Plant Gardens 101

For those of us who live in colder climates, experiencing five months or more of winter each year, the benefits of greenhouse gardening can be enormous. Gardening with a greenhouse allows for an extended growing season that can begin and end months outside of the traditional outdoor growing season in your climate. Greenhouses may even allow you to grow plants year round. Greenhouses can also provide a warmer mini-climate for plants that typically would not grow in your zone, allowing you to cultivate many varieties of plants that are unique to your area. (more…)

Arbors and pergolas are two types of garden structures that can greatly contribute to the overall design of your landscape. Arbors and pergolas add an element of interest to a yard or garden by drawing the eye upward. Whether functional or ornamental, there are many ways you can utilize these structures to enhance your landscape design.

Like many gardeners, you may be asking yourself, what is the difference between an arbor and a pergola? While there isn’t a clear consensus on this, generally an arbor is a smaller structure with an arched top, usually standing 6 1/2 to 9 feet tall at the peak. Arbors are often placed over walkways or a gate in a fence. A pergola, on the other hand, has a flat top that is directly perpendicular to the straight sides it rests on. Pergolas can range in size from small enough to just cover a walkway to large enough to span a deck or patio area. (more…)

For those gardeners who have never tried growing beans, you’re missing out on a wonderful vegetable that’s easy to grow and highly productive. Beans come in about as many colors, shapes and sizes as you can imagine, and no matter how big or small your garden is, chances are, there’s a bean that will meet your needs. Even for gardeners who are a little behind on this year’s planting, never fear. Beans can still be planted as late as June for a decent late-summer harvest. With a few easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to growing your best beans ever.

Beans are a member of the legume family, a group of nitrogen fixing plants. This means that beans have the unique ability to pull nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil. For this reason, nitrogen-loving plants like tomatoes will usually thrive in spots where beans resided the year prior. For extra healthy, vigorous beans, dampen the seeds and coat with nitrogen inoculant before planting. Nitrogen inoculant is a black, grainy substance that aids the plants in their early growth stages. It’s very inexpensive and can be found at most specialty gardening stores. If you have leftover nitrogen inoculant at the end of the season, throw it away. You won’t want to use it the next year, because most of the bacteria will have died by then. Nitrogen inoculant is only good for one planting season. (more…)

Sweet corn is a summer favorite for everyone. We all have fond memories of eating corn on the cob at summer picnics and grill-outs; it is an essential summer side dish. Many gardeners regard sweet corn as a garden staple that they cultivate every year. But, homegrown corn may not be the best crop for all of us. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of growing your own sweet corn at home, and how to determine if this tasty vegetable is right for your garden.

The first and most important consideration in growing sweet corn is space. If you are lacking for planting area, or if you prefer to garden in containers, then sweet corn is probably not the crop for you. Corn is pollinated by wind, meaning that it’s essential to plant it in blocks at least four rows wide. If corn is planted in one long, single row, you’ll get a disappointingly low yield of edible ears. (more…)

If you enjoy cooking or gardening, or perhaps both, you should consider growing your own herbs at home. There are literally hundreds of herbs that you can grow yourself. Not only do fresh herbs make a wonderful addition to a kitchen garden, but they can also be attractive plants to weave in with other flowers, perennials, and bushes.

When considering what types of herbs to grow, first ask yourself which herbs you use the most in cooking. Consult your recipe box; are there any particular herbs that you routinely buy fresh at the grocery store? If so, these should be your first choices. Also remember that fresh herbs will taste far better than dried seasonings purchased in little bottles. While you may not care for the taste of dried dillweed, you may find that fresh dill is a real treat. When it comes to growing herbs, don’t limit yourself. They don’t require a lot of space, so start with a variety and see which ones you like best. (more…)

In the long, hot days of July and August, there is nothing quite as refreshing as a cool slice of watermelon. It is a summertime treat enjoyed by young and old alike. Watermelons are an ancient fruit whose culture is believed to date back to almost prehistoric times in the Mediterranean and northern Africa. Today, the watermelon remains a favorite crop among home gardeners. While watermelons are not a particularly difficult fruit to grow, there are some basics that every gardener should know in order to produce their best possible watermelon crop.

