A birdcage planter can add a unique touch to your garden. Hang it inside the house or outside on a tree, fix it near the door or create a beautiful vista– hanging many of them in a row near the entrance of your garden. You can do a lot of experiments with it. Things you’ll need A birdcage Potting mix Coco liner Plants Pebbles (optional) Steps to make a birdcage planter Step One: If you are using an old bird cage, make sure to clean it thoroughly with a disinfectant....

Painting terracotta pots is a fun way to add color to your home or garden. In this tutorial for how to paint terracotta pots you’ll also learn: what paint to use on terracotta plant pots, how to prepare your pots for painting, and how to seal clay pots. Tired of the traditional look of terracotta plant pots? Spice them up with a fresh coat of paint. Add a bit of color to your garden by adding hand painted plant pots that fit your style....

He gave me an onion from his garden and told me this plant could take care of itself, and it’s true. Allium x proliferum I was introduced to Egyptian walking onions about 12 years ago by an older man named Terry. He was a kind person who seemed more at ease with the plants in his garden than the people around him so, naturally, we got along famously. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

I had blackened cabbage drenched in anchovy butter the other day and I think I died and was transported to a better place… There are a few plants that are the champions of cool-weather growing and cabbage is one of them. It comes in so many colors, shapes, and sizes, with types suited for growing throughout the year. And how far the recipes have come, from the corned beef and cabbage of my youth that was boiled to mush!...

I know that testing your soil sounds like it would be complicated, time consuming, or even expensive, but it’s not. So, to ease your nerves, I am going to walk you through it step by step. There’s no need to send your soil sample off to some company, or pay for any expensive testing. Using a DIY home soil test kit is frugal, simple, and gives you very fast results....

If you need a refresher on how to grow and care for peace lilies (Spathiphyllum), check out our guide. Peace lilies are some of the most rewarding houseplants to cultivate. Their glossy leaves add an attractive pop of green to your home year-round, and when they bloom – oh, when they bloom! – it’s deeply rewarding to see that delicate white spathe rising above the foliage. But how do you keep these plants perfectly watered so that they can thrive?...

Think about the Solanaceae family. Edible plants like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes, and the highly toxic deadly nightshade, are all in the same family. You may know that many plants don’t grow well – or at all – under walnut trees. This fact has been observed and documented since the first century AD. But what about pecan trees? Do they have the same effect? They are members of the same family as walnuts (Juglandaceae), although that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the same chemical properties....

Birkin is a gorgeous houseplant with attractive white stripes on green leaves. The patterns and colors might make you conclude that it may be challenging to grow, but that is not true! Learn the Philodendron Birkin Growing Tips here in our article. Botanical Name: Philodendron Birkin Other Names: ‘Birkin White Wave’ or Philodendron ‘White Wave’ Check out our article on growing Philodendron Pink Princess here Choosing a Container A 6-8 inches pot will be a good starting point....

The radicchio plant is part of a much larger chicory family, known for its crunchy leaves in recipes like a salad with blue cheese, or even roasted with olive oil and salt. Its family is also known for its famous roasted and dried roots that can be made into a coffee alternative. But these jolly little heads of somewhat bitter leaves are marvelous crops to have in the garden. Able to keep in storage longer than many other lettuce plants, this addition to the garden rotation would be well worth it!...

Plants Trying to figure out if you should fertilize your lavender plants? This hardy shrub can handle quite a bit of neglect, but what about fertilizer? In this article, organic gardening expert and former lavender farmer Logan Hailey examines if it's a good idea to fertilize this season, or if you should skip it. By Logan Hailey Last updated: September 29, 2022 | 4 min read Lavender is a Mediterranean native herb that requires very little maintenance in the garden....

One of the biggest benefits of growing in containers is that you have complete control over the environment. This is especially beneficial for veggies, since you can provide the perfect soil, water, and sunlight they need to produce all that yummy food. You don’t have to make any sacrifices either. Growing vegetables in pots on a balcony, patio or deck can yield the same amount of food as a traditional garden plot....

