To get a head start on a vegetable garden it is helpful to start the seeds during the winter months indoors. In order for seeds to sprout, the soil has to be warm. The fruits ripen from exposure to the sun and needs more sun than the waning days of autumn usually provide. If tomato plants are grown from seeds outdoors, the plants would take too long to grow, the frost would get to them before they had a chance to ripen.
Park seed starter domes are mini greenhouses and provide the right conditions and climate to start the germination process. The domes are used indoors and ideal for winter use. The seed starter domes have individual compartments that give each seed the necessary room to experience robust growth. The trays have a bottom feeding watering system that delivers the right amount of water to the roots. The domed, clear plastic, vented covers assure your seedlings of receiving the maximum sunlight for proper growth.
Starting seeds indoors requires heat. Instead of turning up the thermostat to provide the necessary warmth, seedling heat mats are available. The heat mat is 9”x19-1/2” and will fit under a standard seed flat or starter dome. The heat mat will raise the soil temperature to about 85 to 90 degrees and allow the seeds to germinate quicker and grow bigger. The mats are equipped with a thermostat to allow the Gardner to better regulate the heat.
The planting domes work with Bio sponges rather than soil. After the first use, there are packages of refill sponges available to refill the starter kits. The sponges have a hole in one end to accommodate the seeds. The sponges are soaked in warm water for a few minutes, allowing the sponges to expand. Place a sponge in each cell of the planting block with the seed end up and add a seed to each sponge. Before you know it, another crop of vegetables is on the way.
Jiffy strip windowsill greenhouse boxes contain individual peat pots in a watering tray made with plastic and a clear, vented, plastic cover. The cover will keep the heat and moisture in the event the window is drafty. The container holds 20 pots and is narrow, allowing it to fit on most windowsills. The trays are biodegradable and at planting time, separate the pots and plant pot and all in the soil.
Plants for sun offers some of the very best seeds available online today. If you’re looking for new and unique annuals and perennials, we have an extensive list below!
Morning Glory La Vie en Rose
A vigorous grower with more flowers than you’ll believe possible, La Vie en Rose offers bold color for fences, trellises, large hanging baskets, and more. The blooms continue for up to 5 months on super-easy plants! Expect this vine to reach 5 to 6 feet long, trailing from baskets, spilling over walls, and threading through fences. It’s great for the arbor or trellis, too!
Pansy Cool Wave Frost
It’s like a pansy on steroids, trailing more than 2 feet from baskets, with larger leaves, wider flowers, and a more bushy habit. The difference is incredible! Transform the cool-season garden with this amazing new trailer! The blooms are white with frosty blue edges and faint whiskering. And if you like this color combination, you’ll also love yellow.
Gaillardia Arizona Apricot
The latest in the amazing early-blooming, compact Sun series is this exquisite pastel blend of apricot and yellow, a never-before-seen color mix for the Gaillardia family! Arizona Apricot is a marvel of a plant, its blooms exquisite, its hardiness and adaptability unsurpassed, and its size compact yet free-flowering! We highly, highly recommend it for your sunny border and best containers.
Salvia Summer Jewel Red
The brightest thing the garden has ever seen, this unstoppable, super-quick Hummingbird Sage is out to transform your sunny annual bed and best containers into a haven for butterflies and hummers! The fire-engine-red blooms begin in late spring and don’t think about quitting until early fall, so get your camera and vases ready!
Ageratum Aloha Blue Hybrid
Blue as the summer sky and just about as endless, this free-flowering, long-blooming Floss Flower is a gift for the summer garden. Just 5 to 6 inches high and 3 to 4 inches wide, it offers big clusters of bright azure blooms among dark green foliage. Just the right size for containers, it also makes a splendid edging or front-of-the-border showoff.
Echinacea Primadonna Deep Rose
Primadonna is an exciting Echinacea with masses of large, rosy-purple blooms that hold their petals straight out and bloom over a long season in the garden, holding for a week or more after cutting for the vase. This butterfly attractor is a necessity for the cut-flower lover, and puts on a long late-season show in any sunny setting.
Cockscomb Bombay Dark Red
A magnificent new look for this heat-tolerant, floriferous sun-lover! Instead of the flowers forming a flattened mass, Bombay Dark Red sports upturned, beautifully ruffled blooms resembling exotic coral or fancy ribbonwork. The edges of the bloom are rich pumpkin-orange, shading into dark wine-red below, adding even more depth to the spectacular 4- to 6-inch display.
Purslane Toucan Hot Mix
No more searching for expensive plants — the first-ever purslane from seed is here at last! Now you can begin your summer garden indoors and be ready to set out seedlings as soon as the soil warms up in spring, for a rich parade of hot tropical color and quick-spreading groundcover beauty that continues for months!
When you are looking for the best potting soil for plants that are going into containers, regardless of where they are going to be placed, it is important to take into consideration the plants that you are planting and the environment that they will be living in.
The potting soil that you use is the one thing that you have the least control over while you are caring for your plants, compared to how much water you give them and the sunlight that they are exposed to, so it is important to get it right the first time around in order to keep your plants healthy and happy. The best potting soil should provide support for the plant, adequate drainage, adequate nutrients for the plant roots, and adequate aeration around the roots. Without these qualities, the potting soil is not going to provide the environment required for potted plants to thrive.
Because there are so many varieties of potting soil available, it is important that you read the packages on the potential brands that can be used so that you get the best one possible. Although a custom mix would be ideal in order to provide plants with optimal nutrition, it is not always possible.
Potting soil that can provide quality nutrition and adequate oxygen include Miracle-Gro Garden Soil, even though it is not designed for use in potted plants. Regardless of what you choose to use, reading the package before you plant the flowers is essential to being able to provide the necessary environment to have long lasting plants. If you choose one that does not come pre-fertilized, you may want to take the time to add some as you go. The best potting soil is one that has the necessary nutrients that plants need to survive, without taking away from the natural environment where they would do their best.
