When you plant a tree or shrub, its' easy to simply forget about it and let nature take its course. I mean, there are thousands of forests out there and no one's pruning them. In reality, new trees and shrubs are open to a variety of illnesses, and pruning is a form of preventative maintenance. Pruning … [Read more...]
Fruit Tree Perils: Apples and Peaches and Pests, Oh My!
August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Many people like the idea of using fruit trees as both a landscaping tool and as a food source. My own father had a small grove, and I have extolled the fun and difficulties of growing them. Fruit trees are never more beautiful than when they flower up before developing fruit and it can turn a yard … [Read more...]
Plant Care: Too Much of a Good Thing Can Be Bad
July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Many people don't realize that plants are a lot like humans. We need to eat and exercise in order to have a healthy and strong life. If we get too much or too little of one or the other, it can have serious effects on us. Plants are the same way. When you start a garden, you know what will happen … [Read more...]
Gardening Tips: Dealing With A Bad Year For Your Yard
June 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
As much help and information about gardening as I try to provide, whether it be vegetables or flowers, there is occasionally going to be a bad year. You work hard and do everything right, but sometimes Mother Nature just gives you a small crop of veggies or only a few blooms. Growing up, my mom planted … [Read more...]
Home Landscape: How to Prepare for Designing Your Yard
June 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
When a person first builds their own home, it can be on a vacant lot, and it's up them to landscape it how they want. It can be an intimidating experience for someone with little to no experience, and a cash cow for professional landscapers preying on newbie homeowners. However, there is no reason … [Read more...]
Gardening Tips: Indoor Plants to Enhance Your Home Decor
June 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
I spend a lot of time telling people how to start and manage a garden outside, but there are many who prefer to turn their home into indoor gardens by placing several potted plants in their rooms. The care of an indoor plant is a little different than plants that have steady access to sunlight and water. Insects Even … [Read more...]
‘X’ Marks the Spot: Choosing a Garden Plot
June 7, 2011 By 14 Comments
Around this time every year, people start thinking about gardening and how they can make their own little veggie paradise. The location for your garden is a big decision because the wrong spot could mean disaster for your plants. Here is a little guide on how to choose a garden space; I hope it helps … [Read more...]
Happy Gardening: 5 Tips for Keeping It Fun
June 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Many people start gardening because they want to grow their own food or create a beautiful attraction to their yard, but few realize the amount of hard work it takes to keep a garden up and running. The weeding, watering, covering up when it’s cold - the list goes on and on. Newbies to the hobby, … [Read more...]
How to Aerate a Garden or Lawn
May 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Aerating is something many people don't think about for their flower bed or garden. They just naturally assume nutrients and water will effectively soak through the soil and get to the roots, but this isn't always the case. Rocks, weeds and compacted soil can keep the water and nutrients from penetrating … [Read more...]
Soil pH: A Tricky Concept
May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Look up any kind of care information about a flower or vegetable and you’ll come across their ideal soil content pH. This number describes how acidic or basic a soil should be. For example, blueberries prefer soil that is highly acidic, but cabbages prefer soil that is more basic. The pH meter is … [Read more...]
