Creating a backyard that is a safe and joyful space for your dog is a top priority for any pet owner. However, a standard garden can harbor hidden dangers, from toxic plants to easy escape routes. A dog-proof backyard is not about limiting your pet’s freedom but about designing an environment where they can play, …
Gardening
Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli and turnips, are not only delicious, but they’re also healthy. Brassicas can be planted in seed trays or directly sown into their final growing position. What Vegetables Are Brassicas? According to Wikipedia, brassicas are part of the mustard family. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbage, or mustard plants. …
Lavender plants are a great addition to the garden: they are easy to grow and last for years! But when incorrectly pruned, they can become woody, unruly, and much more challenging to care for. So, here’s how to stop lavender from going woody. Preventing lavender from becoming woody starts with an annual pruning shortly after …
An aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) makes an excellent companion plant in both the herb and vegetable garden. It deters several common garden pests, and its lovely flowers attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. Sage gets along better with some plants than others, though, so keep reading to learn …
Watching a hummingbird hover delicately at a flower, its tiny wings beating up to 80 times per second, ranks among gardening’s most magical moments. These jewel-toned aerial acrobats don’t visit flowers randomly—they’ve co-evolved with specific bloom shapes that perfectly match their feeding anatomy. Tubular flowers, with their elongated throats and hidden nectar reserves, create the …
While grass lawns certainly have their place, such as play spaces for children and pets, they also require upkeep that drains our time and negatively affects the natural environment. How many hours and gallons of gas are spent mowing unused spaces? These low-traffic sections of the yard can be replaced with grass alternatives for lawns …
If you’re trying to decide what to do with overripe cucumbers, we have some ideas for you. When cucumbers are left on the vine, they will continue to grow. They can become very large and take on a yellow color. Yellow cucumbers are tougher than perfectly ripe cucumbers, but this doesn’t mean they have to …
Composting transforms kitchen scraps and yard waste into black gold for your garden, but not everything belongs in your compost bin. While the idea of recycling organic materials sounds environmentally friendly, certain items can turn your productive pile into a smelly disaster, attract unwanted pests, or even harm your plants when you use the finished …
While a tree with exposed roots might show some character, it can make your landscape look uncared for and pose a tripping hazard. Exposed roots can also easily get damaged, which can affect your tree’s health. To remedy this, you can cover up those exposed root systems: here’s how to landscape around exposed tree roots. …
Summer is the most wonderful time of the year for so many gardeners. Everything is in full bloom and those of us who grow fruits and veggies are up to our elbows in fresh, organic food. It really is the time of plenty, and when we’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to imagine …