Best Way To Start Tomato Plants From Seed Indoors

 

Photo source:  This Is My Garden

"Growing tomatoes from seed couldn’t be easier. As you will see below, it doesn’t require fancy lights or equipment. Nor does it have to be time consuming. In fact, by following four simple secrets – anyone can start and grow amazing tomato transplants in their home with ease!"  Comment from This Is My Garden

Tomato plants are one of the most satisfying plants to grow from beginning to end once you know how to make them happy.  The greatest joy for me was having way too many and giving the excess away for others to enjoy.

Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article.

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How to Make Homemade Bird Seed Ornaments

 

Photo source:  Homesteading In Ohio

"Learning how to make bird seed ornaments is a fun process, and can help you to feed your birds in the wintertime. Making bird seed ornaments not only gives you some fun outdoor Christmas decorations, but it also gives your birds some delicious snacks."  Comment from Homesteading In Ohio

The birds need delicious snacks too!  Those bird seed ornaments are so cute and would make an awesome gift.

Click here to go to the Homesteading in Ohio article.

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Bugs You Should Never Kill in Your Garden

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

"Not all garden bugs are created equal. Some pollinate flowers or feed on destructive pests. Meet eight bugs you should be happy to see."  Comment from Birds and Blooms

In the past, I have bought beneficial insects for my garden and they worked to keep the bad insects out.

Click here to go to the Birds and Blooms article.

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DIY Birdbath from a Vintage Lamp

 

Photo source:  Sadie Seasongoods

"I’ve wanted to try my hand at a DIY birdbath for some time now, as we love supplying food and water to the wildlife in our backyard. So, I decided to make a do-it-yourself bird bath with a vintage lamp from the thrift store as my base. 

I went thrifting in search of the perfect lamp to repurpose. This one caught my eye because it was heavy and would make for a sturdy pedestal."  Comment from Sadie Seasongoods

What a genius idea!  It is also a good idea for a bird feeder/bird bath since it is big enough to hold two bowls or just one for water.  Using the lamp as a sturdy pedestal would be an awesome base for a number of outdoor projects.

Click here to go to the Sadie Seasongoods project page.

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Why Plant Basil With Tomato Plants

 

Photo source:  This Is My Garden

"Did you know that planting basil with your tomato plants is one of the best kept secrets to keep your tomatoes healthy and strong – and grow better tasting tomatoes? And – that planting it is as simple as putting a few basil seeds in the ground right around your tomato plants?

Basil and tomatoes certainly are great partners in the kitchen. There are hundreds of incredible dishes, salads and appetizers that pair the two together when it comes to creating delicious foods – but as it turns out, tomato and basil plants also happen to be great partners in the garden as well.

In fact, when it comes to companion planting, they are one of the best examples of all for being perfect growing mates. Not only do tomato plants gain huge benefits from the basil – but the basil gets plenty of great things back from the tomato plants too!"  Comment from This Is My Garden

I had no idea that tomato and basil plants were perfect for companion planting.  Great article, especially for me since I grow both plants, but don't remember if I planted them together.

Click here to go to the very informative This Is My Garden article.

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DIY Vintage Snack Set Bird Feeder

 

Photo source:  House of Hawthorne

"I decided I wanted to repurpose my snack set into a snack set for the birds. Real birds, not china ones with sparkly eyes.  A place where a bird could sit and relax, have a little nosh and chat with a few friends. Doing so, all the while, in the lap of 1950's luxury."  Comment from House of Hawthornes

Cute little bird feeder that can be adapted to fit anywhere in the garden.  Use your imagination to use this tutorial as a guide to your own creativity.  Love the idea of using the snack set that uses one of my favorite things to collect, glassware. 

Click here to go to the House of Hawthornes tutorial page.

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Houseplants You Shouldn't Grow and Why, According to Experts

 

Photo source:  Martha Stewart

"While houseplants can bring beauty and life indoors, not every plant is well-suited for long-term indoor growing. Some require conditions that are difficult to replicate in a typical home, while others pose concerns for pets, children, or people with allergies.  

Houseplant expert Lisa Eldred Steinkopf notes that there's rarely a true “never” when it comes to plants—however, there are many popular varieties that are far more challenging to grow than they’re worth. Ahead, experts share the houseplants that they don’t recommend."  Comment from Martha Stewart.com

Although I have never grown these plants as houseplants, I grew them outdoors with no problems except for freeze.

Click here to go to the Martha Stewart.com article.

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When And How To Plant Spring Onion Sets And Why You Need To Get Them Early

 

Photo source:  Old World Garden Farms 

"When it comes to the spring planting of onions, one thing is for sure, if you want to have a great harvest of sizable onions – you definitely need to plant onion sets this spring instead of seeds or transplants. See when and how to plant for a great harvest!"  Comment from Old World Garden Farms 

Click here to go to the Old World Garden Farms article to learn when, how and why regarding planting onion sets.

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How To Plant Pansies For Big Early Spring Color

 

Photo source:  Simple Garden Life

"Pansies are one of the earliest annuals you can plant to bring some color to the landscape after a long winter. Their big, bright petals and wide range of colors – and their ability to handle cold temperatures make them a great choice for early spring planting."  Comment from Simple Garden Life

The faster you can get things going for Spring, the faster you will get the beautiful flowers.

