Help, My Garden Soil is Hard as a Rock! You don’t need a test to tell if your soil is compacted, but a soil test may help to determine the makeup of your soil – if it is predominantly clay, sand, silt, loam, etc. Soils composed of mostly clay or loams are often the culprit when it comes to compacted, low draining soils. Soil may also become hard due to lack of water, rocky composition, or excessive foot, equipment or vehicle traffic....
Most people have had a bee sting. They are often a memory from childhood, when our youthful clumsiness puts us in contact with stinging insects. The injury still happens when we are adults, though, usually when we inadvertently encounter a bee home or touch a bee. Most bee sting remedies start with home care. Occasionally, a victim is allergic to venom and should be rushed to the hospital or use their epi-pen, but most respond to a common home remedy for bee stings....
New England Ornamental Grasses Ornamental grass is a wonderful substitute for turf grass if you live in the Northeast. Not only are New England ornamental grasses eye-catching, with interesting texture and movement, but they are also exceptionally low maintenance. They are very adaptable and grow well in almost any sunny location in well-drained soil. Picking Mid-Atlantic native grasses guarantees you an extremely cold hardy species and a grass well-adapted to the climate....
Why Build a Secret Garden? The Secret Garden is a classic of garden literature. It showcases these hidden spaces in gardens that inspired the young heroine of the book to become a better person. The growth of the garden symbolizes her personal growth and that of her family. It’s a positive, uplifting symbol that highlights how special gardens are in general. When you think of a secret garden, you probably picture an urban space, a small hidden sanctuary surrounded by busy streets, pollution, and noise....
About the Back to Eden Method The Back to Eden gardening method was developed and is promoted by gardener and arborist Paul Gautschi. His idea was to get back to the garden of Eden with no-till and organic principles. The method builds and regenerates healthy soil using strategies like composting, using cover crops, and not tilling the soil. Wood Chip Gardening Back to Eden gardening employs many organic and sustainable strategies, but the foundational technique is wood chip gardening....
Natural Landscaping Ideas 1. Grow Plants That Will Naturalize Natural landscaping needs plants that grow organically and fill surrounding spaces. Clumps of neatly defined plants don’t look natural. Plants that naturalize grow and spread without your intervention. Some examples of naturalized plants include daylily, foxglove, and lily of the valley. Just be aware that some of these plants can be invasive and problematic. 2. Plant Perennials Perennial gardens usually look more natural than those with annuals, which are often tropical plants that only survive summers in colder climates....
Contact our Sales team to discuss how we might create customized campaigns aligned with your business goals. We’d love to work with you to brainstorm ideas and share relevant success metrics from GKH case studies. Learn more We Love Small Businesses Small Businesses also get big results on our platform. Whether you’re an independent garden center, artisan maker, or a “Main Street” small business, we offer unique and affordable ways to connect with your customers....
Snap Peas vs. Snow Peas Peas are members of the legume family. They are divided into three types: English, snap and snow peas. Peas also have two distinct growth habits. Climbing varieties have vines which extend 6 to 8 feet (1.8-2.4 m.) and can easily be grown on a trellis. Bush type peas may only reach 2 to 3 feet (.6-.9 m.) tall, but many gardeners provide support to prevent the plants from flopping onto the ground....
Organic fertilizers are much kinder for the environment than chemical fertilizers, and can be made using ingredients readily available in your kitchen and garden. These liquid plant tonics are powerful, organic, and cost almost nothing. Why Make Liquid Fertilizer For Plants? Fertilizers come in two main forms: granular and liquid. Granular fertilizers contain a mix of individual particles applied at the soil level or mixed into the soil. Liquid fertilizers are nutrients dissolved in water that can be sprayed onto the soil or directly onto plants....
Weed Seed Bank Definition A weed seed bank is a reservoir of viable seeds in the soil. Every bit of soil has a seed bank made up of seeds lying waiting for the perfect conditions with which to germinate. They may wait for just the right amount of rain or higher temps or more sunshine. Some varieties of seed need to be disturbed in the soil or may even require a fire to trigger germination....
