One of the key components to growing healthy poinsettias is carrying out pruning procedures, for the beginner garden however this may seem to be a bit of a daunting task of fear of damaging or killing the plant. However, there is no need to fear because the knowledge we’re about to share will give you the confidence to prune your poinsettias to ensure that they stay healthy and vibrant.
Although the Christmas holidays come to an end and the warmer months arrive you can still keep your poinsettias growing healthy and thriving, one of the many challenges however is knowing how to continue to care for these garden beauties once the colder months have passed. Besides providing adequate moisture the proper lighting and the right amount of fertilizer there other maintenance practices that must be carried out which include insect pests and disease issues that may arise.
A Plant that’s a favorite at Christmas time is poinsettias, these garden beauties have been a part of the Christmas tradition for centuries, in fact, history records that the tradition of poinsettias being used at Christmas time began ” in southern Mexico in the 1600s when Franciscan monks or priest used the colorful leaves and bracts to adorn extravagant nativity scenes”.
The cold months have finally arrived but you shouldn’t let that stop you from extending the season, why not move your outdoor garden indoors by gardening in containers, this method of gardening can have you connecting indoors with nature amid the freezing outdoor temperatures. What I also love about growing foods indoors is having an almost endless supply of fresh healthy veggies grown by my very own hands.
The colder months of the year are not the time to hang up our garden gloves and put away the tools until the warmer season arrives, there is still much that can be done during this time of the year and even though nature is taking that long-awaited rest, nature will still lend a hand to those of us who see the many opportunities of working in our winter gardens.
The colder months have finally arrived which means that much of our garden chores have basically come to a standstill even though there may be a few tasks that can still be carried out. However one of the challenges that we have to deal with is the removal of snow which can become a daunting and challenging task, many homeowners prefer to call a professional company but for the homeowner who may be thinking of DIY your yard ( do it yourself) here are a few helpful tips that will guarantee success on how to remove snow from your yard.
The cooler months are finally here and as the temperatures continue to dip it’s not too late to winterize or prepare your fruit trees to survive the colder months as it sets in. Making preparations now will ensure that your fruit trees are healthy and in top shape, once the warmer seasons return. The steps that we are about to discuss have proven to be effective in fruit tree winter protection. Let’s continue our discussion below as we take a closer look at winterizing fruit trees in South Florida.
For most of us, spending time in our gardens is a great way to unwind and relax as we connect with nature, allowing the creativity of our minds to come forth in our garden oasis that says home sweet home. The spring through the summer months and even autumn offer us the opportunity to plant our favorite veggies, fruits, herbs, ornamentals, and flowering plants that paints our gardens and landscapes with an array of beautiful colors.
Mulches are natural organics that can benefit our gardens and landscapes in so many ways however although mulches are popular their use is limited by many homeowners simply because of not knowing how important mulches are to plant life, soil, and soil microbes. I have used mulches over the years both on outdoor garden projects as well as interior plantscape and have seen how these natural organics do not only transform (aesthetics) those garden projects but the nutrients that were added as mulches break down or decompose over time.
Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus this veggie/fruit belongs to the same family ( Cucurbitaceae family) as squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Cucumbers have many benefits and can be eaten raw in salads, alone, and on sandwiches, and can also be fermented or pickled. Cucumbers are mostly water 95% making this veggie a good food for hydration.
Blue daze is so amazing filling your garden with its amazing colors while bringing that much-needed flavor.
How would you love to have blue daze? not blue days but blue daze as a part of your garden and landscapes, these garden beauties can brighten your day with their beautiful flowers though small which can be an eye-catcher adding to the overall design of your landscape and gardens.
Although we’re in the fall months now is not the time to stop gardening as the winter months approach, there is much more that can be done to extend the season for a fall and winter crop. We can continue to eat fresh through the fall and winter months by shifting our focus on gardening indoors, this time of the year presents us with so many opportunities to connect with nature indoors. The Aerogarden system can help us to achieve this goal.
