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The columns were labelled with the specific location, and the rows were labelled with six names of common pests I’d find either on the undersides of leaves as I scoured the plants, stuck to the yellow sticky cards I put out and replaced each week, or that would fall on my clipboard when I shook a branch over it. When I used to scout greenhouse plants for pests for a living, I carried a chart designed to be filled out easily as I counted and walked the crops....

Well, this guide will explain everything you need to know about this disease and how to prevent it from affecting your seedlings. In my opinion, there is no greater satisfaction than planting your own seeds and watching them grow into little baby seedlings. More than just being a magical process to watch, it can also mean you get to play around with interesting varieties you might not find in your local garden center, and learn about your plants much more intimately than you would otherwise....

Also known as “spring mix,” mesclun is a blend of a number of different varieties of leafy vegetables that are first to sprout early in the season, sometimes mixed with flavorful herbs like sorrel, fennel, cilantro, and chives. Going for the gold has its appeal in certain circles, but as a diehard vegetable gardener, I prefer to go for the green. Or, more accurately, the greens. And one way I like to conveniently and inexpensively enjoy quite a few homegrown leafy vegetables at the peak of freshness, long before most other types of produce are ready for picking, is by growing mesclun....

Houseplants help you relax and sleep better by absorbing CO2 and increasing oxygen levels in the indoor air. Here are some Awesome Indoor Plant Bedroom Pictures to inspire you into growing these green little friends! Have a look at some best bedroom plants for clean air here Awesome Indoor Plant Bedroom Pictures 1. Small Bedroom with Monstera and other Potted Plants 2. Fern by the Bedside 3. Plants on the Bedroom Windowsill 4....

Diverse and delicious, from small-headed early maturing types to large, late season winter varieties there’s a cabbage variety out there to suit each gardener. Let’s learn a bit more about the different types of cabbage and our favorites for growing in the garden. If you’ve decided to plant cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) in your garden this season, one of the first decisions you’re going to need to make is which variety to choose....

This botanical configuration lends itself well to successful division – or the dividing of one plant into multiple plants. The hardy hellebore, Helleborus spp., aka Christmas, Lenten, or Winter rose, is noteworthy because it blooms in mid- to late winter in an array of colors including white, yellow, green, pink, and deep shades of purple bordering on black. The most common types available to the home gardener are of the Helleborus orientalis species, aka Lenten rose, as well as hybrids of this species and a few other distinct species....

Growing watermelons is not the enormous undertaking you might think it’s bound to be, though a little garden planning will help. Citrullus lanatus They’re big. They’re delicious. And they’re not as difficult to grow as you’d expect! I’m talking about watermelons, the diverse and sweet melons that come in as many different varieties as there are ways to enjoy the ripe fruit. I’ve had the pleasure of growing a few different cultivars of this melon over the years, and I can tell you that nothing beats the flavor of a sun-ripened watermelon fresh from your own garden!...

The many landscape varieties common in cultivation feature dazzling clusters of pink, mauve, or white flowers that bloom in spring or summer, depending on the type. Spiraea is a large genus of showy, flowering shrubs in the Rosaceae (rose) family, and cold-hardy garden varieties typically handle most cold or wet weather conditions with ease – but there are a few exceptions. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

The striking flowers are so appealing, as an ornamental, edible, and herbal option, that it’s worth giving them a little extra love during the winter so I can keep them around from year to year as perennials. It’s always a smart idea to grow plants that are suited to your climate. You’re working with Mother Nature rather than against her. But there are some cases where I just don’t care what’s right for my climate – passionflowers are one of those must-have plants....

For one thing, it will thrive in moist areas, which is why you may have spotted it growing in ditches alongside the highway, and why you might want to plant it in problematic swampy areas of your yard. Eutrochium spp. Skipping over all the heated arguments about flowers, snobbery, and who has the audacity to call certain plants “weeds,” I’ll tell you that joe-pye weed is wonderful. It grows tall, seven feet or more, and blooms in late summer and fall when so many other flowers have already faded....

1. DIY Pumpkin Flower Pot A feisty pumpkin works double duty as a planter to house seasonal mums in this simple DIY idea. 2. DIY Pumpkin Flower Planter This is the basic do-it-yourself pumpkin planter tutorial to see. Just carve out the flesh of the pumpkin under the edge of the opening, and you’re ready to go. 3. DIY Concrete Pumpkin Planter The CountryLiving.com has an excellent tutorial of this concrete pumpkin planter that you can make easily following their instructions....

Here they are, plus growing tips and a design formula for attractive arrangements. Quirky succulents are easy to grow and fun to display with these nine exceptional containers that brilliantly combine form and function. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. 2. Perch at the Rim A common error among succulent growers is planting too deeply....

The truth about why I homestead has forced me to be realistic concerning the facts about chickens and my harvest. I have lived on a farm or homestead for 32 of my 39 years of life. During most of those years, we tended to large gardens and kept a sizeable flock of poultry. Even now, I have a flock of 50 or more, and my garden plots seem to multiply every growing season....

There are many plants gardeners can use to set the holiday mood, such as fir trees, poinsettias… and even mistletoe, if you’re feeling daring. Polystichum acrostichoides Whether or not Christmastime is just around the corner, the Christmas fern can make a festive addition to gardens both indoors and out. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Chinese junipers in particular are a worthy opponent for any windy, alkaline, eroded location. If you want a plant that can elegantly address a privacy situation, it’s excellent for that, too. Juniperus chinensis We all have those spots in the garden that defy our attempts to cultivate them. And that’s where junipers come in. These evergreen shrubs are the ones that we perpetually reach for to fill arid, windy, salty, polluted, or eroded spots, where deer wander through like they own the place....

This article will cover how to grow the spiky succulent outdoors specifically, and why you might want to. No matter where you live, you can grow aloe vera indoors. But what if you want to plant it out in the garden? If you’re located in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, you’re in luck – you can add this beautiful, beneficial succulent to your yard. For more history, background, and full cultivation instructions for growing aloe vera, check out our guide....

As a result of my research, I’ve got a window box of ‘Lilac Ice’ violas growing in my office now. And I have discovered the most wonderful viola varieties to bring you some joy. I’ve never forgotten the joy of seeing tiny purple, white, and yellow ‘Johnny-jump-ups’ popping up through the soil in the springtime. We had a clump of pansies in our flower garden in Montana when I was growing up....

These tender perennials are able to survive outdoors in winter only in warm-weather USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, coming back year after year with proper care. Whether they’re charming, compact millifloras in pastel shades, spreading varieties that cascade over a hill, or grandifloras with three-inch blooms in bold purple, all Petunia species belong to the nightshade family and are native to South America, in regions with hot and humid weather....

Ready to learn more? Here’s what we’ll take a look at in this article: Long before beets were ever considered a food, they were used as herbal medicine. Surprising, right? Even today, research shows that your homegrown beets really can bring a bounty of health benefits! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Beet Background In Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa where they originate – and long before they were first consumed as a root vegetable – beets’ ancient ancestors were harvested for use in herbal medicine....

Me? I looked for familiar faces, but not in the people passing by. My eyes were peeled, scanning the roadsides and the fields, the highway medians and the drainage ditches, searching for flowers and plants that I could identify. Rudbeckia Hirta I’ve been fortunate to travel across most of the United States from coast to coast. The majority of this traveling has been in line with the “Will Work for Food” variety rather than the five-star hotel kind....