Tips to Start a Balcony Vegetable Garden

Growing an edible garden from your balcony especially if you’re living in the city is a great way to take advantage of these small spaces. While having the space to grow a garden is important a limited space can do just as well.

There are many homeowners who are taking advantage of these tiny spaces and having much success. Growing a balcony garden is not new but has been around for some time, in fact since the pandemic there has been an increase in growing edible crops not only from home gardens but balcony gardens as well.

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Tips to Reuse Old Mulch

We want our gardens to be beautiful and detailed at all times, one of the key components that’s responsible for this is the use of mulches, this natural organic can do wonders for our gardens because mulches serve so many purposes.  But what I found to be so amazing about mulch is it can be used any time of the year no matter the season, but mulch does have an expiry date and will begin to fade and break down losing its beauty over time.

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Tips to Release Beneficial Insects In Your Fall Garden

The presence of beneficial insects is a safe approach to controlling garden insect pests, this method which is also known as biological control has proven to safeguard against contamination especially when growing edible crops. The use of biological control is a natural ( nature’s way) occurrence, but history records that this method of biological control “first emerge in the 1870s”

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Fall Garden Soil Preparation

At the heart or the root of growing healthy plants that thrive or produce a good harvest is the soil, soil really matters and it starts at ground level which will help to determine how our garden plants will respond. I have never seen a beautiful garden with lush green and shades of colors that were growing in the wrong soil type, yet there are many that overlooked this fact (soil preparation) without having much garden success because of growing plants in poor soils or the wrong soil type.

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Tips to Plant a Fall Garden

Sure the winter months are fast approaching but now is not the time to hang up those gloves and put away your garden tools, there are still lots of opportunities to harvest a late-season crop before the cold season sets in. Working in our fall gardens can be lots of fun along with reaping the many rewards, the weather is still warm many bird species have not taken flight yet to escape the winter chill nor are the many wildlife taken hibernation but is still up and about.

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7 Reasons Why Plants Fail to Bloom

One of the highlights of planting a garden is the many beautiful flower blooms that make a statement, but what happens when your plants refuse to flower after the hard work you invested? For some, this can be both confusing and discouraging, but the good news is this issue can be resolved with the right information, in this guide we will be looking at solutions that will produce beautiful healthy flower blooms.

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12 Ways to Get Free Plants

Gardening can become very rewarding as we allow our imagination and creativity to guide our hands to create a work of art by bringing transformation to our outdoor or indoor living space. The different plant species with their shades of colors can bring that wow as we create our garden oasis that will brighten our days, or perhaps growing an edible garden that can help us to save on our grocery bill.

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Is it Safe to Garden When Pregnant

Gardening can be such a rewarding experience that can transform and impact our outdoor as well as our indoor living space in beautiful ways, no matter how big or small having a garden provides the opportunity for us to become creative and get in on some needed exercise as we work hand in hand with nature. But for that weekend worrier or garden enthusiast who can’t move as freely as before because of that little one or bundle of joy that’s on the way can still remain active in the garden although there are some dos, and don’t that should be considered to ensure the safety of both mom and her baby.

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Creating a Garden that Promotes Health

The world of gardening serves so many functions from edible gardens to water gardens, flower gardens, ornamental gardens, container gardens, seaside gardens, etc… it seems like there is no end to garden creativity that serves their individual purposes and brings along with them a multitude of benefits. One such garden we will be discussing is the creation of a healing garden.

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Tips to Keep Your Hydrangeas Blooming All Summer

Hydrangeas are beautiful plants that produce an abundance of beautiful flower blooms, These garden beauties are two species of plants Hydrangea quercifolia (the oakleaf hydrangea) and hydrangea arborescence (the smooth hydrangea). Hydrangeas are native to the North American continent, hydrangeas are woody shrubs that come in an array of colors from green, blue, and pink in all shades of lavender and white.

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Tips to Use Black Pepper as a Pesticide

Who would have thought that black pepper could be used to reduce and bring control to garden insect pests population, this herb or seasoning that’s all natural has proven that it’s not only great as an added flavor to our food recipes but can also act as a natural pesticide or repellent for insect control. The demand for natural ways or means to take care of garden plants is on the rise especially edible gardens to safeguard against food contamination along with decreasing air population that’s damaging to our environment and our eco-system.

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Growing Healthy Vegetables in Hot Weather

The summer months are the time of the year when farmlands, plant nurseries, home gardens, and other plant growers are challenged with long days of extreme heat. This heat wave can cause plants to become stressed which can lead to other issues. Even drought-tolerant plants can be affected by long periods of temperatures that are high. The good news is there are measures that can be put in place to ensure that our vegetables or other garden plants survive while continuing to grow healthy during this time of the year.