Give that special man in your life that gift that will help to make those garden projects easier, gardening can be such a rewarding experience as we connect with nature in our outdoor living space making a positive contribution to our environment and ecosystem. There is just something about working the soil and cultivating our gardens. Whether it’s planting and nurturing vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, etc…
There is a place in the garden for everyone, as men, we work the soil seeking to bring change to our environment by beautifying or giving our gardens a facelift or even growing edible foods which have so many rewards. Equally important is the presence of women as well, I have watched many gardens shows where women were at the helm as they created many garden designs which brought that WOW.
Working outdoors Whether planting a vegetable, flower, or herb garden or installing or maintaining your lawn, weekend warriors and garden enthusiasts alike are connecting with nature seeking to reap a good harvest from their time spent working outdoors during the spring and summer months.
We are now in the fall months so it’s time to get out into our gardens and begin that fall cleanup but one of the requirements of doing a fall garden cleanup is ensuring that our garden plants are nicely manicured. In order to accomplish this or make those pruning jobs easy and simple, we need the right tool especially if the branch size is too thick for a hand pruner or a lopper shear.
Once properly maintained St Augustine grass is a real show stopper, I have worked with this grass type over the years and on many garden projects and have seen what can happen with this grass gets the attention that it needs.
Durants are beautiful shrubs that can bring that need color into your landscapes and gardens, you can populate your gardens with as many as you want that will not cause you a dime.
The question has been asked, can you grow Duranta from cuttings? the answer to that question is Yes. The golden Duranta or golden Dewdrop is a tropical to sub-tropical plant or ornamental shrub which includes about 30 species.
Mandevillas are beautiful plants that make a bold statement by their amazing flower bloom which is so stunning, I love the way Mandevilla grows which makes them a stopper and worth mentioning.
Hibiscus is a tropical shrub that is grown on a wide scale because of its beauty, ease of growth, and its low maintenance. I have worked with many species on garden and landscape project and have seen the flavor these plants brings once use as a part of your garden design. Although hibiscus is popular for being grown outdoors the question is can hibiscus be grown indoors or as a house plant?
Fall allergies are common in the U S, in fact, it’s estimated that “50 thousand people have fall allergies”, it’s said that” one in five” has allergies issues. It’s believed that “allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness”. There are many culprits that are responsible for allergies some of which include dust, mold, dust mites, certain foods such as peanuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, some fruits and vegetables, soy, wheat, etc...
A part of our fall garden maintenance care does not only involve our edible and ornamental gardens but taking care of our lawns as well, in the previous discussion we have touched a bit on fall garden maintenance care but in this guide, we will be going more in-depth into taking care of our lawns during the fall months and the reason for this is to prepare and to keep our lawns healthy during this time of the year as the winter months approach.
As the temperature begins to dip it’s a sign from nature that the winter months are fast approaching, but despite this time of the year for those who haven’t started as yet there is still time to work in your gardens. Yes even during the fall months we can get busy in our gardens, just a few days ago I was busy in my yard and garden doing my fall cleanup.
The use of cold frame gardens popularity is widespread, this type of gardening is not a new concept but has been around for some time now, and based on the rise in popularity this method of gardening is not going away anytime soon. But the question many may be asking is what is cold frame gardening? simply put cool frame gardening or a cold frame garden is a bottomless box that is set out in the garden over plants to protect them from the Cold weather.
The Spring and Summer months presented us with the opportunity to work the soil as we grew some of our favorite edible and ornamental plants, now that we’re in the fall months there are still a lot of opportunities that we can take advantage of as the winter months approach. However, for the beginner gardener the question may be asked how do I take advantage of this time of the year?
The warmer (Spring through Summer) season is not the only time to display an array of colors from our gardens and landscapes, the fall season as well as the early winter months can give us a beautiful show of colors provided we choose the right plants. A great way to add a rainbow of colors is the use of annuals, annuals are some of my favorites.
