Posts

Propagating coleus is a fantastic way to take a few of your favorite varieties and multiply them into many. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how divide them, and also give you detailed steps for rooting coleus cuttings in either water or soil. Coleus is one of my favorite annuals to use in my summer gardens and outdoor containers. But it’s expensive to buy new plants. Luckily it’s easy to propagate coleus by either rooting the cuttings or dividing one mature plant into several....

I know that testing your soil sounds like it would be complicated, time consuming, or even expensive, but it’s not. So, to ease your nerves, I am going to walk you through it step by step. There’s no need to send your soil sample off to some company, or pay for any expensive testing. Using a DIY home soil test kit is frugal, simple, and gives you very fast results....

As bee populations decline all over the world, home gardeners can play a vital role in helping to save them. Bees are a necessary and beautiful part of plant pollination. By creating a bee friendly garden you can increase vegetable yields, have gorgeous flower beds, and enjoy watching them buzzing around. Even beginner gardeners can create a happy home for bees with this guide at hand. In this detailed guide, I’ll give you tons of tips on how to create a safe and nurturing bee garden that provides them with food, water, and even potential nesting places that will encourage yearly returns....

Fall is such an incredibly busy time of year for us gardeners. Between the harvesting, canning, pickling, freezing, chopping, eating, cooking, and fighting the first few frosts (after a summer of fighting heat, drought, bugs and diseases – wait, why do we love gardening so much again?). Whew, I’m exhausted just writing all of that! Fall garden cleanup is one of those big stresses. But guess what, it really doesn’t have to be stressful!...

Guess what. Some vegetables are actually much harder to grow from seeds than others are. Growing your own seeds can be really difficult to get the hang of, and it’s intimidating to new gardeners. So, if you’re interested in trying to grow your own food from seed for the first time, then begin with a few of these easy vegetable seeds, and go from there. Here is my list of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed to get you started…...

It’s normal to see ants in the garden. But sometimes their populations can get so large, that it becomes a cause of concern for new gardeners. While there are plenty of annoying species, like fire ants or leaf cutters, there are a lot of others that are totally harmless, and even helpful. Ants can serve many beneficial functions, from pollinating to aerating the soil. But a large population can be an indicator of other problems....

If you are getting into canning, then you know that proper sterilization is one of the most important aspects for safety. But don’t worry, sterilizing jars for canning is much easier than it sounds. You don’t even need any specialized equipment! Below I’ll guide you through how to safely prepare jars for canning, with detailed step by step instructions. Once you’ve gone through the sterilizing process, you’ll be amazed how easy it is....

Being overwhelmed by an over abundance of fresh peppers from the vegetable garden is a great problem to have. But when you end up with more than you can possibly eat before they go bad (ummm… 15 gallons!?), it’s time to find ways to preserve and store peppers for later use. In this guide for preserving peppers, I will walk you through all of my favorite methods for keeping them longer, and the benefits of each technique....

Waxed amaryllis bulbs are popular around the holidays, and it’s very fun to watch them bloom without any water or soil. In this detailed guide, I’ll show you all you need to know about how they work, what to do with them, and give you tips for the best results. The low-maintenance nature of waxed amaryllis bulbs makes them a popular gift for Christmas and the holidays. But how they work and whether they can live longer than one season is a question beginners often ask....

Amaryllis are gorgeous and very easy to grow and care for. In this post, I’ll show you all you need to know in order to keep yours thriving for years to come. I don’t know about you, but I am a bit obsessed with amaryllis (I currently have 10 different ones growing in my spare bedroom!). I mean who doesn’t love those huge, gorgeous flowers? The best part is that they bloom during the long winter months, which is something I look forward to every year....

Growing ginger at home is easier than you might think! In this post, you’ll learn all about ginger plant care, including tons of information, and detailed instructions for planting, fertilizing, watering, sunlight, harvesting, and much more. Ginger root is readily available in most grocery stores, and is a staple ingredient in many kitchens. It is used equally in savory and sweet dishes, offering a distinctive exotic flavor to any cuisine....

Using the right type of cactus soil is extremely important, and I get asked about it a lot. So in this post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know, including what it is, the best type, and how to make your own. Cacti are beautiful and they make great houseplants, but they require a very specific kind of soil in order to thrive. They’re extremely picky, and can quickly die if planted in the wrong medium....

Overwintering begonias is easy, and a great way to save your favorite varieties every year. In this post, I’ll talk about three different ways to do it. Then I’ll show you how to dig and store the tubers, leave them in the ground, or keep them in their pots. Though they are most commonly sold as annuals, you can keep begonias over winter and enjoy them year after year. This is great news, because they’re so pretty, and I hate to watch them die in the fall....

Fall is a difficult time for growing houseplants, and many of them can struggle with this shift. Just because they are indoors, doesn’t mean they won’t notice the change of season. As the days get shorter, and the furnace goes on, our indoor plants begin to change their growing habits. Less light and cooler temperatures in autumn trigger them to start going dormant. So, in order to keep them thriving, it’s important for us to help them through this difficult transition by adjusting our care routine....

Terracotta plant pots are notorious for getting a crusty white residue on them over time. It looks bad but don’t worry, cleaning clay pots is quick and easy. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to clean terracotta pots in 3 simple steps! Check this out, I recently got a bunch of free clay pots from a nice lady on Craigslist. There were about 25 various sized terracotta plant pots in total – awesome score, right?...

Freezing corn on or off the cob is a great way to savor that garden-fresh flavor for several months. In this post, I’ll show you all you need to know, with detailed step by step instructions. There is nothing like the taste of fresh corn on the cob, and it’s such a yummy summer treat. If only there was a way to be able to enjoy it all year round, right?...

If you want to make your own vertical garden, then you’re in the right place! Vertical gardening has become super popular over the past few years, and creating a vertical garden is so much fun. My favorite thing about growing vertically is that I can use my creativity to grow plants in fun and unique ways. There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for building a vertical garden, which means our options are basically unlimited....

Onion jam is quick and easy to make, and this recipe is savory, sweet, and is so incredibly yummy. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to make it step by step. If you’re looking for a simple onion jam that you can whip up in minutes, my delicious recipe will have you and your family asking for more. You can make a batch of this to use right away, or try canning it for later....

String of hearts plants are easy to care for and fun to grow. In this post, I’m going to teach you all you need to know about them, and give you tons of tips for watering, light, soil, fertilizer, pruning, and more! The low-maintenance and eye-catching string of hearts plant is a great choice for any home gardener looking for a beautiful indoor or outdoor vine. I love putting them in hanging baskets or tall planters, and they’re also great for setting on a bookshelf or cascading over a pedestal....

Pruning tomatoes is the best way to keep your plants healthy, and maximize yield. In this post, I’ll tell you why you should trim tomatoes, which types need it, and when to do it. Then I’ll show you exactly how to prune tomatoes step-by-step. If your tomato plants grow huge every summer, but don’t produce much fruit, then it’s time to bring out your pruning shears. Getting into the habit of trimming tomatoes on a regular basis will give you the biggest and best yield....