Watermelons are a fruit that require a long growing season, limiting its culture to areas that receive at least 80 to 100 consecutive days of very warm summer temperatures, at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In particular, watermelons also favor warm nighttime temperatures. Anything below 60 degrees Fahrenheit is undesirable and 70 degrees or higher is preferred. For gardeners who live in areas with shorter summers, smaller icebox size melons will grow best, because they mature relatively quickly, usually in 75 days as compared to the 90 to 100 days of heat required for larger melons. (more…)

If you’re one of the many Americans who will be cultivating a vegetable garden this year, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to grow your plants from seed or purchase transplants from a nursery. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons to both methods, and we’ll provide a basic how to guide for starting your own plants from seed.

There are two primary deciding factors in whether to start plants from seed. The first is time. Starting seeds certainly requires a larger investment in time and effort than purchasing transplants. However, the knowledge that you have grown the plants yourself from their very inception is also quite rewarding. The other primary consideration is cost. Seeds are far more economical to purchase than young plants. A packet of 50 or more seeds might cost you a few dollars. Transplants, on the other hand, will cost you that same amount per plant. In short, if you have the time and the inclination, growing your own plants from seed is a very rewarding and economical way to start a vegetable garden.    (more…)

When planning a landscape design, garden structures such as arbors and pergolas are wonderful elements to incorporate. These structures not only provide a strong focal point in the landscape, but they can also be utilitarian as well, serving many purposes that vary depending on the size and design used. Garden arbors and pergolas can range in size from as small as 24 inches to as large as 10 or 20 feet across. In this article, we’ll discuss some varying arbor and pergola designs, and how you can use these structures to your advantage when planning an overall landscape or garden design.

When we talk about the design of a garden arbor or pergola, we’re talking about the material as much as anything. The type of material used in making the structure will have a big impact on the look and use of the end product. There are three primary materials used for garden arbors and pergolas: wood, metal, and plastic. All three materials have their pros and cons, as we will explain. (more…)

If you have recently purchased a compost tumbler bin, let me be the first to say congratulations! You’ve just taken the first step toward aerobic composting. What is aerobic composting, you ask, and why is it so great? In this article, we’ll explain how aerobic composting works and what you need to do to get started.

There are two main types of composting, aerobic and anaerobic. Anaerobic composting basically consists of piling up a bunch of organic materials, then letting them sit and rot. Pretty gross, huh? Well truthfully, yes, it is. Anaerobic bacteria are slow and inefficient, which means that your compost pile will have to sit there for at least a year, maybe longer, before the materials at the very bottom are fully composted. Second of all, microbes that do the decaying in anaerobic composting produce methane and sulfate gasses as a byproduct, something which we humans find very offensive. If you’ve always thought of composting as a smelly and gross process, now is the time to make an important clarification: it’s anaerobic composting that’s a smelly and gross process.    (more…)

Annual climbing vines are a great way to add a splash of color to your garden. Most annual climbers grow quickly, feature colorful, showy flowers, and then die off and can be easily removed in the fall. Planting an annual vine is also a great way to test out the idea of having a permanent climber in a certain location. If you like having a climber in that spot after a season or two, you can go ahead and plant a perennial climbing plant that will come back year after year.

The following is a list of the top 10 annual climbing vines you should consider for your garden or landscape.

1. Sweet Pea Sweet pea is a very popular climbing plant that comes in literally hundreds of varieties to choose from. Sweet pea does not grow extremely large; it will climb to approximately 6 feet tall in a season’s time. It does prefer cool temperatures and it needs plenty of moisture to thrive. Sweet pea climbers will reward you with colorful blooms all summer long.    (more…)

If you’re like most gardeners, you probably can’t wait for the weather to warm up so you can get outside and start planting. Particularly in the case of vegetable gardening, most plants can’t go in the ground until the weather warms up significantly and the danger of frost has passed. But have you considered planting some cool weather vegetable crops that can be sown as early as several weeks before the last expected frost date? Cool weather vegetables are a great way to get a head start on the season’s plantings. Not only do cool weather veggies keep your planting areas productive for more months of the year, they also allow you to get out in the garden earlier in the spring. In this article, we’ll explore a few varieties of cool weather vegetables that you might want to try growing in your garden this spring. (more…)

The first step in good gardening is having good garden soil. Unfortunately, the vast majority of us aren’t blessed with the perfect soil that is rich and fertile, well draining, full of nutrients, and free of foreign matter. Some of us have rocky or sandy soil, or soil with a high clay content. The good news is, you don’t have to live with poor soil. Garden soil can be improved with a little time, patience, and effort.

