Friday, March 31, 2017

DIY Greenhouses



Greenhouses are awesome.  

Back in the late 1990's, JR, my late husband started building a greenhouse for me made out of recycled windows and sheets of thick glass.  Here is a photo . . .




He never got to finish it, but I got so much use out of it and I enjoyed it very much.  It was the perfect spot to start my seedlings, nurture my cuttings and get out of the heat to relax.  During our rare freeze nights, it was home to many tropical container plants.

It now sits in disrepair with years of falling limbs and deterioration from time and neglect.  

As I have contemplated getting my paradise back to its glory days, the "hothouse" as we called it, has been a project I think of often.  The Captain and I have had many discussions of which way to go with my sweet little hideaway.

There are many greenhouse ideas and tutorials which provide so much inspiration and guidance for anyone interested in building their own greenhouse.

The first photo comes from a gardening group and has inspired me to start looking for some fresh ideas to revamp my hothouse.  I found an excellent article on a blog, A Piece of Rainbow entitled "21 Amazing DIY Greenhouses with Great Tutorials."

Click here to go to the article.  I will be adding more links to this post in the future.



read more

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Trellised Containers for Inspiration



I am so inspired by these photos of large container plantings with trellises for support and I thought I would share it here even though I don't have a photo source.

The photo was shared in a Facebook Gardening Group, A Not So Secret Garden that is packed with awesome ideas and inspiration.

What I love about these containers other than being so functional is the beauty of all the colors.  Check out the peppers!  They sure do look happy . . . so does the tomato plant.

I can't wait to put some of the containers together for our carport jungle . . . great way to start the spring season!



read more

Thursday, March 23, 2017

DIY Hypertufa Plant Containers



Spring's arrival brought ideas for all types of garden projects.  

Hypertufa containers is something I never experimented with, even though I loved my concrete DIY projects.  Since my emphasis is going to be container gardening this year, this is a project I am going to try.

Click here if you would also like to get inspired to make your own containers . . . The Empress of Dirt will guide the way for you!

Click here for another article from The World of Succulents on hypertufa containers.



read more

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

DIY Concrete Garden Hands





Love this unusual concrete garden hands container!  

I'm always looking for unique containers I can make myself, especially those made with concrete :)

Click here for the tutorial.




read more

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Awesome container gardening idea




Since container gardening is my preferred method of gardening, I'm always looking for new ideas.

Garden Lovers Club has an article on container planting that includes a video that includes a great method of assembling a large container planting.  

Click here to go to the article.




read more

Friday, February 17, 2017

Crotons - What You Need to Know



Crotons are colorful and showy in the landscape.  They can be grown in containers as in the photo from my garden, or grown as a shrub (great for hedges).  There are various varieties that can all bring a tropical, colorful look in the garden.

If you are interested in growing these beauties in your garden, click here for an excellent article on crotons.



read more

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Make and Use Leaf Mold in Your Garden


Rake them leaves up, store in a large black garbage bag and let sit in a designated area of your yard.  It is that easy to make leaf mold.  My hibiscus and other acid-loving plants loved the addition of leaf mold in their containers or as mulch in a garden bed.

Check out this article on leaf mold for everything you need to know about using leaf mold in your garden.



read more

Friday, August 26, 2016

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.




read more

Monday, August 1, 2016

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.



read more

Sunday, July 31, 2016

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.





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