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.
Nitrogen is the most leach nutrient in garden soil, the presence of nitrogen is so important because nitrogen supports plant life in so many ways. This macronutrient is a major component of chlorophyll, chlorophyll aids plants in converting the energy of the sunlight into sugars from water and carbon dioxide.
With the exception of hydroponics, the key to growing healthy plants is the soil type, the soil really does matters and lay at the roots of plant life. Although native soil has its place and may be looked upon as the ideal soil, the truth of the matter is there are many native soil types that need a little help (soil amending).
The words fire up the grill are all too common as we connect with nature outdoors spending time with family and friends on special occasions especially during sports season as we cheer on our favorite teams. But what is a barbecue without those pleasant aromas and mouth-watering flavors that excites our taste buds?
Whether growing and harvesting tomatoes from our home gardens or purchasing from our farmers or supermarket our desire or goal is not only to have healthy delicious tomatoes but to preserve them so they can maintain their flavors and freshness. But one thing that we all can agree on is for many of us if not all of us there are times when those once healthy tomatoes that we were planning on using in that delicious recipe/recipes can no longer be used because of not knowing how to preserve them.
St Augustine grass is one of the most popular grasses in the state of Florida, this warm-season turf can tolerate the heat and the humidity. The blades of the St Augustine grass is blue-green, what I love about this grass type is it can tolerate salt making this turf ideal for coastal yards. When well-maintained St Augustine grass forms a dense tick turf that will compete with weeds.
Pentas or the Egyptian star is native to tropical southern Africa, Madagascar, Comoros, and the Arabian Peninsula. This garden beauty belongs to the family Rubiaceae and attracts pollinators. Pentas are commonly installed in garden and landscaping designs such as border plants, in hanging baskets, around the trunks of trees, along a garden path walkway, throughout a garden plant bed, 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.
I am sure all of you can identify with me that mosquitoes can be a real nuisance invading our outdoor as well as our indoor living spaces. Have you ever thought of spending some relaxing time outdoors seeking not only to get that much-needed fresh air as you connect with nature but to enjoy your beautifully maintained garden only to have those plans disturbed by mosquitoes?
Ensure that, that special man in your life is equipped with the right tools to do the job right, 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…
Do you want a garden that can save you both time and money or maybe you may have an existing garden that is a drain on your wallet? Well, what if I told you, you can have a garden that can save you both time and money. “Yes you can have your cake and eat it too”, you can have the best of both worlds, how? by installing a drought-tolerant garden that will work wonders for you. This garden type can also be viewed as a summer garden.
Garden enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike are finding creative ways to continually keep gardening fresh, alive, and vibrant which I think is pretty amazing. There are so many types and styles of gardens that have captured the attention of so many persons either on a small scale such as home gardens or on a wider scale for example team parks, parks, garden shows, etc…
It’s that time of year again that provides us the opportunity to get outdoors and begin working the soil. 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.
The world of gardening just fascinates me, when you take a step back and see how far we have come, there were many things our former generation thought us. Since then we have improved greatly by the many discoveries that have been made and are being made continuously
I believe these new discoveries brought more excitement as garden enthusiasts and weekend worries spend time outdoors connecting with nature by working hand in hand to assist where ever they can which in my opinion is a great trade-off. We can go on and on with the many areas in gardening with how this works.
Have a colorful season all summer long with these 4 container garden ideas that are sure to bring that much-need flavor and change, If you don’t have the space to install the garden you’ve always desired or you may have been planning to give your outdoor living space a facelift then look no further because with a container garden you can bring that much-needed change.
The summer months can be such a challenge especially as we seek to get outdoors working the soil in our gardens, the good news, however, is we can take advantage of this time of year because we are presented with the opportunity to grow our very own edibles in a way that is healthier and can save us by decreasing the amount of money that’s spent at the supermarket.
The gooseberry plant or bush is “native to many parts of Europe and western Asia, this berry plant belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and is commonly known as Amla, Indian gooseberry, and emblic myrobalans”. The gooseberry bush which is a citrus plant can be found growing naturally in rocky alpine thickets and the rocky woods in the lower country from France eastward, well into the Himalayas and peninsular India.
There are numerous insecticides that have been formulated to control garden insect pests and are sold under different trade names and brands. What I love about insecticides is their fast-acting effect, although some may deliver a quicker knock-down than others. Despite this fact, and as good as this sounds caution should be taken when turning to this method to control garden insect pests.
There are about 50 plus species of roses that range in so many colors, sizes, and shapes, most rose species are native to Asia while a smaller number are native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae.