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How to Make Soil Improvements In Established Plant Bed

The ideal time to make soil improvements is at the onset of installing a flower garden or a garden bed, this makes it easier to work in soil amendments (before plants are installed). But what if your garden is already established and it’s discovered that the soil needs to be improved to ensure that your plants continue to grow healthy? How do you make these improvements? the good news is a garden bed that is established can still have soil improvements done whether you’re growing flowers, herbs, or vegetable garden growing ornamental plants or fruit trees, soil improvements can make a huge difference to the growth and health of plant life.

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The Right Way to Drain Gas from a Lawnmower

There is a right way and a wrong way to remove gas from a mower, often times gas has to be removed and replaced because of sitting in a lawnmower for long periods of time and starts to degrade ( a month or more), somehow water may have gotten in the tank or it may be that time of the year when the colder months are approaching and you’re about to winterize your lawnmower or removing the gas for the following season when spring arrives.

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Tips for Starting a Lawnmower that Runs Out of Gas

A part of proper lawn maintenance is keeping your grass well-manicured by the proper cutting height which requires the help of a lawnmower that’s working properly. In some cases, our lawnmower may have run out of gas just when we were about to complete our grass-cutting task. This has been my experience before and I am sure that for some this may have happened before.

Restarting a lawnmower when it runs out of gas in some instances may become a challenge but in this guide, we will be looking at steps on how to start a lawnmower when it runs out of gas.

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9 Methods to Keep Your Flower Beds Weed Free

A flower bed can add to the curb appeal of a home or building structure, a well and beautifully designed flower bed has the potential of increasing a property’s value but in order to keep these garden beds neat and polished requires maintenance practices. A challenge that some homeowners face however is keeping these beds free not only of weeds but grass that may be planted nearby from growing into these beds.

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Lantana Plants Grow Guide

The lantana plant is a hardy perennial that’s native to the tropical regions of the Americas and Africa, this garden beauty belongs to the family Verbenaceae and goes by the common names wild sage or button sage. I love lantanas because of their beautiful multi-color flower bloom that remains me of a rainbow. I have worked with lantanas on many garden projects in fact, I am growing a few of them as potted plants on my porch and have installed a few in my home garden.

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How to Stop Pentas from Wilting

Pentas are warm-season plants that thrive best in the full sun, these flowering beauties grow 18 to 36 inches, pentas can be grown as annuals but in warmer regions, pentas are viewed as perennials. Pentas can be used as bedding plants, as border plants, and can be grown in containers and hanging baskets, I have worked with pentas on several garden projects, and know that these plants are worth the effort of keeping them growing  healthy

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Bromeliad Grow Guide

Bromeliads are some of my favorite plant species that I have worked with for more than 25 years, these garden beauties come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors, in fact, there are estimated to be 2,877 species of bromeliads making these plants one of the largest in the plant kingdom. Besides their beauty, I also love bromeliads because they’re low maintenance so for anyone who wants plants but doesn’t have much time to spend in their garden then bromeliads are the ideal plants for you.

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Nemesia Propagating Methods

Nemesia flowering plants are grown mostly as annuals and look great as a bedding plant or a ground cover, these garden beauties come in a variety of colors and can give your garden and landscape that color pop. What I love about nemesia is their’ re low maintenance with no main disease or pest problems and once established little care is needed except to monitor the amount of moisture there are receiving.

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Your Quick and Easy Guide to Composting

Compost is a gardeners gold to growing healthy plants, this all-natural organic benefits plants in so many ways, if your desire is to build a compost pile but you just don’t have the space then this guide will show you the quick and easy way of building a compost pile on a low budget and in no time you to can enjoy the many benefits of adding this natural-organic to your garden plant beds to reap the rewards or should I say a bountiful harvest (edible garden).

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7 Ways for Weed Control

For those of us who work in our gardens, it’s a common thing to run into weeds, sometimes it seems at every turn weeds are staring us in the face. Weeds are not only unattractive but if control measures are not taken weeds will take over our gardens competing with garden plants for water, sunlight, and nutrients. Weeds also encourage disease, and certain garden pests and can be harbourage or hiding places for rodents such as rats and mice.

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Your Guide to Homemade Raisins

A healthy snack that’s enjoyed by kids and adults alike is raisins, I remember as a child raisins was a sweet treat that my parents would often provide for all of their kids. But how did we discover raisins or what’s the history behind raisins and how far does it date back to? History records that raisins were first discovered in dry form growing on vines probably in ancient Persia or Egypt around 2000 BC.

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5 Best Camping Tents to Buy

Spending time outdoors is an awesome experience filled with many rewards, this activity can relieve stress and is of great benefit to our physical as well as our mental health. There is just something with spending time in nature that gives us the freedom to unwind as we watch the many wildlife in their natural habitat, it’s estimated that in 2020 48 million households went camping whereas some households went camping 3 times per year. With these record-breaking figures, it’s quite clear that spending time in nature offers so many benefits.

