Plant Gardens 101

While we all know that garlic has many health benefits such as being a natural antibiotic, you may not know that they can also be healthy for your garden as well. As a companion plant, when they are planted near roses and raspberries, garlic will improve the growth and health of your plants. It has the added benefit of deterring Japanese beetles and aphids. Garlic is easy to grow and each planted clove will produce a full head of Garlic with between 8 to 20 cloves per head. To get started in with planting your garlic, first purchase your garlic of choice. Since the garlic from grocery stores has antisprouting chemicals added to it, be sure and buy your garlic from a reputable source rather than a grocery store. One variety that you may enjoy that is popular here in the Mid-South is the mild flavored ‘Elephant’ garlic which has large clusters.

Planting Garlic

One half pound of garlic seed is a good start and will produce about 15 plants. Garlic is divided into hardnecks (Allium sativum var. ohioscorodon) and softnecks (Allium sativum var. sativum). First, check online catalogs or your local co-op for the variety that will suit your needs best. (more…)

Cauliflower is part of the cabbage family. However, unlike the cabbage plant, cauliflower can be easily stressed. If not taken care of properly it will lead to a less than adequate harvest.

If you are a fan of cauliflower (which I am once I cover it with melted cheddar cheese), then you should definitely add a head or two to your home vegetable garden.

Here are the steps you can take to ensure a good cauliflower harvest in your home vegetable garden.

Start by preparing the site where you cauliflower will be planted. Cauliflower grows best when the pH level of the soil is at least 6.5 and no higher than 7.5. You can test the pH level of your soil with a simple home test available at your local home or garden center. (more…)

Brussel sprouts are a great vegetable to add to anyone’s garden. They do well in a variety of temperate climates, so regions where cold weather sets in, brussel sprouts will do just fine.

They are a great source of many minerals and vitamins that the human body required, meaning that adding them to your diet can satisfy many nutritional needs.

Here in this tutorial I give you some simple steps you can follow to increase the harvest of these wonderfully nutritious vegetables right in your own backyard.

Start by preparing your site. If you are going to grow them in pots on your porch or balcony make sure have a pot at least twelve inches deep with a diameter of ten inches filled with garden soil available from any home or garden center. For the traditional backyard garden, make sure you mix in plenty of compost or manure in the fall so the soil is ready in the spring. Get yourself a pH soil tester. Brussel sprouts require soil to be less acidic so keep the soil pH level under 7. (more…)

Fragrant rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial, evergreen shrub. Not only are they wonderful cooking herbs, they are also dependable plants to use in any drought tolerant garden. These small shrubs are native to the Mediterranean region which is known for mild winters, hot summers and generally low rainfall.

Some common names for rosemary include, Dew of the Sea, Compass Weed and Elf Leaf. In medieval lore, rosemary was used to promote good health, healing and protection. Rosemary was hung over doors to keep thieves away and worn to relieve depression and improve mental powers. It can be burned as an incense whole and has been used as a substitute for frankincense. In Victorian times, rosemary was used as a symbol of remembrance and carried by brides on their wedding day.

Rosemary has fragrant, sticky, pine needle-like leaves with deep green on top and white underneath. Mature rosemary branches are brown and have a thin papery covering that looks like peeling bark. Rosemary plants are easy to grow in containers and can also be used for bonsai. Rosemary can be shaped into small cone-shaped trees for Christmas, or grown inside of mesh cages and shaped into fantastic topiary creations. Left untrimmed, rosemary has a draping growth habit and will be seen hanging over pots, or tumbling down slopes. Pinch the tips of the branches to encourage shrubbier growth – and use the fragrant leaves in your dinner. Rosemary blooms in winter and early spring. Flowers are usually blue, but white and pink varieties can be found at specialty nurseries or online seed catalogues. The flowers are small, just under 1/2 across, but they cover the tips of the stems in a way that makes the entire plant turn blue. For dramatic impact in the landscape plant a row of rosemary up high in a rock garden, or on the top of a set of garden steps. A bank of blooming rosemary tumbling over the edges looks like a wave of blue and green. When rosemary is brushed it releases a cloud of refreshing fragrance into the air. (more…)

Perennials have long been one of the most popular classifications of flowering plant, and this is likely to continue for some time. There are many advantages to using perennials in the garden, not the least of which is their ability to regenerate year after year. The ability to plant once, and enjoy season after season of beautiful flowers, is one of the things that make perennials so popular with beginning and experienced gardeners alike.

