Your Backyard Garden Information Source
In May gardening begins in earnest. April weather is too uncertain for many vegetables to be planted in the open and even early May cannot be trusted far. By the end of the month, however, practically the first planting of everything we wish to include in our program is in the ground. Tomato plants must be guarded carefully against frost, […]
Onions When the seeds are to be sown directly in the soil where the plants are to grow, the bed should be well prepared. Digging and manuring will have been carried out during the late autumn or winter and the soil needs raking before sowing so that the bed is level, even and free of large clods and stones. Sow […]
Once you have settled on a potential site for your pond, you need to decide on the size. If you want fish and a variety of plants, it would be best to have a larger in-ground pond. This doesn’t mean you would not be successful with a half-barrel or other type of patio-deck water container garden. Now is the time […]
Dahlias, especially small flowered kinds, have great possibilities as border plants. They may be used in masses or planted in combination with annuals and perennials. Most of the small Dahlias are early and profuse bloomers, starting to flower in July and continuing right through till frost. Dahlias in combination with other flowers should be planted as early as the ground […]
While it’s true that most weddings take place in spring and summer, many couples choose a winter date for the “big event.” According to the Society of American Florists, 13 percent of weddings take place in the winter, with 11 percent of those being Christmas weddings. Summer weddings account for 35 percent, spring weddings 29 percent, and autumn weddings 23 […]
NICOTIANA Flowering Tobacco (Named for Jean Nicot, French consul to Portugal, who first presented tobacco to the courts of Portugal and France) The evening fragrance of the flowers of this plant is most delightful. Besides this, the flowers are attractive in form and color, which ranges from pure and creamy white, to deep pink, violet, crimson, and flesh. The shades […]
NEMESIA (Name found in Dioscorides, an early botanical writer) The English have admired and grown Nemesias in their cool climate and all have admired them in places where they grow well. At Ohio State University they grown them in the greenhouse but find that our Summers are too hot and dry, except when they are started in the Winter and […]
PERILLA Perilla is mentioned here because in years past it was a great favorite as a foliage plant. The leaves are dark purple and have a metallic luster causing the plant to resemble a Coleus. It grows about 1/2 feet tall. The pinkish flowers, in form like those of Catnip, are inconspicuous. Perilla frutescens is the species but there are […]
Provided is a list of tasks you need to perform in your garden during September. Please understand your gardening zone which is identified in the menu above. Look for Hardiness Zones. Zone 1 Sow wildflower seeds Water to winterize trees and shrubs Clean up vegetable and perennial gardens Plant spring-blooming bulbs Apply winterizing formula lawn fertilizer (with high potassium) Clean […]
Learn the August garden tasks for your gardening hardiness zone. Do you know what your hardiness zone? Once known, then find the required task. Zone 1 Sow seeds of wildflowers and fall veggies Aerate, dethatch and fertilize the lawn As first frosts threaten, pick mature green tomatoes to ripen in a dark, cool place indoors Purchase containerized trees and shrubs […]