Gardening Tips

Picture this: you’re an enthusiastic gardener, ready for a weekend of fruitful toil, only to discover rust on your favourite shears or your lawnmower refusing to start. Sound familiar? Such is a common woe faced by garden lovers across the country. Your garden equipment – the heart and soul of your green pursuits – often

Legend has it that Cassiopeia, an ancient queen of Ethiopia, bragged to Poseidon, god of the sea, that her daughter, Andromeda, was more beautiful than Poseidon’s sea nymphs. Poseidon was touchy about such things and punished Cassiopeia by sending a sea monster to terrorize the Ethiopians. Eventually, the Ethiopian rulers consulted oracles who told them

Carrots are generally bright orange-red in color, and there are a number of different types and shapes. New varieties have been introduced over recent years to remove the woody yellow cores from carrot roots and this explains the terms ‘red cored’ and ‘red cored improved’ attached to some varietal names. About this Plant… Family: -UmbelliferaeGenus,

Carrot Cultivation Carrots do best in deep, well-cultivated sandy loam, preferably well-manured for the previous crop. Fresh manure causes forking and excessive top growth. Apply a good compound fertilizer 7-10 days prior to sowing. This may be fish meal or 3 parts of superphosphate, 2 parts of sulfate of potash and 1 part of sulfate

ROOT CROPS Crisp, sweet carrots are just the beginning of delicious roots from the vegetable garden. Parsnips are back in style, possibly because of their sweet nutty flavor when lightly grilled. The new appreciation for vegetarian cuisine has also caused a surge of interest in turnips and rutabagas, two root crops long known only as

Spider mites, also known as two-spotted mites, become a particular problem for the gardener through the winter. Normally, they hibernate in ground litter or under the bark of trees or shrubs. However, if they stow away onto a plant being brought indoors, the artificial lights, and warm, dry, conditions of most heated homes will allow

Traditionally, garden sheds have been seen as humble outbuildings primarily used for storing garden tools and equipment. Yet, as you delve deeper into gardening and outdoor decor, you’ll soon realize these structures can offer much more. Uses For a Garden Shed With their unique charm and secluded location, garden sheds can be transformed into virtually

The garden shed is a structure that should be in any good garden that has an ounce of self-respect. Some people like to fill their garden sheds with tools, gardening equipment, and other such things that help them look after their house and garden. Others like to just have space where they can open the

There is a rarity about blue flowers that appeal to most gardeners. Many flowers are called blue, but comparatively few are a pure blue. Catalogs in general make little distinction between blue and tones of purple. And in association with other colors, blue is scarcely less valuable than white. It conflicts with none, it softens

Camping can be one of the most immersive nature experiences you can have. It allows you to interact with nature, see its beauty, and understand the importance of adopting more sustainable practices.  However, identifying the harm of common camping practices can be challenging. It’s not always as simple as cleaning as you go and leaving

Managing Plant Growth: To ensure optimal growth, your seedlings require specific conditions. Keep the temperature around 65°F (18°C) and provide gentle air circulation and ample light. Research has shown that lowering the night-time temperature of seedlings to 55-60°F and lightly brushing your hands over the tops of the seedlings for a couple of minutes each

Summer is one of the most fulfilling seasons for a gardener. Fields, containers and raised boxes are filled with green foliage, bright blooms and sentimental aromas. From tomatoes that are plump with rich juices to freshly cut herbs unlike anything found on grocery store shelves, summer is a gardener’s heaven. With harvesting efforts beginning, it’s

Storing your own fruits and vegetables at home at the end of the growing season, following a few simple guidelines, will enable you to have food of good nutrition and flavor into the fall and winter.  It is a good way to keep extra produce you can’t eat right away from the garden, and to

Notes on Annual Plant Descriptions Detail information addressing 50 types of annuals and how to use them in your garden. Did you know some annuals are hardier than others? Our notes for each plant states the difference from hardy annual to hardy hardy annual. H.A. Indicates that the plant is best raised as a hardy

Raising plants from seed is a most economical means of providing a long-lasting display for the cool greenhouse. Where a minimum night temperature of about 45°F (7°C) can be maintained the choice of flowering and of decorative foliage plants is considerable. Many plants that we normally grow as annuals in the open may prove to

Seed’s are nature’s way of increasing plant life and it is also the simplest method for the gardener to raising annual, biennial and in sometimes a perennial flowering plants. Gardens of in new developments tend to get smaller and smaller, due to the high cost of land, therefore you could plant or grow only the

Seed of hardy annuals may be planted in the open ground where it’s to flower; it is that simple. The main requirements are an full sunny position and a well-drained soil. Obviously, the condition of the soil will be reflected in the quality of the flowers produced and to get the best results the ground

Not all annuals can just be planted in the soil and hope for the best. Most annuals have a special purpose and function in the garden environment. Think about your garden and understand how you can use the annual flower. Enclosed are several options you can use for your annual flowers. Hardy annuals for Autumn

If your property has more exposure to traffic, neighbors, or passersby than you like, you can create a living fence using a mixture of tall ornamental Grasses, flowering shrubs, and large, colorful perennials. Although the diagram indicates a corner location, the recommended plantings could be reconfigured to fit a long border or any other situation.

HEDGES THAT CAN TAKE IT! Seemingly, many home gardeners fail to appreciate the value and proper use of pruning shears, plant food, and mulches in the care of hedges. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to grow beautiful hedges, and hedge plants are not especially exacting in their requirements, but a few