Another great thing about perennials is that they are usually very easy plants to care for and to work with. Most perennials have needs that are quite undemanding, requiring little more than good soil, sufficient water and adequate sunlight. Even so, perennials also have their own issues, and one of the biggest issues is that perennials, due to their nature, are more prone to insect infestation and disease infection than are annuals, which have a much shorter life span. The very fact that perennials remain in the ground season after season means that infection can gain a foothold, even in the off season. (more…)

As spring arrives us gardeners start to get ready for the coming season and a major part of this preparation is seed sowing. Sowing seeds and nurturing them through germination into strong healthy plants is without a doubt one of the most rewarding tasks in gardening. Watching nature work its magic is something that I never tire of seeing. Wherever you sow your seed, be it on a kitchen windowsill, in a greenhouse or garden shed, following a few basic rules will aid your chance of success. Foremost is hygiene, have a good spring clean before sowing. All pots and trays should be scrubbed clean with biodegradable detergent. Staging, worktops and the interior of the greenhouse can also be done at the same time.

Now a decision has to be made as to which growing medium is to be used. There is a variety of seed composts available on the market but in general any medium that is not overly heavy, water retentive or high in nutritional value will suffice, personally I use coir and vermiculite. Coir is a by-product from coconuts, making it a renewable organic resource. The only downside to coir is the air miles involved in bringing it to this country although storage and transportation are easier now as it comes in dehydrated blocks slightly larger than a brick. When you are ready to use it place your coir brick in a tub, pour on the required amount of water and within ten minutes you have 10 litres of hydrated coir. Into this I mix vermiculite to help with moisture retention. (more…)

If you’re not the type of person that wants to spend their time managing an elaborate fruit or vegetable garden, you might consider planting and maintaining an herb garden. While the product might not seem as significant, you’ll still enjoy the constant availability of fresh, delicious herbs to flavor your meals with.

First you’ll want to choose the herbs that you’ll plant. You might have a hard time doing this because of the huge scope of herbs available. But the best way to choose is to do what I did; just look at what you have in your kitchen. By planting your own collection of these herbs, you can save money on buying them from the grocery store while having the added benefit of freshness. Some of the herbs you might start with include rosemary, sage, basil, dill, mint, chives, and parsley among others. (more…)

Cucumbers are a great vegetable to grow in any garden. They are excellent for salads, or to simply dip in some ranch dressing (or your favorite flavor).

There are a variety of great dishes you can make with cucumbers and if you have time to learn it, the skill of “pickling” can take your cucumber even further.

More importantly though, is, all of that is for naught if your vegetable garden does not produce plenty of healthy cucumbers.

Here are some steps you can take to increase your chances of healthy and more abundant harvest in your home vegetable garden. (more…)

Growing your own food is becoming more popular as food prices rise and families look at cutting back expenses. Another reason the home garden is gaining in popularity is the number of food recalls due to poorly regulated food manufacturers and distributors. Salmonella, botulism and E-coli contamination is becoming very commonplace in the news.

People who have taken notice are looking at developing their own food supplies to become more independent and to minimize exposure to food supply issues.

So, as part of this new wave of do it yourself farmers we will look at some interesting varieties of vegetables that can adorn your landscape and bring a myriad of tastes to the table. Growing tomatoes, bell peppers, peas and green beans are common some of the common green veggies that you can find in the local home improvement store. However, if you are looking for more choices and want to step out of the box to seek more interesting foods to place in your bucket garden, these vegetables my be for you. (more…)

Many people have the desire to eat healthy food. That is why they will go to specialty stores in order to purchase what they feel is the best in organic vegetables. The only downside to this is that the things you buy from these stores is expensive and some of us don’t have the money to but those things on a weekly basis.

