"A house with great curb appeal can turn heads - but yours can, too, with these smart ideas for landscaping your front yard and around your porch." Comment from Family Handyman
It is always a good idea to look at beautifully landscaped yards to get inspiration and ideas to use for your yard.
Click here to go to the Family Handyman article.
"As the threat of frost approaches, do you still have a few tomato plants hanging on? Rather than waiting for all those green tomatoes to ripen outdoors, bring them inside! Fully developed green tomatoes can be ripened indoors with no difference in quality, taste, or texture from vine-ripened tomatoes." Comment from Garden Betty
Better to bring them indoors instead of leaving them on the plant to die.
Click here to go to the Garden Betty article.
"If you’ve ever grown a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) before, you probably understand exactly why this is such a classic houseplant. It’s easy to grow, decorative, pet-safe and pretty much propagates itself. What more could a houseplant enthusiast ask for?" Comment from Garden Betty
Spider plants are beautiful when grown in hanging pots putting out the runners.
Click here to go to the Garden Betty article.
"Did you know that one of the easiest, safest and most economical ways to eliminate flowerbed weeds in – and keep your beds beautiful at the same time is with cardboard?
It’s true! When used correctly, not only can cardboard be an effective and inexpensive weed blocker – it can also help hold in moisture for your plants, regulate soil temperature – and even add organic matter back to your soil as it breaks down.
But the key to success when using cardboard in your flowerbeds is to know to use it correctly. That means not only keeping it under a layer of traditional mulch to still keep your beds looking great – but also knowing which cardboard products you can use safely!" Comment from This Is My Garden
I am currently collecting cardboard and have the landscaping fabric to top it to control weeds.
Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article.
"Indoor plants are easiest to propagate when they’re actively growing in spring or summer. But if you’re looking for a fun winter project or need to salvage a broken stem or fading plant, you can potentially propagate houseplants in winter, too.
In this guide, you’ll discover 8 of the easiest houseplants to propagate during the winter months, plus a list of plants that are not good candidates for winter propagation because they don’t root well at this time of the year." Comment from Better Homes and Gardens
I have propagated plants all year long with great success.
Click here to go to the Better Homes and Gardens article.
"Looking for a few simple, easy, and all-natural methods to get rid of aphids on your houseplants?" Comment from This Is My Garden
Aphids can be very pesky.
Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article.
"Did you know that you can start and grow your own incredible geranium plants from seed – and never have to worry about buying these attractive but often quite expensive flowering beauties again?" Comment from This Is My Garden
This plant is one I have never grown before, but would love to. Starting from seed is the best way to have enough plants without spending a lot of money.
Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article.
"I’ve gathered a list of the best seed catalogs you can order from this year (updated for the 2026 growing season). While all of these companies have online stores for easy shopping, the recommendations below, in particular, still offer print catalogs that promise to brighten up your mailbox all winter long." Comment from Garden Betty
Always look forward to receiving my seed catalogs.
Click here to go to the Garden Betty article.
"When shopping for seeds, it's tempting to get caught up in possibilities and end up with seeds that don’t perform the way you hoped. Whether it's vegetables or flowers, annual or perennial seeds, rising costs and climate volatility impact your choices more than ever.
With some key tips and strategies, you can choose the right seeds to grow the garden of your dreams. Here are some tips to help you shop smarter when buying seeds." Comment from Better Homes and Gardens
Growing your garden from seeds can be so satisfying. You just have to know the needs of the plants you are growing if you want them to thrive and become healthy, beautiful plants. The more information you know, the better off you will be. You will spend less money in the long run. Those plants you are growing from seeds you bought will become plants that produce seeds you can plant and not spend more money on.
Click here to go to the Better Homes and Gardens article.
"Pretty birds flitting across our garden or singing lively songs in our trees are a welcome addition in many backyards, but did you know songbirds offer more than just entertainment? The birds in our gardens don't just add a pretty burst of color or a charming birdsong, they can also be beneficial to the very flowers we want to grow." Comment from Garden Guides
I love the birds, squirrels and other animals who visit my garden and love learning about them
Click here to go to the Garden Guides article.
"Once the weather turns cold, it’s time to put out suet for your backyard birds. Suet is a great food for the winter months as it is a high energy food that is very valuable when temperatures drop. Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks for feeding suet to your birds this winter." Comment from Birds and Blooms
I have never put out suet for the birds and will look into it this year.
Click here to go to the excellent article at Birds and Blooms.
"Maranta leuconeura—”the” prayer plant, according to many houseplant enthusiasts—is one of the most stunning prayer plants you can grow, thanks to the distinctive veining and variegation on its leaves. It’s not the easiest species to keep alive however, so keep reading for my best tips on herringbone plant care." Comment from Garden Betty
I had forgotten about this beautiful plant. The last time I grew this plant was when I lived in my apartment and it sat on a table in my balcony. As I remember, it was an easy plant to grow.
Click here to go to the Garden Betty article about growing this beautiful plant.
"If you have a serious succulent addiction, this project is for you. A modern take on the classic hanging basket, this hanging succulent ball is a showstopper." Comment from Better Homes and Gardens
I am now convinced to grow succulents. That succulent ball is a beauty that I am going to have to put together for my carport jungle.
I have not grown many succulents in the past. The only thing I did was grow some hens and chicks from seed and they successfully came up, but it was near the time my first husband passed away and I lost all interest in gardening. Most everything except for the strongest plants died.
It is time to start again since my desire to garden is coming back.
Click here to go to the Better Homes and Gardens article on how to make this beautiful succulent ball including a video.
"When you plant French marigolds along with vegetable plants in your garden – great things happen. Not only do you fill your garden with the beauty and color of flowering annuals, you also can help protect and power your vegetable plants!
Marigolds are one of the most popular annual flowers to grow in backyard gardens – and for good reason. The big blooming flower grows easily from seed and can quickly fill garden spaces with beautiful blooms in all kinds of fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow." Comment from This Is My Garden
Once you buy marigold plants or seeds, you will never have to buy them again for that particular type. It is so easy to grow more plants from seeds produced by the plant. Not only are they beautiful, but very frugal plants. I love marigolds, the little ones, the big ones . . . all of them!
Click here to go to the This Is My Garden article on marigolds.
"The glorious Meyer lemon tree is a small, evergreen variety that makes it possible to enjoy homegrown citrus regardless of location and growing zone. A cross between a citron and a mandarin-pomelo hybrid, these popular trees are a delight to grow, and their abundant production of lemons makes them even more special. Here, our experts provide advice for growing your own Meyer lemon tree for fresh citrus cultivated at home." Comment from Martha Stewart.com
"These easy-to-grow annuals that attract hummingbirds are filled with the sweet nectar that pretty pollinators can’t resist." Comment from Birds and Blooms
The only hummingbirds I see in Florida are the little ones that look like moths. I would love to attract them to my yard.
Click here to go to the Birds and Blooms article that will teach you how to attract them to your yard.
