Gardening Know How

There is a wide variety of vegetables to plant in August, from leafy greens and brassicas to flavorsome roots. Some crops won’t be ready until late winter or early spring, but there are plenty of fast-growing vegetables that will supply you with a generous fall harvest. Several cut-and-come-again crops can be continuously picked. If you are just starting a vegetable garden, then August is an ideal time to get things going....

However, it’s the ideal time to dust off the cobwebs and get busy with some joy-sparking winter garden projects that will restore your sense of optimism. Not only will gardening at this time of year help to keep your body and mind active, but it will enable you to make preparation for the growing year ahead and get a head start on your goals. So, wrap up warm and get outside, with our pick of projects that will enable you to make the most of your garden in even the coldest months of the year....

1. Red Flowers Bees are among the most important pollinators to support because their numbers have dropped due to a phenomenon known as colony collapse. If you want to help bees by providing nectar-producing flowers, it’s essential that you choose the kinds of blooms that attract them. Bees see a lot of colors, including ultraviolet, which humans cannot see. They do not, however, see red very well. Red flowers are not plants that hurt bees – they simply won’t attract them....

Good landscaping design can increase a home’s value. However, in an overzealous attempt to follow the latest trends, many gardeners end up with a space that looks cheap and poorly considered. ‘You want your garden to be a reflection of you, not a carbon copy of every other yard on the block,’ says Bryan Clayton, landscaping expert and CEO of GreenPal. ‘Well-designed gardens have a superior level of thoughtfulness and uniqueness – and that is what you should aim for....

Selecting shade-loving plants that will thrive in these low-light areas and add brightness and vibrancy can be tricky. They must still bring color even when sunlight is rarely present. Luckily, many plants delight in areas of dappled to full shade and still flower or provide brilliant foliage. 1. Hosta Darlings of the shade garden, hostas are easy to grow and come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and light tolerances....

Live Trees I switched to live Christmas trees some years ago when I started spending the holidays at my little house in the French mountains. The house is small and cozy, but the property, on the slopes of the Pyrenees, is large. So, I have the luxury of disposing of the tree by digging a hole in the soil and tucking in its roots. Not everyone has a place to plant a live tree though....

If you have cats and want to grow peonies or display them indoors, consider how you can keep your felines safe. Cats are often attracted to aromatic plants and flowers, and may be curious enough to nibble on the leaves, blossoms or stems of your peonies. Although peonies are poisonous to cats, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t grow them. With the right precautions it’s still possible to enjoy peonies while your pets are around....

About Invasive Plants If you aren’t familiar with the native species for your area, it isn’t easy to distinguish between the native and non-native plant species. Once you get to know which plants are invasive, it is surprising how many plants don’t belong in the ecosystem for that region. How do they get there? Invasive plants are brought in by people, sometimes purposefully and sometimes by accident. Invasive plant seeds may hitch a ride on ocean transported cargo or on Fido’s fur after a hike in another state’s natural area....

Wondering when to repot pothos? Pothos repotting is largely optional and, like every other maintenance task, very easy. Meet the World’s Easiest Houseplant Pothos has a variety of common names ranging from golden pothos to devil’s ivy, but nobody ever calls it a temperamental houseplant. It hails from the island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia, but has naturalized in many other tropical and subtropical forested areas in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific islands....

Growing an Easy Vegetable Garden Whether you’re a Master Gardener, a novice, or just want a low maintenance crop, you’ll want to look for easy vegetables to grow at home. What qualifies a veggie as easy to grow? A number of factors combine to make one vegetable easier to grow than another. Look for crops that are low maintenance. These are veggies that require little more than planting a seed and occasionally watering....

Somebody once said, “image is everything.” With our home decor, we like things to look nice and appealing to our eyes. Your throw pillow colors might harmonize with the couch, so shouldn’t your plants and wall colors complement each other? Home decor is very subjective. What works for one person may not work for another, but certain decorating rules work for nearly everyone. Most people like a light colored ceiling which raises the height and makes the room look more open....

Why It Matters When to Mulch Mulching provides many benefits. It conserves moisture in the soil. It can prevent weeds. It keeps soil warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Mulch reduces soil compaction which encourages oxygen to get to plant roots and helps water percolation. It may reduce erosion. Mulch can minimize some disease and pest problems. Organic mulch will gradually compost into the soil, increasing tilth and gently adding nutrients....

Challenges for Full Sun Plants in Hot Zones Plants need sun. After all, it is the key element in photosynthesis wherein plants convert the sun’s rays to carbohydrates. They need those carbohydrates to fuel growth, flower, and produce fruit. However, the punishing heat in some full-sun locations can be too much for certain plants. Only desert plants and those native to such intense light and heat can withstand a hot, overly bright location....

How to Grow a Beautiful Vegetable Garden A vegetable garden should be practical, so start there. Choose an area that has good soil and plenty of sunlight. Select vegetables that will grow well in your local environment and that you will eat and enjoy. Then, start to think about how it could also be a decorative vegetable garden: Are there certain varieties of vegetables that are more attractive?Can you design the bed with a particular shape or with symmetry in mind?...

There are numerous plants that should be pruned in fall, while others can be cut back any time of year. However, many plants, especially trees and shrubs, are best pruned in late winter and early spring before new growth emerges. Create a bespoke pruning calendar for your garden so that you always make the cut at the right time. If you’re tempted to clean up the garden before winter, resist the urge to prune these plants....

Which Flowers for Monarch Butterflies are Best? To attract monarch butterflies to your garden, your first focus should be on the creation of habitat. When selecting plants with flowers that are a significant source of nectar, consider host plants that will feed the monarch throughout its larval stage. These eight plants for monarch butterflies cover all the bases for your butterflies. 1. Milkweed Milkweed plants are among the most common flowers that attract monarch butterflies and several species serve as hosts to monarch larvae....

Our Top 8 Pothos Varieties There are about 15 species in the genus, with many of them available for home cultivation. These have led rise to several cultivar types of pothos. Among these types of pothos plants are specimens that have been bred to display neon green, creamy white, and gold leaves, along with the standard green varieties. Each of these pothos types has similar cultivation requirements and thrive in indoor settings....

East North Central Invasive Plants Phragmites There are several wetland invasive species in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Among the most insidious in these natural areas is phragmites (Phragmites australis). It is an impressive plant, growing up to 13 feet (4 m) tall with a feathery, purplish inflorescence at the top of the stalks. There is a native subspecies, but an invasive one has taken over many marshes, ponds, and wetlands throughout the Midwest....

Usually, the answer is pretty tricky. Some people seek out drought-tolerant shade trees to block the hot desert sun, while others may be looking for fruit trees because of the tasty benefits they can provide. Of course, other people may want specific trees and shrubs to accent their landscape or garden. So which type of tree suits you? Click the image below to learn more about trees that meet your needs....

How Long Does It Take for Trees to Fruit? If you’ve recently planted a fruit tree in your landscape, you’ll be happy to hear that your tree may begin blooming more rapidly than other types of landscape trees. An apple tree, for example, is one of the fruit trees that grow fast. It can start to bloom in just a couple of years. Fruit trees purchased from a garden center or nursery are often the quickest to bloom since they are generally several years old and branched....