Gardeners can make high-grade natural compost with ordinary kitchen waste, resulting in a rich soil amendment and lightening the load at landfill sites. Keeping a compost heap not only frees the landfill sites of otherwise useful material, but the compost itself enriches the soil in the garden. It loosens it and offers the plants all…
Despite a houseplant lover’s best efforts, diseases can still strike. Fungal diseases are among the most common. Here’s a quick guide to help spot and treat them. Fungal diseases are common in plants. Some, like blight, are confined to outdoor plants, especially tomatoes. Others hit houseplants of all kinds. The causes are varied. Overwatering is the biggest…
Find Valentine’s Day decorating tips that will bring love to your home and fire up your romantic side. Creating a romantic environment for Valentine’s Day is a great way to bring a little heat into your home during the cold winter season. Most people don’t go all out with their Valentine’s Day decorating projects but…
Overwatering is the most common cause of plant death. Luckily not only is it preventable, in many cases an overwatered plant can be saved. Keep reading to find out how. Here are 5 steps to take to help an overwatered houseplant: Step 1 The first thing to do if a plant has been over watered…
Houseplants are available in grocery stores, dollar stores, hardware stores, big box stores, garden centers, and even on the internet! Here’s a guide to buying the best. The very best place to buy houseplants is a nursery or garden center, where there are people knowledgeable about the plants and their care and where the plant…
Apply organic gardening methods in the greenhouse to control pests, and enjoy fresh flowers, herbs, and vegetables all year. If the atmosphere in a well-managed greenhouse provides the perfect environment for plants, many pests and diseases find it just as cozy. Organic gardeners must stay vigilant to keep greenhouse problems under control. Select and Site…
Chain stores target consumers relentlessly at Christmas but retail is not the only gift-buying option. For distinctive gifts, find the gallery, artist or crafts person. Unique gifts are not hard to find and need not be expensive. Unlike mass-produced items, a piece of original art or hand blown glass is something that will be treasured…
Squirrels are tenacious rodent pests, and it’s reasonable for gardeners to expect control rather than eradication from their efforts. It’s one thing to battle with a squirrel who insists on hogging the garden birdfeeder. It’s another matter when squirrels, not the gardener, enjoy summer’s first tomato from the vegetable patch. Squirrel Facts Like them or…
Greenhouses are great, but if your budget doesn’t permit that just yet, try a hoop house. You can start your spring garden and begin your harvest early. Gardens are increasingly popular as families try to stretch budgets. Extending the growing season, even if just by a couple of weeks, can mean more delicious salads and…
A welcome delicacy from the spring garden, hardy perennial asparagus grows easily from seed. How To Grow Asparagus Native to the Mediterranean and eaten by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, succulent asparagus spears are ready for harvest when most other plants in the vegetable garden are just getting started. Saving Seeds From Your Own Plants…
If you’ve ever admired a pumpkin that looked like Cinderella’s coach or a giant tomato that resembled a softball, learn how you can grow giant produce without chemicals. Giant vegetables are not the delicacies of the garden. Mammoth zucchinis are pithy, colossal tomatoes are watery, and 1200 pound pumpkins are hardly fit for carving a…
Organic gardeners who think celery is difficult to grow in the natural vegetable garden can grow healthy plants by following a few rules. When choosing seeds and plants for the organic vegetable garden, many gardeners overlook the possibility of growing celery. After all, celery is cheap at the grocery store, and the flavor difference between…
There are easy to make Christmas tree ornaments that even young children can create. Pinecone ornaments are the perfect holiday kids’ craft. Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Everyone in the family enjoys putting up lights, sending Christmas cards and decorating the Christmas tree. And there is nothing as special as a Christmas tree…
Keep Christmas sustainable by revamping old containers. Cover tins with recycled papers and fill with organic or handcrafted items to create personalized Xmas presents. Most households will have old containers lurking at the back of a cupboard or on a shelf in the garden shed. Lidded tins of any size can be salvaged and crafted…
Many people wish that the Christmas Spirit could last all year. This simple craft is a great way to give a handmade or handcrafted gift filled with Christmas Spirit. Isabel Currier has a good definition of Christmas Spirit found at the collection of Christmas Quotes at the All Things Christmas website. “It is the personal…
These plants are famously known as shamrocks or four leaf clovers but they are so much more. Read on for more info on this outstanding houseplant! Oxalis, known best as Shamrocks or Four Leaf Clovers, are an enduring symbol of Irish pride and can be found almost anywhere during the month of March, when St….
This is a collection of quips and quotes for houseplant lovers. Post them near your desk or garden workspace for instant inspiration and entertainment. The holidays are here and as this gardening year draws to a close, many gardeners are already looking ahead to the next growing season and the new plants they want to…
The Maranta family consists of 4 closely related plants. While often challenging to grow they are prized for their colorful foliage. Read on for more! Maranta is actually the name given to a group of plants, which include Calathea, Ctenanthe, Stromanthe, and yes, the Maranta.. Of all of these, only Marantas and Calatheas are widely available…
The holidays are over and the winter doldrums are setting in. To help, here’s a list of 5 fun plants for your kids to grow and care for! The holidays are over and the winter doldrums are settling in. For kids, it often means boredom and post holiday let down. For a fun and educational activity,…
Sometimes, all you want to do is make a mess. There are other times, though, when you want something a little more streamlined. Collages can incorporate both of these. This project is a good example of how to create a collage for Christmas using a few simple materials. Not only is this project simple, but…
Sometimes, working on large-scale pieces is too intimidating or time consuming. Create art cards and ACEOs to use as holiday gifts! For those of you who need a refresher about what an art card or ACEO is, check out this article: Create Mixed-Media ATCs or ACEOs Some have difficulty finding time to create art as often…
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