It's still winter across the country, but it's not too early to start preparing for a spring vegetable garden. Starting your seeds indoors right now will give you a head start once the weather outside warms up.
Many vegetables, including salad greens and lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are perfect for starting indoors now if you plan to start planting in March. If you live in a colder climate, you can wait a few weeks or months, however.
The first step to growing transplants indoors is to decide what vegetable you want and to acquire the seeds. Using the planting information
Archives for January 2012
What Grows While Flowers are Sleeping?
by Dennis Mayer January 27th, 2012 | Flowers
We're in the dead of winter with no chance of growing any flowers soon, but the question is, what does a gardener do in the meantime?
If you don't already have a menagerie of houseplants that share your living space year-round, now's as good a time as any to pick up one or three. Your local garden store (or, if you must, Home Depot) will be selling a ton, since that's about all they can sell in the plant department at this time of year. I'd recommend one (or all) of the following:
If you don't already have a menagerie of houseplants that share your living space year-round, now's as good a time as any to pick up one or three. Your local garden store (or, if you must, Home Depot) will be selling a ton, since that's about all they can sell in the plant department at this time of year. I'd recommend one (or all) of the following:
- A fern, or other hanging plant. These are
Finding Straw and Hay
by Heather Duchan January 25th, 2012 | Gardening
Straw and hay bales provide value for the homeowner who is landscaping or gardening. These materials are practical for a number of uses, from weed and erosion control, to protecting strawberries in the winter.
Bales of hay or straw are also an economic and environmentally-savvy choice for many applications. These bales are made from natural, non-toxic, renewable materials that are relatively inexpensive at $2 to $5 for most bales.
The tricky part is finding straw bales and hay bales, especially at the best prices. Those outside of garden centers or grocery stores will cost a premium. Luckily,
Bales of hay or straw are also an economic and environmentally-savvy choice for many applications. These bales are made from natural, non-toxic, renewable materials that are relatively inexpensive at $2 to $5 for most bales.
The tricky part is finding straw bales and hay bales, especially at the best prices. Those outside of garden centers or grocery stores will cost a premium. Luckily,
Installing Shade Sails
by Heather Duchan January 24th, 2012 | Landscaping
If you can't afford a covered porch or patio, one of the next best options is to install a shade sail. These are made from durable outdoor cloth, and they are used to cover outdoor living spaces. These sails are often very affordable, portable, and they blend well with many types of architecture and settings. The best part is how easy they are to install compared to many other options for outdoor shade. In just a few easy steps, you can have a shade sail up and ready to use.
First, you need to decide where you want the shade sail
First, you need to decide where you want the shade sail
Growing Spinach
by T Akery January 20th, 2012 | Gardening
Spinach is one of those things that you definitely want your kids to eat. Even though eating it won't turn your kids into Popeye, it has a variety of nutrients that your children should have. The good thing about spinach is it grows much quicker than other vegetables, and you can harvest it as soon as you get big enough leaves. The bad thing about spinach is that it is a favorite snack for a few different animals, including rabbits.
The first thing to do before planting spinach is to rabbit-proof your garden. You will need to install your barrier
The first thing to do before planting spinach is to rabbit-proof your garden. You will need to install your barrier