One classic gardening dilemma involves the amount of time work and money involved in getting plant stock. I don't know about you, but I always want everything. If the big thing this year is fingerling eggplant, I'm there. If a chubby and adorable round zucchini is the cover model for a seed catalog, I'm checking my planting budget to work it in. If the local nursery has a big, healthy catnip
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Growing Herbs from Seed
I'm planting seeds this weekend -- corralling them from the garage, office drawers and the freezer. I'm watching the mail for a few new additions, too. It's sooo exciting!
If you're starting seeds this year, give them plenty of room to sprout. This is one of my many failings. I want lots of plants and always crowd my seeds, making it harder to transplant seedlings later. Don't make the
How to Start an Herb Garden - More Tips
If this is your first season growing herbs, learning how to start an herb garden is simple. You really just need three things: good light, soil that drains well and a reliable watering schedule.
If your yard or garden is a mess, or almost nonexistent, there are also some handy cheats.
Tips for Starting an Herb Garden
You can plant a raised bed to circumvent tough soil preparation work.
Starting an Herb Garden
My last post was getting long so this is a two parter. If you missed the previous information on starting an herb garden, you can find it here: Your First Herb Garden
When you install an herb garden in your landscape, these things are important:
If you're buying plants as opposed to seeds, larger is typically better. The one exception is if the roots are so crowded that they're dangling out
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When you install an herb garden in your landscape, these things are important:
If you're buying plants as opposed to seeds, larger is typically better. The one exception is if the roots are so crowded that they're dangling out
Planning Your First Herb Garden
I planted my first herb garden (with mom's help) when the wooden rake handle was still taller than I was. My brother built a mock wishing well out of wood slats that year, and the base was recessed so we could plant annuals in the depression. My herbs would have worked great in that modified planter, but I could barely see over the top, so a slightly raised bed ended up being my first herb
Don't Just Plant a Garden -- Make a Memory
Your kids are watching where you spend your time, whether it looks that way or not. Between play dates and after school activities, teach them about working with their hands in the open air by showing them how to garden. Show them that food doesn't just magically appear in the grocery store.
In twenty years, what are they more likely to remember, an afternoon in front of a video screen -- or a
Home Remedies for Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are nasty, and they seem to be everywhere. I've published some herbal spray solution recipes that will help discourage bedbugs from biting. There are also some maintenance solutions that will help control light infestations.
Bed Bugs Natural Remedies
A heavy infestation of bed bugs will almost always require chemical treatment, either with an over-the-counter pesticide spray or