Ground Ideas, Tips & Guides

Gardening enthusiasts are not left with too much of choices, when winter approaches. Colder months bring their unique set of challenges, but also bring opportunities for us to grow choicest seeds, bulbs, and cuttings!

Since the introduction of fiberglass pools, tremendous interest has been shown in medium-sized garden pools.

–Records –

The Blackberries of North America and Europe are a mighty clan of innumerable species and hybrids that have taxed the efforts of botanists to classify them. The many species in North America have furnished varieties suitable for cultivation in most of the United States except the cold, dry Great Plains region, and for the milder portions of Canada. One European species, the Cut-leaved Blackberry, Rubus laciniatus, has run wild on the Pacific Coast where it is cultivated.

Planting narcissus is about timing. In cold places, like the North, plant in fall from late September to late November. In warmer areas, plant in late fall to early winter. For moderate regions, mid to late fall is best. If planting indoors, chill bulbs for 12-15 weeks, then plant in well-draining soil. Place the pot in a cool, dark spot until shoots appear, then move to a sunny place. Learn more below.

For many of us, this scenario may sound familiar: You move into a new house and everything is perfect—except that huge rhodie out front that is threatening to swallow the porch. Or, maybe you purchased a gorgeous lilac several years ago and now it is enveloping half the front walkway. I like to call the culprits in these cases the “beasts” of the garden: perfectly wonderful shrubs that tend to get out of hand. Perhaps you planted them at the start of your gardening career; or maybe you simply inherited a property with 1 (or 6) of these beasts already in place. Sometimes, you don’t want to get rid of the shrub completely, but after many decades of being ignored, you need to get things in check. Luckily for overwhelmed gardeners, there are specific ways to get these imposing monsters under control once and for all. True, there are far more beasts of the garden out there than are mentioned here—but you may be able to deal with them in a fashion similar to our three examples.

Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) is a popular house plant with an almost constant display of bright red, tubular flowers, that resemble lipsticks, against trailing, green foliage. Native to the rainforests of South East Asia, Aeschynanthus is an epiphytic plant, which means it doesn’t grow in the ground but instead is found hanging from tree branches, where it gets its moisture from rain water vapour. As a house plant in the UK, it grows well in a free-draining, peat-free potting mix.

I’ll sing you one, O Green grow the rushes, O What is your one, O? etc

I planted some climbing roses into pots at either side of our garden gazebo and have trained them to grow up over it. I’ve been careful to feed and water them, and they did brilliantly for a couple of years, but last summer they looked miserable. Any suggestions as to what I’m doing wrong? TJ, Co Kilkenny

If you are looking for some out of the box tricks on how to grow spider plants faster that can actually work then you are in for a speedy treat!

January is a time for starting anew and planning for spring. Take notes and plan what you will do once spring weather arrives. Will you plan to add more flowering plants to attract pollinators? Or will you plan to grow a summer vegetable garden? The possibilities are endless, but no matter what you hope to achieve in 2024, pull out your garden journal and make notes on how to make your plans a reality.

There are lots of words that Irish gardeners could use to sum up the year that was 2023. “Wet” is certainly high on the list, given the record levels of rainfall experienced in most parts of the country from late summer onwards as well as the badly waterlogged state of many soils.

Learn to recognize Poisonous Lambsquarters Look-Alikes to avoid accidental poisoning. Some impostors, like Palmer Amaranth and Black Nightshade, resemble lambsquarters but have distinguishing features, such as larger size or toxic berries. Stay safe by recognizing differences in plants like Bittersweet Nightshade, Pokeweed, Carolina Horsenettle, Jimsonweed, and Ground Cherry.

Joseph here, in northern Indiana, where normally December and January is an indoor-only gardening season, with lots of snow, frigid temperatures, and ground frozen solid.

Hugging certain plants can make you feel good and relaxed. Studies show it reduces stress and makes you feel better. There are many plants you can hug for positive energy like Fiddle Leaf Fig, Bird of Paradise, Monstera Deliciosa, Elephant Ear Plant, Rubber Plant, Philodendron Xanadu, Giant Peace Lily, Calatheas, and Giant Pothos.

If your plants are showing signs of undernourishment despite all the favorable conditions, the soil’s acidity might be an underlying reason. Determine the soil pH as the first step, and then learn How to Change Your Soil pH, amending it with the right nutrients.

