An abundance of insects is a natural sign of a healthy and biodiverse garden. Sometimes, however, these garden guests can quickly become pests, damaging our plants and ruining our crops. It’s every gardener’s job to keep an eye out for potential nuisances and manage them before they become a major problem and spread to other landscapes.
Let talk dirt! Or what I really should say is soil. So often these terms are used interchangeably but not all soils are created equal. Sure, they look similar but in science class you will learn that soil usually contains the following ingredients-minerals, organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water.
With food prices going up, growing your own food just makes more and more sense these days. For less than one grocery run, you can buy seeds for a whole spring, summer, and fall’s worth of produce. Saving money has always been a perk of gardening, but that’s not the only reason to do it.
For centuries, gardens have provided a unique bridge between humans and the natural world. Gardens were viewed by many cultures as a “reflection of heaven on earth.” Today, most gardens are considered landscape projects. But sensory gardens, with their engaging sights, sounds, smells, and tastes once again connect us with nature.
Most of us probably remember this popular nursery rhyme; Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? While we aren’t likely to be growing silver bells, cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row, we are interested in how our gardens grow. Gardening tends to be a skill that is learned best by doing.
One of the pricier expenditures for home gardeners is quality hand tools. High quality tools will last longer, but this does mean the tools — whether shovels, rakes, pruners, or hand trowels — cost more.
For gardeners in many parts of the country, fall is a great time to plant just about anything. Except in the coldest regions, fall can provide most perennials, shrubs and trees with enough time to become established in their new home before experiencing extreme heat, cold or drought. Familiarity with your own climate, hardiness zone and the hardiness of the plant you want to put in the ground will guide your decision.
Here are 9 Tips to Choose the Right Plants for Your Landscape
Growing garlic for the first time can be an exercise in patience, but once it’s ready for harvest, you’ll be so glad you took the time to cultivate it. Nothing beats fresh garlic, as not only is it flavorful, but it’s incredibly healthy too.
Hosta is virtually carefree and comes back reliably year after year. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9, this tough plant performs well in most landscapes, even for beginning gardeners.
