Grow beautiful, early-blooming flowers next spring. Remember to plant spring-flowering, hardy bulbs in the fall. Crocus, tulip, daffodil and grape hyacinth bulbs are some of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. But, don’t wait until then to think about the spring flower garden. Select these hardy bulbs in the fall and plant before…
Many living organisms depend on plants to live. However, these plants don’t want to be eaten if they can help it. They can’t run away so they use chemicals in order to repel attackers. They can ward off rodents, insects, and other pests, to protect themselves from consumption. Ergo, if you have a tick problem,…
Fleas aren’t as much of a problem for us modern humans since we’re practically hairless compared to our hairy ancestors. However, they are problematic for your pets. Strays can spread them as well as rats. You’ll have to bathe your dogs or cats daily to keep them from becoming “fleabags”. Alternatively, grow some plants that…
With some simple outdoor decorating ideas for Halloween, you can turn your summer window boxes into a seasonal display. If your window boxes are only full in the summer, you are missing out on their seasonal decorating potential. Window boxes are great for upping the curb appeal of your home and they enhance the view…
A summer window box of geraniums, million bells and sweet alyssum creates color seen from the street. It begins with high impact Superbells Cherry Star. Grab the attention of passersby by stringing a couple of railing planters together and planting the potting soil with high impact flower colors. The foundation of this colorful summer garden…
Window boxes allow city dwellers to create miniature gardens offering a feast for the eyes and decoration for the interior and exterior of the home on a manageable level. Floral decoration is universal. Artists paint flowers on canvas, Persians weave floral rugs, French distill floral essence in perfume, chefs scatter petals on salads, crafters make…
Daylilies are not only beautiful and varied, they’re nearly indestructible! When I first began gardening some 40 years ago, my energies went into annuals that spawned great expectations of glorious blooms to come. Unfortunately, despite my initial eagerness, I’d end up killing most of them through naïve optimism. Somehow, I thought they would water and…
Bearded irises come dressed in beautiful ball gowns in a rainbow of colors. Planting perennials that keep on giving in more ways than one has long been my approach to gardening. With minimal care and investment, you reap great rewards in terms of beauty and a bounty of new plants to share every few…
If there is a set of flowers that will surely spruce up a garden, the indoors and the vases with brightness and natural vibrance, it would be orange flowers. Contrary to popular belief, orange flowers are not just summer flowers. Some of them bloom through fall and some even thrive during early winter. If you…
Planted together Narcissus (daffodil) bulbs and specialty (minor) bulbs lead to pest-resistant, perennial and naturalized landscape garden designs. According to Sally Ferguson of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, “Bulbs are called good perennializers if they come back at least three years in the garden, under proper growing conditions. Bulbs are considered good naturalizers if…
Maintaining & Improving Gardens & DIY in Winter for the Home Gardener. Take Care to Service Lawn and Garden Equipment, Conduct Fence Repair & Tips for Gardening Tasks. Winter may be a dormant season in the garden but the keen home gardener will be busy throughout the winter garden season. Planning a schedule for jobs…
Lilies, castor beans, cycad palms, rhododendrons, azaleas, laurels, yews, crocuses, foxgloves and oleanders are among the most common poisonous plants for cats and dogs. Many of the plants kept in homes and gardens contain substances which can be extremely toxic when ingested by pets. Some of the most poisonous varieties can cause severe illness and…
Popular spring blooming perennials, such as Bergenia, Dicentra and Helleborus are long lasting plants, easy to care for, and makes for colorful New Year Gardens. Perennial plants live for many years and get better with each passing year. They are best planted in the spring or fall and they grow and bloom through the spring…
Start flower seeds indoors to have seedlings to transplant. Accurate seed preparation by timing flower seed development offers a head start to gardening outside. Timing is essential to take maximum advantage of starting seeds indoors. Gardeners can use several strategies to determine when to plant seeds indoors and hardening off seedlings, thereby readying transplants for…
Marigold flowers are an annual flower that you only need to purchase once for years of beautiful flower gardens. Marigolds are a hardy flower that will continue to bloom all summer long. With proper sunlight and water, these colorful flowers will fill out any garden and add beauty to any yard. There are two basic…
A simple How-To tutorial on creating a beautiful perennial garden that is gorgeous in every season! Imagine seeing your garden in a different light. Instead of cold days with only snow and ice; you see transformed → your little plot of Heaven. This is the Four Seasons Garden … A Four Seasons Garden is not…
Aside from their obvious usefulness as pollinators, butterflies are lighter-than-air creatures that bring magic to the garden and lighten visitors’ hearts. Though butterflies are not as quick and busy as bees, they are just as important when it comes to pollination. Butterflies are beautiful additions to any garden and gardeners the world over yearn for…
Easy to grow coleus with its bright colored foliage is making a comeback in the shady garden, and as an indoor plant for home and office. Brightly colored Coleus (Solenostemon) plants were brought to England in the mid-1800s by botanist and explorer Karl Blume, who had found them growing wild on the tropical island of…
Whether your shade garden is well-drained and somewhat dry, or moist and somewhat boggy, there are flowering plants for your full shade landscape plot. These five flowering plants are able to provide gardeners with lots of color even in full shade garden beds. 1. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) for Moist Shade Gardens Foamflowers have attractive flower…
To draw more butterflies to the yard, plant a garden of their favorite flowers. Here are a few suggestions. Sunny mornings or balmy evenings on the porch aren’t complete without a few butterflies to watch. The fragile, colorful visitors make garden chores more pleasant, too. Children, in particular, find butterflies fascinating. To draw more of…
The charming Japanese Painted Fern is a hardy and colorful addition to any shade garden design. It is easy to see why the Japanese Painted Fern variety “Pictum” was chosen Perennial of the Year in 2004. Rising in a graceful arch, its lacy silvery-green fronds unfurl from a blood red stem to display a soft…
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