Making a bee nesting box gives the bees shelter to raise their young, ensuring future bee populations. There are a few ways to make a homemade bee house. Don’t panic if you aren’t handy, a DIY bee nest isn’t very complicated. Read on to learn how to make a bee house. Homemade Bee House Ideas If you have provided a diverse group of flowering plants, then the bees have a steady supply of food....
Though flowering shrubs and perennials play a major role in ornamental plantings, the addition of hot weather annuals can further add diversity and interest to these growing spaces. Annuals For Your Specific Region When considering the best heat tolerant annuals for one’s garden, it’s important to recognize other characteristics of your growing zone that could also impact your plants’ health. Most heat tolerant annuals require periodic rain or supplemental irrigation in order to truly thrive....
What is a Cold Frame? A cold frame is in essence a small greenhouse. It may be a temporary or permanent structure in the garden. The goal of a cold frame is twofold. The first reason for a cold frame is to harden off plants. It can be somewhat challenging to shuttle new plants from a protected area outside to harden them off prior to transplant. A cold frame will protect the seedlings from wind and sun allowing them to slowly acclimate to outdoor conditions....
Things You Can Use in Garden Recycling Some of the more organic fertilizers we use are actually a form of garden recycling. A few of these include: Blood meal Kelp Bone meal Cottonseed meal Alfalfa meal We can also use “green” garbage from around the house and use it to recycle in the garden too. Here are a few more items around the home that can be recycled into the gardens and what they bring to the garden:...
How to Give Back with Gardening Gardening for the community and giving back make this activity more meaningful. If you’re wondering how you can put your gardening time, talent, and skills to work for others, keep reading for some ideas to get you started. Charity Garden Ideas Donate extra veggies and fruit that you grow to a local food pantry. Call to ask first, but most pantries take fresh produce. If you do have a local food pantry that accepts produce, consider growing a section of your garden just for charity....
What is a Honeydew Melon? Akin to its popular relative the cantaloupe, honeydew melons are members of the cucurbit or gourd family along with cucumbers and squash. One of the sweetest melons, honeydews are high in vitamin C and potassium. Honeydews are eaten fresh for their succulent, sugary, pale green flesh. The peel may be pickled or cooked, or the seeds may be pressed for oil or roasted and dried. In appearance, the honeydew melon is oval to round with a smooth creamy yellow rind that is peeled to reveal the aromatic, pale green interior....
What are Marmorata Succulents? There are thousands of succulent plant varieties and each one is different and exceptional. Not only are there different sizes and forms, but there are also different patterns and colors. In the group called marmorata, there are a couple of plants that are accessible and easy to grow. Marmorata succulent care is as easy as any un-marbled plant. A little marmorata succulent information can help you decide if these plants are right for your home....
About Fireworm Pests in Gardens So what are fireworms? Fireworms, or Choristoneura parallela, are a pest common to crops such as soybeans and cranberry. Adult fireworm moths find and lay eggs on the surface of nearby plant foliage. Though the size of the yellow-bronze eggs is relatively small, they’re often laid in larger clusters. These egg clusters then hatch, and the fireworm larva begin to feed on growth of the host plant....
How to Paint Plants: Tips on Painting in the Garden • Take a class in botanical painting or drawing. Classes are often offered by public libraries, gardening groups, nonprofit environmental groups, or departments of forestry or fish and wildlife. Most community colleges offer a variety of non-credit classes at a reasonable cost. • Visit botanical gardens in your region. Most gardens host special events for gardeners and artists, and some have botanical art groups and exhibitions of botanical art....
Plum Pocket Info Plum pocket symptoms begin as small, white blisters on the fruit. The blisters enlarge rapidly until they cover the entire plum. The fruit enlarges to ten times or more the size of normal fruit and resembles a bladder, giving rise to the common name “plum bladder.” Developing spores give the fruit a gray, velvety appearance. Eventually, the interior of the fruit becomes spongy, and the fruit becomes hollow, withers, and falls from the tree....
