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Keep it Natural Many people in the 1970s wanted to get back to nature. They were pushing back on the perfectly manicured lawns and white picket fences of the 1950s and 1960s and were embracing the hippie sensibility. A natural lawn alternative is making another comeback today, so you won’t be too out of place converting some of your yard to a meadow, prairie or natural wetland. Start a Vegetable Garden There was nothing new about vegetable gardens in the 70s, but they certainly came back into fashion....

Are you wondering how gardening affects the water supply? Read on for information on making water conservation a goal in gardening. How Do Gardening Practices Impact Our Water? Water is found in our atmosphere, in snow and ice, in ponds, lakes and oceans, but also in plants and animals and soil. There is a cycle to water: it rains down from the sky, soaks into or runs off the soil into nearby lakes or rivers....

Understanding how to water orchids correctly is a huge part of the orchid care learning curve. Unfortunately, many growers find it challenging, and infrequent or excessive watering is the biggest cause of plant death. Learning the key hydration signs to look for will help you spot whether your plant is too moist or dry, so you can respond correctly. Don’t forget that orchid fertilizing is an important part of plant care and should be done at the time of watering....

Hydrangea paniculata Height: 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4m) Spread: 5-6 ft (1.5 -1.8m) Sun exposure: Full sun, part shade Soil: Well-draining, neutral; pH 5-8 Hardiness zones: USDA Zones 3-8 When to plant: Early spring Admittedly, a Pinky Winky hydrangea tree requires a little more specialized seasonal care. However, most gardeners who enjoy growing hydrangeas consider their beauty to be well worth the effort. Once established, these paniculata hydrangeas will grow quickly. Where conditions are ideal, gardeners can expect the plants to grow approximately three feet (1m) per season....

Meyer Lemon I first learned about Meyer lemons decades ago when I wrote an article about container citrus trees. I included the Meyer lemon tree since it was ranked among the top three in the gardener poll I was describing. A cross between a lemon and an orange, the Meyer lemon fruit is bright yellow like a lemon but sweet enough to eat raw. It wasn’t long after that when I came upon a sale of lemon trees in a local discount store....

Erosion control bushes are effective not only on hillsides but as foundation plantings. They enhance the beauty of the landscape while performing work horse soil retention. Good shrubs for erosion control should have the ability to establish quickly, withstand a variety of moisture levels and ideally require little special care. Selecting Erosion Control Bushes While sod grass will maintain soil on slopes, it is difficult to maintain. Alternatives that spread and protect soil such as creeping junipers, are fairly maintenance free....

Extend the time you can enjoy your outdoor space by designing a garden that glows well into the evening. A moon garden is filled with plants that look good at night, featuring light and white blooms and silvery foliage that catch what ambient light remains once evening falls. Relax well into the night with one of the five moon garden planting recipes that follow. Be sure the plants you choose are suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone and are appropriate for your existing light levels, soil type, and moisture conditions....

What Is No-Till Vegetable Gardening? No-till gardening is an easy, eco-friendly way to boost the nutritional components and microorganisms of your soil while keeping it light and aerated without tilling. Also referred to as sheet composting, lasagna gardening or sheet mulching, the no-dig garden uses a layered approach of compost materials to suppress weeds and smother grass all in one place without disturbing the soil structure. Tilling compacts the soil, destroying the channels that allow air, nutrients and microorganisms to flow....

Most of the world’s nearly 340 hummingbird species are native to the western hemisphere where they can be found living in deserts, mountains, and tropical locales where there’s a mix of tall trees, an underlayer of shrubs, and open fields. Your own backyard is fair game, too, made even more appealing with plants for hummingbirds that can help sustain their incredibly fast metabolism. With their intensely beating wings and their Blue Angels-style flight patterns, hummingbirds burn between 6,000-12,000 calories each day and must refuel every quarter hour....

