home sectionhome section
Setting up a vegetable garden is one of the most fulfilling things a person can do. Get a step-by-step guide to vegetable gardens with help from the owner of a nursery in this free video clip.
Grow chrysanthemums to add bold color and variety to your garden or landscape. These Chinese natives have been in cultivation for over 2000 years, according to the Purdue University horticulture department. During this lengthy period of cultivation, horticulturalists and plant breeders have developed numerous cultivated varieties with a vast array of flower colors, shapes and sizes. Chrysanthemums come in garden varieties and florist varieties. Florist varieties are not cold-hardy and are better suited for the greenhouse. Pick a garden-variety chrysanthemum for growing in the landscape.
Orchids are native to many different climates including the tropics and the arctic tundra. The orchids available in retail stores are usually from the tropics. In their native environment they grow in the tops of trees where the roots cling to bark and the orchid receive a lot of filtered sun. These beautiful plants are available in thousands of varieties. Phalaenopsis is a hybrid suitable for a novice because of their easy care.They are readily found in many retail stores, and are available in a variety of colors ranging from white to a deep maroon. With some basic care, your…
Orchids are elegant indoor plants that add a zen presence to a home. They come in a variety of colors such as white, pink, striped and even speckled, orchids. Orchids have different fragrances as well such as chocolate, winter-green, cinnamon and lemon. They can be picky growers and need special attention. If you are noticing your orchid is not flourishing as it should, you can save your orchid before it is too late.
Unfortunately orchids have always had a reputation for being difficult houseplants. They are, however, really not any more difficult to grow indoors than any other foliage plant once you understand and meet their needs. They like temperatures similar to what most humans would find comfortable and lots of fresh air. The major obstacles to growing orchids indoors are the low light levels and potentially low humidity levels. Once you have found the perfect spot for your orchids, maintenance is little more than keeping up with watering.
Tropical orchids are common indoor plants in America. Most of these tropical orchids are tender perennial plants called epiphytes that grow in the crotches of tall trees and are able to withstand winter outdoors only in the very warmest parts of the world. However, there are more than 200 species of related cold-hardy perennial orchids, also called terrestrial orchids, that winter outdoors throughout much of North America, including parts of Canada and Alaska.
Herbs have many uses, everything from flavoring food to treating or preventing illness. Most herbs are easy to grow in a home garden. Some are perennial, meaning that they die off in the winter but return in the spring, while others are annuals and must be replanted every year. In very mild climates, some annuals will act as perennials, continuing to grow and thrive for years. However, all herbs have their specific growing requirements and when these needs are met, the home gardener can harvest an ample crop of herbs to use fresh or dry for later use.
Orchids have a bad reputation of being difficult to grow, but there are so many species that you should be able to find one that's appropriate for your environmental conditions. There are four types of orchids. Most are in the epiphyte category, and others are lithophytes, saprophytes and terrestrials. The easiest-to-grow varieties include Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. The horticulture of growing orchids involves preparing the soil for the plants and providing them with the nutrients they need to thrive.
Using a garden tiller is hard work. Using a tiller that isn't right for the job is also difficult and painful. To save your arms and back, as well as money and time, choose a garden tiller with features that match the size and soil type of the area you need to prepare for planting.
Soil is renewed as plants use up its existing nutrients. Decaying mulch, earthworm castings and decomposing matter are part of the natural soil rebuilding process. A lack of proper nutrients in the soil hampers the flowering ability and growth of plants.
People with small home gardens frequently find hand tilling too time consuming and choose to plow and turn the land with an electric- or gas-powered garden tiller. There are three basic tiller types to consider for the job.
Unlike tropical orchids that thrive by attaching themselves to trees or growing in home-prepared tree bark, hardy orchids grow in the ground. Though relatively low maintenance, William Mathis' book "The Gardener's Guide to Growing Hardy Perennial Orchids" gives new orchid gardeners insight into their care.
Shrubs add variety to any garden, especially when planted among trees, vegetables and flowers. Remember these tips when planting and maintaining your shrubs to ensure quick growth and longevity.
Phoenix has a hot and dry desert climate, which requires gardeners to amend and irrigate the soil for vegetable gardening. Most popular types of vegetables do not naturally grow in Phoenix, so gardeners must create the right environment for them.
A garden tiller can reduce the time and effort you need to break ground for your garden. Tillers cultivate between rows. You can edge or dethatch with multi-use attachments, getting more use out of your tiller.
Patient gardeners can rid their garden of weeds the natural way, keeping toxic pesticides off their landscape. Weed mats are easy to install and come in an array of sizes. They are slow to operate and look ugly while they remain in place, but they kill groundcover effectively, allowing you control over your lawn once again. Mat groundcover weeds from spring to fall if you experience winter frosts; gardeners in subtropical climates can perform this task in winter, too.
Japanese anemones are some of the last perennials to bloom, setting out pink to white 2-inch blossoms on long stems in late fall. They are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8, growing 2 to 4 feet tall with a 1 to 3 feet wide spread. The University of Maryland extension service gives a pH range of 6 to 7 for healthy Japanese anemones. Other gardening guides provide slightly varying pH recommendations, but all are slightly acidic to neutral.
The exquisite rose flower--symbolizing beauty and love--has enthralled millions for eons with its delightful appearance and gentle, enticing aroma. Fossil evidence reveals that roses are more than 35 million years old and were first cultivated approximately 5,000 years ago. The flower has remained a particular favorite with royalty through the ages, who consider the rose a symbol of valor.
Master Gardeners in Houston are volunteers trained in horticulture by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. They are members of the local community and participate in programs as teachers, speakers and guides. The Master Gardener program in Harris County, where Houston is located, sponsors educational programs for adults and children. Master Gardeners assist extension agents with other programs as well.
A well-tended vegetable garden provides fresh and tasty meals, a lighter grocery bill and a meaningful hobby. Gardeners residing in Florida discover that the warm climate can reward them with a long and plentiful harvest. Florida vegetables usually thrive through most of the year, but their gardeners will face obstacles that their northern peers may not. Before starting your Florida vegetable garden, be sure to learn the challenges and tricks of the trade.
Flowers beautify your yard and add curb appeal to you house. There are literally hundreds of species of flowers to choose from in every color you can imagine. Every flower has different requirements for light, soil type and water. Choosing the right flowers for your yard and lifestyle will help ensure a successful flower garden.
The keys to a successful vegetable garden are rich soil, plenty of water, good sunlight, and quality plants or seeds. With these, gardeners can produce fresh vegetables that can be put up for the winter.
When gardening, remember that wintertime is a great time to plan a garden. Discover how to draw a diagram before starting a garden with help from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening tips.
Building naturally healthy soil is something our great-grandparents used to do. Before the introduction of pesticides and fungal sprays, our ancestors used to practice the good-old-fashioned art of crop rotation. Having knowledge of what kinds of crops infect the soil; starve the soil; and naturally repair the soil, helped have generations of successful vegetable gardens that could reliably feed large families. Organically! Before organic was a notion. Here is a guide for what to plant and what to skip so that you and your family can have all the benefits of home grown produce without the chemicals.
