How to Use Coffee Grounds to Get Gorgeous Christmas Cactus Blooms Every Year

 

Photo source:  Martha Stewart.com

"Coffee grounds make an excellent fertilizer for the Christmas cactus; however, they should be used correctly and at the appropriate times for the best results. Ahead, experts share the benefits coffee grounds offer Christmas cacti, and provide easy tips to ensure you fertilize it the right way." - comment from Martha Stewart.com

As an organic gardener I can recommend coffee grounds as a fertilizer.  Click here to go to Martha Stewart.com's article page to find out how to use coffee grounds get get gorgeous Christmas cactus every year.

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Love Christmas Cactus? 10 More Unusual Houseplants You’ll Adore

 

"Whether you’ve mastered the art of getting your Christmas cactus to bloom and now you’re looking for the next challenge or you’re looking to grow something a little less common, we’ve got some gorgeous alternatives to everyone’s favorite holiday cactus." - comment from Rural Sprout.

Love those alternative Christmas cactus!

Click here to go to the article to see the Christmas cactus alternatives from Rural Sprout.

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When & How To Bring Ferns Inside For The Winter

 

Photo source: Simple Garden Life

"Homes certainly don’t have the bright lights of the outdoors. And they are certainly cooler in the winter which ferns thrive in as well. And by simply bringing your plants in, not only can you add life and a little humidity, you can also save on having to repurchase next spring!" - comment from Simple Garden Life.

In subtropical Florida ferns grow like weeds outside, even in winter, but we still grow them as houseplants inside too.  Love them!

Click here to find out how to bring your ferns inside for the winter.

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Keep Your Flowerbeds Weed Free

 

"If you are tired of battling weeds year after year, only to give up on your flowerbeds by mid-summer, it’s time to stop the madness. And you really won’t believe how easy it can be. In fact, it probably means actually working less than you ever have in year’s past!" - comment from This Is My Garden.com.

I'm ready to pay someone to lay down cardboard and cover it with landscape fabric.  Joking but not joking . . .

Click here to go to the article.

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How To Water Poinsettias – Why You Should Be Misting Your Poinsettia Plants!

 

Photo source:  Old World Garden Farms

"Did you know that how you water your poinsettias during the holiday season is one of the biggest factors of all in determining just how long your plant will keep it’s gorgeous colorful leaves in place throughout the holiday season – and that misting your poinsettia regularly can play a huge role in that too?" - comment from Old World Garden Farms about the article.

Since I grew my poinsettias outdoors, I didn't know about misting them.  Check out the article if you did not know it either.

Click here to go to the article.

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What To Do For Daylilies In The Fall – For Bigger Blooms Next Year

Photo source: Simple Garden Life

"As it turns out, fall is actually the perfect time to provide a little care for the daylilies growing in your flowerbeds. As the cooler autumn temperatures settle in, a little bit of work now with your daylilies will pay big dividends for your plants next year – and beyond" from Simple Garden Life.

This is a good article for me to reference back to since I was thinking about growing flowering bulb plants that I know little about.  Actually, I'm not sure if I can grow then in zone 9.  They sure produce gorgeous flowers.

Click here to go to the article.

 

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Nutty and Fun Facts About Squirrels

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

The photo of the squirrel reminded me of how much I love them.

After I quit working way too long in the not-so-nice corporate environment, my back yard became my sanctuary.  My back yard is huge, so I had lots of room to set up many feeding stations for the birds and the squirrels.  They were not scared of me being outside, they were used to me.  So I got to see them in their little world being themselves.  It was quite an experience to see them interact with each other and the birds.  Their quarrels were very entertaining.  Too bad I don't have videos.  I'll have to pull out photos of the feeding stations and bird bath with all of them out there.

My dogs were not fond of them at all!  It was funny but not funny how my beagle would present me with a squirrel in her mouth often when I let her out for a while to run around and have fun.  I'd open the door to let her in and there she was, so proud looking.  One time she just brought me a tail.  lol I miss those days!

The excellent article from Birds and Blooms is very interesting if you love squirrels or just want to know more about them and their little antics.

Click here to go there.  

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How Long Poinsettias Really Last—and How You Can Maximize Their Lifespan

Photo source: Gina Alfani

The poinsettia in the photo is from my yard many years ago.  I'm sorry to say it is no longer living since after JR, my first husband, passed away I had no interest in gardening or anything else.  But I have my photos that I cherish.

There was a cluster of the plants and they lasted for years.  After the holidays, the flowers would fade, but the plant remained healthy.  That is because I took good care of it and I am in zone 9.

The article comes from Martha Stewart.com and here is what they had to say about the article:  "How long do poinsettias typically last, and how can you help them live a long, healthy life? We spoke to gardening experts and got the full scoop."

Click here to go to the article where there is lots of information provided on everything you want to know about poinsettia.

How To Keep Your Poinsettias Blooming Better & Longer This Year!

