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Gardening Advice
Want to start your first vegetable garden? How hard can it be? Just stick a few seeds in the ground and stand back, right? If only it were that easy! Here are 10 garden planning tips to consider before you dig in.
10 Tips For Starting a Garden
1. Pick the right location鈥攊deally, a sunny site! Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sun a day. Some crops such as lettuce and spinach鈥
A new year means a brand-new growing season to think about. Winter’s quiet may not be as exciting as summer’s first tomato ripening or spring’s first flower opening, but it’s a time of promise, of optimism, and of a tangible sense of opportunity. Here are my eight gardening resolutions. I hope they inspire your plans!
My garden has disappeared under a thin coverlet鈥
If you haven鈥檛 started planning your garden, winter鈥攖he dormant season鈥攊s a good time to start. Seed catalogs are already arriving in mailboxes. Here鈥檚 how to go about selecting seeds!Have a Game PlanCatalogs began to arrive in the mailbox early this year, but before you even look at their new offerings, take stock of what you鈥檝e got to work with:Do an inventory of the seeds鈥
Orchids have babies! Yes, many orchids grow baby plants, or 鈥渒eikis.鈥 You can remove these plantlets and pot them up to grow more orchids. Here鈥檚 how it鈥檚 done.I have a Phalaenopsis 鈥渕oth orchid鈥 which is one of the more common orchids, especially for beginners. This orchid and many others (including Vanda, Dendrobium and Catasetum) can be easily propagated by removing their 鈥渒eiki鈥 (鈥
Nature is fascinating. Every wondered how trees and plants survive winter? They certainly can鈥檛 move inside to get warm! Plants go through an amazing process similar to hibernation called 鈥渄ormancy.鈥 Learn more about your natural world.
We have had some snow so far this year, but it鈥檚 still early. For once, I am hoping for a lot of snow to insulate the ground and protect my鈥
Whatever you may think of snow, remember the old saying, 鈥淪now is a poor man鈥檚 fertilizer.鈥 Discover five benefits of snow in the yard and garden.There鈥檚 another age-old saying, 鈥淎 good winter with snow makes all the plants grow.鈥 As it turns out, there are explanations rooted in science to these expressions. Snow Deliver NitrogenBoth rain and snow contain nitrogen that鈥
Many trees and plants were traditionally important to the celebration of the winter solstice (on December 21). Think evergreens, yew, oak, mistletoe, holly, rosemary, pine, and ivy. Learn more about their symbolic meanings.
The Solstice Signals a Return of Light
After the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, the days will start to get longer again. But as the old鈥
Have you decked the halls yet? Go natural this Christmas! It鈥檚 time for nature鈥檚 greenery to make a comeback. Look no further than your backyard and garden for a ready source of interesting foliage, berries, dried flower heads, and seedpods. See our ideas straight from nature!If you don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 worth the effort, check prices online and you鈥檒l find that the green in鈥
Color is lacking during the colder months, so I am always glad to see new seasonal plants at the stores. One plant I can鈥檛 resist is the kalanchoe. The clusters of starlike, cheerful flowers are long-lived and can add a happy note to a gloomy day. Learn more about this flowering succulent!The laziest gardener is almost guaranteed success. The kalanchoe is very low-maintenance to the point of鈥
Why not try your hand at creating a terrarium? These miniature gardens under glass have been experiencing a revival鈥攁nd we can see why. It鈥檚 a mini ecosystem at work. An entire forest in a jar! Learn how to make a terrarium in five steps鈥攖o bring joy all year long.What Are Terrariums?Originally popularized during the Victorian era, terrariums have made a big comeback. A terrarium is a鈥
Paperwhite narcissus, with their clusters of fragrant, small, white flowers, must be the easiest bulb to force into bloom. In fact, there is really no forcing necessary鈥攋ust plant, and they鈥檒l bloom in three to four weeks! Here鈥檚 how to do it.Unlike other spring-flowering bulbs that need a cold period before they blossom, paperwhites are native to warm Mediterranean regions and need no鈥
Move over, poinsettia! There are many more great flowering houseplants that can brighten your winter days. These plants are practically bulletproof and will blossom indoors for weeks. Here are a few of our favorites.
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe are rugged succulents that will grow well on a south-facing windowsill.
They come in a wide range of crayon-bright colors. If you want鈥
