Milk is a great fungicide. You can spray phlox with it to stop powdery mildew.
I always leave a few Milkweed plants under the windows in the garden. When I open the windows in the evening the scent coming into the house is intoxicating.
Spread blood meal to deter rabbits in the spring.
Irish Spring soap sliced 1 inch thick and tied to a 2 foot stake will repel deer.
Too many houseplants? This is a great way to utilize something old and make it totally useful again.
If you want to save some of your sunflower seeds before letting the birds get them, cover them with the mesh bags that onions come in.
A moss pole is the best way to grow plants like Philodendrons and Syngoniums. Moss poles are really pretty simple to make; let me show you.
This is the first in a series of short articles on propagation, the process of increasing your plants. There are several ways to propagate, but let's start with water rooting.
Most of us have used catnip in the obvious way, to keep our cats amused. Did you know that catnip has many other uses as well? Let's take a look.
Every time you eat eggs, crush the shells and spread around sensitive plants; slugs and snails will not cross the egg shell barrier.
You don't need to use expensive, chemical-laden products to enjoy the outdoors this summer. Make your own using organic essential oils.
Growing flowers in a container is so easy. No rules need apply to have beautiful containers this summer.
Deadhead your spent blooms to promote a second flush of flowers.
Hang empty aluminium pie plates around your vegetable garden to deter birds and rodents.
Plant strawberries in hanging baskets to keep the birds from eating the berries before you can. Hang the baskets all over your yard for snacking. I had a row of strawberries and didn't get a single berry before the birds, dug 'em up and put them in hanging baskets and haven't lost a berry yet.
Use empty toilet paper rolls around your young vegetables to protect them from cutworms.
There seems to be a lot of mystery involving terrariums. Mention one and people run away in fear. I don't know why, it's really quite simple. Let me show you.
When you brush your cat or dog, put the fur outside for the birds to make nests with.
Place decorative stones on the top of the soil of potted plants to prevent cats or other animals from digging in them.
Cut out four sides of your plastic coffee cans to make great bird feeders! You can nail them to the top of a post, to a wall, or just about anywhere!!
Keep a rain barrel at each door to the house to dip your muddy feet in before coming back inside the house after gardening.
There eventually comes a time when you want to share your plants with someone in another state, province, or country. This is a tutorial showing one of the best ways to package your plants, ensuring that they will make it to their destination in one piece.
A dish of beer in the garden will attract slugs.
There always comes a time when you have to pot up a plant. Here's a tutorial on the easiest way that I have found to do it.
Break the handle on your favourite coffee mug? Set the handle-less mug in the garden to use as a toad house.
Humidity is sometimes very important; it can make the difference between a lovely houseplant and a spectacular houseplant. This article will demonstrate some of the ways to create humidity.
The plants of this group are among the best houseplants for a constant stream of blooms and ease of growth. Do you grow Gesneriads? If so, please share your photos and experiences in the comments section after the article.
There is no secret to having a beautiful Cottage Garden. The main "rule" is to simply let the plants decide what they want to do. Here are some visual hints meant to inspire you.
Have you finally decided you need a houseplant or two or three? Here are a few I love because they're both beautiful and easy to grow.
Begonias come in many shapes, sizes, types, and leaf colors. They make good houseplants, but they require a bit more care than the average houseplant. I rate them as an 8 out of 10 on the scale of difficulty indoors in the winter but they're 2 out of 10 outdoors in the summer.
Properly watering, fertilizing, and making sure your houseplants have enough light is just part of the equation to healthy plants. You also have to maintain them.