Even if you don’t have a generous room for gardening plants , you can certainly grow a container garden . You can make your patio look green and fresh with beautiful potted plants . Also, the tiniest porch at your place can vaunt with beautiful hanging basket of pretty flowers or a crop of vegetables. 8 reasons encouraging the practice of container gardening : 1. Gardening plants in pots are easy - For those who are a freshman in gardening field, a container garden is one good way to create a jump-start. A small soil potted plant...

Do you actually realize that gardening mistakes can even happen right in your own yard? Whether you think that your garden looks good or not, it really doesn't matter. If everything doesn't work, your whole garden will not work. Here are listed the top 8 gardening mistakes and the ways to correct them: 1. Grass is not greener. This ranks number 1. Why? Most gardens have lawn, but one may be slightly greener than the other. If your lawn looks more than the soil underneath, it is time to reassess your watering, fertilizing and mowing schedule. Think where you have gone wrong and make the...

Perform these winter maintenance tips to protect your garden and landscape this year. Store empty pots to prevent cracking Take candles, glass containers or hurricanes inside Containers with plants that will remain outdoors should be wrapped with bubble wrap, foam wrapping or burlap to prevent freeze damage Water the garden and container plants every few weeks if no rain or snowfall (do not water if ground is frozen) Apply a few handfuls of mulch or aged compost around delicate plants Check the antifreeze...

If you have wooded areas around your home, you may be looking how to plant your woodlands spaces with colorful plants that bloom in early spring. Spring really brightens up wooded areas with lots of colors just bursting out a big “Hello!” I think that is what sparks us to want to add color to shaded areas . The artist part of us comes out wanting to splash color into our surroundings and the fun part is that it doesn’t stop with spring just as Claude Monet did at his garden in Giverny . He even planted his woodland areas with colorful plants . Monet's pond garden as well was carefully planned...

Looking for window box ideas that will survive winter and look great through the holidays? Using small ornamental grasses , young evergreen trees , evergreen shrubs , potted ivy and evergreen herbs , you will find yourself with endless ideas on decorating containers , planters and window boxes . We've even provided a list of window box plants that in small containers are perfect for your project. After a year or two, plant them in the ground allowing them to finish growing to maturity. Visit Small Evergreen Shrubs for window box plant ideas. Animals are optional!

If you have never grown lavender in your garden or landscape, you are missing out on the most fragrant plants available. My experience with lavenders is that they are ever dedicated to making my garden a mysterious, magical wonderland and me a better person because of it. This may sound pretty far out there, but if you have lavender in your garden, you understand what I mean. We have a small sitting area on the perimeter of my garden (next to the house) where Steve and I sit looking out over our garden. I have lavender growing along the fence (its amazing as a low hedge) and in groups on the...

"What exactly is solarizing?" That was a question that was sent to me recently by a reader of this column. Because the subject is somewhat unusual and the results are very effective, I thought I would share the answer with you today. "Solarizing" might sound like a cosmic phenomenon or something you'd do to the windows in your greenhouse or conservatory. However, the real definition is, quite literally, much more "down to earth." A simple definition of solarizing could be the act of trapping the heat from the sun and concentrating it on garden soil in an enclosed environment. Most often,...

Gardeners and landscapers can learn a lot from other artists and craftsmen. For instance, think of the people who work in the picture-framing business. Take a picture to one of these experts and you can find that what might have seemed a no-brainer turns out to require a lot of thought to achieve the desired result. They’ll naturally spend some time selecting the ideal frame. But notice how much thought they put into finding the perfect mat. The mat – that beveled piece of card that serves as a border between the picture and the frame – is essential to the optimum...

When you have serious soil problems, it can be almost impossible to grow anything successfully. But when you nurse your sick soil back to health, you’ll be amazed at the exciting variety of plants that thrive in your formerly barren wasteland! Let me reassure you that you CAN revive “bad” soil. Add a little “landscaper know-how” to some of the excellent products that are now available to homeowners and you’ll see a major improvement. Here are a couple of recent questions from readers who are having soil problems. Like these folks, you can send an e-mail to steve@landsteward.org if you need...

A bog garden turns wet area into beautiful feature Unless we are very lucky, most of us have issues with at least part of our landscape. An area that is nothing but heavy clay that won’t drain, a deeply shaded section that receives little or no sunlight, or an area baked by the sun all day, for example. It’s tempting to give up on that area and assume that nothing can be done. But quite often a solution can be found, if you are creative and tenacious like this reader… “Dear Steve: Thank you for addressing the issue of soggy, boggy...

Subject: a few quick questions 1. Is it too late to plant tulips, if there has already been frost? 2. It is too late to plant trees or is it better that they remain in their pots through winter and plant them in the ground in the spring? 3. Is fall too late to prune bush's, will this harm the plant? How about wild grasses, I would like to keep them more contained, rather than them grow wild, any tips for pruning them? =========================== Hello, I would think it not too late for tulips as long as you plant right away. Fall is some of the best time for planting especially potted trees...