February is a good time to finish any winter projects before the growing season starts in earnest. There are still a few weeks left to complete any winter pruning and get bare-rooted trees in the ground while plants remain dormant. Vegetable beds can be prepared this month and snowdrops divided once they come to the end of their flowering period. Inside the house, start chitting potatoes and sowing chilli seeds to give plants a long growing season.

You don’t always need a tree around to hang a bird feeder to attract those pretty winged creatures to your garden! Here are some innovative ways to do it!

If you’ve been scrolling through your TikTok feed, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over charmingly layered decor styles, you’re not alone.

If you’re tackling a renovation in the new year, you might have big goals and even bigger dreams. But even if your contractor won’t say it, you might want to rein it in. 

The Modern Farmer team has been hard at work this year, bringing you great stories about farming and food systems, and we’ve covered a lot of ground.

Mullein, with its towering yellow flowers and soft, velvety leaves, has a unique appearance often leads to confusion with similar-looking plants. Well, don’t worry! We are here to end all that!

Imagine yourself enjoying the sight of an eagle soaring overhead. This moment is a powerful symbol of freedom and strength, and can make you go – wow! Let’s have a detailed insight on – What Does It Mean When an Eagle Flies Over You?

Before you list your home for sale, you must be aware of all its potential problems. Major and minor issues inevitably crop up on inspection reports, and fixing the big ones (and some of the small ones) will help you get your money’s worth on a home. 

Centipedes aren’t picky about where they live. If you’ve got a garden, you might spot them indoors or outdoors. But what does it mean when you see one and what it symbolizes? Read below.

What do hedgehogs eat?

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) trees produce delicious fruit in summer and growing your own means the fruit can be enjoyed when they are sweet and meltingly ripe, unlike shop-bought fruit, which must be harvested early to be transported while firm. Apricot trees can be grown successfully outside in warmer parts of the UK, notably the south-east of England. Elsewhere, because the beautiful pink blossom is borne in early spring and is therefore liable to frost damage, only grow apricots in large pots and keep under cover for the colder months. When planted in the right conditions, an apricot tree should start producing fruit within two or three years and live for decades.

While a light hand is apropos for many pruning jobs, sometimes a judicious but heavy hand is needed. Rejuvenation pruning is a heavy-handed but efficient method to bring overlooked, overgrown, and mismanaged shrubs back to their full potential. It is performed by removing every branch at or a few inches above ground level with a sturdy hand saw, loppers, or even a small chainsaw. For many shrubs in Mid-Atlantic gardens, winter is the perfect time to perform rejuvenation pruning. This is because in our zonal range, most woody plants are dormant and therefore exposed cuts are less likely to become pathways for pests and diseases (which are also dormant). And, when spring weather finally arrives, the shrubs will be perfectly poised  to push new, healthy growth.   

Some people are particular about the garden tools they use. Others take it less seriously and are content with the cheapest things they can find. I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m not one to waste money on overpriced brands, but I do want durable tools that last a good while. Just as important, they need to do the job and be up for the conditions under which I’ll be using them.

Kathy Sandel sent in just a few more photos of hercurrent garden in Sacramento, California, and I couldn’t resist sharing them:

Dundee cake takes its name from the Scottish town where it was first produced commercially in the late 18th century. Although there are many recipes for the cake, it should always contain ground almonds, citrus and dried fruit.

Millions of gardeners around the world enjoy growing their own veggies, but not fencing a vegetable garden means the local wildlife may enjoy the garden even more than you do. Whether it’s deer, rabbits, groundhogs, or any number of other garden interlopers, learning how to fence a vegetable garden properly can be the difference between an ample harvest and a non-existent one. In this article I’ll cover the most popular vegetable garden fence ideas and share some tips for using them successfully.

Have you ever wondered, “Is Wheat a Vegetable?” It’s a common question that might make you scratch your head. Let’s dig into it together and determine what makes wheat different from the veggies you see on your plate.

David Land

Last week Kathy Sandel shared her former garden in Calabasas, California, and today we’re back visiting her current garden in Sacramento:

Gardening enthusiasts over 60, take note: using these right tools and items can transform your gardening experience, making it more enjoyable and less strenuous.