Garden insect pests can be a real nuisance as they invade our gardens making a meal out of our garden plants and what makes matters worse is that many of them have been known to carry and spread diseases. These garden pests can turn a dream garden into a nightmare causing healthy beautiful plants to become an eyesore if action is not taken immediately.
The fall months are depicted as a time when plants are preparing to take their long-awaited winter nap as leaves (deciduous plants) begin to fall from the trees along with the slow growth of garden plants. And while this is true for many plants there are so many that continue to grow (every green plant) throughout the year. Deciduous plants lose their leaves at a certain time of the year but will produce fresh beautiful leaves when the growing season or warmer months returns. Evergreen plants are plants that retain their leaves throughout the year and into the following growing season. However, in our discussion, we will be turning our attention to orchids.
In our previous articles, we discussed flowers to plant in the fall in South Florida and also vegetables to plant in the fall in South Florida but we will be turning our attention to some of the best herbs that can be grown during the fall months. Garden herbs have their place in our gardens and really do deserves our attention, the aromas and the flavors that herbs produce are just simply amazing.
Why limit the beauty of our South Florida gardens to the summer and spring months when we can extend the season to ensure that our gardens are in full bloom even during the fall months? While we can agree that the fall months present the opportunity to do a bit of spring cleaning the opportunity is also there to include flowering plants that can beautify and brighten our gardens during the fall months.
With the passing of spring and the summer months and winter fast approaching there is still much that can be done during the fall months, among the many tasks that are undertaken in our fall gardens is extending the season by growing vegetables. Yes even during the fall months we can grow edible foods in our South Florida gardens before the temperature dips ( the winter months sets in).
Are you tired of having to move back and forth when carrying small garden tools to your work area or what about making trips back and forth to your vehicle to collect groceries, etc… The mac sports collapsible folding outdoor utility wagon can make life easier for you, just load and go. This utility wagon is the answer to your transporting issues. The mac sports collapsible folding outdoor utility wagon can also carry camping gear, sports equipment, and beach chairs. This utility wagon is so convenient and can help you in so many ways.
We’re now in the fall months which means working in our gardens to prepare for the winter months as well as next spring and the summer months that are ahead of us, it is important (fall cleanup) that we do all that we can to get a jump start on the season. The benefits of doing a fall garden clean-up is like taking our gardens through a rejuvenation period which will encourage or give our gardens and lawns a renewal or fresh start so to speak that will boost their energy to produce a better yield whether growing flowers, fruits veggies, or herbs.
The corona tree Extention pruner and pole saw is a tool that’s used to reach those hard ( branches and limbs that are not easily accessible) to reach places such as branches and limbs that are far above ground level and require an extension tool that cuts with precision. This tool makes those pruning jobs so simple.
The autumn-blooming cherry tree is a hardy deciduous garden beauty that thrives best in Hardiness Zones 5-8 and produces an abundance of flowers ranging from light pink to white. There are other cherry trees however that produce flowers with dark pink, yellow or green blossoms. The autumn cherry tree has broad upright branches that are delicate, and the serrated, oblong-ovate leaves transition from a green color in the spring to gold, bronze, and red color during autumn.
As gardeners and weekend warriors, we strive for a garden that’s beautiful, healthy, and thriving whether it’s a flower, vegetable, herb garden, growing fruit trees, or ornamental plants we work the soil continuously to reap a good harvest from our time spent outdoors as we connect with nature but if the truth could be told there is much that goes into gardening successfully, from the soil to choosing the right planting location, fertilizer use, to disease and garden insect pests control but one practice that is so vital to plant survival and is misunderstood mostly by the beginner garden is how much water should plants receive, especially during a heatwave.