Flowers Looking for a pink orchid to plant in your indoor or outdoor garden, and can't decide what to choose? There are many different pink varieties to choose from, so picking just one can be a challenge. In this article, gardening expert Melissa Strauss takes a deeper look at some of her favorite orchids that bloom in beautiful shades of pink! By Melissa Strauss Last updated: October 26, 2022 | 10 min read Although notorious for being a challenge to grow and maintain, orchids are most well known for their exotic and long-lasting blooms....

You can take inspiration from here and create a DIY salad table garden on your patio, rooftop, or balcony to enjoy the fresh homegrown green salad year-round. This would also save space if you use a table with the lower shelf. Find out the best green leafy vegetables for salads here Salad Table Garden Benefits A salad table garden is a unique approach to grow salad vegetables on raised tables. This is more like a portable raised bed with many other advantages:...

By Matt Gibson Sporting an apron while working in the garden serves several purposes. Not only will the apron allow you to tote around important tools and other essential items, like water, or snacks, but it will also save your clothes from being soiled by actual soil, as gardening is a very dirty job. When looking for the right gardening apron, you want to find one that is made with a thick, durable material that won’t be easily torn or damaged, and you also need it to be functional, so you need one with plenty of large, deep pockets for carrying your most commonly used tools around so that they are always at arms reach when you are working your garden....

Look at some eye-catching Flowers that Start with ‘M’ and grow the best ones in your garden! Find out the flowers that start with A here Flowers that Start with M 1. Marguerite daisy Botanical Name: Argyranthemum frutescens Type: Annual Blooming Period: Spring, Summer, and Fall Marguerite daisy showcases hot pink to white-colored petals with bright yellow centers and is shrubbier in appearance than the Shasta Daisies. The plant blooms best during the spring and summer....

Plant and animal diseases are a huge threat to the livelihoods of agrarian societies. The word “blight” does not refer to one specific plant disease, but rather a general term that describes conditions that severely hinder the healthy growth of plants. Blight on plants has had a significant impact on human populations, movements, and diets throughout history. Table of Contents Some most notable blights include the potato blight that caused the Irish Potato Famine of 1846-50, the bacterial leaf blight in rice that swept through Asia in the 1960s that caused the lost of up to 80% of crops, and the southern leaf corn blight epidemics of 1970-1971 which total 1 billion dollars in economic damages....

USDA Zones— 9-11 Difficulty— Easy Botanical Name— Opuntia ficus-indica Other Names— Barbary-fig Cactus, Cactus Pear Fruit, Gracemere-Pear, Indian-fig, Indian fig, Nopal Cactus, Oponce, Opuntia, Opuntia cardona, Opuntia ficus, Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia fuliginosa, Opuntia hyptiacantha, Opuntia lasciacantha, Opuntia macrocentra, Opuntia megacantha, Opuntia puberula, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia velutina, Opuntia violacea, Tuna Cardona, Westwood-Pear Prickly pear is a common succulent plant in Mediterranean and subtropical regions. It is grown as an ornamental plant and for its juicy fruits....

Compost is often called Gardener’s Gold, and rightly so. To a smart gardener, good compost is worth its weight in vegetables and then some. Let’s learn more about home composting! What is Compost? Compost is what you get when yard and garden debris, kitchen scraps, grass clippings and other organic materials have completely broken down into a rich, dark, crumbly material. Gardeners love compost because it is so rich in nutrients and adds so much value when you add it to your soil....

One summer, I came out to my back garden to find all my basil seedlings gone. I didn’t know what could have taken them out, and assumed it was insects. Later that week, I discovered the culprit was a cardinal. If only I had used floating row covers to protect my basil seedlings, I’d be stocked up on pesto right now. Table of Contents While floating row covers are great for protecting plants from birds, they’re also a useful barrier between plants and insects, or other mammals that may want to have a little snack from your garden....

Borage is one of the most enjoyable and easiest annuals to grow, and a must-have for anyone interested in natural, cottage, or potager style gardening. I have been growing borage for more years than I can remember, but I have only ever sown it once! This beautiful herb with its vibrant blue flowers repays me every year with an abundance of self-seeded borage plants to grow for another year. They are a clear signal that spring has arrived and summer is on its way....