Click here to go to the Simple Garden Life article.

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Florida Freeze Damage 2026 — What My Garden Looks Like After the Cold

 

This is not my garden, but a Florida garden from someone I subscribe to on You Tube

The Gardeners Garden

Orlando, Florida USDA Growing Zone 10a

"The unprecedented cold finally passed through Florida, and today I’m showing the full aftermath in my garden. This is the follow up to last week’s “before the freeze” tour, and now you can see exactly what the frigid temperatures did to my plants. Some bounced back, some suffered heavy damage, and a few didn’t make it at all. In this video, I walk through the backyard and front yard to show the real freeze damage on tropicals, ornamentals, and cold sensitive plants. If you’re a Florida gardener or live in any warm climate that gets the occasional cold snap, this will give you a clear idea of what to expect after a hard freeze and how different plants respond."

Comments from The Gardeners Garden

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Florida Freeze Recovery: 5 Things I'm Doing Right Now to Rebuild My Garden

 

Photo source:  Rooted in J's

If you are heartbroken and have a brown paradise after the Florida freeze, check out Rooted in J's video to get motivated and see what you can do to get some guidance to get it going again.

Check out their website . . . click here.

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Monstera Deliciosa Care: A Complete Guide

 

Photo source:  HereSheGrows.com

"When it comes to growing Monstera deliciosa, there’s just one prerequisite. Space. Big plants are like puppies and small children. They’re easy to accommodate when small but eventually they grow up. When you consider the seven-to-eight-foot height Monstera deliciosa aspires to indoors, you can see why some consideration should be given to where this thing is going to live. The kitchen counter won’t work for long. Aside from the space issue, the rest is gravy, which is code for easy and I love easy. The same cannot be said for puppies and small children so if you’re thinking about either, perhaps try your hand at a Monstera deliciosa first."  Comment from HereSheGrows.com

Beautiful plant!  I have grown it outdoors, but never indoors.  It is an easy plant to grow.  Mine grew really big.

Click here to go to the HereSheGrows.com article.

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Bring A Dying Pothos Plant Back To Life

 

Photo source:  Hunker.com

"If that easy-to-care-for pothos plant (Epipremnum aureum) that used to spill over your bookcase with lush green vines has been looking a little bedraggled lately, you may be wondering if this reliable plant has come to the end of its life span, or if there is anything you can do to revive it. Despite being one of the best plants for beginners due to its unfussy needs and ability to thrive under the care of even novice gardeners, pothos can start to fade if you are getting some of its basic care wrong."  Comment  from Hunker.com

Love this plant!  It grows wild in my yard like a weed.  I have also grown it as a houseplant with great results.  Any plant will eventually die with improper care.  This article is excellent to find out the correct way to care for the pothos.

Click here to go to the Hunker.com article.

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Try Cardboard Gardening to Save Money and Recycle

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

"I’m a bargain hunter. A penny-pincher. A cheapskate. Nothing makes me happier than finding thrifty and resourceful ways to save money on the things I need or want. I’m also a gardener. And, as anyone who has ever tended a patch of tomatoes can attest, it’s alarmingly easy to spend a lot of money on a garden. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a super cheap, super simple way to have a better garden. Cardboard gardening!"  Comment from Birds and Blooms

I've been collecting cardboard so I can place it in garden beds and along the fence to keep the weeds out.  Actually, I am considering covering the whole yard and just have very large container gardens.  As I grow older, it has become harder to maintain it all, too expensive to pay someone else and if you don't maintain it, city code enforcement will fine you.  So I have seen cardboard and landscape fabric as my solution.  We will see!

This article has some interesting ideas for saving money in the garden using cardboard.  Always love learning new ways of saving money in the garden.  It has gotten way too expensive no matter which way you go.

Click here to go to the Birds and Blooms article.

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How Do Birds Stay Warm in the Winter?

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

"How do birds stay warm and handle extremely cold temperatures? Discover the survival superpowers of birds that brave wintry weather."  Comment from Birds and Blooms

I often wonder about how birds adapt to bad storms, especially hurricanes.  Where do they go?  If they are merely perched in a tree, wouldn't the wind blow them away?  Nature fascinates me.  I also wonder about how they move according to the season.  Why didn't nature just put them where they are meant to be and create them to adapt.  I'm a curious person, what can I say.

Click here to go to the Birds and Blooms article.

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Should You Grow Hybrid or Heirloom Tomatoes?

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

"Summer is the sweetest season for the tomato lover, but with so many types and varieties available, it can be hard to know which ones are best for your garden. Terms like ‘heirloom’ and ‘hybrid’ are often used to describe tomato varieties, but what do they mean and is one type better than the other? Below we explore the pros and cons of both hybrid and heirloom tomatoes and spotlight six outstanding varieties."  Comment from Birds and Blooms

The time to think about types and varieties available is fall and winter.  I should have already started sowing my seeds, but as usual, I have procrastinated.  When it comes to the subject of hybrid vs heirloom tomatoes, I really need to educate myself since I just buy the variety that looks good to me when I'm buying seeds.

Click here to go to the Birds and Blooms article.

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