Friday, December 11, 2015

Start lettuce from seed

Every year I say I'd like to grow my own lettuce from seed, but never get around to it.  I was reminded again by an article on the Birds and Blooms website. Growing from seed really takes little effort.  You just need the right place to get them going Click here for the article from...
read more

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Creative Ways to Grow Herbs

I love growing herbs close to the kitchen.  In fact, they are beautiful grown indoors. Container gardening is my preferred method of gardening since the plants are portable and can be moved from outdoors to indoors. Click here to go to an article from The Empress of Dirt on being creative...
read more

Monday, November 9, 2015

Christmas Cactus Care

It has been years since I have tried to successfully grow a Christmas Cactus. Back in my first days of growing houseplants when I first moved out on my own, I didn't bother to do my research.  I'd just buy a Christmas Cactus and eventually kill it.  I treated it the same as all of my...
read more

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Common Gardening Mistakes

Mistakes . . . we all make them!  We are not aware of some mistakes. I ran across an excellent article on common gardening mistakes that all gardeners should read.  Some I was not aware of and through the years, I have done a ton of gardening research.  You never stop learning! Click...
read more

Monday, October 12, 2015

Discover Hypertufa Plant Containers

Hypertufa plant containers are so cute! I've made lots of concrete plant containers and have heard of hypertufa, but have not yet made any.  The great feature of hypertufa is less weight than concrete.  I love my concrete containers, but huge containers are almost impossible to move...
read more

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Those pesky weeds!

Now is the time to cut down next season's weed population. October is a perfect time to take care of those pests since we are out there doing seasonal maintenance.  Actually, anytime is a good time to avoid the over-population of the pesky weeds.  The secret is to not let the weeds...
read more

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Fabulous Stepping Stone Inspiration

Stepping stones are a quick way to add color and sometimes functionality to an area of your garden. My favorites are the colorful mosaics like the ones in the photo. Making your own stepping stones can be a fun experience the whole family can participate in. Click here for an article that features...
read more

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

DIY Lace-Like Stepping Stones

Here's another creative DIY project to add some pizazz to your garden design. Karen from Mindful Matters came up with a most unusual way to use lace doilies to paint these stunning stepping stones.  What really makes them special . . . they glow in the dark.  How cool is that? Her...
read more

DIY Fake Rocks and Boulders

There is no limit to what you can create with this type of project. You may simply want to add some large fake boulders in your garden design, make the facade for the waterfall and pond you have been dreaming of or a raised bed that doubles as a place to sit. Once you know the basics of...
read more

Monday, July 27, 2015

Spectacular container garden arrangements

Container Garden News is one of my new favorite gardening websites.  Not that I needed too much convincing, but I am really loving planting container gardens rather than planting in the ground. I'm totally in love with the container in the photo.  Since red is my favorite color, the...
read more

Friday, July 17, 2015

Companion Planting Top 10 Plants

One of my organic gardening habits is to plant marigolds with my peppers and tomatoes since they assist in keeping the pests away.  Making small changes in your gardening routine can make a big difference. The blog Imperfectly Happy has posted an article on Companion Planting that...
read more

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

How To Grow Plants From Seeds and Cuttings

Although I love to go shopping for beautiful blooming plants, there is something about the challenge and wonder of nature that growing from seeds and cuttings brings.  My love for propagating plants goes back to my childhood days! Click here for a very informative article on seeds and cuttings,...
read more

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Small Garden Inspiration

Even though The Captain and I have a large property with way too many future projects, we decided to start in the Carport Jungle.  Now that our tomatoes, peppers and herbs are on their way, it is time for us to concentrate on landscape design. Even if you have a large area that needs landscaping,...
read more

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Best Plants for Harvesting Seeds

As a little girl growing up, my dad taught me the joys of growing plants from seed.  For as long as I could remember, I had a little patch of my own to plant whatever I wanted . . . I always picked red zinnias.  He also taught me to check my zinnias often, cutting off the spent flowers...
read more

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Need More Space in Your Garden?

