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Follow the steps below to learn how to make a self-watering planter using a soda bottle. You can hang it or keep it somewhere in a less windy spot so that it won’t topple. Also Read: 14 Self Watering Planters You can Make by Yourself Required Materials Soda Bottle Scissor Screw Driver Woolen Thread Spray Paint Soil Mint Plant Also Read: DIY Soda Bottle Vertical Garden Project 1. Cut the Bottle Cut the bottle as shown in the picture....

Dracaena marginata makes a lovely tree indoors or outside, and is fairly easy to care for. In this post, I’ll show you all you need to know in order to be successful, and keep your Madagascar dragon tree thriving for decades to come. Home gardeners looking for a low-maintenance, beautiful houseplant will love a Dracaena marginata. They’re very durable and adapt easily to many different light settings. Plus, the red and green foliage make them a stunning addition to your home!...

Have you been seeing huge orange or tan bugs on your grapes or fruit trees? Those are probably grapevine beetles! But don’t worry, though they look big and scary, they don’t do much damage. While not a major pest for commercial crops or home growers, these large tan beetles can be intimidating, and cause alarm for new gardeners. In this guide, I’ll go through how to identify grapevine beetles in your garden, and determine whether you need to get rid of them or not....

I fell in love with heucheras a few years ago when I was choosing plants for an autumn container. I was going with what I referred to as a moody palette—purple, blue-green, black, you know, the colour of a bruise—and I found a beautiful heuchera with a silvery blue-green variegated leaf that when flipped over, was a delicate shade of purple. That was the first of my collection. Heucheras are native to North America and may also appear as “coral bells” on a plant tag or sign....

QUESTION: How far apart should you plant annuals? I don’t want to waste money and plant them too close together, but I also don’t want the garden to look empty and I’m not sure how to do it. – Alicia F ANSWER: There are many things to consider when planting annuals. The good news is they’re much more forgiving than perennials since they only grow for one season. If you’re a rule-follower and want to plant exactly as the experts recommend, you should start by checking the label of the plant or seed packet....

These are strong and beautiful trees, providing ample shade and visual appeal to any place where they set their roots. Quercus spp. Oak trees ought to be a staple on every property that can support them. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Quercus species are, in a few words, one of the best investments you can make in designing your landscape, and growing them is hardly rocket science....

Do you have an area available that gets afternoon shade and morning sun? If so, you may have the perfect spot for this shade-loving plant. Hydrangea quercifolia You may already know about those fabulously puffy, fluffy hydrangeas, bursting with blue and purple blooms. But do you know their less showy, yet still just as charming sister, H. quercifolia? Commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea, this plant is native to the southeastern region of the United States....

Research has shown that blueberries are one of the best antioxidants that nature provides us with. Fortunately, the plants are easy to grow and they will add a touch of beauty to the garden. The plants grow five to eight feet tall. Blueberries have shallow root systems. The small white flowers in spring yield a harvest of blueberries that can be picked in summer to early fall. Planting Blueberries When planting blueberries, choose a site that offers plenty of sunlight....

When I finally remembered to look at it again, the bloom was a crispy brown and the leaves were dry. Clearly, I had no idea what I was doing. But I’ve learned a lot about propagating plants like this one since the age of 10, and I’m here to help you find success in your own garden! Buddleia spp. “It’s called butterfly bush,” a coworker at my parents’ flower shop told me, “and it really does attract butterflies!...

Ready to start troubleshooting? Let’s dig in! Tomatoes are a much-loved summer crop, but everyone from the newbies to the most seasoned green thumbs may discover a problem or two afflicting their plants. So, what’s a gardener to do? Our guide to the most common tomato diseases will help you to identify, treat, and even prevent a variety of fungal, bacterial, and viral ailments, as well as physiological disorders and issues caused by other types of pathogens....

by Matt Gibson If you’re trying to keep snakes out of your garden, we certainly don’t blame you. Unfortunately snakes love to hang out in areas that are covered in a dense array of plants. They are drawn to spots where there is plenty of foliage that can serve as camouflage while they sneak up close enough to their prey to strike. They also prefer densely canopied areas because the coverage provides shade to cool their skins while the weather is warm....

In our guide to growing garden geraniums, we discuss all you need to know to grow your own plants as perennials in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, and as annuals in all temperate zones. We also introduce you to the many modern hybrid series available and their arrays of color options. The garden or zonal geranium, Pelargonium x hortorum, is a geranium by common name only. It is actually a member of the Pelargonium genus, in the large Geraniaceae family of plants....

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....

You may get a little stressed from having to continuously eat delicious fresh, steamed, or fried zucchini, or share the bounty at the peak of the season. Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica No pain, no gain? Zucchini plants have never heard of that. This variety of summer squash has a few non-negotiable requirements, sure. But if you meet its soil fertility, sun, and water demands, it will usually reward you with an abundance of produce in a short time, with little effort from you....

Making this Easter egg cactus is super easy–Get four eggs, spray paint bottles of four different colors and four seedling pots. All the supplies needed are listed below: Also Read: Cool Succulent DIY Ideas Required Materials Eggs Paint Brush Pebbles Seedling Pots Spray Paints Glue Gun Hand Gloves (Optional) Step 1. Paint the Containers Choose spray paints of contrasting hues to color the seedling pots. 2. Paint the Eggs As we’re imitating a cactus plant, we used the green color....

The end game is to increase the whole garden’s ability to repel pests and attract beneficial insects, improve your soil health, and sometimes to create an appealing garden design. When certain plants produce huge yields, grow fast, and take a lot of nutrients and water, it’s only natural they would become the stars of the garden. Cucumbers, Cucumis sativus, definitely play that role. But if you’re wise, you can make them healthier, happier, and more productive by choosing proper companions as supporting players....

So, much as I would like to pretend like I simply didn’t spot it when I see the evidence of an assault on one or more of my cukes, I always follow up. There are two main reasons why I don’t like to see holes in the cucumbers I grow in my garden. The first was best stated by a work friend’s wife many years ago. She was complaining about chard that had been gnawed on by slugs, but her chosen phrase applies here, too: “I don’t like to eat anything that something else has eaten first....

QUESTION: When should you thin beets? Do they need to be a certain height? -Lenny W. ANSWER: Thin beet seedlings when they are three to five inches tall. Go ahead and cut down the entire portion of the seedling that is above ground. By doing so, you can harvest the beet greens. If you don’t enjoy eating beet greens, you should still prune your plants to keep the leafy older beet plants from pushing their way into their neighbors territory and to give younger plants room to grow....

The cruciferous plants may start flowering and producing seeds, in a process also known as bolting, at two different points in the growing season. It’s so convenient to have a fresh supply of homegrown bok choy available to harvest from your garden at a moment’s notice. You can put stir fries, fresh salads, or smoothies on the table just minutes past picking. But to reach that harvest-ready state, you must carefully choose when to plant bok choy, also known as pak choi, or by its botanical name: Brassica rapa subsp....

The Monstera deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant) is a widely grown houseplant, due mainly to the fact that it has such impressive leaves. These guys are easy to maintain but they do come with one disadvantage – if they feel they are being neglected they tend to sulk and you may find your Monstera leaves drooping. Don’t be too alarmed. With a little tender care, they can soon be persuaded to bounce back....