Start Bell Pepper Plants EarlyTo ensure a good crop of bell peppers, it is important to remember that they require a long growing season. You can start the seed now (2/25)
Protecting Delicate Blooms from Summer HeatDuring these massive heat waves, don't let your flowers wilt and die. Use a patio umbrella to protect them. My spider lilies were wilted and dying from 103 heat (1st picture bottom left.) I gave them some extra water and used a patio umbrella to protect them and it brought them back to their beauty.
The Changing Of The SeasonsAutumn is a wonderful time for most. There is the harvesting and the feasting, the storing up for the bleak days to come. There will be lots of shopping, too. Some people love Autumn simply because it's a time to renew their wardrobe. Who doesn't like to have a couple of fashionable cardigans to add to their already bulging supply of clothing?
Mid Winter Flower Bulb BargainsI certainly don't need more flowers. I can barely keep up with all I have now. So, why do I continue to buy more? Lack of self restraint, I guess; though I tell myself it's something more colorful.
Lazy Gardening for Healthy YardsI love to garden but it is also something that gets ignored when I have better things to do. Laura assured me that my garden would be fine with a bit of benign neglect. In fact, it would probably be healthier because of it.
Forcing Spring Branches to BloomSay hello to spring this year by cutting a few branches from flowering trees and coaxing them to bloom for you indoors. Many woody plants can be forced into early flowering early, including forsythia, pussy willow, fruits trees, witch hazel, spirea, quince, and even lilac.
Preparing for Fall FrostsWhether you grow vegetables or flowers, it is natural to want extend the growing season as long as possible. As fall arrives, set aside a few minutes for "frost preparedness".
Autumn Gardening Ideas for Filling in...If your autumn beds and borders are starting to show a few bare spots due to dormant plants, don't worry. Here some quick and easy fixes for filling in the gaps.
Save Money Shopping End-Of-Season Plant...Fall is a great time to visit local garden centers and shop for end of season bargains. As the growing season draws to a close, most nurseries and plant retailers offer annuals and perennials at deep discounts in order to move out their remaining inventory.
Preparing Flower Pots for WinterI love my flower and vegetable pots. As I've gotten older, growing my favorites in pots helps make gardening easier and lower maintenance. I like to buy used and even damaged pots at garage sales, cheap, and restore them with glue, paint, and TLC.
Growing Ornamental KaleOrnamental kales are said to be the "daffodils and tulips" of the fall garden, and a great way to fill in gaps and brighten up fading flower beds. They laugh in the face of dropping temperatures and frost, in fact, cooler weather only serves to intensify their color.
Don't Mistake Your Seedlings for...It's a universal experience among gardeners, especially in the spring-yanking out a weed only to find out later it was really a "wanted". Weeds will do whatever it takes to survive, even disguising themselves as other plants.
Conserve Water With A Snow FenceIf you live in an area with harsh winters, strong winds and steady snowfall can create a lot of drifting snow. Believe it or not, this presents you with a great opportunity to conserve water.
Methods For Protecting Roses In WinterIf you garden in a colder zone, you need to offer your roses at least some degree of protection in the winter. Most winter damage to roses is caused by frost heave or is the result of sun scald and drying winter winds.
How To Build A Cold FrameUsing a cold frame is a great way to protect your plants from cold damage during the transition months on either side of the growing season.
Fall Gardening TipsIt's fall - time to clean up the vegetable garden and perennial flowerbeds, give the lawn some extra TLC, and cover up bare soil. It's also time to set up winter homes for beneficial insects and wildlife.
The Importance Of Soil Temperature To...Gardeners can't always rely solely on the calendar to tell them when it's time to plant, especially when it comes to measuring the temperature of the soil. Plants that are started in cold soils may grow slowly, develop poorly, or succumb to disease.
Getting Your Garden Ready for the Growing SeasonSpring is finally here! Well, for most of us anyway. The weather is warming up, the birds are starting to nest, the leaves are starting to unfurl (or at least the buds are starting to swell), and after a long winter's nap, you have the irresistible urge to dig in the dirt.
Start Seeds Outdoors With Winter SowingThis year, why not skip the grow lights, heat mats, and constant babysitting of seedlings, and give winter sowing a try. The basic principle of winter sowing is to "let nature do the nurturing."
