Problems in the vegetable and flower garden can occur during summer’s hot weather. Not the least of which is blossom drop. It’s quite possibly one of the most heartbreaking events that can occur to the home gardener. The heat can cause stress to plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash. When the temperatures reach …
With so many choices of fertilizers available for your vegetable or flower garden, it’s difficult to know what to use. There are some gardeners who only use manure. But it’s also difficult to know which types of manure to use. Many organic gardeners only use manure from plant-eating animals. There are some points to keep …
We want you to encourage your kids to play in the dirt! That’s right. Let them hang out in the dirt. Inspire them to gently feel the worms and squash the dirt in their hands. Raising the next generation of gardeners is important to society. The two obvious places to engage children in the gardening …
The best way to figure out the state of your garden soil is to get in the garden and work the dirt. Yes, you have to get dirty! Hold it in your hands and examine its structure. Tilling is another way to get a good understanding of the type of soil you have – clay, …
Books have been written about them. Artists have replicated them. Poets have been inspired by them. They are incomparable to anything else in the home garden. They are tomatoes. While you may go the simple route and buy whatever the nearest store offers in way of tomato seedlings, a better option is stopping in to …
The Hatfields and McCoys. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Tomatoes and Potatoes. We all know the first two pairs are famous feuders. But what’s with tomatoes and potatoes? Come on, they are great pair. Everyone likes ketchup on his or her fries! Nonetheless the two in plant form do not get along. Tomatoes and potatoes …
Resist the urge to plant in your garden too early. Not only do you have to worry about night-time frost, you also have to ensure the soil temperature is warm enough to enable your tender seedlings to survive. By the second week in May, however, it is usually safe to plant seedlings in the ground …
Let’s talk about raised bed gardening. Why? Because everyone is doing it. While there are some disadvantages to raised beds, many will agree that raised beds provide the perfect solution to several garden conundrums – such as lack of space, clay soil, etc. In addition, raised beds can extend your growing season, especially if you …
This summer think about taking the average happy hour to the next level. All you will need for a creative, gourmet twist on the five o’clock tradition is your backyard garden. Cocktail gardens are making big news in 2015 as bartenders in chic restaurants are mixing up some cutting-edge drink recipes. In raised beds, in …
Fall is the time we usually start to clean up our gardens and rake the falling leaves. It is also the perfect time to start a compost pile. Did you know your compost pile is also a chemistry project? Because all organic matter is made up of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), it is extremely …
