The gladiola flowers have been putting on quite a show this year. Pink, white, red, greenish-yellow, and purple gladiolus have graced my garden. I really like gladiolas but whenever there is a heavy rain or higher-than-usual winds, the glads dip over or break off. How to Keep Your Gladiolus From Falling Over Option 1: Plant your Gladiolus bulbs in a grouping, against a garden structure If you have a lot of gladiolus bulbs, plant them … [Read more...]
How to Grow Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Plant from Leaf Cuttings
Sansevieria is an awesome plant and can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, making it perfect for indoor growing. If you want a plant-it-and-forget-about-it houseplant, then this is the one for you. The common names for Sansevieria are rather tongue in cheek – mother-in-law's tongue and snake plant. I mean, really, who came up with these names? I certainly wouldn’t want to call it that in front of my mother-in-law. Taking Leaf … [Read more...]
How to Quick Dry Herbs in an Oven
I shook the last flakes from my oregano jar into my spaghetti sauce last night. I started to add it to my grocery list and I had one of those 'aha' moments. I’ve got a bunch of oregano growing outside this summer. Why not dry some to refill my spice jar? I’ve never bothered to dry anything from my herb garden. It seems a little silly that I’ve never tried, but the thought of air-drying herbs in my house where two dogs (and all of their fur!) … [Read more...]
Get Free Portulaca Plants
Portulaca is the easiest genus of plants to propagate. You can start with just one plant and end up with four more with just a bit of extra care. It's so simple! Portulaca is also known as purslane or moss rose. It grows in full sun, can handle high heat, and is drought tolerant. It grows quickly and produces many bright, colorful flowers. The flowers come in yellow, red, orange, pink, red, and even white. It will bloom all summer and even … [Read more...]
Gardening in Small Spaces
I enjoy walking through my town and the towns that I visit. It gives me a great perspective on the town, the people that live there, and an up close and personal way to enjoy people's gardens. I have seen some very creative ways of utilizing every inch of space to garden in small yards. Don't think you are limited just because you only have a couple of feet to spare. Be creative! These are some of my favorite ideas for small space gardening that … [Read more...]
Tips For Halloween-Proofing Your Garden
With Halloween just around the corner, I finally got my decorations put up outside. I love seeing the neighborhoods kids in their costumes when they come to trick-or-treat. Some of my scarier decorations have even been known to send little kids running. It’s all in good fun. While I love getting trick-or-treaters at my door on Halloween, I also love my garden. Some of the kids, especially the little ones, are eager to get to the front door and … [Read more...]
Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter Cooking
Having fresh herbs to add to your cooking in the winter is a great boon – you just can’t beat that fresh flavor. Now is the time to plan so that you can enjoy the flavor throughout the winter. Depending on where you live, some of your herbs will survive outdoors even in winter. My herb beds are partially protected by a tree, so they have been known to overwinter just fine, especially in milder winters. But just to be safe, it’s a good idea to … [Read more...]
How To Grow Tomato Plants from Cuttings
It stays warm enough here in Mississippi that we sometimes get the chance to have a second crop of tomatoes and other vegetables. For those of us who love home-grown tomatoes, it is definitely worth replanting to try and get a second round. At this time of year, it's impossible to find any tomato plants in our local stores. So in lieu of purchasing plants, I decided to root some suckers for the new plants. How To Root Tomato Plants from … [Read more...]
Review of Aluminum Raised Bed Corners
Raised bed gardening in my neck of the woods is a great way to avoid dealing with our sticky clay soil and it's practically the only way to grow root vegetables. I have two large raised beds that I installed last year and am making use of for tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers this year. Gardening in a raised bed solves many issues - soil condition, drainage issues, and height (making it easier to reach). Building a raised bed isn't … [Read more...]
How to Build a Trellis Wall
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 pre-made. Most lattice you find in hardware stores is diagonal. So we set to work making some … [Read more...]