Plant a few top fruit trees for backyard orchards on your property, and your taste buds will thank you. There is nothing quite like fruit trees in the landscape to delight the eyes and nose with springtime blossoms. And there's nothing a wonderful as biting into freshly picked homegrown apple or peach. That's why we've chosen the top fruit trees for backyard orchards that will grow almost anywhere. Selecting the right kind of fruit tree to grow in a landscape comes down to two main factors: the varieties of trees that grow well in your area and your own personal taste. According to Ed Laivo, fruit tree specialist for Natural Hills Nursery, the top fruit trees described below have proven to be dependable growers in the widest range of climates and are better than others when it comes to consistent fruit production and flavor of the fruit. Here are Laivo’s top recommendations for backyard fruit trees that will produce bushels of delicious fruit, year after year. Top Fruit … [Read more...] about Top Fruit Trees for Backyard Orchards
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How to Make Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is one of the most popular and useful plants grown in the garden. Many gardeners ask me how to make lavender essential oil, which can be used in so many ways. But there are so many wonderful uses for homegrown lavender. In this story, I will give you my recipe for how to make lavender essential oil. I will also give you nine more easy ways to use fresh homegrown lavender. These range from culinary uses, medicinal remedies, and a wide variety of household uses. Start Here: How to Make Lavender Essential Oil It’s quite easy to make lavender essential oil. For my homemade version, I do this: First, harvest the fresh lavender from the garden. Cut and dry enough lavender to make at least 1 ounce of dried lavender. (To dry, hang the cut flowers upside down in a dry, dark place for 2 to 4 weeks.) When the flowers have dried, put the dried lavender flowers in a clean glass jar. Next, infuse the flowers. Pour coconut oil over the dried lavender in the glass jar … [Read more...] about How to Make Lavender Essential Oil
Best Cordless Leaf Blowers
The best cordless leaf blowers come in handy when you need to move yard and garden debris. Cordless electric blowers are used primarily for leaves. But they also work great for grass clippings and other small debris. I even use my battery powered blower to blow light snow from my driveway and sidewalk. Cordless electric blowers never need gas. You never have to pull the starter cord a hundred times to get the engine started. All you do is charge the battery and flick a switch. Once you’ve tried a cordless electric blower, you will never go back to gasoline power. At least that’s the way it was for me. There is no shortage of choices when buying a battery powered blower. Most homeowners choose hand-held blowers. These lightweight tools perform well during most backyard cleanup jobs. Many professional groundskeepers prefer backpack blowers that have more powerful motors. Because bigger engines are heavier, it’s easier to carry that extra weight around when it’s strapped to your … [Read more...] about Best Cordless Leaf Blowers
Flowering Plants for Late Summer Garden Color
For some gardeners, adding flowering plants for late summer garden color is what makes or breaks their gardens. Springtime is the season for abundant flowers and colorful gardens. But by mid to late summer, most flowering plants are done blooming. As a result, late summer and early fall gardens can start looking a dull and tired. There’s nothing wrong with a garden dominated by green foliage. But extending the beauty of colorful blooms isn’t difficult. All you have to do is include plants in your garden that bloom later in the season. “Perennials that bloom in late summer and fall bring an added dimension to a garden,” said David Salman, chief horticulturist for HighCountryGardens,com. “These plants are essential for providing late-season nectar for all types of pollinators including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths.” Here are some of the plants that Salman recommends for late summer garden color. Asters for Late Summer Garden Color Many species and … [Read more...] about Flowering Plants for Late Summer Garden Color
How to Grow Lavender Plants
Lavender is one of the most beautiful and useful plants in the garden. It is a beloved plant that offers a trifecta of fragrance, medicinal benefits, and beautiful blue-purple flowers. In short, many gardeners want to know how to grow lavender plants. A stunning addition to perennial borders and informal hedging, lavender has plenty of devoted fans and garden lovers. Lavender plants offer a large selection of bloom times, colors, flower forms, and sizes. Truly, you can find a lavender plant suited for just about any garden situation. Lavender is a compact shrub-like perennial that is evergreen and deer proof. No wonder it finds its way into so many gardens and landscape designs. Growing lavender plants every year is essential to my garden. Contrary to popular belief, lavender flowers come in not only lavender-purple hues, but also shades of pink, white, and even yellow. I find many uses for the fresh and dried flowers, from culinary to sachets, lavender wands, … [Read more...] about How to Grow Lavender Plants