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12 Common Garden Mistakes That Harm The Environment

Our environment has been negatively impacted in so many ways from the exhaust of cars to harmful fumes to small and big engine equipment to burning fossil fuels, deforestation, coal, oil, factory fumes, etc..  a common practice in many countries is planting trees. One such day that’s celebrated is Arbor Day, this popular day is set aside on March 21 when schools nationwide recognize this day with environment-related activities such as tree planting.

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How to Foodscaping Guide

The awareness of self-sustainability has increased and is on the rise since the pandemic, homeowners are no longer growing ornamental plants but ripping out flower beds to grow edible gardens and there are others that are intergrading both edible and ornamental plants to create not only beautiful landscapes but a garden that provides foods in a control and confined environment.

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A Beginner Guide to Rainwater Collection

Water is one of our most precious resources, therefore, we should do all that we can when it comes to water conservation, every living thing needs water to survive, from humans, plants, and animals even down to the tiniest microscopic organism. I once heard a statement that someone made many years ago” Water is the liquid of life.” This liquid of life supports all life forms on our planet.

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Spring Garden Checklist for a Beautiful Spring Garden

The long winter months are finally over as our gardens are awakened to the warmth of the sun’s rays and the beautiful singing of bird species as nature comes alive with a burst of energy and plants as well as wildlife work together in our ecosystem that’s so diverse but work as one to bring balance to the environment that needs our assistance as well in not only beautifying our surroundings but providing a habitat that helps to support and sustain them.

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DIY Mini Pond Guide

Installing a mini garden pond is a great way to invite nature into your outdoor living space, these ponds will create the perfect habitat for birds, frogs, toads, tadpoles, hedgehogs, bats, lizards, water snails, etc… butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects. What I love about a mini pond besides plant life, is wildlife will have your pond teaming with many activities which are so exciting.

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Spring Garden Plant Guide

In just a few days we will be entering the spring months, this time of year presents us with the opportunity to take advantage of that extra yard space if we have not done so as yet or to begin working or to make some improvements in our existing garden planting some of our favorite veggies, herbs, fruits, or even ornamental plants including shrubs and other gardening plants. Prepare your garden beds by the removal of rocks, leaves, and other debris.

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Tips To Avoid Pruning Mistakes

There are so many reasons for pruning shrubs, trees, and other garden plants, but for the beginner gardener pruning jobs are painful because of not knowing when to prune and how to prune. In this guide we will be showing the benefits of pruning and pruning mistakes to avoid, the practice of pruning trees and garden plants is not a death sentence in fact pruning will add to the longevity, health, and beauty of your plants once done correctly.

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Tips to Increase Your Property’s Value

Adding value to your property should be something every homeowner should work towards why because investing in our property is one of our greatest investments when it comes to home ownership. However, there are many homeowners who don’t take the time to properly maintain their property which can decrease its value. Just a few changes can pay off in big ways adding thousands of dollars which I think is pretty amazing.

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Steps to Control House Flies

House Flies are at the top of the list when spreading disease, It’s believed that house flies are responsible for transmitting more than 60 disease some of which includes leprosy, yaws, tuberculosis, tularemia, typhoid fever, cholera, poliomyelitis, dysentery, Escherichia coli, etc… house flies measures 6 to 7 mm. The female is usually larger than the male.

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Tips to get your Poinsettias to Rebloom

Poinsettias are a favorite at Christmas time because of their beautiful colors and soft texture, but what happens once the colder months have passed and your poinsettias begin to lose their luster and beautiful color? While it may be a challenge to help your poinsettias regain their colors it’s possible for your poinsettias to rebloom by following this method that has proven to give the results you’re

looking for.

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How Propagated Poinsettias from Cuttings

Poinsettias are beautiful plants with colorful showy bracts or leaves that can add much flavor to any indoor or outdoor living space, and while it’s true that care must go into these garden beauties for them to maintain their beauty there are several methods that’s been used to increase their numbers which will not cause you much except for your time. Below we will be discussing such methods that have proven to give much success, so let’s take a closer look at how poinsettia plants are propagated.

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The Right Way to Prune Poinsettias

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.

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Poinsettias Insect Pests and Disease Management

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.

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South Florida Winter Garden Guide

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.

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Snow Saftey Removal Tips

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.

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Preparing your Fruits Trees for the Winter Months

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.

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Brighten Up your Garden for Winter

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.

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The Benefits of Mulching Your Vegetable Garden in the Fall

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.

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10 Best Garden Tools to Buy on Amazon 2022

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.

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Tips to Grow Duranta from Cuttings

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.

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Common Fall Plants that Cause Allergies

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...

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Lawn Care Tips for Fall

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.

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Tips for a Fall Garden Planner

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.

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Extending your Edible Crops in the Fall and Winter

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.

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Fall Gardening Beginners Guide

The Spring and Summer months presented us with the opportunity to work the soil as we grow 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?

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