Stump Removal Trick

Neglect has turned our paradise into a forest.  It is in dire need of cutting all those trees down!

Stump removal has always been a problem for me.  Since I am very aware of the ecosystem that exists on our property and all the lovely animals and creatures who love to visit, I am very leary of using kerosene.  This trick using epsom salt from Plant Care Today is the solution to my problem!

Click here to go to the article.

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Soil For Raised Beds

Do you want to create raised beds in your garden, but not sure what type of soil is appropriate to use?

Click here to go to an informative article on soil for raised beds.

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Guide to Pruning

Pruning is a very important step in garden maintenance.

Click here to go to an article on what to prune and when.

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Growing Garlic Indoors

If you cook with garlic as much as we do, you may be interested in growing your own.   I've tried before with no success, but I learned of a few things I did wrong from this article about growing garlic indoors.

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Guide to Growing Annuals

When I was a little girl, my dad who was an avid gardener, started me off in gardening by giving me a bed of my own to grow and maintain annuals.  My favorites were zinnias and marigold.  I took care of that bed like the plants were my babies.  It started me on the road to gardening love.

Click here for an awesome guide to growing annuals.

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How to Make a Log Planter

How cute is this log planter?  I love it!!  We still have a huge log that fell on our outdoor shed that needs to be dealt with.  This is the perfect solution for what to do with it.

It would be awesome to use the log planters to form a raised bed.

Click here to find out how to make the log planter.

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How to Attract Birds to Your Garden

One of my favorite tasks back in my days of serious gardening was feeding the birds and sitting back to enjoy their antics.  In addition to the birdbath fountain with running water, I set up tables with real dishes for them . . . build it and they will come!

Watching birds is so interesting as they have definite social patterns that you will recognize after watching them for a while.  It is a very relaxing pastime in the garden!

If you want to attract birds to your garden, check this article out from Birds and Blooms.

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Bamboo Hydroponics - Inspiration

I was so inspired by the photo of bamboo hydroponics that I had to share it.  

The photo is for inspiration only, there are no tutorials.

Source

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DIY Garden Decor - Inspiration and Tutorial

This is what I call some awesome yard art!

The painted teapot is just one of the projects in this awesome article that I found.

I just goes to show you that looking at what you once thought as "junk" can be given new life in your garden.  You will hopefully be as inspired as I was with this article!

Click here for the entire article and tutorial from The Navage Patch.

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How to Root Tomato Plants

One of the easiest ways to multiply the number of tomato plants in your garden is rooting them.   And your new plants are free!

Back in my days of growing lots of tomato plants, I would root them by using Rootone and planting directly into the soil or containers.

Click here for another method from A Piece of Rainbow.  

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Unusual Succulent Container Inspiration

What a cool and unusual succulent arrangement in a meat grinder for inspiration!

Look at yard sale and flea market items in a new way :)

Photo Source

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Tiered Herb Garden

This tiered herb garden represents the best of container gardening as far as I'm concerned!  

Pack this beauty with herbs and annuals for a practical and beautiful show.

Click here for the tutorial from Decor and The Dog.

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Seed Storage Box

It is always a good time to think about saving your seeds safely.  My seeds are used year after year with great results . . . I store mine in oversized index card containers, but I love this idea!

Click here to go to an article all about saving seeds.

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Keep Weeds Under Control

Weeding has to be my least favorite task in the garden.  My best method of keeping them under control is to pull weeds every day as I walk through the garden.

Click here to go to an article about weeds and keeping them under control from Mother Earth Living.

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Landscape Inspiration

Love this landscape makeover!  You would not believe the transformation from the "before" photo.

The DIY Channel has posted a very impressive gallery of landscape makeovers that will inspire you to start on your landscape project.

Click here to go to the gallery.

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Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds in Compost

There is something about coffee that plants love.  One of the things I do is water my plants with left over diluted coffee.  It is like a drink of fertilizer for them.

There are many benefits to using coffee grounds in compost.  Read about those benefits here in an excellent article from Plant Care Today.

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Save Time and Money in the Garden

Everyone loves to save money and time is precious!  

Check out some tips and tricks used by another gardener . . . click here.

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How to Grow Flowering Mandevilla Vine

Love the showy flowering mandevilla vine grown on a trellis.  We had a beautiful mandevilla with pink flowers that died in one of our harsh winters.  It was one of my favorite plants!

If you would love to grow a mandevilla, click here for an excellent plant profile.

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How To Make Faux Rocks

Rocks and boulders make an awesome statement in the garden landscape, but real ones are really heavy and expensive.  So, why not make your own?

Click here to go to a tutorial from Instructables that takes you step by step with lots of photos.

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Container Plants for the Shade

Love a shady garden!

When I moved into my house, several decades ago, it was a shady yard with large oak trees and citrus trees. Before that time, I thought growing in full sun was the only way to go, but I was so wrong!

Coleus plants are one of my favorites to bring bold color to the garden without flowers . . . and they are grown in such a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors. There are many other plants that are shade loving.

If you grow in the shade or would like to, click here for an excellent article on plants to grow and how to care for them.

Happy gardening!

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Plants/Planting Tips For Zones 9-11

Love the color in that garden!

If you need a guide for what plants to buy and planting tips for gardening in zones 9-11, click here for an excellent article from Gardening Know How.

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Tea Cup Mosaic Stepping Stone

This stepping stone is beautiful.  While it is heartbreaking to break a treasured tea cup from your collection, all is not lost!

Click here to go to the tutorial.

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Awesome Succulent Ideas

Succulents are the perfect plants for those with a brown thumb!

They are beautiful and so versatile . . . perfect for container gardens.

Click here for an articles with all kinds of ideas and inspiration.

Hope you find something to inspire you!

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Inspiration from Brenda's Patio

It has been years and years since I've followed Brenda's life adventures through her blog, Cozy Little House. She and her precious dogs went from a large house in Texas with a gorgeous yard with babbling brooks and waterfalls, to a small house in Oklahoma and finally has settled in her tiny apartment in Oklahoma.

The photo is from her latest blog post about entertaining outdoors. Click here to go to the post and get a look at the rest of her impressive patio garden.

Her patio garden is a run of the mill apartment concrete patio.  She has used her imagination and turned it into a very impressive, peaceful place.  She takes container gardening to a new dimension.  I want that gazebo!

Hope you draw some inspiration from Brenda!  If she can create a paradise from a concrete floor, those of us with a real yard can create a beautiful and peaceful place too :)  Check out the rest of her blog for great home dec ideas for indoors too.

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The Summer Garden

Summer gardening can be totally overwhelming!

Experienced gardeners have come up with many tips and tricks to make it less overwhelming and more enjoyable.  One of those tips is setting aside 15 minutes a day . . . a concept I like to use for any task. I've found that once you get in the habit of doing something every day, it becomes routine and actually extends beyond the 15 minutes.

One gardening blog, Tenth Acre Farm, has laid out an excellent plan as a guide to June gardening which most tasks are also good for the whole summer. Check it out here.  Awesome blog!

Happy Gardening!

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Flowering Perennials

Bursts of color all over the garden can be a spectacular and soothing sight. One of my favorite things to do is color-coordinate sections.

Click here for an article on Flowering Perennials from Better Homes and Gardens.  Plan for continuous color by mixing perennials and annuals.  It is fun to experiment!

Happy Gardening!

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