Bring Warmth to a Winter Garden With LightsThere's something about a garden lit up at night that draws people in and makes them feel warm and cozy, especially during the long dark nights of winter.
Protecting Pots and Planters Over WinterBuying pots and planters can be expensive, especially if you find yourself having to replace them every few years due to breakage. Like some plants, not all pots and planters are hardy enough to survive the winter if left outdoors.
10 Ways Gardeners Can Stay Busy in WinterFor most gardeners, the beginning of the winter season comes as a welcome relief. It means they can finally turn their attention to other projects for awhile.
Invest in the Proper Snow Removal EquipmentGrandma J here in MN. Got our share of the white stuff (snow) this winter, more coming. Considering we should prepare in October, it takes the first snow storm for us to do this.
Preparing for the First FrostFor gardeners in most zones, the end of the growing season is signaled by the onset of the first frost. No matter when it arrives, it always seems painfully early.
Time to Get Ready for Spring GardeningIt's winter, and I am covered in mailorder catalogs. I often have two or three open at a time, carefully making my selections of what I think I can grow this coming year. I also know some of the stores will have seeds for sale, very soon.
Winter Protection for Outdoor Potted PlantsNo one enjoys lugging tender potted perennials indoors and out each fall and spring, least of all your back. The good news is, if given the proper protection, many (although not all) potted plants can be left outdoors successfully over the winter.
Tips For Raking Up Fallen LeavesPart of keeping your lawn and garden healthy means that most of the accumulated debris, including fallen leaves, should be removed in the fall.
Finding Your Frost DatesEvery growing zone has an average number of frost free days-days between the last frost in the spring and the first frost in the fall. These frost-free days are our growing season. Our chance to nurture flowers, vegetables, and fruit to maturity.
Fall Prevention For Spring Garden ProblemsWhen it comes to lawn and garden problems, prevention is the best cure. Fall affords gardeners a great opportunity to set the tone for next year's growing season ...
The Harbingers of SpringNo matter where you live, spring is fickle. Around here, it arrives unexpectedly-usually in mid March. Winter temporarily loosens its grip, the sun sends temperatures soaring into the 50's, ice and snow give way to the sound of running water...
Mulching Leaves from an Old MapleMulching Leaves from the Old Maple. We have a huge maple tree that sends down it's glory every fall! My husband rakes them into piles, then uses the lawnmower to run over them several times.
Preparing Your Garden for Fall and WinterTips to prepare your garden for the fall and winter from the ThriftyFun community. Right now we are just concentrating on getting as much of the garden produce in the house as possible. Frost threatens tonight!
October's Garden To-Do ListFall is officially here and with it comes a list of important seasonal chores to keep gardeners busy. No matter what zone you garden in, getting fall chores done can depend a lot on the weather. Some zones will get hit hard with rain and other zones will dry out.
Helping Wildlife in the WinterWhen winter weather arrives, gardeners can keep warm by staying indoors. The wildlife in our garden doesn't have it so easy. They either find a way to cope with the cold or they die. Here are three strategies animals use for coping with the cold and what you can do to help them through the winter.
When do you bring a Poinsettia inside for the winter?When do you bring a Poinsettia inside for the winter?. My Mom inherited a poinsettia when her Aunt passed away this summer. It's huge and in a big pot. Aunt Doris kept it on a screened porch year 'round.
November's Gardening To-Do ListAs the calendar marches toward late fall and early winter, differences in regional growing conditions become much more pronounced. Some zones are covered in snow, while others are just starting to harvest. In all but the warmest zones, the list of seasonal gardening chores is starting to get short for most gardeners.
Preparing Plants for a Winter IndoorsSummer break is almost over for tender perennials and houseplants that have been vacationing on the patio. With cooler weather starting to move in, it's time to start preparing them for the big move back indoors.
September's Garden To-Do ListThe shorter days and cooler nighttime temperatures of September are once again signaling that the end of another summer growing season is drawing to a close. It's not officially fall yet, but the tail end of summer is certainly here.
Prepping the Garden for FallAs summer turns to autumn, it's time to take stock of this year's growing season and start shifting our focus to prepping the garden for fall. Here is a to-do list of seasonal chores for the lawn and garden:
