sweetness, and the bright green leaves of cilantro add just the right amount of citrus/grassiness....