Gardening Tips

Gardening Tips, Advice, and Ideas!

If you want to read about and learn about all things related to plants and gardens, you are in the right place.

Every month we add fresh new articles and informative "How To" tutorials because we are a monthly online gardening magazine.

That means every month is different, so our information is always current and up to date, with the latest news, techniques, and plant introductions; plus it's free!

This site is written by garden industry professionals, and is for any level of gardener, so it offers many solutions to your gardening questions.


There is lots for you to do, read, and see on this site because each month we include as much gardening advice, information, and as many growing tips as possible.

So if you want more information about planting annual color, how to care for herbs indoors or out, growing healhty trees, shurbs, or flowers in your garden area we can get you started.

Or perhaps you would like to learn more about growing your own food and starting a vegetable garden, or how to improve your soil from good to outstanding, or learn new green organic solutions, then this website is a great place for all gardeners to begin.

The regular magazine departments are located to your left and across the top header bar, and are filled with informative topics and articles. If you want to learn more about who we are, please read about us.

Whatever you end up doing while you are here, know that you are welcome, stay a while, have a great time, and most importantly, have fun! 

Summer Lawn Sprinkler Review

A review of the best and worst water sprinklers for your grass areas

Sprinklers for lawn and grass areas come in many different forms, and while installed underground irrigation systems are ideal (and expensive), today we are going to concentrate on hose-end, water sprinklers.

This is because traditional hose-end lawn sprinklers are easy to use and set up, are less expensive, and even if you have an underground irrigation system, let's face it, there is always that dry spot that needs to be taken care of!

Hose-end lawn sprinklers are very versatile and can apply a high volume of water over large surfaces, or they can fit into those hard to reach nooks and crannies making them indispensable.

That said however, there are some lawn sprinklers that are better than others. Some use water more efficiently than others, some are easier to set up and move than others, and some will last for years and years rather than breaking down and needing to be replaced every few months.

So in order for you to pick and choose which one will work best for you, we are going to review several different types of hose-end lawn sprinklers so you can see the pros and cons of each, and make an informed, cost effective, and water efficient decision. 

Fall Flowers And
Fall Flowering Perennials Plants

16 of the best perennials for fall flowers and color!

Although many perennials have long flowering times and will put on a show for you longer than others, none of them flower all season long.

Of course this is plus, because as we all know you can then choose several different perennials that will only flower in spring, summer, or fall - giving you color throughout the year.

When plants flower however, and for how long, can depend upon your individual climate, so the perennial plants we have listed in this article are going to take the guess work out of the equation for you.

Today we are sharing with you 16 tried and true plants that will continue to flower from late summer into fall, or they will flower in the autumn months only.

Either way, your garden will have showy flowers in the declining months of the year after your summer flowers have long given out, giving your garden a graceful way to enter into winter! 

