Gardening Basics

Much of the appeal of container gardening lies in the creativity of choosing your containers. Galvanized tubs are great options offering a simple, rustic appeal. Galvanized tubs are inexpensive,...

Evergreens provide color, windbreak and privacy to the landscape year-round. They are a food source and habitat for wildlife as well. Sometimes in the dead of winter, however, a little greenery...

Hydroponics, a method for growing plants without soil, can be a challenge to sustain according to the University of Arizona College of Agriculture. Hydroponic gardening has been around since the...

Lead contamination in household objects is dangerous because it can cause lead poisoning in people who come into contact with them. Lead is sometimes present in items such as paint, toys and...

Making your own compost is easy. Compost is decomposed plant material that provides nutrients and organic matter to the soil. It can also be useful for loosening the soil, making it easier for...

Self-watering planters help take the guesswork out of caring for your houseplants. With a self-watering pot, the plant itself gets to determine how much water it needs and how often through a...

Container gardens are an attractive and functional option for people with small yards or no yards at all. Manufactured planter pots can be expensive, and the ceramic ones are very heavy....

Hydroponic tomatoes are grown within a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse, and without the aid of soil. The tiny plants begin to emerge with the use of a platform that is slotted to...

People use elephant ear leaves for many different crafts. Casting the leaves and drying them are two of the most popular options. Whether you want to preserve the elephant ears for casting at a...

Sphagnum moss grows in wet and boggy areas with low pH levels. It's typically found in thick, spongy clumps and has light green color fronds or leaves. Sphagnum moss is harvested as a...

Composting is an excellent way to recycle fruit, vegetable and yard waste. When composting is done correctly, worms transform the waste into highly nutritious garden or potting soil. A compost...

The best way to deal with kitchen scraps is to start a home compost pile. By saving and storing your kitchen scraps properly, you'll avoid fruit fly invasions and daily trips to the compost pile....

Container gardening is a wonderful alternative for those who do not have room for a traditional garden. Blueberries make a very pretty container plant. Blueberries are also easy to grow. There are...

The average household produces a great amount of organic waste. In New York City, the average home will throw away about two pounds each day, according to a report by the city's Department of...

The only type of bamboo that effectively grows in water is lucky bamboo. Lucky bamboo is not a member of the grass family like normal "woody" bamboos; it is actually a type of tropical water lily...

Red worms, also known as tiger worms, are a type of earthworm that eats decomposing vegetation and animal manure. The worms are popular among gardeners because they aerate the soil, accelerate the...

If you are planning to start your own vegetables or flowers by planting seeds, make your own grow box out of a Rubbermaid plastic container. Though you can purchase a grow box, making your own...

If you are interested in cultivating your own food, you may be concerned with the potential mess and bulk of traditional gardening. An interesting and effective alternative is a hydroponic grow...

Before I was born my mother and grandmother use to do a lot of ceramics. They made all kinds of things from ceramic to porcelain dolls and such. This piece in the picture is one that my mother...

Your hydroponic system can be as simple as a basic hand-watered system or a more complicated system with automatic pumps, lights and timers. It is possible to build a do-it-yourself system to...

Container gardens provide wonderful opportunities for gardeners to experiment with plant designs. Containers go anywhere, country or city, large space or small, sun or shade, and they require a...

The first couple of weeks of a plant's life are a very important time. This is the time when nutrients and water are used to begin the plant's life cycle and is the foundation for the health and...

Do you have need to add some calcium and alkaline ingredients to your soil? Are you trying to make sure your soils for planting work best for most plants, other than those that love an acid soil?...

You finally did it. You overcame the “Yuck” factor and started a small earthworm bin. Turned out it wasn’t so bad. It doesn’t smell at all unpleasant, and your worms composted a lot of kitchen...

You may think you need a compost pile to improve your soil, but that's not the case. Here I will tell you how easy it is to improve your soil without a compost pile by simply burying the...

Growing bananas is easy. There are tons of different varieties to choose from producing everything from finger sized bananas to plantains, blue, red, pink and rose bananas. Each variety has a...

Container gardens add flare and beauty to porches and patios. In the fall, when most spring and summer plants have passed their prime, give containers new life with cold-hardy plants that...

Container gardening is an art. It can be a bright accent to your existing landscape and can highlight the architecture of your home. Keeping a few simple things in mind will make your container...

There are a variety of ways to grow a vertical garden. You might grow a vertical garden to decorate a wall with a tapestry of living color and texture or you might grow a vertical garden when...

Every gardener knows the benefits of using compost. Many people have their own composting bins in their yard for the benefit of their garden. Not everyone has the room for a compost bin. Gardeners...

You can increase your supply of carnations and make new plants exactly like the ones you already have. It's easy to propagate carnations from cuttings taken from your own garden plants. Take...

I love Figs! There is nothing as sweet as a fresh from the tree Fig. I grew up having fresh Figs in the summer, but I don’t have enough room in my yard to plant a Fig Tree. I decided to grow my...

When it comes to gardening ideas, the possibilities are nearly endless. What ideas you implement should come down to your personal taste, the main purpose for your garden and the amount of time...

Vermiculite is a versatile soil amendment that adds moisture to sandy soils. You can also use it to start seeds or to root cuttings of perennials, trees or bushes. The advantage it has over using...

Hydroponics requires a two-phase planting system. You first set the seeds into an inert growing medium, such as rockwool cubes. Then set the cubes in a container of water so that the seeds are...

Potting soil is used for container gardening or for houseplants. Potting soil, though, isn't actually soil. Potting soil is made up of composted materials, peat moss, vermiculite and perlite, sand...

If you're looking to add some privacy to your yard or just want some added greenery, planting a hedge will give you both. Planting a hedge is also cheaper than putting up fencing. You might have...

A water garden is a great way to add interest to your landscaping. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of building a pond to hold your plants, you can make a water garden out of a...

Containers placed strategically around your outdoor deck can help fill the gaps in shady areas. Containers add visual interest on your deck, porch or even placed within a mulched garden with...

Most people think of sweet potatoes served for Thanksgiving dinner under layers of melted marshmallows, yet sweet potatoes can be enjoyed any time of year. This healthy food is loaded with vitamin...

If you do not have space in your yard for a vegetable garden make a garden in a container. Using a container as a vegetable garden allows you to have a garden anywhere you want. Its advantages...

Strawberry season only lasts a few weeks in many regions of the country. To enjoy your strawberries as long as possible, learn how to correctly pick and store your strawberries

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...

If you are looking for a fast-growing oak tree that produces acorns in a few short years, a sawtooth oak might be just the tree for you. A native to Asia, the sawtooth oak has adapted throughout a...

Experiment in designing your garden container arrangements. The best combinations for your planters and pots are the ones that you create yourself. Have fun and follow the simple steps for great...

A wildlife pond in your garden is a great way to encourage wildlife of all kinds into the garden by providing much-need nature habitat. You can create a mini bio-system right in your own yard.

When planting a tree or shrub from a container, break up the dirt and separate the roots to stimulate new growth. Plant a tree or shrub with tips from a sustainable gardener in this free video on...

To grow bamboo, place a piece of the plant in the ground or in a container and provide it with plenty of sunlight. Grow bamboo with tips from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.

Plants that work well for container gardening include annuals, which bloom in the spring and summer but die by the winter, perennial flowers and trees and shrubs. Find the perfect plants for any...

When designing a container garden, consider the color, texture and form of each plant, combining bold colors with softer textures, pairing upright forms with weeping shapes and a using a variety...