Everyone loves the feel of the tropics. Palm trees swaying in the breeze. Exotic flowers with intoxicating aromas. The fragrant fruit that seems to melt in your mouth. But did you know you can grow cold hardy tropical plants as far north as New York State? By incorporating some of these cold hardy tropical plants in your garden, you can enjoy your own tropical stay-cation without leaving your backyard! Cold-hardy tropical plants can be hard to find in local stores. That's why we have included some of our favorite website sources for these plants, including NatureHills.com and Amazon. When you click one of our links to a recommended product, Home, Garden and Homestead will receive a small commission for qualifying sales. Thanks for supporting this website! We really appreciate it! Happy Face Emogi! Best Cold Hardy Tropical Plants for Cooler Climates Hardy Banana You can’t get much more tropical than a banana tree. And luckily … [Read more...] about 12 Cold Hardy Tropical Plants to Grow Now
Garden
7 Perfect Patio Fruit Trees for Small Spaces
Patio fruit trees make it possible to grow delicious fruits even in the smallest of spaces. Imagine growing a small fruit tree right outside your back door. Patio fruit trees are small enough for virtually everyone to enjoy! Here are 7 perfect patio fruit trees that you can grow on a porch, patio--and just about everywhere. Note: We have included links to some of the products in this story. Home Garden and Homestead receives a small commission from qualifying purchases from clicking on the links below. Thank you for supporting this website! Click Here Just for Fun: What's Trending on Amazon.com Dwarf Fruit Trees on Amazon Another great place to shop for fruit trees is NatureHills.com Patio Apple Trees Apple trees might be the perfect patio fruit trees. Imagine picking your own tasty apples, grown right on your patio! It’s possible with the correct dwarf varieties and a bit of pruning. Many tasty varieties of apple trees can perform great in … [Read more...] about 7 Perfect Patio Fruit Trees for Small Spaces
Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
If you’re like an increasing number of gardeners, you want to attract butterflies to your garden. Butterflies are truly the winged jewels of our landscape. Not only are butterflies beautiful, they serve the greater purpose of helping to pollinate plants and provide food for other important insects in the pollinator food chain. While monarch butterflies are my current focus, they weren’t always. But as most gardeners soon learn, one thing in the garden leads to another. When you plant a seed, you learn about soil. When plants grow in your garden, you learn about weather and the insects those plants attract. With more insects, more songbirds are likely to visit your property, too. See what I mean? One thing in the garden really does lead to another, and another, and … So, if you want to attract more butterflies to your garden, it’s helpful to know what plants and plant attributes butterflies enjoy. Keep the following tips in mind and you’ll be on your way toward having a … [Read more...] about Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
How to Create a Dog-Friendly Yard
If you’ve got a dog—or you are consider getting one, then now is the time to think about creating a dog-friendly yard and garden. We've all heard tales of puppies pulling out flowers and dogs digging holes in the yard. Many of us have lived through these experiences ourselves. However, with some careful consideration, you can make sure both your plants and your pets will happily and safely share your yard. A dog-friendly garden can certainly be beautiful and lush, and these helpful tips will help guide you through the process. There are a few things to keep in mind when planning a dog-friendly yard that your pets will be able to access. Before you get started on creating a dog-friendly yard, it's important to understand your own dog's unique personality traits and characteristics. Is your dog large or small? Does it like to jump and dig? Is your dog a high energy puppy—or is he (or she) calmly enjoying the golden years? Does your dog chase squirrels, or would she rather laze around … [Read more...] about How to Create a Dog-Friendly Yard
Top 10 Vegetables for Container Gardening
Container gardens can be an oasis of beauty on a deck, balcony or patio. Even container vegetable gardens can be beautiful. But most gardeners who grow vegetables in containers don’t do it for the beauty. They’re in it for the tasty vine-ripened tomatoes, the spicy hot peppers, the crunchy radishes and the tender salad greens. If you’ve never tried container gardening before, you’re missing out on a great way to learn about gardening. And if you have grown vegetables in containers, you might be surprised at the new varieties of veggies that have recently been introduced with container gardening in mind. Whether you are a newbie to gardening or a Master Gardener, now is a great time to grow a container garden full of edible plants. My list of the Top 10 Container Garden Vegetables is below, along with descriptions, photos and a link to where you can buy the seeds. If you want to read more about container gardening, read Tips for Growing Successful Container Gardens. Start … [Read more...] about Top 10 Vegetables for Container Gardening
