Cultivating curiosity and confidence
Hot peppers are so much fun to grow in gardens and containers. They’re relatively carefree plants and offer fruits in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and heat levels – from mildly spicy to super-hot! I’ve been growing hot peppers for over a decade and I’ve learned that in order to grow great peppers, you need to provide the right growing conditions and select the best varieties for your region.
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There are over 20,000 bee species in the world, with about 4,000 of them occurring in North America. Certainly some types of bees are more common than others, depending on where you live and the type of plants you grow. From the tiniest sweat bee to the largest carpenter bee, the diversity of bees found in our yards and gardens is pretty incredible. Today, I’d like to introduce you to several kinds of bees I commonly find in my own backyard.
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Did you know there are many types of basil you can grow in your garden? While strolling through the paths of my own raised bed vegetable garden, I realized that I had planted at least one type of basil in every single bed. There was Genovese basil, lemon basil, Thai basil, Greek basil, and a handful of cultivars of sweet basil. I guess it’s fair to say that I’m a big fan of basil! Keep reading to learn more about the many basil varieties available to grow in gardens and containers.
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One of the joys of looking out my patio door or quietly sitting on my back deck is when I see birds frolicking in my bird bath. They’ll splash about and then perch on the edge, fluffing and preening their bedraggled feathers. Birds also drink from the birdbath. Filling the birdbath with fresh water is part of my plant-watering routine. However in the heat of summer, that bird bath can become a cesspool of germs. That’s why it’s important to know how to clean a bird bath.
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Once you’ve got your tomato garden planted, it may seem like it’s time to take a step back, relax, and watch your plants grow and produce a bumper crop of tasty tomatoes. However, a little ongoing care and maintenance can mean the difference between productive, healthy plants and a disappointing yield. Here are our six essential steps to growing a tomato garden.
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Imported cabbage worms (Pieris rapae, syn. Artogeia rapae) can wreak havoc in a vegetable garden, especially on collards, cabbage, radish, kohlrabi, rutabaga, mustard greens, broccoli, and other members of the brassica family. If left unchecked, they’ll consume the leaves, stems, and even the flower buds of all members of this plant family. Thankfully, cabbage worm control isn’t difficult, if you arm yourself with the information you need to tackle these common garden pests.
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