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice good eating because you cannot afford to buy it. Instead why not grow your very own garden full of organic vegetables and herbs? You can do this right in your own backyard and believe it or not many people are doing just this. All you need are the right tools and the patience to learn how to do it properly. It is easy to learn and once you do you will enjoy the fruits (or vegetables in this case) of your labor. (more…)

This favorite garden plant is known for bright red or hot pink flowers has the Latin name Pelargonium and the common name Geranium. Pelargonium hortorum are also called Common Garden Geraniums.

Perennial garden geraniums grow up to 3 feet tall (or more) and have a shrubby habit. The round, slightly ruffled leaves are slightly hairy and aromatic measuring from 1 to 3 inches across. Older plants have woody stems. Leaves can be solid green or have edging in red, yellow or brown. There are many different hybrids of geraniums, some with scalloped leafs and some with colorful edges or centers.

Their asymmetrical flowers have two petals that point up and three that point down. Some resemble orchids and are bred to have similar colors. Pelargonium flower colors range from white to pink, deep reds, purple, peachy oranges, to deep salmon. Color hues can be gentle pastels or neon bright colors that stop traffic. (more…)

If you’ve been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be feeling slightly disgruntled at how plain it is to look at. I too began my gardening career with a vegetable garden, but I decided that it wasn’t quite as pleasing to look at as I would have liked. I heard from a friend that the use of perennial flowers could be a great way to liven up my garden without adding any extra work for me.

Perennial flowers are strong, local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there (rather than just dying and looking like hideous brown clumps in your garden). When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were. (more…)

If you’re redesigning the landscape of your yard and considering adding a garden to your home, make sure that your list of options includes building a bonsai garden. A bonsai garden is a unique design in many ways, and having it will make you the envy of your neighborhood.

Tips on Building Your Own Bonsai Garden

Size – Unlike other types of gardens, size isn’t a consideration if you’re intent on building a bonsai garden. If you don’t have much space to work with, you can just as easily choose to grow all your bonsai from pots alone. Of course, you can let bonsai grow from the ground if you so wish. As long as all growing conditions are ideal, bonsai plants can grow just as large and strong as any other tree. (more…)

GROW YOUR OWN BIRDHOUSES birdhouse bird feeders

They are made from gourds. They grow easily and you can make unlimited things from them. I have a few books on the subject of making things from gourds. They can be found on the internet. You can even find instructions on the internet without buying any books. To get started you only need to purchase the seeds from the store or you guessed it (the internet.) Look for birdhousegarden tools.

Find an area to grow them that the hosestake. swing, birds

Now for the fun part, decorating them. You can paint, stencil, stamp, stain, and use permanent markers or wood burning set on them anything as long as you put a clear coat over it to protect it from the weather. The birds like them any way you decorate them. Sometimes I just spray them with a few coats of clear spray paint to protect them, and put them out by my birdbathsfountain.hook

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I think of lettuce as one of those “staple” vegetables. In other words it can be used in a variety of recipes, from salads, to sandwiches.

Because lettuce thrives in cooler temperatures, it is best to grow it in early spring or fall.

Here are some steps you can take to improve the conditions where your lettuce will grow to optimize and increase your harvest.

As stated earlier lettuce is a cooler temperature vegetable. The seeds will germinate best when the temperature of the soil is between 40 to 60 degrees F (4 to 16 C). Once the seeds have germinated they thrive best when the soil temperature is 55 to 65 F (13 to 18 C). (more…)

When you have roses, you have to water them about one inch of water per soil. It can depend on the soil how often you need to water. Sandy soil need frequent watering, but as a rule of thumb once a week is good for most soils.

Using mulch on the soil around the plants to retain the moisture in the soil is a good practice. Mulch will also keep down the growth of weeds and keep the soil cool. Use mulches of dry grass clipping, wood chips or straw. Mulch needs to be applied about 2-3 inches deep. Remember to replace it when it needs to be replaced. Even though using mulch is good. Organic mulch can bind up the nitrogen as they decompose, so you will need to fertilizer to prevent deficiencies in the soil.

