Gardening Basics

I know that most of us are too busy shopping and getting ready for Christmas that we try to ignore and forget about our gardens. But our gardens are still there and need a little attention. It...

Learn how to save money by living off the land.

A lot of gardeners out there simply go to the store, read package labels in the garden department, and pick out a commercially produced and provided fertilizer for their home lawn, garden, and...

The approximately 200 species of alternanthera are highly versatile. They are colorful garden accents with foliage in shades of green, red, pink, copper, purple and yellow. They've been used for...

Unless you’re of some particularly weird turn of mind you won’t have any love at all for the dreaded Fire Ant. If you’ve ever been stung by these nasty aliens then you can’t have a real...

Beer gardens are a concept that developed in the 19th century in Bavaria. Beer needs to be kept cool so cellars were dug into the sides of river banks under the shade of overhanging trees. In...

Weeds growing in a garden makes it unsightly. Learn how to get rid of weeds in your garden a prevent them from taking it over or returning.

If you're looking for ideas for garden art and yard sculptures then you're in luck. There are so many things you can do to make yard art with reused items, like bed frames and bicycles. You can...

It’s nice to catch a few rays while you are outside gardening, but prolonged sun exposure can damage your skin and puts you at a greater risk for skin cancer. Slathering on the sunscreen is the...

Earwigs or pincher bugs can be a real problem in the garden. They eat your lettuce, cut holes into cantaloupe and watermelon and do serious damage to squash, cucumbers and other vegetables you...

There are many different types of Agave plants. The Agave pictured and the one I will be talking about is the Agave Attenuata,which is a type of succulent. These plants can become established in...

Knowing how to save money watering your summer garden will keep your yard looking beautiful within your budget. Water is expensive and can be wasted if water runs off of plants and lawns or down...

Tomatoes grow best in climates with long, hot, dry summers—but gardeners who live in climates with cooler summers or a shorter growing season—can still have great success with tomatoes. I’ve...

Is your garden under attack? When you see the enemy invasion of insects, you may be tempted to reach for a chemical pesticide spray. Is there an alternative to drenching your garden with chemical...

Wild Buckwheat is native to North America. The Eriogonum family is a large one and many of these plants grow wild in chaparral areas where they add color and texture to the local landscape. Some...

We love our cats, but sometimes our dear cats seem to show absolutely no respect for our property! After all our fussing over them it may be hard to believe they wouldn’t want to return the...

Whether your garden gate is purely functional or if it's sole purpose is to enhance the feel of your garden, you still need one. Keeping unwanted animals out or encouraging people to visit the...

Controlling weeds in the garden is the least fun of all garden work. There are several methods to try that will help you minimize the time spent on your hands and knees picking out the weeds one...

Garden ponds are only as attractive as the plants that grow lush and healthy in and around them. Water garden plants belong to different categories, each one with a specific purpose in the ecology...

Learning how to build a compost tumbler at home is surprisingly easy and will save you money and time. Using a compost tumbler is a wonderful way to support our environment. You will create an...

Mulching is the practice of covering exposed soil in a garden or landscape. There are a lot of benefits to using mulch in the garden. Apart from making open areas look more attractive, a layer...

Wire tomato cages are relatively cheap, but almost never contain the entire tomato plant. They are subject to corrosion, bending and toppling over in a strong wind. Use something lightweight, UV...

Warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos and squash grow faster and stronger when planted in soil that is 60 degrees F or warmer. If you live in a place with cool summers...

Raised bed gardening offers several advantages over traditional gardening. There is no weeding, the soil can be prepared for specific types of plants, and if done correctly, can enhance your...

All plants are living things and that means that they will grow and change shape as time goes on. So, if you want your bushes to look good, you will occasionally have to intervene and clip them...

Early spring is the time when the chaparral flowers that are native to Southern California put on their best display. Here are some of the showiest California native flowers that will perk up a...

Hydroseeding is the technique of spraying seeds into place. It is an efficient and cost efficient way to cover larger areas with plants. It is also a good way to stabilize soil on hillsides. ...

The Bromeliad family is comprised of a large group of plants best known for the edible pineapple (Ananas). Many of them produce outrageously flamboyant flower spikes that almost look as if they...

For centuries, scarecrows have been used successfully to frighten crows and other birds away from crops and gardens. Scarecrows work because they are made in the image of one of bird's biggest...

Crows are a common problem for gardeners. It can be difficult to keep crows out of your garden once the crows have found this ready source of food. A single crow can wreck havoc on your garden...

Although we all want lovely landscapes to surround our homes, not everyone has a lot of time to spend caring for and maintaining garden needs. Since there is no such thing as a no-maintenance...

As water shortages become more widespread, water-wise gardening is becoming not only eco-smart, but economical. It’s more important than ever to realize that waterwise landscaping can be...

Tomatoes are technically considered fruits. So, too, is the closely related tomatillo. But unlike the tomato, the tomatillo is not grown as frequently. Although tomatillos are used often in...

Rock gardens have spread their charm in landscapes all over the world. The basic concept is to emulate the terrain of high mountain plants in their natural, rocky surroundings. Here is some...

When making a garden bed ideally you should double dig the bed first. Double digging takes time and effort but it's well worth the extra work involved by improving soil structure and fertility,...

The California Poppy is a lovely flower that can add brilliant color to your garden with little fuss. Here is some information on how to grow the California Poppy (Eschscholzia).

Black coffee has been used for many years to fertilize all types of plants. It adds nitrogen, magnesium and potassium to the soil. Coffee is an environmentally safe and friendly fertilizer, no...

Rooting a sweet potato vine can easily be done by even the blackest of thumbs. With only a few simple step you can turn sweet potato vine cuttings into plants of their own.

Planting a window herb garden can be a fun and rewarding project. Pick out some herbs you would like to grow and be able to use with your cooking, and your window herb garden will be beautiful and...

Although praying mantises may look like they have four legs and two arms, like all insects, they actually have six legs. These intriguing creatures stand on four legs and fold the front two legs...

Gardening is fun, relaxing and rewarding. It's also hard to know where to begin if you're a beginner. Here's how you can map or design a simple garden.

The economy is tough, money is tight, you've probably even got some time on your hands. How about dramatically improving the look of you yard for free. All you need is a some extra time and the...

Going on vacation and worried about your plants getting enough water while you are gone? Planting a cut-off outside in the heat of summer and not sure it’s getting enough water? This incredibly...

While there are several different types of Wisteria, all are known for producing beautiful flowers in the spring time or early summer. A wisteria vine can also add a pleasant fragrance to your...

If you want to know how to grow sweet potato slips then you've come to the right place. It take some patience and a little work but the rewards are great.

Have limited or no garden space. Then container gardening may be right for you.

It is fun and easy to create more blueberry plants from your original blueberry shrubs. In this article you will learn how to take softwood cuttings from your mature blueberry plants and how to...

Composting is one of the best ways to keep a garden healthy and maintained throughout the season. Used as an additive, fertilizer, or excellent mulch, compost adds vital nutrients to the soil and...

Growing your own vegetable garden can save you money at the grocery store as well as become a great learning activity for the whole family. Take Michelle Obama's lead and teach your family the...

You work very hard to have a beautiful flower garden, finally see them bloom, only to wake the next morning to find them eaten to the ground. If deer forage your foliage, you can choose certain...