We put them in our cars, offices, homes, garages, and everywhere that odors may linger. We mist, spray, plug in, and sprinkle toxic “smell good” chemicals without knowing the health risks. Products that we think are making our air fresher are actually making it toxic.
As the summer season heats up, gardeners sometimes struggle to keep plants healthy and producing. To make matters worse, water restrictions often follow periods of drought and heat, causing gardens to suffer further. If you happen to live in an area, like me, that is particularly hot and dry all summer long; these water-saving gardening techniques are for you.
If you are a gardener, it is likely that you, like me, love to touch, smell, taste, and even listen to plants. It’s not weird! When we garden, we like to gaze at plants, run our hands over the leaves and petals, and bring our noses down to take in the beautiful scent. Something about this brings me great pleasure – to know that I have planted and cared for such a beautiful thing and then to have the joy of partaking of it with all of my senses!
Before you grab your weed-killing tool of choice and get to work eradicating the dandelions from your garden, you may want to continue reading. Dandelion is actually an incredibly healthy edible plant with several surprising benefits. Here are our favorite and how you can enjoy this yellow weed today.
Common chickweed is a plant native to Europe. It has become naturalized throughout the U.S. and other areas of the world. You’ve probably seen it in your lawn and may consider it a weed. It tends to grow in moist soils in full sun or partial shade. But, don’t think too poorly of this common weed – it has tremendous medicinal value and tastes great!
For me, a garden is not a garden without sunflowers. I love how they tower over smaller garden plants, providing just the right amount of shade on a hot summer afternoon. Their big and bright flowerheads make me smile. And, talk about easy to grow! Did you know that sunflowers are also delicious and make a fantastic natural remedy for insect bites?
I always feel better after taking a walk through my garden. Plants are mood boosters and can turn any frown upside down. Certain plants have even been found to scientifically improve moods. Planting and enjoying these beauties is a sure way to keep your spirits high.
Fresh flowers brighten any space they occupy. I love to grow a number of my favorite flowers just for cutting. Once a week, I make a couple of fresh bouquets during the growing season and place them on my tables. They exude cheer and always seem to bring a smile to my face no matter how many times I look at them.
When it comes to plant fertilizers, there are plenty to choose from. However, not all plant food is created equally. There is good reason to be overwhelmed with all of the options out there, especially if you are a new gardener. There are two broad categories of plant fertilizers – inorganic and organic. One type of plant food reigns far superior in my books, and that is organic. Let’s look at why and how you can make your very own miracle plant food using common household items that plants love.
It’s a new year; perhaps the year you will cut all refined sugar from your diet, which is a great thing to do. Your resolution to be healthier, however, may leave you with a few extra bags of white sugar – you know the kind that you loved (past tense) to put in your favorite cookies? No worries, that same sugar that you are trying to nix out of your diet is the very thing your garden needs.
Although you may be familiar with the host of pollinators that visit your garden during daylight hours such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees you may not know about the secret night life in your garden. When these pollinators finish their shift and retire for the evening, the night shift comes on strong. Pollinators, including hawk moths, bats, and squash bees are known as crepuscular pollinators that work hard in the hours when other pollinators are resting. Creating a moonlight garden to draw these hard-working pollinators to your garden is easy and beautiful.
Susan has been nurturing her gardening tips and advice for over 00 years, it’s fair to say she knows her beans. She’ll be sharing her knowledge from tried and tested methods.
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