An article from oldworldgardenfarms.com

 

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How You Can Help Birds in Cold Winter Weather

 

Photo source:  Birds and Blooms

Although birds can adapt to weather conditions, there are things we can do to help them.  Thinking about them adapting to weather conditions, I often wonder what they do to survive a hurricane.  Squirrels too.  Nature is amazing.

The featured article comes from Birds and Blooms and provides excellent information on ways you can help the birds.

Click here to go to the article.

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Make Your Real Christmas Tree Last All Through The Holidays

 

Photo source:  Rural Sprout

Real Christmas trees can be very pricey, so why not do everything you can to keep them as healthy as possible so they will last through the holidays.  I have used fake Christmas trees, but there is nothing like a real one with their beauty and wonderful Christmas smell until the needles start falling off.

Rural Sprout has an excellent article that goes into everything about real Christmas trees starting with the selection of the tree.

Click here to go to the article.

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Overwintering perennials and shrubs in containers

 

Photo Source: Proven Winners

Many would like to overwinter their container plants for use again the next year, especially if they are on a tight budget.

Kerry Meyer at Proven Winners has written a very informative article on overwintering perennials and shrubs in containers.  Topics include what to do with potted plants at the end of the season, choosing the best plants for overwintering, choosing a container, care considerations, and overwintering marginally hardy plants.

Click here to go to the article.  Thank  you Kerry.

Here is a video to go with the article.

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Why is my poinsettia losing leaves?

 

Photo source:  Rural Sprout

Poinsettias are beautiful when they are blooming, but it is distressing if they start losing their leaves.

Tracey at Rural Sprout gives us the reasons why and the solutions in her article.  Click here to go to the article.

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Grow Ginger As A Houseplant – And Have Fresh Ginger All Year Long

 

Photo Source:  ThisIsMyGarden.com

This article had me wondering if I could use my spiral ginger roots for use in the kitchen.  When I did a little research I discovered that I can.  That is good news since they grow like weeds in my yard year after year.  So I guess this article is for all types of gingers.  Good news.  I will try using my roots for cooking.

Click here to read Jim and Mary's article from ThisIsMyGarden.com to read more about growing ginger as a houseplant.

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Late fall is the most important time to mulch your flowerbeds

 

Photo Source: Old World Garden Farms

Mulching is something I do all the time and didn't know that Fall is the best time according to Old World Garden Farms.

Click here to go to the article to get interesting information on mulching.

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Grow vegetables from kitchen scraps

 

A great way to save money is to grow your own vegetables, but Cari at Homesteading in Ohio takes an extra step to save money by using kitchen scraps.

I have grown green onions from scrap very easily and look forward to using some of her techniques to grow more vegetables from scrap.

Her article is very informative with many tips to start saving money by kitchen scrap gardening.

Click here to go to the article.

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Composting Autumn Leaves

 

This is a repost from many years ago . . .

Leaf mulch made from the leaves of my oak trees make an excellent mulch for acid-loving plants like hibiscus. My method is ridiculously easy . . . rake the leaves and place in a garbage bag (shredding the leaves is recommended, but not necessary), water the leaves before sealing the bag . . . and let it sit. The back of my storage sheds were the perfect spot to line them up and let them "age" . . . if you have the room, it is an excellent use of those leaves.


Leaves are also an excellent source for the compost pile, if you have one. The following is an article on the process of adding leaves to the pile . . .

This article is a repost from eHow


Think about shredding leaves before you compost them. Shredded leaves are much easier to turn in a compost pile. These leaves will also break down much faster than whole leaves. You don't need to shred leaves, but it's easily done by running over them with a lawn mover.


Add your leaves to your compost pile. You should try to bury the new compost material deep into the pile, just like you do when you add any new material to it. Covering the leaves will help the compost pile turn into soil quickly.


See if you need to add manure or a supplement to your compost. If you have a new compost pile, a supplement like bone meal or manure can help speed the compost process. These materials are rich in nitrogen, which is essential for the natural composting process.


Turn your compost pile every 4 or 5 days. Using a manure fork, mix the compost so that the material that was on the top is now shifted into the middle of the pile. Also try to bring some of the compost from the bottom up to the top of the pile. Turning is much easier when the leaves are shredded before they are put into the pile.


Consider putting a tarp over your compost pile during the late autumn and winter. This tarp will help keep heat in the compost pile and keep moisture out of it. You'll still need to turn the pile every week.




TIPS AND WARNINGS:


There's really no limit on how many leaves you can put in a compost pile. If you want to add all the leaves in your yard, you'll really need to shred them first and add a nitrogen supplement to them to be sure that they all turn into compost.


Save some of the shredded leaves to insulate your perennials during winter. Shredded leaves can also be saved and used as mulch in the spring.


Add a tall wire fence around your compost pile. You need to keep animals like skunks and raccoons out of your compost pile. A fence is especially important if you are putting food scraps in your pile.

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