Gardening Basics

If you live near a busy street, you probably hear traffic noise. If you have children who like soccer, the sides of your house might be a little dented. Garden hedges can reduce the traffic noise...

Gardeners looking to cut back on water consumption, save on gardening costs and help the local environment would do well to include indigenous plants in their garden plans. Plants that are native...

Pear trees are beautiful with their full green branches and the delicious green or brown fruits they produce. They typically reach heights of 12 to 20 feet and have spreads as wide as they are...

Using field stones to form garden walls creates an attractive terracing effect, because the beds are elevated above the grass areas. This makes the plants in the upper beds easier to view. In...

Greenhouses offer the ultimate season extension device for home and market gardeners. A passive greenhouse or hoop house provides enough plant protection to stretch early spring and fall...

The plants in a greenhouse or conservatory thrive under several important conditions -- water, nutrients, temperature, and light, to name a few. One of the most important elements for an indoor...

Evergreen ground cover works to prevent soil erosion and provides an alternative to grass. Evergreens come in many types, with some flowering in the summer while others have full foliage...

The flowering quince or japonica is a round-topped shrub that grows 6 feet tall and 10 feet across. Full bloom occurs in early March with single, pinkish-orange blossoms. It also forms a tart...

Now that the seasons are changing, there are many ways you can start preparing for a beautiful home and yard next spring. Many of us have started gardening in the past few years, and now our...

Bird watching and feeding is a relaxing activity enjoyed by young and old alike. If you have committed to feeding and caring for our feathered friends, you can feel a special connection with them...

Maintaining gardens is enjoyable, creative work. Most people enjoy seeing beautiful flower gardens outside their homes or businesses, but don't have the time or skills to keep these gardens...

A well-balanced gardening or planting soil is the ideal growth medium since it possesses the correct soil structure and nutrient balance. Basic soil types that require improvement are clay, sand...

It often becomes necessary to transplant a plant that has outgrown its current location or would serve a better function elsewhere. North Florida, with its abundance of rain and relative lack of...

The avocado tree has been cultivated by people for so long that no one knows its exact botanical origin. The Aztecs grew it and their name for the fruit, aoacatl, morphed into our word "avocado." ...

A bonsai plant is a small, living tree that has been groomed for a reduced size. Properly groomed bonsai trees can still produce fruit and shed their leaves in winter. Growing and training your...

Does the thought of starting a compost pile intimidate you? It is a little work, but well worth the effort. Your fruit and vegetables will be so much more flavorful if they have been composted. ...

Some indoor plants bear attractive or useful fruit. If you want an indoor plant to bear fruit, you will need to know the sex of the plant. The sex of plants is a complicated topic. Like animals,...

Identifying a mystery seedling can be a fun but challenging task. Cherry tree seedlings can be difficult to identify since they can grow in virtually any region, though they produce the best fruit...

Rooftop gardens are becoming more and more common, particularly in urban environments, where their mitigation of the urban heat island effect and energy-saving properties are most desirable. The...

Compost is very important for your garden. It provides all the natural minerals and nutrients your plants need to grow. Composting is very hard work and time consuming, depending on the size of...

Gardening in a greenhouse can add months to the beginning and end of your growing season. Even beginners can be successful at greenhouse gardening. Whether gardening through the winter, or...

This is the time to start planning your flower beds for next year. During the summer months little bedding plants such as impatients, petunias and all tender perennials and annuals need to be...

Chances are at some point you have thought about removing a tree. Maybe it's blocking a view, buckling concrete, casting to much shade on your garden, or just making a mess. Here is a proven way...

The fun part in having a pool is that you can swim anytime you like, several times a day. The not-so-fun part is keeping up with all the laundry caused by continually washing and drying wet...

During times of economic uncertainty people pick up old habits or start a new one on tending a vegetable garden. I know I learned the hard way, trial and error, with many years of poor...

Many fruit trees do not come true from seed---the seeds from a Braeburn apple won't necessarily produce Braeburn apple trees---but one way that home gardeners can propagate their favorite...

If a tree is diseased, it will have to be cut down. Very large trees should be left to professional foresters and tree surgeons. If it's a small tree, however, you can cut it down yourself using a...

Serenity now! There are very few things as beautiful as a water garden or as serene as the sound of a gentle waterfall. Water gardens have been around for thousands of years. The very first water...

Just because you live in a apartment doesn't mean you can not have the benefit and the beauty of a garden. Gardens can provide you with fresh food at a lower cost than purchasing them from a...

For many of us a place of privacy is vital. An area that provides such a place would be wonderful. I felt this way also so created a place for meditation in my own back yard. It offers me privacy,...

Europe has enjoyed the beauty and charm of roof gardens for centuries. Now, more and more Americans are experimenting with this concept to insulate buildings, improve air quality and reduce CO2...

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...

Bull nettle---also called "stinging nettle"---is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. Course and prickly, this upright, invasive weed sports pale yellow flowers and berry-like fruit and causes an...

Ok, so your worm bin is ready to harvest? It should look like fresh earth with a little shredded paper or almost fully processed vegetable scraps. If not, do not feed your worms for another...

Quick question. What is your least favorite gardening chore. If you said weeding, then you agree with about 98% of gardeners. If you'd like to reduce the amount of time you spend weeding in your...

Many coffee drinkers grow their own coffee plants in order to have a fresh supply of coffee beans on hand. Because coffee plants are hard to grow in many climates, many home growers tend their...

Tangerines are a deliciously sweet fruit. If you have a green thumb and a little patience, you can grow your own tangerine tree from the seed – even if you do not live in a warm climate. Growing...

Hydroponics, or the science of growing plants in a mixture of water and air without conventional soil, is a relatively low-cost method of growing plants in limited space. A submersible aquarium...

Fresh vegetables are not only fun to raise but they also have healthy benefits. Growing a garden is a rewarding project for the entire family. However, it takes work to keep the weeds and pests...

Armadillos are pesky little creatures. Not only can they be hard to get rid of, but they can dig up a garden or yard quite easily in search of grubs and other food. There are several household...

Acai (pronounced "ah-sigh-ee") berries are the latest go-to super food. A product of the Amazon Rainforest, Acai berries are touted for their antioxidant properties. With growing interest in Acai...

Spring is finally in the air! For anyone hoping to eat well while getting a little bit ahead economically this year, it's time to think about planting a garden. That can be a daunting prospect if...

It’s hard to say which plants will produce the best results from cuttings. The rule is cuttings from hardwood stock or succulents are all possible sources for starting a new plant and sharing it...

This spring, I will go VERY GREEN in the gardening and lawn care of my home,as I will be my first attempt at xeriscaping, which will developing gardens, and landscape that requires minimal...

Styrofoam, also known as Polystyrene, is extremely difficult to recycle. Most recycling plants do not have the capabilities required to process the plastic derivative. Styrofoam is not used in the...

We have a small a courtyard that was filled with old dirt and rocks. The vegetation consisted of two big potted plants. I will show you how you can improve the landscape, without investing...

Growing a garden can be a healthful and economical way to feed your family. Collecting rainwater will not only save you money for watering the garden but will supply the plants with untreated...

Growing grapes is somewhat of a challenge depending on the climate and soil chosen for the plants. Since grapes grow on very long vines, all grapes are supported on a trellis. Purchasing...

Many kinds of trees, plants and shrubs can be made into a bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature version of a tree planted in a pot. Japanese maples are ideal deciduous trees for creating beautiful...

The success of hillside landscaping depends on a number of factors, including the steepness of the hill, soil type and budget constraints. The number one goal when landscaping a hill is to stop...