If you love the look of a lush, green lawn, but you don’t want to spread synthetic chemical fertilizers where your kids and pets play, consider feeding your lawn naturally instead. Top dressing a lawn with compost is the best way to provide the long-lasting, slow-release nutrients that encourage optimum turf grass growth. In this article, you’ll learn the many benefits of top dressing lawn, when to do it, and a few different techniques for getting the job done right. Continue Reading
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Top dressing the lawn: How to have thicker, healthier grass
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Garden weeds: Identifying the unwanted plants in our gardens
Every spring, I see various iterations of this quote superimposed over various plants or in some fancy graphic: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” It’s by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Can someone please tell me what the virtues of bindweed are? I haven’t discovered them yet. In fact, this insidious weed makes me want to move.
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Garden soil amendments: 6 organic choices to improve your soil
There are very few gardens with naturally perfect soil for growing plants. But, as gardeners we have a wide assortment of garden soil amendments we can add to build soil, improve structure, provide nutrients, and promote healthy plant growth. I rely on amendments like compost, leaf mold, and aged manure digging them into my beds in spring, between successive crops, and in autumn to ensure I enjoy a bumper crop of homegrown vegetables. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of the organic amendments you can use to improve your soil.
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Low maintenance shrubs: 18 choices for your garden
Whether you’re putting in a brand-new shrub bed or planting more shrubs into an existing landscape, low maintenance shrubs are a must-have for today’s time-starved homeowners. They offer beautiful natural plant forms that require little to no pruning, are pest and disease resistant, bloom reliably, and are tolerant of different growing conditions. Some are evergreen while others offer colorful blooms, but all low maintenance shrubs require little care beyond making sure they are well watered until they’re established in their new home. Continue Reading
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Pollinator garden design: How to get started attracting bees, butterflies, and birds
I think it’s fair to say that pollinator garden design is at the heart of most garden planning these days. Or at least I’m hopeful that it is. I see a greater percentage of homes where the garden is becoming more of the focal point than a traditional lawn. And whether it’s more traditionally planted or bursting with blooms, I can see the intention of planting to attract bees, birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
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How to trim basil for big, bushy plants and larger yields
One of the secrets to producing big, bushy basil plants is trimming. Many gardeners are shy about harvesting from their herbs. They don’t want to cut them back in case it damages the plants or reduces yield. I’m the opposite, constantly trimming herbs like basil to use fresh, or preserve by drying or freezing. Are you ready to learn how to trim your basil plants for maximum production?
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