For roses to stay healthy and strong you will need to make yourself a fertilizer schedule. This will need to be performed yearly and the schedule will vary depending on the type of roses you are growing. Check with a plant expert in your town to find out, what type of fertilizer schedule you will need for your roses. As a rule of thumb general-purpose fertilizers like the 10-10-10 or the 12-12-12 are usually adequate. The ration is ½ to 1 full cup per plant. You will spread the fertilizer in a band starting 6” from the base of the plant and spread the band until it is 18” from the base of the plant. Your fertilizer will be a band around the plant will be 12” wide. Work it lightly into the soil and then water. Some roses will benefit from a second application after the spring bloom period ends. Then you can fertilize one more time in mid July for nonstop blooms or repeat-blooming roses. Never apply fertilizer after August; you do not want to encourage growth, which could be easily damaged during winter. Roses can be fertilized in the fall after the plant lay dormant. This fertilizer will not encourage growth, but will be there when they do start growing again in the spring. To increase hardiness during the winter fertilize with fertilizers high in potassium. (more…)

Grapes have been grown and harvested by humans for thousands and thousands of years for their satisfying, thirst-quenching properties, and distinctive taste among fruits. Though grapes are grown commercially on large farms or vineyards for use in wines and jellies, they can be just as successfully grown in a budding green-thumb’s backyard garden. Besides their obvious taste factor, growing grapes can be attractive for gardeners due to their beautiful climbing fronds, allowing them to be adaptive to growing on walls and slopes, providing decorative properties as well. Whether for jellies, wines, or simply snacking, growing grapes for personal use is a well worthwhile endeavor.

It is essential to make an annual visit to your local lawn and feed store before embarking on your grape planting in order to find starts of the best varieties which grow hospitably in your area. Pick the brains of the friendly staff, tell them what your objective is, and they will surely be able to point you in the right direction of the starts you need. Pick up a couple of large bags of compost/manure to help your soil quality improve, grab your starts, and head home. (more…)

If you are going to plant a water garden or upgrade the one you currently have, there are a few things that you have to understand before proceeding. If you are creating a new water garden, you will want to check out the different varieties available. They can be created from scratch with all the materials you need to set it up or you can purchase a water garden kit.

The kits can be added to your garden to get the look you want to attain. If you want to add statues or fountains, there are loads of pre-made ones. A waterfall will look great and your fish will love it too. Read the instructions that came with your kit so that you can set it up smoothly. If you do it correctly the first time, you will not have to dismantle it and start over because you made a mistake.

The plants you wish to put in your water garden can either be submerged plants or floating plants. Submerged plants live virtually totally in the water with leaves that may grow above the water. Water lilies are a good example of this type of plant. Normally, they are planted in a container or at the bottom of the pond, around one or two feet below the level of the water. Water lilies also create oxygen for fish in the water. Another submerged plant that many people have is the hornwart. (more…)

Imagine never having to buy vegetables again. How much money could you save in a year? For those on a tight budget, growing micro greens in your own home can offer some financial relief from paying high grocery store prices for fresh produce. You will not only save money, but you will still enjoy the benefits of eating healthy food.

Micro greens are seedlings that have not been allowed to mature into full grown plants. Many trendy restaurants serve these greens in salads, and as garnishments for other dishes. These seedlings can be grown in large or small batches. You can decide how much or how little you want to grow.

It is very easy to learn how to grow micro greens. You can grow an endless supply of vegetables and herbs on your windowsill or deck, using just a window box or seedling tray filled with potting soil or potting mix. It requires very little room and very little care. It is also very inexpensive. (more…)

It’s easy to imagine a garden that is full of tall, brightly-colored sunflowers. They’re easy to grow, simple to maintain and can add a dazzling splash of color to any landscape. However, though sunflowers are easy to grow and maintain, there are several potential pitfalls. Small critters can steal the seeds before they have a chance to sprout. High winds can decimate a sunflower garden if stakes aren’t used for structural support. Wild birds can swoop down to pillage the seeds before they can be stolen by other animals.

By taking a few preventative measures, you can help ensure that your sunflowers grow to be a vibrant, stunning component of your garden. Below, we’ll explain how to grow sunflowers and provide a few useful tips for cultivating a gorgeous end-of-summer garden. (more…)