Tomatoes are susceptible to low night and day temperatures, causing blossom drop and reduced fruit set. To counter this effect, provide shade or mulch the soil to maintain an ideal environment and ensure proper temperature regulation. Select varieties that mature quickly for short-season gardens and which resist disease and pests. A soil test can help…
How to Start a Vegetable Garden in a Small Space
Attracting fresh, flavorful food without much effort requires planting vegetables in your own yard. All it takes to get started is an unsheltered deck or patch of dirt – and that’s it! Choose compact varieties of vegetables and fast-growing crops such as radishes or salad greens to quickly get your garden producing yields, and use…
How to Start a Garden From Seeds
Seeds and seedlings require moisture for proper development, yet too much or too little moisture could harm them. Misting can provide just the right amount of hydration. Choose containers to hold seeds and growing medium (peat pellets or potting soil), that drain well. Options for such containers could include plastic seed trays, cardboard egg cartons…
The Best Time to Plant Bulbs in Your Garden
Bulbs require a period of cool winter to flourish the following spring. When planted in well-draining soils rich in organic matter, bulbs perform optimally. Make sure your bulbs are of good quality (check their packet for more details), and plant at their recommended depth — typically two or three times their height. To protect tulips,…
How to Grow and Harvest Your Own Herbs
Herbs are easy to grow and can transform the way you cook. Raised beds and containers are popular choices, while many thrive even better in garden beds. Most herbs require full sunlight and well-draining soil, although some varieties, like parsley and chives, thrive under partial shade conditions. Many species can be harvested for their leaves,…
Top Garden Supplies for a Lush Garden
One of the top garden supplies necessary for cultivating an lush garden is a garden trellis. This allows you to grow vineing plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers without them touching the ground, protecting them from insect damage. A worm composter is another essential gardening supply for lush gardens, turning food scraps into nutrient-rich compost…
How to Create a Drought-Tolerant Garden
Climate change is leading to longer and hotter dry spells, so consider adapting part of your landscape with drought-resistant plants such as xeriscape flora in rock gardens or using drought-tolerant shrubs and perennials along stone pathways. At planting time, mix organic compost into the soil to help retain moisture. Mulching also plays an essential role;…
10 Essential Gardening Tools for a Thriving Garden
With the right gardening tools at your fingertips, planting, weeding, pruning and harvesting become easier and less time consuming. That’s why we have put together this list of 10 essential garden tools you should keep handy in your toolkit. These essentials will keep your yard looking crisp and beautiful – whether you’re an experienced or…
Top 5 Shade-Loving Plants for Your Garden
Most gardens will experience some areas that receive shade throughout the day, making it more challenging than usual to find plants suitable for these conditions. There are plenty of choices, however. Julian Palphramand, Shrubs, Specimen Plants & Roses Buyer at Wyevale Garden Centre has put together his top five shade-loving plants for your garden. Guaranteed…
Best Flowers to Attract Bees to Your Garden
Add flowers that attract bees to your garden as an effective way to bolster local bee populations and ensure their survival. These blooms offer nectar, pollen and other vital nutrients for bee survival. Bees depend on early blooming flowers in spring and late-blooming flowers in fall for food, so planting bee-friendly blooms throughout the season…