It's the start of another year - and what better way to start off a new year than to direct sow carrot seed in the garden. Yes, you heard that right. Here in Indiana - United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 6 - I sow carrot seed in the garden on January 1. Now …

Disclaimer: I did receive the grow lights talked about in this post for free or at a reduced price in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Greenhouses are a sanctuary where people and plants spend time, so knowing what to look for when choosing greenhouse lighting is important. If you are in …

The Persian Shield Plant is quickly catching everyone's eye this spring with its beautiful, exotic looking narrow, lance-shaped quilted leaves. The marbled rich purple leaves have iridescent blue markings with a deep wine red underside. The Persian Shield plant was a favorite in Victorian times and appears to be well on its way to becoming …

Disclaimer: I did receive some items for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. BROOMFIELD, CO – Gardeners are generally a calm, even contemplative, group of people. Their passions are ignited by a sweetly scented flower or a great-tasting tomato variety. But one recent issue has turned their passion into …

When you grow tropical plants in cold climates you have to decide if you want to overwinter them or let them die and start over again come spring. Many tropical plants bloom the first year when grown from seed while others have bulbs or tubers that are easy to overwinter or buy each spring. Tropical …

Sustainable gardening practices that are economically viable are easier to achieve when you go green with hydroponics. Gardening without soil offers solutions for third world countries, worn out agricultural land plus have the advantage of being environmentally friendly. As people become more aware of the damage chemicals and pesticides cause the need for a better …

Learning how to care for plants is the best way to learn how to grow healthy plants. These six easy tips for house plant care are a great starting point. Each plant has its own individual needs so read the care tags carefully, follow a plant maintenance schedule and your houseplants are sure to flourish.   

Some plants need more care than others and are best left to an expert gardener as opposed to a novice one. If you fall into the latter category of gardeners it is best to choose indoor gardening house plants that are easy to care for, are hardy, and have a low maintenance schedule.

The cool, crisp days of September are upon us. Most of the garden harvest is in and you may be thinking of putting your garden to bed for the winter. But wait! There is still time to plant more cool season crops in the Mid-West.

Fall is here which means winter isn't far off and it's time - once again - to bring your  tropical plants indoors and come up with a decorating idea with tropical plants. We all know the drill - move the plants out in spring, redecorate, then panic once the nights begin to cool down. If …

The herb garden tips below are sure to help you grow the best indoor herb garden you've ever grown! It's not always easy to grow a flourishing garden indoors, but it is possible. There are some tips and tricks I have picked up over the years that may help you on your quest to growing …

When many people think of daylilies, they think of the orange ditch lilies you see growing on the side of the road. While these may be the most common summer flowering bulbs that are seen, hybridizing has produced an unbelievable array of colors, including many that are bi-color. Other interesting color combinations include stippled, polychrome, …

The largest flower in the world comes from a leafless plant from Mayla known as Rafflesia arnoldii. It’s a parasitic plant that has grapevine like roots and a fleshy flower which is the only part of the plant that appears above the ground. The flower is approximately three foot across and can weigh up to …

This year I decided to try a tomato sampler challenge to see which tomatoes tasted the best and ripened the fastest here in my Indiana garden. Waiting for the first tomatoes of the season to ripen - especially if you are growing new varieties - is hard. I grow a lot of heirloom varieties on …

If growing tropical bulbs in containers outdoors in the summer is a bit of a challenge to you, you are not alone. While the growing conditions for tropical bulbs or even forcing bulbs indoors require one set of rules, the growing conditions outdoors require yet another set of rules. Everything from water to soil to …

Learn how to grow Oleanders indoors or out, depending on your climate. Oleanders, a member of the Apocynaceae family, are one of the prettier tropical evergreen shrubs that can easily be grown indoors in containers. In its natural habitat it can reach up to twenty feet in height, but most Oleanders are kept trimmed to …

A member of the Malvaceae family, mallows, have been grown since ancient times which means you too can easily grow mallows in your home or yard. Beginning with the ancient Greeks and Chinese, and carried on into the Victorian age up to today, mallows symbolize ambition, abundance, and fruitfulness. One of the more common members of the …

Allamandas are tropical beauties that are native to South America, and come in different shades of yellow, although you will find some in shades of purple, chocolate and white. Allamanda Neriifolia, produces clusters of flowers, while Allamanda Cathartica produces single blooms that may reach up to five inches across.

