Click picture to enlarge What you need: Organic mulch Shovel or garden fork Spreading mulch on the soil in your garden is one of the nicest things you can do for your plants, and it looks great, too! Mulch is a layer of material put on top of bare soil to moderate soil temperatures, retain […]
What you need: Bulbs Shovel Bone meal Different sized bulbs require different planting depths. By planting bulbs in layers, you can plant several different types of bulbs together. Dig a hole that is around three times deeper than the height of your largest bulb.
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Pruning knife Hand pruners Cardboard box Newspaper Tomatoes are warm weather crops. Once the temperature has dropped to an average of 50F., tomatoes must be harvested or they won’t ripen properly. Harvest your tomatoes and let them ripen indoors so they don’t spoil. Click picture to enlarge First, […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Healthy unblemished avocado seed Sharp clean knife Bowl for soaking the seed 4″ pot Potting soil Propagator Soak the avocado seeds in hot water for about 30 minutes. This will inhibit avocado root rot. Click picture to enlarge Prepare the seeds for planting by cutting inch off the […]
Click picture to enlarge The extraordinary construction of ferns leads to distinctive names for their parts. Click picture to enlarge The part we call a leaf on most plants is known as a frond on a fern. Click picture to enlarge The stem that supports the frond is called a stipe. Click picture to enlarge […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Pruning shears Shredded bark Dormant spray Most roses can endure mild winters(zone 6 and up) without difficulty, but they may be injured or killed by abrupt temperature changes. Grafted modern Roses, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras in particular, are more likely to survive these changes with some winter […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Large plastic pot Shovel Hardware cloth Crocus and tulip bulbs are favored food for rodents, but a few easy steps will protect bulbs for your enjoyment. To guard against burrowing invasion, select an appropriately sized pot and bury it in your garden. For most plantings, a 5-gallon pot […]
Click picture to enlarge Orchids are relatively pest free, easy-to-grow plants, but like all living things they can be plagued by insects and diseases. Most of these problems can be avoided by purchasing healthy plants and by doing your best to provide the plants with the right cultural conditions. When using pesticides always read the […]
Click picture to enlarge The first evidence that a Cattleya is about to flower is the appearance of the sheath. Click picture to enlarge Soon after the sheath appears, it starts to fill up with flower buds. These buds can be most easily seen when the plant is held up to the light so the […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Shovel or spade Burlap or blanket We tend to think of shrubs as permanent fixtures in the landscape, but as long as they are not too large, they can be moved from one location to another. The best time to transplant a shrub is when it’s dormant – […]
Click picture to enlarge Disbudding eliminates all but one rosebud per cane. The isolated bloom grows larger and more vigorously than it would if the plant’s energy was divided among several blooms. Click picture to enlarge Disbudding should be done before the buds start to open. Click picture to enlarge Remove all but the largest […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: 3 ceramic pots of various sizes Hardware cloth Wire cutters Plumbers epoxy 120 gph pump Rotary tool or file Electric drill 1/2″ ceramic drill bit This simple fountain is equally suitable for use indoors or outdoors. Click picture to enlarge Select 3 ceramic pots to build this fountain: […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: Stepping stones Shovel Rubber mallet Sand Installing a pathway using stepping stones is easy, beautiful, and can be done at any time except during a hard freeze. Select the shape, color, and size that suits your situation. Lay out the stepping stones along the proposed pathway, spaced 10-12 […]
Click picture to enlarge What you need: After two years of neglect, this bonsai could benefit from a little formative pruning. Removing some of the smaller interior branches will better express the tree’s natural form. Click picture to enlarge First, remove any dead wood from the tree. With a pair of small, sharp bonsai shears, […]
