It’s pretty safe to say that most people understand that plants need water if you want to keep them alive. But water quality varies massively and can impact the health of your houseplants. So should you use tap water, rainwater, distilled or filtered water for houseplants? What is the best water for houseplants? Tap water is usually ok for most houseplants, but it depends on the plant and the quality of your tap water....
Trivia buffs and riddle lovers can take a break today, because the answer to the question, “What’s the difference between a lima bean and a butter bean?” is… nothing. Both are just different names for the tasty legume Phaseolus lunatus. But that’s not the complete story. Sometimes home gardeners will find it relevant that a bean has one of these labels or the other, especially in particular areas of the country, or the globe....
Gardeners in temperate areas either endure winter, or defy it. Those who endure it are sustained by color catalogs from seed, bulb, and plant nurseries; those who defy it resort to greenhouses or windowsills crowded with amaryllis, forced bulbs, and foliage plants. For those of us in hibernal denial, however, there’s another outlet: find plants that actually bloom in winter. Some of these misfits are well known: the Christmas rose (which rarely blooms at Christmas, and in any case is not a rose, but a hellebore, Helleborus niger) and the Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) are planted to provide winter bloom....
Of the organic fertilizers and amendments available, worm castings are some of the best. It’s not because they’re packed with a high NPK. It’s because they provide microbes that improve the uptake of slow-release fertilizer over a long period of time! Table of Contents These powerhouse poops provide beneficial bacteria and enzymes to the soil. This addition ensures plants can more readily take up the nutrition in that soil. And while the worms make this wonderful stuff, they’re wiping out waste products!...
Trees Are you looking for a shade-friendly evergreen tree that you can plant in a shaded area of your yard or garden? There are many different evergreens that will keep their beautiful green foliage while thriving in the shade. In this article, we look at our favorite shade loving evergreen trees. By Jason White Last updated: November 3, 2022 | 10 min read Do you have a shady spot in your garden or home landscape that’s just begging for a tree?...
As working from home is the new normal, it’s totally worth it if you look at these Green Home Office Desk Ideas with Plants carefully to copy one of the best. According to a report by the Washington State University, being around plants results in a positive attitude, behavior, and physiological response, which lowers stress and enhances productivity too! Have a look at some incredible plant home office ideas here Green Home Office Desk Ideas with Plants 1....
Porch swings are easy projects and require not much of time and effort. Moreover, making one will greatly enhance the look of your house and will be a great addition to your patio furniture! If you too want to make one without spending too much, then check out these amazing DIY Outdoor Swings ideas! Check out our article on porch and patio decor ideas on a budget here DIY Outdoor Swings Ideas 1....
Calathea plants, which hail from tropical rainforests, are fun indoor plants to care for. These tropical plants don’t need direct sunlight, making it easy to help a plant thrive in low light. Their lovely leaves are sure to provide your home with joyful pops of color. Table of Contents With so many calathea species out there – 60 total – there’s definitely one suited to you. Proper care of varieties of calathea isn’t hard either....
Why should you consider growing edamame? Edamame (Glycine max) is the name given to the young pods of the soybean plant. They’re also called green soybeans. The pods are inedible, but the beans within have a creamy texture and pea-like flavor. Edamame is a legume and related to lima beans, peas, and snap beans. There are a lot of reasons for growing edamame in your garden. For me, the biggest one is ease of cultivation....
Growing peas vertically is a great way to save space in the garden, and it’s a fun way to try your hand at vertical vegetable gardening. If you love growing vertically as much as I do, then you’re always looking for fun new trellis ideas for climbing plants. Staking peas is common practice, but I always like to step things up a notch and use unique garden plant supports whenever I can....
by Abbie Carrier Need to get rid of some mealybugs and looking for help? At first, little tufts of white may not seem like a big deal when they appear on houseplants, fruit plants, succulents. or ornamentals, but chances are these cottony-looking spots are mealybugs. These bugs are soft-bodied, segmented wingless insects that feed on plants by inserting their stylets, long mouth appendages, and sucking the sap out of the infected plant....
by Matt Gibson If you live in a tropical climate, you can grow bromeliads outdoors in your garden. If not, you can grow these lovely, colorful, sun-kissed plants indoors. Growing bromeliad as a houseplant is relatively easy and brings a splash of color and texture to your indoor space. As these plants have a drastically different natural habitat than most common houseplants, they also have unique needs when it comes to plant maintenance and care....
I’m going to cover everything you need to know about growing bush beans in your veggie garden. Phaseolus vulgaris Bush beans are one of the best crops for the beginning gardener to grow. Starting them from seed is easy, they don’t require trellising, and they will give you an easy return on your investment. And there’s really nothing like watching bean sprouts emerge from the soil. While the smaller seeds of other garden plants may leave you guessing as to whether each tiny sprout is a weed or not, these seedlings leave no doubt – they are easy to recognize....
by Matt Gibson So you want to grow a cherry tree from a pit? Mankind has been consuming cherries since the dawn of civilization, literally. Fossilized cherry pits have been found in prehistoric caves by archeologists in Asia and Europe, dating back to the earliest civilizations. The earliest written mention of the sweet, red fruit was by the greek author Theophrastus, who documented them in his book, “A History of Plants,” in 300 BCE....
by Jennifer Poindexter Whether you’re looking for a new plant to cook with or one that will help your soil, you must give fenugreek some consideration. This is a historical crop that has been used in Indian cuisine for approximately 3,000 years. Whether you want to taste a piece of history, or your garden soil needs help, fenugreek may have a spot in your garden. If you’re unsure of how to go about using, growing, or harvesting this plant, you’ve found your source....
By Erin Marissa Russell If you’ve been considering growing some green onions, we’ve got all the info you need to choose the right variety for your garden and raise a bumper crop of these tasty little vegetables. Get ready to learn all about how to plant bunching onions, how to take care of them once they sprout, and how to harvest, propagate, and store them. We’ll even talk about the characteristics of different species as well as common pests and diseases that can strike a crop of bunching onions....
Most varieties are hardy to Zones 7 or 8, though some types can tolerate cooler weather. We’ll offer some specifics shortly. Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum The leek looks like a steroid-fueled green onion. It’s considerably fatter than a scallion, at one to three inches wide, and about twice as tall. But it totally wears the same outfit, albeit in a bigger size. It is in fact related to onions, offering a mild, sweet, onion-like flavor that is used to season any number of dishes – more on that later in this article....
by Shelby Baker While not yet well known, oca plants are slowly shooting up in home gardens in North America. The little tubers, also known as New Zealand Yams, are actually native to South America. Thousands of varieties are grown and harvested throughout the continent-some are capable of thriving in the Andes Mountains, 4,000 meters in elevation. These small yams pack a powerful nutrition punch, containing carbohydrates, phosphorus, and iron, promoting good health....
by Matt Gibson If you are feeling festive this fall and want to know how to harvest pumpkin seeds from your garden, how to prepare and eat pumpkin seeds, and how to store them for future use, this article covers all the bases. Pumpkins are distinctly flavorful and highly nutritious members of the winter squash family. These giant orange gourd melons are traditionally carved every October to create Halloween jack-o-lanterns, or pumpkins stacked uncarved on festive front porches spook up neighborhood....
Most varieties bloom throughout the summer and attract important pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, but they don’t appeal to deer. Jasminum spp. Jasmine is beloved for its climbing masses of delicate pinwheel flowers with an exquisite, sweetly floral fragrance that fills a room or garden. Highly ornamental vines and shrubs, they feature dainty flower clusters in shades of white, pink, and yellow, with the popular, summer-flowering poet’s jasmine being a familiar climber in many gardens....
