A hydrangea not blooming can be due to many factors. Below, we will explore the most common causes and discuss how to get hydrangeas to bloom. Why Is My Hydrangea Not Blooming? When my hydrangeas are not blooming, I carefully consider all the growing conditions within my garden. Hydrangeas often fail to flower or perform poorly when their needs have not been properly met. This includes their requirements for light, consistent moisture, and even fertility levels within the soil....

There are over 1000 species of Peperomia. Peperomia ‘Hope’ is a trailing variety that sports slightly red stems. The thick, succulent leaves can store moisture for times of drought, but as a houseplant it prefers regular watering. Hope Peperomia care is minimal, requiring moderate light and well-draining soil. Over time the little plant will achieve 24 inches (61 cm.) in length, as its dangling stems spill over the pot....

If you are handy with engines and feel the need for speed, creating a racing lawn mower may be just up your alley. As incongruous as it seems, lawn mower races have been a staple of a certain set since the 1960s. This passtime is looked forward to annually, and racers take the sport seriously. While a bit tongue in cheek as far as racing goes, the participants attend with equal parts vigorous competition combined with whimsy....

Planting cover crops isn’t just for commercial farms. Gardeners and small-scale home farmers can also benefit from the practice. Fall is the time to sow them, so here’s what you need to know to get started. What Are the Benefits of Using Cover Crops? While cover crops have traditionally been used on farms to suppress weeds and create green manure, home gardeners can also gain from their benefits: Cover crops reduce or prevent erosion of valuable topsoil....

Is Red Leaf Lettuce Healthier? Both green and red lettuce are nutrient-rich (and low-calorie). Red lettuce gets its color from the pigment anthocyanin, which is said to have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies suggest that anthocyanin may also help with cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. With the exception of anthocyanin, however, green lettuce actually trumps red as far as nutrition value. It is higher in vitamins A and K, fiber and micronutrients than red lettuce....

When purchasing plant foods, the gardener may wonder what the differences are between organic vs. inorganic fertilizer. Each is beneficial to plant growth, but there are some very basic differences. While useful, some gardeners may feel the synthetic fertilizer disadvantages outweigh their use. But the same can be said regarding organic plant foods. Alternatives to fertilizer include soil amendments and homemade feeds, as well as other land management practices....

Can you plant a tree near a stump, or where a stump has been removed? Read on for information about what the experts have to say on this subject. Planting Near Tree Stump The expert consensus seems to suggest that it’s not a good idea to plant a new tree in an old stump or anywhere near it. The downsides include several points. First, the former tree could have stripped out the nutrients in the site’s soil, nutrients that a young tree will need to thrive....

Why Container Gardening? Gardening in pots is a great choice for many reasons. If you have a sizable garden, you can supplement it with containers. Use them to decorate areas without soil, like a patio or deck. If you don’t have much of a garden, containers provide a chance to grow more plants. Even if you only have a patio or balcony, pots allow you to grow flowers or even a few vegetables....

Common California Birds Anyone just getting interested in birds can get a quick start by identifying the ones that live in the neighborhood or pass by annually. Here are some tips for learning to recognize some of the most common Western birds. Dark Eyed Junco If you are hearing a songbird in your backyard in North America, it might very well be a dark-eyed junco. With some 630 million individuals, this species is the most abundant songbird in the country, migrating from south to north in summers, then back again....

What Is a Water Wick? Water wicking is an age-old watering system from India wherein a porous line of fabric or rope is used to carry water to plants from a pipe or reservoir. This method may deliver water either quickly using gravity or slowly via capillary action. Sometimes both methods are employed to deliver a hybrid of both slow and rapid water delivery. A more modern approach uses a used 2-liter plastic soda bottle but delivers the exact same results....

What Is Yarn Bombing? You can think of yarn bombing as tactile graffiti. That’s why it is sometimes called guerrilla knitting or crocheting. It involves decorating trees and other everyday objects on the street with brightly colored yarn using knitted or crocheted pieces. When you see knitting on trees, it is likely the result of someone yarn bombing trees. Why Do People Yarn Bomb Trees? Those involved in yarn bombing are thrilled with crocheting or knitting for trees and using this with a way of bringing street art and craft together....

