Garden How-To

Lawns and gardens need a constant, reliable water supply. Watering your property with a hose is not always the best way to achieve this. Most landscape experts recommend drip irrigation instead. So what is drip irrigation? It is an efficient, permanent irrigation system. Drip irrigation works by slowly applying water directly to the soil and plants. It is a much more productive way to water plants than a sprinkler system. It's also easier to design and install. Read this step-by-step guide to discover an easy DIY project that will save countless hours of watering by hand.

Maintaining a beautiful garden is a lot of hard work, but you can work more efficiently—and put less effort —with these brilliant gardening tips. Whether you’re new to growing or a seasoned expert, check this collection of 10 gardening suggestions. Enjoy!

Saving your own tomato seeds is a great way to preserve those varieties that have proven themselves as dependable performers in your garden. And it also prevents disappointment next season, when many cultivars disappear from store shelves if they didn’t prove to be popular. Plus, saving your own is economical as well as convenient. With your own private reserve, there’s no more shelling out top dollar for organic stock, or anxiously waiting for those packets to arrive in the late winter mail. Now, let’s get into the four methods to save your own tomato seed for planting.

Growing your own juicy raspberries is easy and rewarding. In a small space, raspberries yield a phenomenal quantity of ravishing berries—and they fruit year after year with proper care. Raspberries can be harvested all the way from midsummer through to the first frost. Raspberries are not just another tasty berry; they are loaded with healthful attributes. They're high in fiber and contain vitamin A, folate, antioxidants, and numerous minerals; the juice contains vitamin C; and those sometimes-annoying little seeds contain vitamin E. And, of course, if you have a raspberry patch, you have endless dessert possibilities.
With the right type of plant and a good spot to grow it, you can raise plump raspberries in your own backyard. With the right care and once everything is in place, your raspberry patch will provide you with many years of satisfaction. To help your raspberry plants thrive and produce a bumper crop each year, make sure you choose the best variety for you, plant in a good spot with plenty of sun, and prune them back in the right season so they'll keep producing fruit year after year.
Discover a simple guide and tips on how to plant, grow, harvest, and prune raspberries!

Flower and vegetable plants can crowd each other when seeds are planted too closely together. Crowding delays maturity, stunts growth, and distorts the roots of carrots and other root crops. At the same time, there may also be skips; transplant enough seedlings to fill the skips, then discard the surplus. Here’s how to transplant, so there is as little shock as possible.

June is a perfect month to make trellises for climbing vegetables. Crops like cucumbers, peas, and pole beans love to climb and will produce best when there is something for them to grow up onto. Some types of melons and pumpkins can be trellised, too! A trellis can be a great structure for keeping climbing vegetables off the ground. It also can be a head-turning addition to your garden landscape.
A plethora of trellis options will work, anything from straight sticks to colorful archways. Gardeners can be creative and have fun constructing a trellis that fits their style while supporting their crops. Trellis materials should be sturdy and tall enough to support the plants as they grow taller and heavier through the season. Discover how to make a perfect trellis and learn how to turn reused garden tools into a trellis.

These handy fabric planters can be fixed up in no time, and, planted up with colorful bedding, they will create instant impact on a bare wall. Unlike hanging baskets, they don't stick out very far and this makes them useful for decorating narrow spaces such as side passages or small courtyards. Here is a simple step-by-step guide to make a hanging pocket fabric planter from scratch. Enjoy!

Would you love to your own tiny oasis in your backyard? The flowers of a blooming water lily is simply breathtaking! Probably the reason more gardeners don’t grow water lilies is the mistaken idea that they are hard to grow. In fact, making a mini waterlily pond from scratch is not a big deal. Give water lilies sun, a rich soil, and of course, water – that is all they ask, and these aquatic plants will reward you with colorful flowers with colors only nature’s canvas can produce. Discover how to make your own tiny blooming paradise by planting a miniature pond with a choice selection of petite plants. Don’t be surprised if dragonflies come to investigate!

Hummingbirds are known as the “winged jewels” of the garden. Small, colorful, and iridescent, hummingbirds are found all over the world. They weigh less than an ounce, and when they beat their wings at about 80 times per second while in flight, they make a delightful humming noise. Hummingbirds have a long, thin bill that they use to reach nectar from tubular flowers. Without a doubt, these little birds have become a gardener’s favorite friend because of their territorial antics and delightful personalities. Discover seven proven tips to attract those little guests to your garden.

Harvesting rainwater to use for growing vegetables and plants makes a great deal of sense. Rain barrel water isn’t just free, it’s better for your plants. In order to take advantage of free rainwater, install a rain barrel system with one or more rain barrels, or learn how to create your own rain barrel for a next-to-nothing cost by converting a trash can.

Are aphids gnawing on your heirloom roses? Are spider mites munching on your tomato plants? If garden pests are bugging you but you’re not a fan of toxic pesticides, take heart; there’s a safer fix. An effective solution is a homemade insecticidal soap. Insecticidal soap is a low-toxicity bug control solution favored by natural and organic gardeners because, when applied regularly, it maintains the ability to protect plants without resorting harsh chemical concoctions. Keep it “green” in the garden with this complete guide on when, where, and how to benefit from insecticidal soap. Learn how to make one at home.

The effectiveness of manure tea is one of the most hotly debated garden discussions. While many scientists contend that manure tea is not an effective soil amendment, the vast hordes of gardeners who have applied a dose to their plants disagree vehemently because they have seen the positive results. Manure tea is filled with aerobic bacteria and has been used for centuries as a valuable and economical fertilizer. Typically, it is made from a hot, nitrogen-rich manure. This creates a positive soil amendment for heavy garden feeders that require additional nutrition throughout the season; among these are asparagus, tomatoes, and peppers. Manure tea is a nutrient-rich concoction for your garden that is easy to make and apply. A bit of manure plus some brewing time, and you have a great source of organic nitrogen fertilizer for your gardens and container plantings. Learn how to make and use it in your garden.

Garden success starts with understanding your soil and adding the appropriate soil amendments. Hacking your own potting soil for your container gardening needs makes it easier to create an environment in which roots can get the nutritional material they need. And by making your own, you can save plenty of money and control how much you have on hand (how many half-empty bags of potting soil are in your garden shed right now?). Mixing your own potting soil blend is easy, and it means you have complete control of one of the most critical steps in the growing process. For container gardeners, a high-quality potting soil is a must. Discover how to make your own potting soil, that allows you to better cater to the needs of your plants.

Even if space is a problem, you can certainly find a corner of your world to hang a strawberry planter. The sun-warmed, sweet berries are far superior to the store bought ones that ripen in plastic domes. Once established you have plenty more plants year after year. Growing strawberries in hanging containers is a simple way to grow numerous plants, and you don’t even need a garden. Establishing a fruit-bearing crop in a growing bag is not difficult, but there are a few key steps that will certainly help. Discover how to make a strawberry basket in just 4 simple steps.
Strawberries make attractive hanging basket plants and are ideal if you don’t have much growing space. This method of cultivation means you don’t get fungal damage from soil splash, and it stops slugs and snails from eating the fruits.
Plant a mixture of varieties with different cropping times to ensure a long season of fruiting. In return for regular watering and feeding, you should be able to pick a few strawberries every few days for a couple of months.