Cultivating curiosity and confidence
Using leaf mulch in the garden is one of the best ways to build soil, reduce weeds, retain moisture, and insulate plants. Plus, you can turn mulched leaves into leaf mold which saves money on buying compost and other soil amendments. In this article I’ll show you three easy ways to make leaf mulch and how to put it to work in your garden.
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Pruning shears are a gardener’s best friend when nurturing a healthy and visually appealing garden. In our gardening journey, we’ve found them indispensable for making precise cuts, shaping plants, and removing dead or overgrown branches. When selecting the ideal pair of pruning shears for your gardening toolkit, always prioritize quality and durability over cost. A well-crafted pruner can save you money in the long run by avoiding the need for frequent replacements.
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Hummus lovers rejoice: You can learn how to grow chickpeas in your vegetable garden. Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, cecci beans, and Egyptian peas, are a staple in diets across their indigenous Mediterranean region. And like other legumes, they’re easy to grow and the plants improve the soil. Plus you can enjoy chickpeas fresh from the garden, much like shell peas, or harvest them at the end of the growing season for drying. In this ultimate guide for how to grow chickpeas, you’ll learn all about growing chickpeas on a small scale. Read on for tips on sowing, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying these tasty and nutritious beans.
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Perfect for landscapes with smaller footprints, Little Lime hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’) provides the look and feel of an old-fashioned hydrangea without the need for a huge parcel of land to accommodate it. While many hydrangeas can grow to be 20 feet tall or more, Little Lime hydrangea reaches a comparatively diminutive 3-5 ft. These compact shrubs are suitable for use in hedges, foundation plantings, and even in cut flower arrangements. True to its name, Little Lime hydrangea initially produces lime-colored blooms on strong stems. Over the growing season, the flower color changes to white and, eventually, to a stately burgundy.
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Big rewards come in small packages when growing fruit trees in containers. If you don’t have an abundance of outdoor space, you may think of fruit trees as being out of reach—something only for the orchardists and large-scale landowners. This is not true! Thanks to dwarf varieties and dwarf rootstocks, growing fruit trees in containers isn’t as hard as you might think.
The front garden of my first home featured huge, gorgeous, tall bearded irises that framed both sides of the front door. The massive blooms were a deep purple hue, and you had to be careful not to brush them with your clothes as you went into the house. Sadly, that house and garden were torn down after we sold, but luckily, I had divided some irises and gifted them to my mom, who in turn gifted some to me once I moved into my current house. These beauties live on in my front garden. Every few years, they need some TLC. This article will explain how to divide irises and replant them in the garden.
