Life style

Coffee grounds are a free and nutrient dense source of material in the flower garden. Use them as a compost amendment or directly in the garden as a soil enhancer. Sources of Coffee Grounds If you’re a coffee drinker, you may already be putting you...

Coffee grounds are a free and nutrient dense sourc...

Some people are geographically blessed to live in a zone where all year flower gardening is a reality. However, for most of us, there is a time in the winter months when the flower garden lies dormant. There are still projects you can do to help the ...

Some people are geographically blessed to live in ...

People may view flower bouquets as a luxury item in a weak economy, but growing flowers at home is always affordable. Organic gardeners have another reason to tend flowers in a natural cutting garden: many flowers grown for the florist trade come fro...

People may view flower bouquets as a luxury item i...

Flower gardeners often look for ways to stretch their dollar by using household items in the garden. Using newspapers in the garden is frugal and environmentally sound. When households toss their newspapers in the trash, they contribute to the 6% of ...

Flower gardeners often look for ways to stretch th...

When gardeners admire their landscape, they don’t always make the connection between the health of the flowers and foliage above ground and the nurturing of the plant happening below the soil’s surface. However, when gardeners take the time to develo...

When gardeners admire their landscape, they don’t ...

If it seems like the hottest summers on record have occurred within the past decade, you’re not the only one feeling the heat: your flowerbeds are at risk every year of stunting, flower drop, and premature death from high temperatures combined with i...

If it seems like the hottest summers on record hav...

Visitors of Mediterranean climates may wonder what it’s like to grow a garden there, under skies that always seem sunny and in temperatures that never require more than a light jacket. A Mediterranean climate is defined by: - Mild winters, punctuate...

Visitors of Mediterranean climates may wonder what...

If you follow the gardener’s adage of spending nine dollars of your ten-dollar gardening budget on the hole, and one dollar on the plant, part of that nine dollars needs to be allocated towards mulch. With so many colors, textures, and materials to c...

If you follow the gardener’s adage of spending nin...

Although these flowers will never supplant roses and cosmos as flower garden staples, it’s fun to grow unusual flowers for the challenge, or as a conversation piece. Many uncommon flowers are tender tropicals, but there are some hardy perennials in t...

Although these flowers will never supplant roses a...

The smallest toddler can get in on the gardening game when you start a flat of flower seeds at home. If a child is dexterous enough to pick up oat cereal circles, he can grasp a hyacinth bean vine seed and drop it into the soil. Arm your child with a...

The smallest toddler can get in on the gardening g...

When you see standing water in your garden in the spring, but the same area transforms into a web of cracks in the summer, you have clay soil. There are several ways to improve clay soil in the flower garden, but as they say, when you have lemons, ma...

When you see standing water in your garden in the ...

Most gardeners are aware of the major plant nutrients listed on fertilizer packaging: nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and phosphorus (P). However, six other nutrients play a vital role in healthy flower growth. Horticulturists refer to these nutrients a...

Most gardeners are aware of the major plant nutrie...

Spring is a busy time for flower gardeners, and it can be a relief to take a break in the hottest months to enjoy the fruits of your labor. However, industrious gardeners know that a few carefully planned chores may give you more bang for your buck i...

Spring is a busy time for flower gardeners, and it...

It’s easy to understand why nurseries use words like mint, lime, and pistachio to describe their green flower varieties: the colors are simply delicious! Plant some green flowers as cool companions in a red and orange flowerbed, or mix some chartreus...

It’s easy to understand why nurseries use words li...

Each year, Fleuroselect, an international organization that promotes ornamental plants through expert testing and independent judging, recognizes a few select flowers with its Fleuroselect Gold Medal. These new varieties of garden favorites stand out...

Each year, Fleuroselect, an international organiza...

There are fragrant flowers, and there are edible flowers, but what about flowers that smell like something everyone loves to eat? If the notion of chocolate scented flowers surprises you or causes doubt, it shouldn’t: after all, what is chocolate but...

There are fragrant flowers, and there are edible f...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This proverb is analogous to giving the gardening mom in your life fresh cut flowers for mother’s day. Instead, give her flower gardening supplies to h...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teac...

You’ve seen them at every nursery and home improvement center: bales of peat moss, that fluffy brown stuff gardeners add to their clay or sandy soil to improve the flowerbed. However, there are some environmental drawbacks to using peat moss as a soi...

You’ve seen them at every nursery and home improve...

It’s fun to buy the latest gadgets and new plant introductions for the flower garden, but sometimes our green thumbs are bigger than our wallets. Discover four ways to satisfy your need to expand your flower gardens for little or no money. 1. Free P...

It’s fun to buy the latest gadgets and new plant i...

Roses can be finicky plants, but you can maximize the blooming potential of your roses by following the basic tenets of rose culture and maintenance. Here are six ways to get more rose blossoms for your flower arrangements. 1. Before You Plant You ...

Roses can be finicky plants, but you can maximize ...

When you walk down the fertilizer aisle at the nursery or home improvement center, the second thing you’ll notice about the aisle (after the distinctive smell) is the array of formulations. You’ll see bags and bottles, powders and granules, sprays an...

When you walk down the fertilizer aisle at the nur...