Ways to Reduce Lawn Waste One of the best ways to keep grass clippings out of landfills is by grasscycling. Instead of picking up grass clippings, they are mulched and left on the lawn. Studies show this practice does not create more thatch in the turf, and in fact grasscycling provides several benefits: Reduces the time or labor costs associated with lawn care.Saves money by reducing the amount of fertilizer needed....

Transformational Front Yard Landscaping Ideas Are you ready to rewrite your home’s first impression? Here are seven ideas - from easy to challenging - that ups the ante when it comes to pow-power. With a little effort, your front yard landscape can move from boring to brilliant. 1. Replace Grass With a Garden In yesteryear, a neat square of turf grass was the opening act of the American dream. Today, it has outlived its usefulness....

Invasive Vine Species Common In Yards And Gardens Climbing invasive vine identification can be tricky, especially when there are several look-a-like vines. Pay attention to leaf shape, flowering, seed pods or berries, opposite or alternate leaf arrangement, and type of root structure. Invasive vines are typically removed by mowing, pulling/digging, cutting and recutting, or using chemical control. You can even try smothering plants with cardboard and newspaper, then covering them with mulch....

Whether you live in a warmer zone or just want to grow a water-wise garden that still looks lush in hot summers, drought-tolerant trees are an important contribution to the landscape. These varieties can withstand the stress placed on them that would weaken and even kill other trees. Drought-tolerant fruit trees are a particular joy to gardeners, yielding a delicious homegrown harvest. There is nothing like the taste of perfectly ripe fruit eaten straight from the tree....

Can You Eat Hostas? I used to have a huge hosta garden which even included a prized Empress Wu. I now live where it is too hot and dry to grow these glorious forage plants, but I wish I had known then what I know now. Many popular web searches ask, “Are hostas poisonous?” Usually, the question refers to protecting curious pets. The glycoside saponins do make the leaves toxic to certain animals, like cats and dogs....

How Much Water Do Petunias Need? Petunia watering requirements depend upon several factors. While the plants are able to withstand brief periods without rain, supplemental irrigation is often needed to maintain the overall health of their foliage and the production of flower buds. Soil should remain consistently moist, drying only moderately between each watering. Growing conditions that are especially dry or warm often result in the need for an increased frequency in irrigation....

About Bees of the West North Central United States Habitat, nectar, and pollen are the three requirements for bee existence. Chemical controls of all types as well as decimation of natural habitat have contributed to the bee’s decline. As a gardener you can do something to help by incorporating a pollinator garden and/or simply dotting your landscape with pollinator friendly plant species. That said, grouping pollinator plants is best as it gives different types of bees a variety with differing bloom times, and it makes habitats easier to find and more protected than a single plant specimen....

About Invasive Grasses Some grasses, usually non-native grasses that are high-seeding or those with a running habit, can become invasive. Bamboo A prime example of this is bamboo. Bamboo comes in two types: running and clumping. Running bamboo spreads by underground rhizomes and can be highly invasive. The rampant spread of bamboo results in the crowding out of native species, both plant and animal. It should never be planted unless it’s installed in a deep container that the rhizomes cannot escape....

Pistachio Pests Ground squirrels These nut-loving critters climb trees and feed on all stages of pistachio nuts. In addition to what they consume, squirrels collect and store nuts in their burrows. To discourage ground squirrels from making burrows near the garden, remove brush piles, tree stumps and debris. Rabbits Although rabbits can be cute, they cause severe damage to young trees by removing bark and girdling the trunk. Most damage occurs in winter and early spring when other food sources are scarce....

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Climate Change and Pests There is some evidence that climate change and pests are going to continue to be a problem. As temperatures rise, insects that would normally succumb to winter’s cold embrace, survive and rise in spring to plague our plants. Mild winters promote early hatching and more general activity. The pest population will bloom, wreaking havoc on the plants that sustain them and us. Insects like fleas need about 5 days of exposure to freezing temperatures to kill them....