TIPS TO SAVE PUMPKIN SEEDS AND TURN GREEN PUMPKINS ORANGE

There are many reasons why you may want to save your squash or pumpkin seeds so you can grow them next year. Perhaps your plant this year produced outstanding squash or pumpkins. Perhaps you found a new variety that you carved into a jack-o-lantern, or perhaps you saw an unusual heirloom pumpkin or gourd at the farmer's market. Because pumpkins, squash and gourds come in so many sizes, shapes, colors, and varieties, there are as many reasons to save their seeds and grow them again next year. It doesn't really matter, the good news is that saving pumpkin, squash and gourd seeds is easy, even for beginner gardeners. How To Save Squash, Pumpkin and Gourd Seeds 1. After you've cut open the pumpkin for decorations or for cooking, remove the seeds and pulp. 2. Hand separate the seeds from the pulp. Rinse the seeds with cool water. 3. There will be more seeds inside the pumpkin than you will want to plant, so once you have the seeds rinsed, look at them carefully and choose the largest seeds you can find. Larger seeds will have a better chance of germinating and growing healthy, sturdy vines. 4. Transfer seeds to paper towels and blot dry. 5. Transfer seeds to wax paper and allow to dry overnight and make sure they are spaced out otherwise the seeds will stick to one another. 6. Pumpkin seeds are sticky and if left to dry on paper towels, the seeds will stick to the paper towels. 7. Once the seeds are nice and dry, then line a baking or cookie sheet with paper towels and place the dried pumpkin seeds in a single layer. 8. Place the cookie sheet in a cool, dry place and continue to dry the seeds for four to six weeks. 9. Gather seeds and place in an envelope, like a small manila envelope. Make sure to label your envelope and note the kind of squash and the year. Store the seeds in the envelope, keeping them cool and dry. 10. You can also store them in a jar with an anti-desiccant (those little packets of silica gel that come in new coats, shoes and purses). Note: Some hybrid varieties don't come true from seed, but you'll never know until you try. Note: Read related story: How To Save Seeds How To Turn Green Pumpkins Orange Once in a while, the frost can get to your pumpkin plants and kill them while green pumpkins are still on them. This can be disappointing after an entire summer of hard work. Well no worries, just follow these steps to help turn green pumpkins orange: 1. Harvest your green pumpkins. Cut pumpkins off the vine and leave at least 4 inches (10 cm) of vine on each top for a handle. 2. Clean your pumpkins to avoid rot and mold. Carefully wash any dirt off, dry them, and then wipe them down with a diluted bleach solution. 3. Put the pumpkins in a dry, warm, sunny location. Pumpkins need sunlight and warmth to turn orange and to avoid rot. 4. Place the green side of the pumpkins towards the sunlight. Rotate the pumpkins from time to time to allow the sunlight to reach the greener parts. Continue to rotate the pumpkins evenly for an even change to orange. Note: This process may take a week or up to several weeks depending upon how green your pumpkins are.  7 TIPS TO FIX SOUR STRAWBERRIES Have sweet, tasty fruit all summer long There is nothing more disappointing than biting into a bright red strawberry, expecting a burst of sweet flavor, only to be met with a sour, watery taste. What a waste! So this begs the questions, "What happened? And why are some strawberry fruit sweet and others sour?" Well many varieties are just sweeter-tasting than others, but the most causes for sour or watery strawberries are due to the fact that they have been given less than ideal growing conditions. 7 Tips To Growing Sweet Strawberries 1. Check your soil. Strawberries like well-drained, fertile soil that is slightly acidic. The best soil for strawberries tends to be compost-enriched, sandy soil. Strawberries grown in this type of soil will yield more and be sweeter. 2. Use raised beds. Raised beds tend to drain better and that along with good soil will ensure a sweeter fruit. 3. Check your location. Strawberries should be planted where they will get at least eight hours of full sunlight. Getting enough heat and light is crucial to sweet fruit production. 4. Give them space. Strawberries like to have enough space to grow and spread out. They should have at least 12 inches (30 cm) in between each plant. If strawberries get overcrowded, they tend to produce smaller, sour fruit. 5. Plant in the fall. If you can, plant your strawberry beds in the fall rather than the spring. That way they will have time to get a good root system in place before they start the large task of growing and producing fruit. If you live in a cold weather climate, just make sure to liberally mulch your strawberry plants so they can withstand the winter successfully. 6. Make sure you plants are healthy. Another cause for sour strawberries is disease. Mildew, rot, and other problems will be a drain on energy resources and the plant can't keep up properly. 7. Don't allow strawberry plants to set fruit the first year. Remove any flowers to force more energy into producing stronger daughter plants. Keep about 4 daughter plants (runners) from each mother plant, and prune off the rest. Large, healthy daughter plants will yield sweeter fruit. NATURAL SEEDLING FUNGICIDE Keep your seedling trays healthy with this simple trick. This fall and winter, many of us will be sowing seeds in flats that will be planted out later on in the year. But one common nemesis of seedling flats or trays is fungus that can attack at any time. One of the most common problems is damping-off which is caused by a fungus that attacks sprouting seeds and very young seedlings. One type of damping-off fungus keeps seeds from germinating altogether, but the type most troublesome to gardeners kills seedlings not long after they've sprouted. The seedlings rot at their bases and fall over, or they just wither and die. How To Solve This Problem The solution is simple: use ground or milled sphagnum moss across the flat, or in between the rows of seeds. This works because sphagnum moss helps fight fungal problems in seedling flats because the acidity of the moss keeps the fungus from developing. Simply sprinkle about 1/4 of an inch (.625 cm) of ground sphagnum moss in between the rows of seeds, or lightly dust it across the entire top of the tray. This will help keep your seeds and seedlings safe. If you don't have milled or ground sphagnum, just rub regular sphagnum moss in between your hands or fingers and grind it up yourself. GROW LILY OF THE VALLEY INDOORS Have fragrant flowers anytime, no forcing required! Many people don't realize how easy it is to grow Lily of the Valley indoors, so we're going to share this trick with you. Like paperwhites, Lily of the Valley can be grown in just 3 to 4 weeks indoors for much-needed middle of the winter fragrance, color, and gardening enjoyment. They don't need any cold treatment, or special care; just plant them and enjoy the flowers in a couple of weeks time. Plus, not only is growing Lily of the Valley indoors rewarding, but you can plant them up in 3-week intervals all winter and enjoy wonderfully fragrant flowers continually throughout the cold months. How To Grow Lily Of The Valley Indoors 1. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) come as dormant rhizomes also called "pips". When you purchase them at the nursery or an online bulb grower, each division should have at least one "pip" - a pinkish-white growing tip that looks like the eye of a potato. 2. Find a container that is at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) or more deep. Add high quality planting medium that will hold moisture well, but dry out a bit in between waterings. 3. Before planting, soak your pips in lukewarm water for a couple of hours. Just take them out of their bag and put them in a bucket or your sink. The pips will absorb water and should swell a bit and become hard. They are now ready to start growing almost immediately. 4. Before planting them up, if your pips have roots, snip off the root tips by about a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). This will activate the roots, encourage moisture uptake and jump start the growing process. 5. Planting your Lily of the Valley - Cover the roots with mix until just the tips of the pips show, and plant them about 1-1/2 inches (3.75 cm) apart. 6. After planting, water liberally, soaking the soil. The plants will start to push new growth very quickly, usually in just a week. Keep the soil evenly moist since Lily of the Valley grow so rapidly they need water to keep up the fast pace of growth. 7. Place your pot in a cool area - 60° to 65° F (16° to 18 ° C) is ideal - and make sure it gets lots of indirect sunlight. 8. When the plants flower, feel free to cut them for bouquets; it won't hurt the plants. 9. After the plants have flowered, leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. If you want, you can transplant the plants to a shady area outdoors when the weather is mild. The plants may take a year or so to recover, but once settled in, they will flower for many years to come.  How To Save Your Favorite Warm-Season Flower Seeds For Next Summer! Last month we talked about How To Save Tomato Seeds which showed how to save seeds that are contained in a fleshy fruit, like tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, etc. This month we are going to continue, but we'll be showing you how easy it is to save seeds from your favorite warm-season annual flowers such as: Petunias Marigolds Zinnias Impatiens Saving seeds is one of those gardening activities that really makes you take notice of how great nature is, and how complete and perfect the annual cycle of seed is. Simply by looking for a few key elements, you can save just about any flower seeds you want and grow them the following year, and that's pretty fantastic. After all, just consider how little we have to do - while the flowers, with such a complex process - naturally grow and produce their seed. All we have to do is harvest the seed, save it, and then sow it the next year. So our job is very easy, and in the next steps below, you'll see how easy!