Bed Ideas, Tips & Guides

Identifying bed bugs can be challenging, especially for avid gardeners who frequently encounter a variety of insects in their green spaces. While bed bugs are notorious for their indoor infestations, several outdoor bugs bear a striking resemblance to them, creating confusion and concern. This comprehensive guide’ll help you easily identify Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs!

Multiseason Garden Bed with Hesse Cotoneaster Get fall garden interest that lasts into winter with this easy-care plant combination featuring a Hesse cotoneaster shrub. Fall into winter with multiseason plants

Whether you made a New Year’s resolution to cut your carbon footprint, or the credit crunch is putting pressure on your food budget, now is the perfect time to try growing some of your own vegetables. You don’t need a lot of space, or expensive kit, to get started – and it doesn’t need to take up a lot of your time.

Did you sleep well last night? You would not have felt so cosy if your mattress had been infested with bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), an ancient pest that is making a comeback in the modern world, complete with pesticide resistence. Looking for a new solution to this age-old problem, scientists from the Universities of California and Kentucky took their inspiration from reports written in the first half of the twentieth century (sadly not available online) that describe the use of bean leaves (in Eastern Europe) to trap bed bugs so that they can then be destroyed.

Earlier this year, my father-in-law (FIL) visited while Ryan and I were finishing up putting the new metal-framed raised beds in our garden. He said, rather wistfully, that he missed having a vegetable garden. Although he and my mother-in-law (MIL) have quite a large garden, it’s all given over to ornamentals as my MIL is a highly skilled florist. (She did the flowers for our wedding.)

The physical effects of spending time in space are very similar to the natural ageing process. In fact, we can learn a lot about ageing by studying how microgravity affects astronauts. But that’s expensive, and it’s much cheaper for people to stay in bed!

One of the most beautiful and delicious fruits, kiwis are favorites of both children and adults alike. However, like camu camu, these bright green fruits might be most adored by the wellness community, as they're incredibly nutritious. One potential health benefit of kiwi that's been causing some buzz recently? Eating one before bed might help you sleep better—and as it turns out, that might be true.

If you are looking for a show stopping display of spring flowers then why not try planting   primary colours of Red, Blue and Yellow in the same bed.

I have reported before about the Alpine house at RHS Harlow Carr. Now we can begin to see the fruits of all the labours both in growing and display.

I have always loved the look of benches made from head and foot boards, especially the ones made from metal. I found this one in the most unlikely places. It was leaning up against the side of a vault, ( a holding building for bodies to be buried in cemeteries. The caskets are kept here during winter months when the ground is frozen and graves can't be dug until spring.) It was buried half in the ground and deep in the trees. I was very excited with my find, my mother was looking at me with those eyes that quietly said my daughter has finally lost it but didn't actually say it… I went back to my mom's house and called the church secretary and asked if I could remove the bed. Ironically she didn't even know one was there. She said if I could dig it out I could have it. After some choice words under my breath, tree branches in some not so nice places, and falling on my behind while trying to get it out of the ground my determination paid off.

YES, OF COURSE I know about the more backbreaking ways to make a new bed, but lately I confess I’ve been relying more and more upon the magic of recyclables: newspaper and cardboard to be specific.

Prepping a bed without turning or tilling may actually help reduce the number of weed seeds that sprout, so in many situations, it’s my tactic of choice. If a sunny patch of lawn is destined to house a crop of summer tomatoes or a fall-planted bulb garden, or an existing border needs some smothering of weeds. how to make a bed with cardboardTHE EXPLANATION below assumes the underlying soil is fairly decent, neither bog nor wasteland nor highly compacted, and that the vegetation growing in it is mostly herbaceous (like lawn, not a thicket of blackberries or po

‘WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES,’ public-TV host Joe Lamp’l of “Growing a Greener World” said when we chatted on my radio show. Oh, isn’t that the truth. Thankfully the misstep Joe revealed—how he fell prey to “killer compost” that contained persistent herbicides—was offset by a look at the most enviable of vegetable-garden designs. How to build the ultimate raised-bed garden (wait until you see Joe’s new layout!) and how to avoid inadvertently bringing in compost or compost ingredients that can do more harm than good. A hint: Animal manures can be tricky business.