The summer months are finally here which gives us a chance to go outdoors and work in our gardens, although the heat may be a challenge, working in our gardens provides us the opportunity to connect with nature as we install beautiful plants that displays their own uniqueness with their varies sizes, shapes, colors, and fragrance.
There are so many benefits to having a garden but one of the highlights is the presence of beautiful butterflies that shows up, especially in large numbers. Butterflies are known as pollinators helping to contribute to our ecosystem that is so diverse. What I found to be so amazing is that there are estimated to be “over 100,000 species of butterfly worldwide”.
Bring lots of colors into your spring and summer gardens with Pentas, these tropical perennial beauties also go by the common name the Egyptian star. Pentas are native to tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, thriving best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. If you are planning on installing a wildlife garden then Pentas are the perfect fit, these plants will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden area.
The blue daze evolvulus is a beautiful flowering plant, that grows and thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9-13. This garden beauty is native to Paraguay and Brazil, blue daze is a perennial evergreen in the morning glory family. What I find so amazing about this tropical evergreen is the fuzzy grayish leaves it produces along with the abundance of flower bloom.
In our last article, we discussed Bermuda grass and its many benefits, but the flip side of the coin is although this grass is hailed for its toughness there are many persons who find Bermuda grass to be a nuisance and would much rather get rid of it. Bermuda grass is viewed by some as an invasive weed.
Bermuda grass has so many benefits, this grass type is drought and heat resistance can withstand heavy foot traffic, establish very quickly, is a good ground cover, and has been known to compete with weeds. Bermuda grass is used widely on sports fields such as golf courses, football fields, baseball fields, etc.
Bermuda grass has a strong resistance to many common grass diseases and recovers much more quickly from damage than many grass types. Bermuda grass also grows rapidly, the flip side of the coin is this turf does not tolerate heavy shade so when installing Bermuda grass ensure it gets plenty of sunlight. This is a full-sun-loving grass.
The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is a member of the family Nymphalidae this garden beauty has colors of pale orange to the upper wings, blacktips are on the forewings marked with spots that are white. Rows of black spots can be found on the hindwings, and blue eyespots which are pale can be found on their undersides.
During springtime, a vast number of the painted lady butterfly migrate northward across the Mediterranean from Africa to Britain and even Europe traveling thousands of miles. These butterflies are known to mate through all seasons including the winter months mating while even migrating.
Do you want to have a Continual Harvest by Growing Foods Anyware and at Any time of the year? then look no further. The Aerogarden systems can make this possible. These gardening systems will have you gardening like a Pro as you connect with nature indoors. Growing Food Crops with these systems is very easy and so much as you Reap a Bountiful Harvest!!
The Aerogarden System doesn’t require soil, taking the Hassle out of Gardening this method of growing food crops is so Simple, not Messy and it’s not Laborious or Time-Consuming. Just follow the instructions, and you are done and on your way to Growing Fresh Herbs and Vegetables from your Kitchen Countertop.
With indoor gardening, we can extend the season year-round while eating fresh. Gardening indoors provides us the opportunity to grow edible foods in a safe way, why, because we are in control of how our foods are being grown. While it may be true that all plants may not thrive well on the inside we will take a closer look at those that dose and see how we can have much success by growing our own food crops.
What I love about gardening is there are so many innovative ways in creating a garden you desire, even if you don’t have the space. These new methods are so simple but effective Saving you Time and Money as you Reap a Good Harvest.
Another idea that the industry has come up with is growing plants in grow bags. Though this idea is not new gardeners all over the country are having much success with this way of growing plants especially plants with a shallow root system.
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.
The blue daze evolvulus flowering plant is native to Paraguay and Brazil. This perennial beauty is evergreen and a member of the morning glory family. Another name for the blue daze is the dwarf morning glory.
Living in the tropics can be an awesome experience, it’s like living in a garden paradise where you can relax and move at a slow pace. If you were to ask the question or get someone’s opinion about the tropics they would most likely say the tropics are a garden paradise where there are sunny days with blue skies, white clouds, miles of white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, palm trees, and lots of beautiful colorful plant species, birds singing sweetly and other wildlife resting or actively going about their daily routine.
There is just something about fresh cut flowers that make our day, whether growing them in our home garden with the intention to brighten up our indoor living space or may have gotten them as a gift the beauty and presence of cut flowers can change the atmosphere and one’s attitude or mindset.
