Provident Ideas, Tips & Guides

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Rembrandt Gardens, Little Venice

I Have always thought that the best gardens are those that make people happy and comfortable. Sure, great gardens look good, but they have to feel good too. The gardens that I admire most are relaxing, easy to move through, and not too hard to maintain. Paths and structures must be simple to navigate, while the plants selected must provide interest and serve a function without being bullies or prima donnas. As a landscape architect, I tackle these issues of comfort and utility every day. Here are seven practical tips that have helped me create enjoyable, livable gardens for myself and my clients.

When I began designing gardens more than 20 years ago, I was surprised to find that smaller spaces were often more challenging to plan than larger ones. In those early years, clients with tiny lots would come to me with extensive lists of their must-have items, and I would struggle to fit everything in. It was a huge breakthrough when I finally realized that identifying the specific features and details to include in a garden should be the final step in the process, not the first. Since then, every consultation I have with a new client begins with three questions that I’ve nicknamed “the three W’s.” These prompts help my clients to envision themselves interacting with their redesigned spaces, and while they are useful in reimagining gardens of all sizes, they are particularly helpful when space is precious. When my husband and I recently moved into a new home with a small backyard, we had the opportunity to use the process for ourselves. Here’s what we discovered.

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White ZZ plants are not exactly “White” but have a tint of yellow and white on the leaves, which makes them appear very different from the regular green and rare black types.

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What if we told you that there are plants you can grow once, and then multiply for years to come with free seeds? Sounds tempting? Well, these options will put a smile on your face!

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Honeybees and butterflies may be the poster children for pollinator awareness, but these charismatic garden visitors actually make up a very small portion of the species that move pollen from plant to plant. Commonly overlooked creatures like wasps, flies, moths, beetles, birds, bats, and even lizards can all serve as plant pollinators. Another misconception is that most pollinator activity occurs from the height of summer and into early fall, but in fact pollination occurs during most months of the year when temperatures are within an acceptable range for insect activity and there is a pollen or nectar source available. In this article I will talk about an array of plants that feed and support pollinators at specific points throughout the growing season. As you plan your wildlife-friendly plantings, use these suggestions as a springboard for creating your own unique, multiseason plant combinations.

Are you wondering about the ways you can use to grow houseplants without soil? Can it be sand, water, or any other medium? Let’s learn!.

Jacob Fox

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Have you ever wondered where plants, including fruits and vegetables, get their vibrant colors? Well, the answer is from phytonutrients! Phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals) are compounds produced by plants that provide health benefits to our bodies and are displayed through a plant’s pigment. Phytonutrients contribute to not only a plant’s appearance, but also their taste, smell, and immune system. These compounds strengthen the plant’s immune system by protecting it from dangers such as sun damage and disease. While phytonutrients are beneficial to keeping plants healthy, when consumed by humans through a varied diet, these compounds may also aid in keeping us healthy too. Let’s explore the potential health benefits that each phytonutrient has to offer through their distinct hues.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is one of only three conifers native to the UK. It’s a member of the cypress family and grows on chalk or limestone in lowland areas, and moors, woodland and cliffs in northern Britain. Juniper is in decline in wild populations and has been designated a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species. This special tree has disappeared from several areas in the south of England. Many remaining colonies are so small that they’re considered functionally extinct. Scotland is now the stronghold for 80 per cent of the UK’s juniper trees.

If you were looking for a trick to stimulate seed germination, this is it. There are certain seeds that need smoke to germinate better and quickly, learn how to do this below!

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In today’s fast-paced world, the convenience of meal prep services is enticing. With options like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Freshly, the market offers a wealth of choices tailored to fit various dietary preferences and lifestyles. Each service promises to cut down on shopping time and reduce the stress of meal planning, but at what cost?

Like last week, I hadn’t a clue where to begin when I began my hunt for the contents of today’s IAVOM, but was prompted by the arabis shown on yesterday’s Six on Saturday, one clump of which grows close to the back door. The arabis firmly fixed the scale of the vase as ‘small’, making the rest of the task suddenly easier, as I cut unnamed pulmonaria and Cyclamen coum blooms, adding slightly reddish sprigs from Nandina domestica ‘Obsessed’ and an unlabelled heather that had been included in baskets at the front of the house to provide some height.

Pruning raspberries the right way and at the optimal time is essential if you want a bumper crop of large, juicy berries. The tools and techniques you choose to employ in your berry patch can help to spur new and very specific types of growth, as well as prevent the spread of diseases like anthracnose and blight, among others.

Your spring decor is about to be gorgeous—and super on trend, thanks to this list we coveted from Google.

Have you heard of the saying, “You are what you eat”? The body is in a rapid growth stage from puberty through early adulthood. As you age, you make more choices that affect your body and health. To support proper growth and development, teens need a nutritionally balanced diet, physical activity, and adequate sleep. A diet high in nutritious foods can benefit a teen’s overall health as well as:

The Wandering Jew plant, known for its vibrant foliage and easy care, offers numerous possibilities for indoor display. To maximize its aesthetic impact, here are the different ways to grow it!

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Ziploc bags are household necessity, serving kitchens for years to help with food storage. And it makes sense why they're so beloved—they’re easy to store, you can reuse them, you can buy a ton of them at once, and you can use them for everything, from storing soups in the freezer to packing carrots into a kids’ lunch box and creating a DIY piping bag.

As spring approaches, refresh your space whether it's through a deep-cleaning your drawers or redecorating a boring corner. The possibilities are abundant and with plenty of 2024 trends to provide inspiration, it’s a great time to change things up.

The first step in creating a relaxation corner in your garden is to carefully choose the location. Find a quiet and secluded area where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether it's under the shade of a tree, nestled in a corner with tall plants for privacy, or near the soothing sound of a water feature, the right spot sets the tone for your oasis. Take into account the natural elements such as sunlight and wind direction to enhance the overall experience.

Old towels can be used in a variety of ways that can help you in a lot of day-to-day gardening chores to make it really easy for you!

Nail clipper, a common household tool, can surprisingly play an important role in successful germination of seeds along with helping plants to grow better. Sounds impossible? Keep reading!

Almost every house has a foundation planting, something that should help the large, man-made structure somehow blend with the natural landscape it was dropped into. More often than not, the foundation planting is done by the builder, who adds a line of common, usually evergreen shrubs to make things seem not so out of place in the hope that the buyer will be much happier with the property. The plantings are often bland and not in scale with the house. Even worse, these humdrum plantings are often ignored until they become so large that making changes is more of a job than one is willing to take on.

Dumping manure in public spaces, hurling eggs at government buildings, blocking major roads—the European farmers who have taken to the streets to challenge free trade policies sure know how to raise a ruckus. Beginning with German farmers in January earlier this year, to then include French and Belgian producers, the continent-wide protest movement has expanded into Spain and Italy as of mid-February. Their public disruption has also produced results.

How And When to Harvest Kohlrabi

How to Use Straw Mulch in the Vegetable Garden

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