From boosting natural water reserves during dry weather to preventing runoff when the rains come, we round up the main reasons why water butts and rain barrels can help you to become more sustainably smart. How Rain Barrels and Water Butts Work Some gardeners who are keen to be more sustainable may well be asking, ‘What is a water butt?’ Put simply, a water butt is a container used to collect rainwater....

You will also be helping to manage numbers of insects such as beetles, mosquitoes, slugs, snails and flies, which frogs love to eat. By attracting frogs to the garden, you are effectively helping to improve biodiversity levels. Put simply, the presence of frogs and toads is a sign that things are working as they should in the natural order of your plot. The plants you choose to help with building a frog habitat and small frog pond ideas will need to cover off a few key functions – providing shelter, a variety of areas to rest, breed and nest, and a source of food via insect-attracting blooms....

Pests in vegetable gardens range from the tiniest aphids to mammals and birds – all requiring different solutions. It’s more difficult to fix a pest problem once it’s started than it is to prevent damage in the first place. Once the problem has gotten out of hand, it is tempting to reach for chemical control solutions. However, these can also kill beneficial insects and harm wildlife. Chemicals will stay in the soil for months, or even years, harming the biodiversity of your garden....

title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-04” author: “Lindsay Gutierrez” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-07” author: “Shawn Barrick” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “Bruce Gummer” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-05” author: “Sheila Grimm” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Jo Marthe” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-15” author: “Usha Hurley” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-08-26” author: “Josephine Lanier” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-21” author: “Cory Holcomb” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Norma Vitt” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-08-24” author: “Clement Sanchez” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-03” author: “Miriam Cabrera” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-19” author: “Gary Mallari” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-17” author: “Robert Perez” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-28” author: “Earl Mercer” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-08” author: “Daniel Byrd” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-01” author: “Mary Jacobson” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-01” author: “Christina Juneau” title: “Ben Franklin Elementary School Our 2022 Grant Recipient” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-16” author: “Betty Clark”

Hanging planters add another dimension to an outdoor space. They create vertical visual interest and can even be used to provide some shade from the sun on a porch or patio. The best trailing plants for hanging baskets drape elegantly over the sides in a romantic fashion. You can combine these with other types of plants in a thriller, filler, spiller design, and mix flowers with interesting foliage for a full composition....

What is Bloomcore? Bloomcore is one of many trending aesthetics that has arisen on social media sites like TikTok, and specifically with Gen Z. These aesthetics are numerous and sometimes niche. They often include very specific elements and can refer to overall style, fashion, or home and garden design. Recently cottagecore was all the rage, and bloomcore is similar. Cottagecore was all about coziness, rural settings, shabby chic design, and traditional cottage gardens....

Post about the sponsorship award on your personal and/or organization’s social media channels (if applicable)Post our Gardening Know How placard at your gardening site Include sponsorship badge on your organization’s website and in newsletter (if applicable) Provide us with photos and/or videos of you, your garden, volunteers, and more Take part in at least one phone interview to discuss your garden Let Gardening Know How post an article about you and your project, as well as photos and videos on our website(s) and social media channels...

In Scotland, Burns Day is perhaps the most vigorously celebrated national holiday. What is Burns Night? On the fifth anniversary of Burns’ death, several of his friends held a dinner in his honor. It was a resounding success and set off successive annual celebrations. Today’s celebrations include bonfires across the nation in the evening, combined with music and readings of the poet’s works. It also has become a cultural event saluting Scottish dance and other traditions....

Trying to capture that perfect love, or hold onto an existing one? A proper love potion recipe may be able to help. Love potion ingredients often include botanicals from herbs and flowers in the forms of dried plant material, oils, and other extractions. The formulas promote relaxation, soothe the body, and calm the mind, all key to being open to love. How do you make a love potion? There are many classic recipes, each with the ability to customize for different people and situations....