Nectar-garlic (according to “The Names of Plants” fourth edition, that’s what Nectaroscordum means) is animal-proof, since nobody messes with onion relatives, really. It is long-lasting, perennializing in the garden and even self-sowing. If you don’t want more, simply pull the slender, onion-like seedlings, or better yet, deadhead the parent plants before seed is set. It is hardy in Zone 5-8 or even warmer.I planted my first bulbs more than 20 years ago, and they just get better. Nectaroscordum is good-looking even after the blooms are done, forming a tan-colored seedpod that turns upward where each waxy bell once dangled. It’s a great cut flower (and some people even like the dry form for that use).Bees love it (

HOW DO YOU GET your garden soil ready for growing things each spring? Do you till to prepare your beds, or double-dig them, or roughly turn in compost—or are you a no-till type who uses some passive tactic?

My son had outgrown his twin size bed and was ready for a new one. I decided to build an outdoor swinging bed that the family could enjoy on a cool summer afternoon. Below I'll show you how I built it.

There are many ways to make a raised garden bed. The cheapest raised garden beds are created using soil mounds to form the border, but there are several other cost effective methods that work well.

I'm going to show you how to build a super simple, yet beautiful swing bed for your porch. I've designed and built several of these, and they have become my favorite DIY project.

Thinking about what to do with your old divan bed base apart- from use as firewood?

In this tutorial, I’m going to teach you how to edge a flower bed like a pro! Clean crisp edges between your lawn and mulch will take your landscaping to another level. And the best part is that anyone can do it.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of crawling into bed with freshly washed sheets. And while the actual laundry process might not be as fun (especially when it comes to folding those fitted sheets), it’s necessary for that ultimate cozy sleep experience.

This post was submitted to the Grillo Designs blog by Marcie Goodman. She shares a great step by step tutorial on how how she created this swinging bed from pallets for her deck! Hard to believe right? Keep reading! (You can also see other DIY PALLET project ideas on the blog by clicking HERE)

Of all the herbs, mint is super easy to grow. You don’t need to be an expert on this. It can be grown both in containers and grounds. If you want to grow Mint as a fragrant ground cover, follow our guide on Planting Mint Bed for Ground Cover. 

I have an old bunk bed ladder that has had quite a few lives while I’ve owned it. It’s gone from being a bunk bed ladder, to an herb drying rack, and now I was looking for one more way to put it to use before I had to throw it out. This ladder pergola was the perfect fit for my old ladder. Pergolas can be quite expensive, costing hundreds of dollars, but this project cost me under $50! It provides the perfect amount of shade for me in the mornings when I let my dogs out into the yard and I love how it has added a touch of decor to my home’s exterior. Learn how I did it in my step-by-step tutorial below!

If you’ve been wondering how to make a new raised bed garden, this article is a great place to start. Early in 2023, we embarked on a big project – a new raised bed vegetable garden! I’d been dreaming of improving our food garden by adding raised beds for years. I drew up a rough plan and approached our contractor neighbor, Tim, about the project. Two months later, I had a beautiful new garden. In this article, I’ll walk you through each step of the project, offering tips and insights you can use to build a new raised bed garden of your own.

A garden bed fence is an easy-to-build structure that makes planting easier and protects plants from pests like rabbits and large insects. Garden fences can be used for beds of flowers, herbs, or fruits and vegetables.

My friends at The Heritage Company, an architectural salvage/ antique store in downtown Kalamazoo did it again. Instead of passing on a lonesome sleigh style headboard, they purchased it from one of their pickers with me in mind.

This easy garden bed cover has really helped me save my kale and other plants but especially, I love the look and how simple it is to make it. Simple things are the best and sometimes the most successful.

Hometalk Editor's Note: Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) can kill bedbugs on contact only. Additionally, be aware that spraying your belongings with rubbing alcohol can create a fire hazard. We advise you to please use this recipe safely and carefully. ( source)

Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Looking for ideas to give your home a makeover? Check out these Flower Bed Ideas for Front of House to add a colorful appeal to the garden!

If you are a fan of the coastal vibes and great, lush tropical garden then how about having it in your yard! How? Well, look at some Crazy Tropical Garden Bed Ideas here and start planting.

Here are some out-of-the-box DIY Portable Garden Bed Ideas that will make your gardening chores easier!

If you want to increase the productivity of your vegetable garden significantly–grow plants in raised beds. It’s simple: A raised bed can be filled with the type of soil your plants want, and it ensures better drainage. You can control the weeds easily and work more efficiently in the garden without sweating.

These DIY Vertical Garden Bed Ideas for Backyards are a simple yet stunning way to display the plants of your choice in the most whimsical way!

If you live in an urban apartment and want to grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers easily in a small space, then you can take ideas from these Raised Bed Gardens for Balcony pictures!