When growing geraniums in the ground, you need to pay close and constant attention to fluctuations in temperature, keeping a watchful eye out during extended periods of heat and potential cold snaps. While perennial geraniums can cope in hardiness zones down to USDA zone 3, they are vulnerable to frosts. Bringing potted geraniums indoors adds flexibility and security to your geranium growing. What’s more, many flowering varieties prefer the compact conditions of a well-chosen pot, responding well to the restrictive nature of container growing....

November is a time when the garden is naturally winding down for winter. However, there are some heroes of the fall garden that make delightful gifts. Alternatively, a striking houseplant makes an impact in the colder months. Many can be nurtured over the holiday season and beyond. So pass on a few basic care tips to help the plant thrive into next Thanksgiving too. 10 best plants to gift at Thanksgiving Whether you want to send a message with a symbolic plant, add a pop of color to a friend’s patio, or boost an inexperienced gardener’s confidence with a low-maintenance houseplant, there is an option for everyone among these best plants to gift at Thanksgiving....

12 Easy Ways To Improve Your Greenhouse In Summer Use these hot climate greenhouse tips and ideas to make your greenhouse more comfortable for you and your plants all summer. 1. Manage Your Greenhouse’s Humidity Levels Managing humidity in a greenhouse can be tricky. Humidity levels often get very high in these enclosed spaces. Too much moisture can lead to infections. To reduce humidity in your greenhouse, you can use vents, fans, and dehumidifiers....

Harvesting a delicious bounty requires more judgment than any other aspect of growing a vegetable garden. Even seasoned pros sometimes get it wrong with the easiest vegetables, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss the optimum harvest window or struggle with technique. All crops are different and require a particular approach to checking for ripeness, harvesting, and storing. Some vegetables can be continuously picked throughout the growing season – such as cut-and-come again crops – while others will be gathered in one big glut....

Growing a cutting garden is a delight on many levels. Not only does it perk up an otherwise drab landscape, but the riotous colors and aromas are natural pollinator attractors, benefiting your entire garden. You will find the same stock of familiar flower varieties at the florist, but by choosing your own cutting garden plants, you can opt for more unusual cut flowers. The most efficient, least expensive, and long-lasting cut flowers are usually perennials....

For year-round privacy, wall coverage, and shade, you need evergreen climbing vines. These plants do not lose their foliage in the winter. When choosing among these vines, consider their appropriateness for your USDA hardiness zone, whether they need sun or shade, and whether or not you have a sturdy vertical surface for them to climb. These are just a few examples of evergreen climbing plants to suit a variety of hardiness zones and growing conditions....

Quick Facts about Phragmites: Botanical name: Phragmites australis Height: 7 to 15 feet (2 to 5 m) Spread: 9 feet (3 m) Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil requirements: Moist to wet light, medium, or clay soil Hardiness zones: USDA zones 4-10; UK zone 5 When to plant: Do NOT plant invasive subspecies australis. Plant native species in spring. Phragmites Or Common Reed: Native Vs. Invasive Varieties Common reed (Phragmites australis) is a grass with native and non-native varieties found in wetland areas, along stream and pond edges, lake shores, marshes, and low-lying ditches....

Does Baking Soda Kill Weeds? Many of us are striving to garden in an environmentally friendly manner and to that end, find alternative methods of weed control. The internet is rife with suggestions for “natural” weed suppressors or killers but are they actually better for the environment? In the case of using baking soda for weed control, the answer is not clear cut. On the one hand, yes, baking soda will kill weeds… at least some of them....

Jerry Trosper and Audrey Rowe are enthusiastic representatives who applied for and received a gardening grant from Gardening Know How. The Douglas Discovery Garden has become a major feature of the Danville community, and the continuing education in the former school location continues to flourish. The Garden offers education for students from several local schools. The students learn about gardening, planting, weeding, and where food comes from. Teachers bring students to learn from the Master Gardeners here who volunteer their time and garden wisdom to nascent young gardeners....