Can you eat orchids? Vanilla orchids are a well known plant that produces a delicious pod, however there are several other varieties of orchid that are commonly eaten around the world. Edible orchid flowers are just one part of the plant consumed, although many applications are not common in the Western world. The natural world provides us with housing, clothing, fuel, and food. Much of what we know about our food comes to us from our ancestors, whose palates were varied and adventurous....
Grown with care, this is one of the best flowering shrubs you can grow. It is rarely bothered by pests and diseases. Furthermore, if you grow dwarf cultivars, it is very manageable in a small yard. Quick Pearlbush Facts: Botanical name: Exochorda racemosaHeight: 10 to 15 feet (3-4.6 m) Spread: 10 to 15 feet (3-4.6 m) Sun exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil requirements: Prefers acidic, well-draining, fertile loam Hardiness zones: USDA 4-8When to plant: Plant in fall for spring bloom...
Why You Should Be Feeding Wildlife in Winter Both year-round wildlife and migrating species can benefit from plants in your garden that provide adequate food in winter. Getting enough food is particularly important when animals are expending more energy to stay warm. Snow and other weather conditions can obscure available food or make it difficult or impossible to access it. Many animals hibernate or decrease activity levels in winter to aid survival, but most still need food....
If you are wondering how often to repot a fiddle leaf fig, there are several schools of thought. Read up on them and pick the one that suits you best. Fiddle Leaf Fig Magic It seems just a few years ago, the fiddle leaf fig came into the spotlight. Although it had been around for years, suddenly, this stunning houseplant was on everybody’s “must have” list. And it is a magnificent plant, growing to 6 feet (2m....
Quick Pink Muhly Grass FactCaring for Pink Muhly Grass Botanical name: Muhlenbergia capillarisHeight: 2-3 feet (60-90 cm)Spread: 2-3 feet (60-90 cm)Sun exposure: full sunSoil requirements: Any soil that drains wellHardiness zones: 6-9When to plant: Spring or fall Caring for Pink Muhly Grass Pink muhly grass needs little hands-on care. It’s a native clumping grass that can thrive perfectly well on its own given the correct placement. In case you are wondering, the common name “muhly’ comes from the genus name Muhlenbergia....
Bringing Containers Indoors The easiest way to overwinter a tropical plant is to bring it indoors. It’s not necessarily the ideal situation for a coleus because it needs a lot of warmth and humidity. It can work, though, if you take good care of the plant. Start by taking the plant out of the pot and rinsing the roots to get rid of any bugs or eggs. Repot it in a clean container with fresh, moist, high-quality potting soil....
If you live in an area where water use is or may become restricted, your garden design must include drought-resistant landscaping. Read on for some drought-tolerant landscape design ideas. Heat Tolerant Garden Design Elements When gathering drought-tolerant landscaping ideas, consider simplicity and harmony as essential. To create a harmonious design, balance the landscaping and hardscaping to keep both sides in some type of equilibrium. For example, a tree on one side could be balanced out by a group of shrubs on the other....
Ornamental Grasses – Florida Beach panic grass –Try this type of panic grass in your sandy, beachy areas of a garden. It is a clumping grass that grows no taller than 2 feet (61 cm) tall and prefers full sun. It has a high tolerance for salt.Palm grass – Palm grass is evergreen in Florida and lends a tropical look to the garden. The wide, pleated leaves resemble small palms. Flower spikes are green and cylindrical....
Kalanchoe This houseplant with little orange flowers also comes in shades of red, pink, yellow, and white. You’ll often see Kalanchoe blossfeldiana for sale at the end of winter and into spring. It’s a common houseplant you can find nearly anywhere plants are sold, including grocery stores. Native to Madagascar, kalanchoe is a succulent with fleshy, waxy, and dark green leaves. The small flowers grow in clusters. You can also find double-blooming varieties....
Trees Among the most foundational Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota plants for landscaping are trees. Start with a few strategically placed trees and build your garden around them. River Birch This smaller accent tree provides visual interest year-round with its flaky white bark. River birch tolerates wet soil that doesn’t drain well. Northern Catalpa This is a great urban tree that tolerates many types of soil. Catalpa produces large green leaves, fragrant white flowers, and long seed pods....
