“Oh!” they exclaim, “It must be great to work outside all the time!” I’ll nod and say, “Yeah, sure, it’s great,” then think to myself, “If only they knew…” Working outdoors really is great. I’m an outside guy through and through. But man, when you spend so many days in a row outdoors from morning to evening, it gets HOT! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. We’re going to explore eleven different options so you can choose the type that will both suit your needs – and fit your fancy. Here’s a sneak peek at our list: Before we get started, if you’d like to review the care needs for this houseplant, be sure to check our complete guide to growing elephant bush....
I must warn you, though. When it comes to sunflowers, like I do when I see photos from my nephew’s engagement session or songbirds at my feeders, I continually pipe up with, “That’s my favorite!” And I mean what I say – until I see the next one… You, too, can unapologetically have more than one favorite among the popular cultivars of Helianthus annuus, because there is so much variety within the group....
But, wait. What’s that? You’re looking for more variety? Blossoms bursting forth in all colors of the rainbow? Well, if you’re a coneflower fan, you’ve come to the right place. Though pinkish-purple may be the standard, echinacea flowers are actually available in a striking variety of hues, from white, yellow, and pale peach to vibrant orange, pink, and red. You can even find a green variety, if that’s your thing....
There was nothing like the variety of heights and color variations available today. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. If you want a cultivar with strong, super tall stalks, you can have it. If you need something that can fill a hanging basket, there are options out there for you to try as well....
So when you’re planning an organic garden, it makes sense to find the best companions for these legumes. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. It might be easy to refer to a ready-made chart listing good and poor companions for a given crop, but if those pairings just keep getting handed down as “traditional” without being tested or held up to logical scrutiny, what good are they?...
Thanks to its shape and size, with it you can dig, transplant, saw, cut, and even measure soil depth for planting bulbs. Wonderfully versatile, it’s easy to use and will quickly become one of those “must have” tools for your kit bag. Recently, my faithful old garden knife finally gave up the ghost and I reluctantly had to bid it farewell. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
I understand why you’re here, because not so long ago, I found myself asking the same question. Everyone on the planet who owns one of these houseplants seemingly asks this at some point, particularly if they are not familiar with the growing habits of plants in the ficus, or fig family. You’re not alone. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Pronunciation. If you say PEE-can… you might just have to go away. Seriously, I can’t even. I’ve lived in Texas for close to 30 years, and it’s our state tree. So I get to say how it’s pronounced! Just kidding. But really. It’s puh-KAHN. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Despite its bounteous gifts, some people consider the pecan a hassle, because it’s a messy thing, what with dropping copious amounts of twigs, leaves, and fruit every fall....
Beloved for their masses of colorful blooms and their easy-care nature, these plants are South American natives that have definitely found a home in North America. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. With single or double trumpet-shaped blooms in pink, purple, red, yellow, or white, this flower is often called upon to add vibrancy to the garden from spring until fall....
Since I use it in just about everything that I cook, I am careful to make sure cumin seed is always in stock in my kitchen. In fact, I love it so much, I decided to find out whether I can grow it in my own garden. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. While the dwarf or semi-dwarf cultivars are the easiest, you can grow any variety in a container because they all have a compact root system that tolerates confinement. Add to that the fact that these trees come in such a massive range of leaf and bark colors and foliage shapes, and you can see why they make appealing options for container growing....
One look at their eye-catching trunks that resemble the leg of an elephant and their elegant strap-like leaves, and it’s no wonder people want to capture the spirit of this unique plant with the art of bonsai. Unlike many bonsai, which can only grow outside, this beauty can grow indoors full-time if you prefer, plus it grows slowly. It doesn’t need a ton of light and thrives in indirect lighting....
But I’ll let you in on a little secret: it doesn’t even take that much skill really, and there are several different methods you can use. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. To help you find success with your endeavors, here’s what we’ll discuss: If you haven’t read our overall growing guide, you may want to check it out first....
Camellia is a good choice for adding color, and important sources of pollinator forage, when most plants have begun months of slumber. But even though most varieties are semi-tolerant of cold temperatures, and can even continue to bloom through light frost or a dusting of snow, they still need some protection from hard freezes and harsh winds. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Unless we have a cold frame, that is. Then it’s just business as usual around the garden. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. They’re easy to construct, don’t require any fancy equipment, can be built using scraps, and can dramatically lengthen the amount of time you have available to grow plants. Whether you use them to start seedlings or you transplant tender garden plants into your cold frame, you can keep the garden joy going for months longer than you could otherwise....
And if you’re visiting my homestead during the gardening months, you’ll hear us refer to “D.E.” almost daily. The powdery substance, also known as diatomaceous earth, is one of my favorite weapons against garden pests. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What on Earth is DE? Diatomaceous earth, the official name for DE, is not new....
Long-lived, water-wise, and low maintenance, it’s no wonder this South African succulent is prized as a garden specimen in Zones 11 and 12, and as a houseplant everywhere. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about cultivating jade as a houseplant in our guide. This article discusses 11 common causes of limp leaves and stems, and how to avoid them....
Known as “heliotropism,” this trait makes the blooms seem like they’re always looking right at the sun. But sometimes, the opposite happens. Either the blooms or the stalks start to droop or bow over, and seem to be staring at the ground. Whether this occurs when they’re young seedlings or in full flower, it can be alarming. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Obviously, there’s the fresh factor – homegrown produce seems to taste better when it’s just been picked than store-bought fruit that’s been shipped from afar and left to sit, doesn’t it? Then, there’s ease of access. Perhaps your local store doesn’t carry the produce you want, so you’re taking matters into your own hands. It could also be that you’ve shopped around for commercially available trees and you’re either experiencing sticker shock at the prices you’ve seen, or you’re having trouble finding the variety you want most....
