If you’re looking for a way to grow food that doesn’t involve a half acre of land and a strong back, consider setting up a patio vegetable garden. All you need to start growing today is a sunny spot on a relatively level surface, some containers, potting soil, and the right veggies. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of setting up and maintaining a patio vegetable garden of your own.
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Planter ideas: Inspiring design tips for growing gorgeous garden containers
I am always on the lookout for creative planter ideas. I find them on walks around my neighborhood, on garden tours, at botanical gardens, even at some of my local nurseries. Besides the endless array of foliage and bloom choices, the containers themselves can also play into the look—or fade into the background, letting the plants get all the attention. It all depends on the look you’re going for. Either way, I look forward to putting together my own planters each spring.
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Cucamelon seeds and how to plant them
I love planting cucamelons in our vegetable garden. In fact, I love them so much, they’re featured in my award-winning book, Veggie Garden Remix! Cucamelon plants are easy to grow and prolific, with each producing hundreds of small oval fruits that look like tiny watermelons but taste a lot like cucumbers. With more gardeners wanting to grow cucamelons, many nurseries are now offering seedlings. Yet savvy gardeners can easily grow their own plants by starting cucamelon seeds indoors in mid-spring.
Tomato growing secrets for a big harvest
Tomatoes are a favorite crop for many home gardeners, and even beginner gardeners can have success when growing their very first tomato plant. But if you really want to improve your tomato-growing skills and see bigger and better yields than ever before, I’m going to let you in on a few “trade secrets”. As a former organic market farmer, I’ve had lots of experience growing thousands of tomato plants over the years. As a result, I’ve put together a list of 12 tomato growing secrets to use in your home garden for healthier plants, bigger yields, and less work.
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Deer-resistant perennials: Beautiful blooms and foliage for spring, summer, and fall
The other day I watched a deer walk through one of my raised beds, ignore the sage and chives, and amble right up to my patch of daylilies. It happily munched away on the tender spring shoots as I took a photo. I have deer-resistant perennials throughout other areas of my property. Usually the deer only seem to visit in the winter when they get really hungry. They enjoy feasting on my cedars and one year they chowed down on the euonymus beside my front door until it was barely nothing (I must say the deer-pruning made it grow back strong and healthy!). But recently, a group of them like to walk up my street, following the path to the backyard, nibbling my garden as they go.
How to grow cucumbers in a container garden
Long before I had a garden I was growing cucumbers in containers. This is because cucumber plants are easy to grow, productive, and thrive in pots and planters. Plus, cucumbers grown in containers typically have fewer issues with pests and diseases so planting in pots can actually reduce potential problems.To be successful, however, it’s important to select the right type of container and growing mix. You’ll also need to pay attention to watering and fertilizing and harvest at the right time. In this article you’ll learn how to grow cucumbers in a container garden and discover the best varieties for pots.
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