The first step in improving your garden soil is preparation. If grass and weeds have not been removed yet, this is where you should start. If you are working with a small area, say less than 10 square feet, you can probably get by using a sharp spade and some brute force. However, if you’re removing grass from a larger area, you might want to consider renting a sod kicker or gas powered sod cutter for a day, as this will make the work faster and much easier. (more…)

Growing a home vegetable garden has many benefits. For gardening enthusiasts, growing your own vegetables is a fun and rewarding hobby. For others, it’s a way to ensure you are eating safe produce because you know where it comes from. Controlling the application of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides is easy; if you don’t want these things on the food you eat, then you can simply choose not to use them. For this reason, home vegetable gardening is the organic food lover’s dream.

But in addition to these benefits, did you also know that home vegetable gardening is a good way to save money? For as little as a $40 investment at your local garden center, you can grow over $600 worth of fruits and vegetables in your own yard. During tough economic times, those numbers can really help out your pocketbook!

It is estimated that the number of U.S. families growing their own produce will increase by approximately 40% this summer. So what kinds of fruits and vegetables are these families growing? What are the best plants to put in your vegetable garden? We’ll evaluate some of the more commonly home grown produce items and review the basics of how to get started growing them yourself.    (more…)

If you want to know what’s up in gardening trends, look no further than climbing plants and vines! Climbers are a great element to include in a landscape design. They can be trained to climb numerous structures of your choosing such as trellises, arbors and pergolas, decks, railings, and more. Climbing plants and vines can be strategically placed throughout the garden to cast shade or provide privacy as needed. Best of all, climbing plants will draw the eye upward, adding a vertical element to a horizontal landscape.

If you want to get started with climbing plants and vines, it’s a good idea to evaluate the options first. Your climate, soil type, and particular situational needs should all be taken into consideration when choosing a climbing plant. So what are some common types of climbing plants and vines? We’ll explore some of the more popular options that you might want to consider.

Wisteria: Wisteria is a beautiful flowering vine that grows rapidly in the sun. If you live in a climate that experiences winter, wisteria is a good choice, as it’s hardy up to Zones 4 or 5. As it grows, wisteria can become very woody and dense. After a few years of growth, wisteria will need a strong supporting structure. Be careful where you plant wisteria. Because of its rapid growth, size, and weight, you’ll want to be sure to plant it somewhere where it won’t do any damage to your home or property. Large wisteria vines, when left unchecked, can easily collapse a deck or other structure. (more…)

If you have made the decision to purchase a greenhouse, congratulations! Greenhouse gardening can be a wonderful and rewarding hobby. But before you make your big purchase, there are some things to consider and some important questions you should ask yourself. The following article is a greenhouse buying guide that will hopefully help to make the process a little easier.

First, you’ll need to determine your budget. There are many greenhouses available in a wide range of price points. Some systems can cost as little as $60, which will usually buy you a small indoor unit to be used on a tabletop or shelf. On the other end of the extreme are very large outdoor greenhouses that you would need to hire a contractor to build, and these can run upwards of $20,000. If you’re looking for a large commercial unit, be prepared to spend even more than this.

What types of features or accessories do you need in your greenhouse? Most greenhouses being used outdoors will need some type of shade cloth that can be added during the hottest summer months. Cooling fans are another option for cooling a larger greenhouse. Sometimes a fan system will come with a greenhouse kit, or can be added on later if necessary. Auto-venting systems are also available in some greenhouse units. These pneumatic devices attach to windows or roof vents, and when the temperature inside the greenhouse reaches a certain level, they will automatically open the window or vent. (more…)

For any gardener who enjoys working with their plants, a greenhouse is a welcome addition to expand their hobby. Greenhouse gardening can be as intensive or as low-key as you want it to be, depending on how much gardening you do and how much money you want to invest in the hobby. Serious gardeners wishing to expand their interest into greenhouse gardening may opt for a permanent structure in their backyard, possibly something that incorporates a cement foundation, integrated doors and windows, and an auto-venting system for temperature control. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the beginning gardener or hobby horticulturist who wishes to cultivate plants indoors during the winter months or start seeds indoors in the spring for a head start on the summer growing season. This more basic form of greenhouse gardening will be our focus for this article. (more…)