This weeks article about growing Tibouchina was inspired by a plant that had both myself and a good friend of mine stumped as to what it was. On a plant buying expedition at Lowe’s we spotted a gorgeous plant among all the others. There was only one of these plants and the leaves had a …

Yes, you can harvest free vegetables year-round in any climate! Getting a head start on the vegetable garden can be tricky if you wait until January because of frozen ground. It seems this time of year if the ground is not frozen it is wet. Neither condition is conducive to tilling, seeding or planting. There …

Everyone wants a really awesome looking yard and you can have that with these container landscaping ideas even if you don't want to till your yard up. Container landscaping is a type of landscaping where plants are grown in containers. The idea of container landscaping is to grow plants in containers that are placed outside …

Container ideas for gardening might sound like the kind of post that makes suggestions on what to plant in containers. However that is not what this post is about. In this post, I will be explaining how to choose containers for your container garden. I will also be going over the pros and cons of …

Lemon grass is a tropical herb that can be grown indoors or outdoors. Lemon grass has the ability to grow nearly everywhere, including jungles, gardens, pots on patios or balconies and of course indoors in a bright window or under grow lights. It is also pest-free which means that it never needs to be sprayed …

Growing edible crops in pots is all the rage these days. Many people who choose to grow edible plants in their container gardens don’t think of flowers or houseplants as being the same thing as container gardening. While it is the same basic principle, it’s not generally classified the same way. Most people just think …

One of the biggest compost advantages is it is an environmentally friendly way to improve soil structure that can be done without spending any money! Save money, save the environment and grow a better garden by improving your soil with the precious resource known as black gold! There are many advantages to composting. One, you …

There are a number of vegetables to plant in February outdoors in the garden, even in cold climates. February means the garden season is one month closer. It also means it is time to tap maple trees. Mid-West gardeners know that by the end of February they are just 12 short weeks away from the …

One of my favorite plants to grow is scented grass. Although some of the scented grasses are perennials, most of them are not. Their uses range from medicinal, to culinary and crafting such as making potpourri or smudge sticks. There are so many advantages to growing scented grasses in containers and in the ground that …

Winter sown vegetables not only let you get a head start on the spring garden, but they also are tender and taste sweeter than vegetables grown during the typical garden season. This is because cooler weather tends to bring out the sweetness in many vegetables such as carrots. Lettuce grown during the cool months melts …

Did you know that one way to garden in the winter is by forcing bulbs indoors? There are a number of bulbs that are easy enough to plant indoors in November and December that will produce flowers February. Some of these are ideal for making cut flower bouquets, so even without a greenhouse, you can …

Miniature plants require very little space to grow, making it possible to create one or more miniature gardens in containers if yard space is an issue. There are many types of miniature plants available and they come in a variety of sizes. Creating a trough filled with miniature plants can add interest to an existing …

Pineapples are a tropical fruit native to South America but you can grow and harvest pineapple no matter where you live. Pineapples have been cultivated and grown for a number of years in the region of Brazil, however these exotic fruits make great houseplants. Even in cold climates it is possible to get these plants to …

Well, here I sit at the computer on another hot, sweltering day looking outside wondering if the plants and animals are hotter than me! I never dreamed I'd be gardening during a heatwave where the only people, plants and animals that are happy are in air conditioning. Although tropical flowers are beautiful, I certainly don't …

Hello fellow gardeners. My interest in growing tropical plants came from the fact that I was tired of growing the same plants that everyone else was. I wanted my garden to be unique, something that people would stare at in amazement. With the addition of my greenhouse, my dream has started becoming a reality. However, even …

Most gardeners, such as Jeff Lowenfels, a garden writer from Anchorage, Alaska, are generous people who enjoy sharing the bounty of their garden with others. Lowenfels began the Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) program by asking gardeners to plant an extra row of beans in their garden for an Anchorage soup kitchen. From …

There are many fragrant flowering trees, some bloom during the day and some bloom when night falls. Those that bloom at night have a more intense, wafting fragrance, possibly because the darkness and cooler temperatures keep the scent from dissipating quickly. Night blooming fragrant trees are nice because many people who work during the day …

If you've ever wondered what garden seeds to plant in June, you are not alone. Mid-June is here and with it comes the heat of summer. For many gardeners, the continual rain this year has interfered with getting their vegetables planted. Do not fear if this is the case in your situation. There is still …

There are so many advantages of hydroponic gardening that it just makes sense to convert over to it, especially if you wish to grow vegetables year-round or produce mass quantities of food in limited space. Growing food in hydroponic units lessens our reliance on factory farm produced food. For every person that lessens their need …

Grow more tomatoes that are the healthiest and most delicious you ever tasted this gardening season! It's easy to grow tomatoes organically and get a bumper crop. To key is to follow the easy-to-implement tricks and tips below. Once you find out how well they work, you will use them year after year to consistently …

Commonly called the “Empress Of Brazil,” Worselya rayneri boasts a flower color that is a deep blue-mauve or violet blue fading to almost white in the center and the flowers may also be soft pale lavender with lots of blue spots. Worselya rayneri grows on the side mountains in South America, especially Brazil and is …

Learn how to extend the spring vegetable garden and grow those cool weather plants that normally die out or turn bitter right through the summer and into fall. Cool-weather plants, such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and peas, are happiest when planted in the early spring and harvested before the heat of summer sets in. So …