Would you like to grow your best garden ever? Well, great gardens don’t just happen. They certainly do not magically appear in your yard. So, the sooner you plan and start your best garden ever, the sooner it will begin to manifest in your yard. A great garden is typically the result of careful planning. Most extraordinary gardens are created over a period of years using the garden plan. Add a few happy accidents that happen along the way, and you have the recipe for a special horticultural wonder that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Don’t Be Afraid of Small Failures Talk to experienced gardeners and garden experts, and most will freely admit to buying plants that did not survive in their gardens. Karen Park Jennings, the former president of Park Seed, once told me, “I’ve learned a lot by killing plants.” That’s part of being a gardener. Some gardeners will even admit that some of their favorite plants arrived as volunteers in their garden. One of the healthiest … [Read more...] about Grow Your Best Garden Ever
Add Natural Elements to Your Kitchen Design
The benefits of being in nature and its healing, calming effects are well documented. Unfortunately, we live busy lifestyles that allow little time to enjoy our favorite outdoor activities in nature. Maybe it’s time to add natural elements to modern kitchen design. Being surrounded by natural and organic elements instantly makes us feel calm and at peace. In recent years, we have grown more aware of the decreasing natural resources of our planet. That’s why it is essential that we bring more natural design elements into our homes. No wonder kitchen design and architecture experts always try to incorporate a natural touch in our homes. Bring Nature Inside Your Kitchen There are plenty of ways to use your kitchen design to bring nature indoors. You can incorporate lots of green plants, add natural stone or brick, or even plan your window placement so it overlooks your green backyard. Adding natural furniture elements, such as modern wooden tables and chairs, makes perfect … [Read more...] about Add Natural Elements to Your Kitchen Design
Power Planter Augers: Digging Made Easy
Power Planter Changes Gardening Forever. Each spring, millions of pansies, petunias and other flowering plants are carefully planted in yards and gardens to beautify homes and landscapes. The same thing happens in vegetable gardens, where millions of tomatoes, peppers and other edible plants are planted. It doesn’t end there. Fall is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are planted. Planting bulbs in the autumn ensures that yards and landscapes are brightened by colorful flowers as soon as winter fades. What do all those billions of plants and bulbs have in common? A hole has to be dug for every one of them. And that means a whole lot of time and energy is spent digging in the dirt. “The number of holes that are dug every year is astounding,” said Greg Niewold, president of Power Planter, the company that makes Power Planter augers. “Our mission is to reduce the time and effort it takes to dig planting … [Read more...] about Power Planter Augers: Digging Made Easy
Best Flowering Houseplants
As the popularity of houseplants continues to soar, Byron Martin of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden selects some of the best flowering houseplants to grow now. Houseplants are more popular than ever. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that more people are now searching for the best flowering houseplants. More than 33 million Americans grew houseplants in 2019. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to spend more time at home. Now houseplants are trending all over social media as millennials become proud “plant parents.” “One of the most popular categories of houseplants is flowering plants, and sales of the best flowering houseplants are stronger than ever,” said Byron Martin, co-owner of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden. “Flowering plants bring color and life into any room.” Despite how tropical they appear, many varieties of the best flowering houseplants are actually quite easy to grow. Here are seven of Martin’s favorite flowering houseplants. Best … [Read more...] about Best Flowering Houseplants
Backyard Greenhouses for Every Budget
It’s always growing season inside backyard greenhouses. Quite simply, that’s the appeal of a backyard greenhouse-- or even a larger-scale greenhouse on your acreage property. Even when there’s snow on the ground and the cold wind is howling, it’s always summer in the greenhouse. The controlled climate inside a greenhouse makes it possible to grow ornamental plants and edible fruits and vegetables all year long. According to Tammy Wylie of Advance Greenhouses, you can enjoy the benefits of having your own greenhouse without being a professional grower. "Greenhouses enable you to enjoy growing plants all year long, and that's the best way to take your gardening to the next level," she said. Many avid gardeners and property owners have installed a greenhouse to grow their favorite plants—especially homegrown fruits and vegetables—throughout the year. That's because an impressive variety of greenhouse styles, sizes and price points is available. Some lightweight greenhouses can … [Read more...] about Backyard Greenhouses for Every Budget