About Growing New Mandrake Plants You don’t need to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate the much storied mandrake plant. It is a member of the nightshade family and its root is the part primarily used. While all parts of the plant are poisonous, it was once used in medicine, mostly as a pre-surgery anesthesia. It is rarely used today due to the dangers but it is a fun and interesting plant to grow....
Five Spot Seed Propagation For those of us thrifty gardeners, starting our own plants from seed is an economical way to produce our own flowers, fruits, and more. Growing baby blue eyes from seeds is quite simple and soon you will have a lovely group of these charming flowers. Also called five spot, these annuals tend to self-seed, but you have to have a mature crop first. Sow five spot seeds in containers indoors and move them outside to bloom and establish....
Salvaged Materials vs. Recycled Materials Salvaged materials that are reused in garden construction differ from recycled materials. Salvaged materials are generally used in their original context, such as with patio flooring and walkways. They are used as decorative elements such as architectural stonework and antique garden furniture. While these items may require cleaning, repainting, or refinishing, salvaged materials do not need to be remanufactured as do recycled materials. Recycled materials, on the other hand, are generally created from existing products....
What is Hypoxylon Canker Disease? This is a disease caused by the Hypoxylon canker fungus, actually a group of fungi species in the Hypoxylon genus. Infection by these fungi causes the canker disease, a common issue in hardwood trees. The fungi are generally opportunistic, meaning that they tend to attack trees that are already weakened or diseased. The disease is not a major problem for healthy trees. The damage caused by Hypoxylon canker disease is usually extensive....
About the Illinois Hardiness Planting Zone Knowing your Illinois planting zone will make gardening much easier for you. In order to learn more about Illinois growing zones, it’s important to view the USDA plant hardiness zones map. This not only provides hardiness zones for all states but will also tell you what garden zone Illinois is. The map provided here is for the Illinois hardiness planting zone, which should help determine the most ideal plants for your area....
Cabinets for Outdoor Kitchen Use The extent of your kitchen outside will help determine how many cabinets you’ll need to install. If you have a full kitchen with appliances and food storage, include plenty of storage spaces. Cabinets can be built or purchased and installed on your site. Materials for outdoor cabinets differ somewhat from those used inside, as they must withstand the elements. Brick, stucco, and block are options to consider....
Is Purslane Safe to Eat? Purslane is a pretty tough weed. Native to India and the Middle East, this weed has spread throughout the world. It is a succulent, so you’ll see fleshy little leaves. The stems grow low to the ground, nearly flat, and the plant produces yellow flowers. Some people describe purslane as looking like a baby jade plant. It grows in a range of soils and most heartily in hot, sunny areas....
January King cabbage plants survive winter’s worst, including hard freezes and snowfall, to provide purple cabbage heads in January. Read on for information on growing January King and tips for cabbage uses. January King Winter Cabbage When you are growing January King cabbage plants, you are growing the best cabbage in its class. These vigorous heirloom plants produce gorgeous cabbage heads with pale green inner leaves and outer leaves in deep purple tinged slightly with green....
Judd Viburnum Information In 1920, horticulturist William H. Judd of the Arnold Arboretum crossed Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlessi) with Bitchiu viburnum and created what we know today as the Judd viburnum or Viburnum juddii. Judd viburnum plants have the fragrant 3 inch (8 cm.), dome-shaped flowers of its parent plant Koreanspice. These flower buds start out pink, then open to a creamy white. They bloom for about 10 days in spring to early summer and attract pollinators who feast on the sweet nectar....
Growing Junipers in Zone 3 Gardens Once established, junipers are drought tolerant. All prefer full sun, although a few types will tolerate very light shade. Nearly any type of soil is fine as long as it’s well-drained and never soggy. Here’s a list of suitable junipers for zone 3. Spreading Zone 3 Junipers Arcadia – this juniper reaches only 12 to 18 inches (30-45 cm.) and its nice green color and creeping growth makes it a great ground cover in the garden....
