Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
Information about how to grow, where to plant, how to propagate, soil and sun requirements, and more for garden plants and flowers. Discover new plants for your garden or learn more about plants already in your garden.
One of my grandmother's recipes for soup is my favorite way to use fresh green beans. It's simple to make and goes really well with homemade cornbread (my Southern twist on it). She lives in Pennsylvania, so I suspect it's an old Pennsylvania-Dutch recipe. Here's what you'll need a ham hock (use only half of it if you're making a smaller …
Continue Reading about Green Bean, Ham, and Potato Soup Recipe
A lattice wall can provide additional privacy in your yard as well as create an attractive feature for you to grow flowering vines on. For under $250 (plus some manpower) we built these two 6 foot tall by 8 foot wide lattice wall on the back side of the raised herb garden. I really like the look of square lattice panels, which are hard to find …
Rudbeckia maxima, otherwise known as the giant coneflower, is in the Asteracea family. The flower resembles a brown-eyed Susan, but the petals hang down, and the center is much taller. This plant can grow up to 7 feet tall. Planted in a large group, it makes a nice visual impact. Other common names for this wildflower include cabbage …
I can not tell you how much I appreciate having this sprinkler system installed in my vegetable beds. All I have to do is hook up a hose and set a timer. It has been quite the time-saver for me and due to its customizable shape, I am not wasting water on things I don’t mean to water. As much as I love having a large vegetable garden, I do not …
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I may have mentioned this before, but my yard has a LOT of squirrels. With several oak and pecan trees, there is plenty of food for them. The problem is, whenever I plant new seeds, the squirrels (and cats) dig up the soil. I end up with empty spots that never grow. I planted beets and carrots in my two raised self-watering beds. The soil in …
Continue Reading about The Cayenne Pepper vs. Squirrel Experiment
Every gardener will encounter poison ivy at some point. It’s an important plant to be able to identify – even when it doesn’t have leaves. All parts of the plant are poisonous. While some people may not have a reaction to this plant, many will get an itchy, painful rash. The substance (uroshiol) that causes the rash or blisters can be …