The spring and summer months were a busy time for all if not most of us, we worked in our gardens hoping to reap a good harvest from our food crops or to see our ornamental plants come to full bloom as they amaze us with their many shapes, sizes, and various colors. Now we’re in the fall months but we can’t throw up our feet just yet because during the fall months there is still much to do to prepare our garden beds before winter sets in.
What I love about greenhouses is the ability to extend the season with the plants of choice, these houses have become so popular because of the many advantages they offer which we will be discussing a bit later. Greenhouses can be any shape or size and based on your needs and the size of the area a greenhouse can be installed.
There are many maintenance practices that go into a beautifully maintained lawn, water management being one of those practices that’s so crucial for a lawn to thrive. I have seen lawns that were so badly neglected becoming an eyesore because of a lack of water and other maintenance issues. Lawns are living and breathing and therefore require not just water but the right amount of water to grow healthy.
A lawn that’s properly maintained is a show stopper that can get the attention of just about anyone, a lawn of this sort can increase your property’s value but in order to achieve this almost picture-perfect lawn requires some know-how. Our lawns can go through so much wear and tear such as foot traffic, insect pests, disease, hot dry conditions, heavily shaded areas, improper water, and fertilizing practices which can transform that once beautiful lawn into an eyesore.
I read a story many years ago about a farmer’s wife who grew beautiful roses that she loved dearly, one day she was asked the question about pruning her rose bush and her reply was “before I prune my roses I would rather cut off one of my chicken’s head”. I believe when it comes to pruning our plants, especially for the beginner there is fear of making even one snip and I understand in part.
Growing our very own homegrown edible garden is a great way to extend the season while eating fresh, this time of the year presents great opportunities to stay active in our gardens as we plan for and produce cool garden crops that will give a bountiful harvest come next spring.
Growing and maintaining indoor plants may not require as much attention as outdoor plants but indoor plants still need to be maintained to control their height and natural form. A part of proper maintenance practice for houseplants is keeping them will prune.
It is good to know that with limited space we can still have a garden or the garden of our dreams, gone are the days when gardening was only limited to the outdoor environment. We can now utilize our indoor living space to bring that much-needed change and flavor as we connect with nature.
Plants that add nitrogen to the soil is known as (Nitrogen Fixing Plants) these plants are responsible for capturing and releasing nitrogen for garden plants to grow healthy. Nitrogen is a macro or major nutrient that plays a vital role in the development of plant life, in fact, nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll, chlorophyll aids plants in converting the energy of the sunlight into sugars from water and carbon dioxide.
In our last article in case you missed it we discussed growing potatoes in grow bags, but today we will be discussing when to plant potatoes. This question has been asked so many times and we are here to give you a clearer or better understanding of the best time of the year these veggies can be planted to ensure you reap a good harvest.
Potatoes are considered to be a staple food, because of this the potato veggie is a popular vegetable that’s grown and cultivated in many home gardens and on a wider scale as well as(on farmlands). But before we get into the discussion of growing potatoes in grow bags I want you for a short while to travel back with me in time as we look at the origin of the potato plant.
Planting an edible garden is so exciting as we wait with great anticipation to reap a good harvest but if the truth can be told based on what we are growing can seem to take forever to reach our kitchens. Tomatoes for example are one of those edibles that requires patience as we wait for harvest time.
Growing tomatoes indoors is a great way to extend the season while eating fresh and healthy, while it’s good to utilize outdoor living space we can take advantage of our indoor living space as well, especially for those of you who may not have the space (outdoor gardens). Growing tomatoes indoors is a great way to have these delicious edibles at your fingertips. If you would like to know how to have success on how to grow tomatoes indoors then continue reading and see for yourself how simple this process is.
Wow how time flies, just the other day it seems, we were all in high gear as the spring months approach with great anticipation to get outdoors in our gardens and work the soil connecting with nature. Then it was on to the summer months where in spite of the heat we were still determined to reach our goals of completing those garden projects and now we are in the month of August. As summer is about to come to a close we enter the fall months.