It is also about pest and disease control and convenience. No doubt about it, I tend to gravitate toward container gardening for ease of movement, seasonal gardening, herb and veggie gardening . . . it is so much easier for me even though we have more than enough space in our garden. Want some...
read more

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Central Florida Gardening Calender

June is a great month to propagate those landscape plants!  Don't spend a lot of money for future landscaping by multiplying your inventory.  Click here for an article on propagation. Central Florida gardeners (zone 9) will love the gardening calender from the University of Florida Extension...
read more

Sunday, May 10, 2015

DIY Garden Fountain

Can you imagine building your own garden fountain in one weekend?  I have wanted another water feature for the longest time . . .  The tutorial shows you, step by step, how to make a garden fountain out of anything. Click here to go to the tutorial. ...
read more

Friday, May 8, 2015

DIY Gel Fire Pits

What an awesome idea! I love concrete projects and this one is unique, different and something we would use every night for our concrete jungle.  The little fire pit would make an awesome gift for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. If you would like to make one for your garden,...
read more

Monday, March 9, 2015

Grow Coleus As A Tree

There is nothing like a coleus plant to brighten up the garden with big splashes of color. The coleus plant is one that I always include in my garden every year.  Through the years, I discovered that it is very easy to grow from seed (and it even self-sows effortlessly).  There is also...
read more

Labels

alocasia Amazonica annuals apartment gardening aphids aucuba azalea back yard projects bamboo hydroponics basil beneficial insects bird watching birds black eyed susan blooms blue plumbago Bouganvillea boulders bromeliad photos bromeliads bugs Busch Gardens butterfly gardening cacti cactus calender calissia fragrans candles Christmas Cactus cilantro coffee coleus colorful container planting companion planting compost bins composting concrete concrete container concrete countertop concrete leaves concrete project container container gardening container gardens container plants containers contrast cooking with herbs coriander craft projects crafts cranberry hibiscus crinum crinum lilies croton cubanelle peppers cuttings cycads DIY DIY bubble fountain DIY insecticidal soap DIY projects DIY water fountain eggshells elephant ear epiphyte fall gardening fallen tree faux rocks fence fire pit fireplace Florida florida beauties Florida gardening flower tower flowering perennials flowers France fruit trees garden garden decor garden design garden fountain garden maintenance garden path garden project garden suppies gardening gardening basics gardening guide gardening mistakes gardening tips gardens garlic gazebo gingers grass grasshoppers greenhouses ground covers growing from seed growing tomatoes heat tolerant flowers herb gardening herbs HGTV holiday plant houseplants hydroponics hypertufa hypertufa containers illumination impatiens indoor gardening insecticidal soap insects inspiration June gardening Kalanchoe landscape landscape design landscaping lawns leaf casting leaf casting water feature leaf mold lemon tree lettuce lighting lily limes log planter low light plants mandevilla March gardening may Monet monthly gardening notes mosaic mother of millions native plants nature organic organic gardening organic pest control outdoor fireplace outdoor kitchen outdoor lighting outdoor projects outdoor shower outdoor spaces painting Paradise past path paths patio gardening Paul James pavers pepper plant pruning pepper plants peppers perennials pest control pest spray pests photo tips photos photos garden plant plant containers plant damage plant profile plant swaps planter plants plumbago pond ponds propagation pruning pruning fruit trees pruning tomato plants raised beds recycle recycling redesign rocks rooting basil rooting tomato plants sago palm saving money scrub seed germination seed saving seed starters seed storage box seed swaps seeds shade shade gardening shade plants slugs soil soil mix spring staghorn fern starting from seed stepping stones stump removal succulents summer summer gardening terracotta tin cans tips tires tomato tomato plants trash to treasure trash-to-treasure trees trellis tropical tropical plants tropicals turf vegetable gardening vegetables video water feature watering weed control weed identification weeds winter winter sowing wood path wood projects yard art yard projects zones 9-11