Gas Lawn Mower Emissions Gas lawn mowers predominate, but electric mowers are becoming more popular. One of the main reasons to consider an electric lawnmower is to reduce your negative impact on the environment. Burning fossil fuels releases harmful substances into the air. These include carbon dioxide (CO2), which contributes to global warming, but also other substances that add to air pollution and local poor air quality. There is no question that gas-powered tools produce more emissions than those powered by electricity....

Beloved both indoors and out, gardenia or cape jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides) add intoxicating charm and fragrance to beds and containers. So it’s in your best interests to ensure they stay vibrant and healthy. Knowing how often to water gardenia plants, and in the right frequencies, is key to plant health. This guide takes a closer look at gardenia watering requirements, so you can enjoy these scented beauties for longer....

germination The process of a seed causes itself to produce growth and become a plant. girdling The name for what happens when a tree loses a complete ring of bark around the circumference of its trunk. This condition is typically fatal to a tree. grafting The process of attaching one related plant tissue to another plant tissue. Normally, it is used to connect a superior fruiting tissue to a superior rooting tissue....

Going “Nature-al” This might be called the golden age of technology, as machines are built to take over our day-to-day tasks and solve some thorny problems. But machines have not led the world back from the brink of war, nor have they caused us to steer clear of the life-changing nightmare of the warming atmosphere resulting from our reliance on fossil fuels. It seems to me that, in order to help the planet move toward peace and balance, tending nature must move to the top of our priority list....

Anyone familiar with apple tree planting will know that new trees grown commercially tend to come from grafts. Growing a tree from seed requires patience and may end in disappointment, as you won’t get the same type of apple that the seed came from. Still, knowing how to plant apple tree seeds can be a fun experiment, and you never know, you might just grow some interesting and tasty new fruits for free....

Plants in the ground benefit from the insulating effects of the soil. But containers do not offer the same protection. They are above ground with only a thin layer of potting soil and container wall to protect them from the elements. Hardy plants that will stay outside in containers should be rated two hardiness zones lower than normal. In other words, if a plant is usually hardy to zone 5, it will only be hardy to zone 7 in a container....

The small city of Duncan (pop. 5,045 in 2021), is located on beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia and boasts the world’s largest collection of outdoor totems. Located on the traditional lands of the Cowichan First Nation, the Cowichan peoples have lived here for millennia. Duncan’s community garden was first established in 2006, and expanded in 2010 to add a quarter acre market garden. The entire landscape is committed to edible plants, including berry bushes and fruit trees....

Trumpet Flowers As one of 23 grandchildren, one would think I wouldn’t have been much more than a number to my grandmother. Yet this special lady took the time to know each one of her many grandchildren. When my family visited on Sundays, there was always a bag of my favorite potato chips waiting on the counter and occasionally a toy would be hiding on the shelf that seemed to belong to me....

About Stormwater Runoff The decimation of the natural environment has seen an increase in flooding. Flooding can cause major property and environmental damages. This damage may occur in your basement, garage, or even home as well as in streets, highways, and even golf courses. Water that flows unchecked through landscapes and out into streets runs either down the storm drain or into a ditch which then flows into the nearest body of water....

Why sustainable gardening is importantWhat is sustainable gardening?Organic gardeningHome remediesPollinator gardensNative plantsLawn alternativesCrop rotationCover cropsCompostMulchOrganic fertilizersConserving and using water wiselyUpcycling and recyclingPermacultureRegenerative gardening If you’re gardening at any level or size, you’re already an earth hero. But gardening practice with an eye toward sustainability is of the highest importance to the earth at this time. The word sustainability brings to mind countless ideas and methods, but the primary goal of gardening sustainably is to reduce our impact on the earth, leaving our yards, gardens, orchards, and property in a stronger and healthier condition going forward....

Choosing the Right Tools Flower growers use a wide variety of tools to harvest an abundance of colorful flowers from their gardens. Varying by species, characteristics like stem thickness will play a key role in determining which is the best tool to use. While secateurs or small hand-pruners are often ideal for smaller stems, those which are especially robust will require the use of pruners or larger by-pass shears. Specialty floral knives are also an option, although skill is necessary for their safe use....