Happy Friday GPODers!
17.08.2024 - 08:37 / balconygardenweb.com
Who doesn’t love the fragrance and exquisite taste of fresh mint sprigs in dishes and drinks? This multi-purpose herb is not only great for culinary purposes but also packs a ton of medicinal and gardening benefits. But that’s not all. Read on, and you’ll find out exactly why you need to grow it in your garden.
Mint tends to spread quite a bit, left untamed. But isn’t that great? Who wouldn’t want an abundant supply of this fantastic herb? It thrives in both full sun and partial shade, so you can grow it practically anywhere with this one trick.
And don’t worry about mint being invasive; we have solutions for that, too. It grows well in containers or raised beds alongside other hardy perennial herbs like thyme, oregano, rosemary, and sage. Once established, these accompanying plants can tolerate the mint’s aggressive growth habit.
Another reason to grow mint in your garden is that it is so forgiving of neglect. It just needs moderate watering during hot summer months, fertile soil, and dappled sunshine. You won’t even need to pinch back if you harvest it regularly.
Perfect for the forgetful gardener, just pay attention to these do’s and don’ts of growing the best mint ever!
You may love mint’s fresh fragrance, but pesky insects surely don’t! Mint is a natural bug repellent, deterring ants, mosquitoes, and flies. Planting mint around your home also helps you move around bite-free and without chemical repellants and creams!
Mint’s bug-repelling scent comes from the essential oils naturally present in the herb. Companion planting mint with other aromatic herbs like parlsey and basil can also create a natural pest-repelling barrier in your garden. Remember to pinch back to promote new growth and maintain a strong scent.
While mint
Happy Friday GPODers!
Rock gardens are an attractive way of displaying a variety of small plants including alpines, dwarf shrubs and low-growing perennials. They can be adapted to suit any space – an alpine trough, old stone wall or sunny border can all be used to create a form of rock garden. One of the first rock gardens was built at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London in the late 1770s, and they became a popular feature in Victorian and Edwardian gardens, providing a way to display alpine plants from around the world.
If you plan on setting up an entertainment system in your garden, there are many ways you can go about it, and there are many things to consider to ensure you get the most out of your space.
You've likely heard that burying banana peels in your garden is a good way to add important nutrients to the soil to grow healthy plants. Banana peels do contain nutrients, but not as many as you may think. Plus, it's not as simple as placing them in the soil and skipping fertilizer or compost.
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Header image: Cilantro seedlings grown in 100% recycled glass material. Image credit: Andrea Quezada
There is no way to sugarcoat the challenges many of us in the Mid-Atlantic region have faced this summer. The inconsistency of rainfall and the extreme high temperatures have greatly impacted our efforts to garden successfully. Even with valiant efforts to apply supplemental irrigation, I have witnessed a wide range of plant material showing signs of drought stress that I have rarely witnessed in my 15-plus years of gardening in this region. To say it is cause for concern would be an understatement. As a result, in the last few months I have been repeatedly asked how we can prepare our beloved gardens to reduce heat and moisture stress for future growing seasons. One answer to this conundrum is to add organic matter to the soil in the form of compost.
Are you tired of growing the same old plants in your garden year after year? Looking for something that adds a new dimension to your gardening experience? If you're eager to explore innovative options, feminised seeds might be the perfect choice for you. These seeds not only offer unique benefits but also provide a fresh challenge for both novice and experienced gardeners. Let's dive into the world of feminised seeds and discover how they can revolutionize your garden.
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