The “perfect garden” is simple. It’s the garden you imagine with vegetables or flowers or a mix of both. It’s the garden in a size and location and design that suits your needs and wants. In reality, the perfect garden is where, how and when you want it – because there is no right or wrong way to garden. There is only your way. There are, however, ways to make it more perfect in terms of success so your time, energy and money are put to good use. Here are 5 tips for the “perfect garden,” all gleaned from my decades of successes and failures and training as a Virginia Master Gardener and horticulture student. For more specific tips about vegetable gardening, read How to Start a Victory Garden 2.0. Tips for a Perfect Garden Perfect Garden Tip 1: Know your zone. When I first started gardening in southeastern Virginia, I lived in USDA cold hardiness Zone 7. Tender plants were likely to freeze and die in a typical winter that often dipped below 32 degrees. Oh, … [Read more...] about 5 Tips To Grow The Perfect Garden
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Daylighting and Interior Design Tips
Top trends such as daylighting and interior design tips can make your home more valuable. That’s right! Interior design is not only about the look of your home and your individual preferences in home decor. Interior design can also impact the value of your home. You don’t need a huge budget to incorporate daylighting and other interior design tips. Some intelligent and specific design choices can directly increase the value of almost any house. Just follow these daylighting and interior design tips to create more equity in your home. 1. Join the Daylighting Bandwagon Daylighting is one of the hottest trends in interior design. Fortunately, it does not always require a lot of money. Daylighting can be accomplished with an mere change in how you approach lighting in your house. The concept of daylighting is actually quite simple. It's all about using more natural light the illuminate your home rather than relying on artificial lighting sources. … [Read more...] about Daylighting and Interior Design Tips
Reduce Water Consumption in Your Garden
In times of water shortages, you need to reduce water consumption in your garden. Everyone needs to do their part in conserving this valuable resource. Many states in the United States are experiencing severe drought conditions, including California, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma. Even if you're not in a drought-stricken area, it's still important to conserve water whenever possible. In this article, we'll give you tips on how to reduce water consumption in your garden – from xeriscaping to using targeted irrigation. Let's get started! Xeriscaping A xeriscape is a type of garden that uses native plants adapted to the local climate. These plants require less water and maintenance than non-native plants. High Country Gardens is a terrific online source for waterwise plants and preplanned waterwise gardens. Xeriscaping can also include using rocks, gravel, and other materials that require little or no watering. If you're not ready to xeriscape your entire … [Read more...] about Reduce Water Consumption in Your Garden
Lawn Fertilization Tips for Spring and Fall
Lawn fertilization is necessary for healthy, green grass lawns. A well-fertilized turfgrass lawn is healthy enough to withstand stress from pests, foot traffic, and environmental factors. Quite simply, regular lawn fertilization is necessary to maintain optimal health. Here are some quick tips that will help you maintain a healthy green turfgrass lawn. Then I will give a more in-depth explanation of key lawn fertilization principles. Home, Garden and Homestead receives a small commission (at no cost to you) from product links in this story. Thank you for supporting this website! 5 Quick Lawn Fertilization Tips Fast-Release and Slow-Release Fertilization Depending on your lawn’s needs and your preference, you can choose between fast-release inorganic lawn fertilizers and slow-release organic fertilizers. You can even use the blend of multiple fertilizers if you wish. For example, some homeowners use fast-release fertilizers, followed by a top dressing of organic … [Read more...] about Lawn Fertilization Tips for Spring and Fall
Tips for Growing Healthy Roses
Follow these tips for growing healthy roses and your garden will be the envy of the neighborhood. Roses are the rock stars of the garden. Rose bushes are stately and impressive, and the flowers look lovely for weeks at a time. Back in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, he signed a proclamation that named the rose as America’s national flower. Fittingly enough, the ceremony that certified “national flower” status for the rose was held at the White House Rose Garden. That’s just one reason why millions of rose bushes are planted every year. Despite the old-fashioned beliefs that roses can be tough to grow, advice from respected rose experts says otherwise. “All plants need the right growing conditions to thrive, and roses are no different,” said Chris Van Cleve, a writer and rose expert who calls himself the Redneck Rosarian. “Just provide the right growing conditions and the right care, and rose bushes can thrive in almost any garden.” Below are 5 … [Read more...] about Tips for Growing Healthy Roses