The insect world is so vast that they outnumbered the human race by far, the human population is”7.9 billion” whereas there are estimated to be “10 quintillion insects” on planet earth. I know, the word quintillion can twist your tongue or cause you to get tongue-tied, That’s a lot of insects, many of these insects can be found in our homes and gardens.
Pentas are beautiful flowering heat-loving plants that are native to central and eastern Africa, Saudi Arabian Peninsula, and Madagascar. Pentas is a flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae and is commonly known as the Egyptian star cluster. These garden beauties produce many flowers that come in an array of colors from purple, white, red, dark pink, etc… what also makes Pentas so unique is the small star-shaped flowers that grow in clusters.
It’s amazing how plants can bring such change to our environment, plants have many benefits including being grown for food. All of us depend on plants to help us in so many different ways even wildlife, and insects depend on plants for their survival. Plants play a major role on our planet, from our outdoor gardens to our indoor living spaces the presence of plants can make a huge difference.
The bougainvillea plant is a tropical to sub-tropical beauty that is native to South America, this shrub is widely used in outdoor gardens as a hedge. Because bougainvilleas are known as climbers or spreaders they can be planted alongside lattices, fenced areas, arbors, carports, gazebos, etc.
In our last article, we discussed how to prune hibiscus in the spring, if you have not read it yet then you can find out how by clicking the link that has been provided. But what we will now be turning our attention to is how to prune hibiscus in the summer, although you prepared your hibiscus for the summer by giving them a spring cleaning or pruning these garden beauties can and should also be pruned in the summer to continue to perform
Preparing your hibiscus to produce an abundance of flowers requires some know-how. As the summer months approach what you want is to get a jump start so when summer finally reaches your hibiscus will become fluffy or fuller (leaves) with an abundance of flower blooms. The ideal time to prune hibiscus is during the spring months or when the weather starts to warm up.
Bougainvilleas can provide an abundance of beautiful colorful flower blooms to your garden area, this hardy tropical plant can either be grown as a vine, shrub, or tree. What I also love about the bougainvillea plant is that once mature or established becomes drought-tolerant, the ideal place to grow bougainvilleas are USDA zones 9 to 11
Hameln dwarf fountain grass or Pennisetum alopecuroides is believed to have originated from “Germany”, and is indigenous to open woods, grasslands, wetlands, and wastelands of Eastern Asia and possibly Western Australia. This garden beauty looks stunning and compliments rock gardens, planned near a pond and a stream, as a backdrop in a plant bed, along a garden walking pathway, large open areas, mass planting, container gardening, etc…
Ixora’s are tropical to subtropical evergreen shrubs that produce an abundance of small flowers that forms in clusters, with small green glossy leaves. Although Ixora is grown as a perennial in warm climates it’s viewed and grown as an annual in temperate and colder climates. This plant performs best however in USDA zones 9 and above.
The Oregon grape is native to much of the western United States but grows mostly east of the Cascades from Central BC southward. This low-growing evergreen shrub produces pale yellow flowers form in long racemes of about eight inches. The leaves are blue-green turning dusky maroon during winter.
The sea grape plant can be grown as a tree, hedge, or shrub, this tropical beauty is native to tropical America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The sea grape or the Coccoloba uvifera is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, sea grapes are grown in many coastal areas because of their high salt tolerance and also serve as a dune stabilizer and protective habitat for small animals.
Growing an indoor herb garden is a great way to connect with nature while growing our very own edible crops, this method of gardening places us in the driver’s seat where we are free to explore and grow our favorite garden herbs. Two of my favorite herbs that both my wife and I enjoy growing from our home garden are basil and rosemary.
Aspirin is a common drug or medication that I think every home should have, these pills are used to treat mild to moderate aches and pains, such as muscle aches, toothaches, etc… the important component that’s found in aspirins is called salicylic acid. This active ingredient eliminates pain and swelling in humans but when given to garden plants aspirins help by boosting the plant’s immune system. When a plant’s immune system gets boosts it helps a plant fight against garden pest invasion, parasitic attacks, and pathogens or plant diseases.
Have you ever heard the saying that “one man’s junk is another man’s Treasure”? but what if I tell you that your junk can also become your treasure. This saying is so true even when it comes to taking care of our gardens, we can reuse kitchen scraps (Vegetables and Fruits) to grow and maintain healthy plants.
Up to this point, we have discussed blue daze winter care, blue daze care, blue my mind, blue daze ground cover, blue daze hanging basket, blue daze seeds, and propagating blue daze in soil but what we haven’t touched on yet is propagating blue daze in water. Yes, this method of growing blue daze has proven to be effective which we will be discussing below.