A garden hose is a necessary feature for any home. A garden hose can be used to water plants, wash a car, clean dirty feet, fill up water balloons, clean out trashcans, and a number of other things. The bottom line is that everyone needs a garden hose, so what options are available? The two most common types of garden hoses are the rubber and the vinyl and there is also a rubber-vinyl hybrid.
Rubber hoses are typically known as the most heavy duty type of hose. Rubber hoses are usually pretty heavy, but last longer in the sunlight and to wear and tear. Often times rubber hoses have several linings or materials and therefore are thicker and do not kink.
Rubber-Vinyl hoses are said to be the best of both worlds. They combine the durability of rubber with the lightweight and easy-to-transport vinyl giving the user everything that he or she may want.
Vinyl garden hoses are the lightest type of gardening hose giving the user the ability to easily transport the hose and put it away when finished.
As with all hoses the length of the hose, the hose diameter, and the number of plies (or layers) are extremely important in determining what types of garden hoses are right for you. There are many features that can be added to the garden hose for individual needs such as nozzles or brackets for storing. The following are three less common garden hoses:
A coiled garden hose provides the length without taking up the space and can easily retract when finished for quick clean up. They are typical made with a polyurethane and not only come in a variety of colors, but are also decently priced.
A soaker hose is a hose with small holes in it perfect for laying in your garden or planter. This hose waters plants without the use of sprinklers and can be buried in the dirt or mulch to avoid an eyesore.
A flat hose is most commonly seen on a fire truck. This hose lays flat until water pressure builds up in it, but it is not ideal for most houses as it has to be completely stretched out before using and needs to be given time to dry.
A living wall can be both functional and beautiful. These creations are usually vertical gardens. They can be created either outdoors or indoors. Their beauty alone is enough reason to create a living garden. However, the vertical garden can also be functional. A wall on the outside of the house can help to cut down on energy costs. If the wall is built on the inside of the house, it can help to eliminate pollutants from the house, creating a more healthy living environment.
Choosing The Location
One of the most important steps in building a living garden is to decide where the wall will be placed. As mentioned above, there are reasons for placing the wall both inside and outside. Some people might even choose to create two walls for that reason. However, for this project, a decision must be made as to where the wall will go. Keep in mind that the wall needs to be easily accessible for care after it is created.
Deciding On Which Plants
The types of plants that are used in the wall can vary greatly. The first issue is to determine what types of plants will grow and thrive in the environment where the wall will be placed. If the wall is being placed on the inside, choose plants that will help to remove pollutants from the air. All plants can do this to some extent. However, some plants are better than others at removing specific substances from the air. A quick Google search can help you to decide what type of plant will best meet your needs.
Building The Framework
Creating a vertical wall of plants can lead to issues as you try to determine the best way to create the framework for the structure. There are issues involved with how to keep the plants in place, as well as how to keep them watered and fertilized.
In some instances, a vertical garden may be as simple as a series of shelves arranged on a wall. In this case, each plant will need to be manually watered, as needed.
Others may choose to develop a complicated system that automatically filters water and nutrients to the plants, on a regular basis.
Method Of Filtering
This step only applies to inside living walls. If the wall is being used to filter toxins from the air, there will need to be a way to circulate the air around the plants. The most simple solution is to use well-placed fans to move the air across the plants.
Decide On Lighting
Outside walls should be placed on the correct wall to receive the right amount of light for the plants that are used. For inside walls, this may be more of an issue to solve. Plant lighting might be needed to encourage growth and proper health of the plants. Automatic timers can be used to turn the lighting on and off, eliminating that worry from the owner.
Place The Plants
One of the most satisfying steps in creating a living wall is to actually place the plants in the structure. Depending on the type of structure that was created, the plants may be placed in actual soil or a hydroponic solution. The wall can even be a mixture of both. Just check to make sure that the hydroponic solution will not harm the non-hydroponic plants.
Maintaining the Wall
The amount of care required for the vertical garden will depend on the type of structure that was created. While an automatic hydroponic system might be more time consuming and costly to create, it creates less worry about care once the project has been finished. If plant care is not automatic, the owner must be sure to remember to keep plants properly watered and fertilized.
Follow these steps to create a beautiful and functional living wall for yourself.
Enduring the oftentimes harsher months of winter makes anyone eager to celebrate the warmer temperatures and renewal of life spring brings to the world. There are few things that celebrate this transition from gray and cold to vibrant and warm better than a well landscaped garden. The possibilities for bright colors, lush blooms and tasteful artistic accents are almost limitless for a garden. With the proper plant planning and care, a homeowner can landscape a garden in the spring that will carry its beauty into summer and conclude in the fall with a last fanfare before life goes dormant for winter once more.
The first step to properly landscape a garden is clearing the ground for the flower bed. If the location is housing a planting bed for the first time, the area will have to be cleared of any grass and weeds currently present. If the area has already been home to a flower bed last season then removing any weeds or grass that may have grown is all that is necessary. It is important to remove any traces of roots from grass, weeds or previous flowers so that they will not resurface and try to crowd out or strangle new plants.
Once the area is properly cleared the soil needs to be prepared for planting. Soil that has never been used as a planting bed before will have to be thoroughly worked and loosened by hand, spade or a larger tiller but already broken in soil will require less work. Insure there are no large clods of dirt or rocks in the soil and loosen it 6 to 10 inches down depending on the choice of perennials or annuals. Now is the time to add several inches of organic matter to the soil to provide rich nutrients for the new plants and flowers. If the soil is very sandy then more organic matter, such as peat moss and compost, has to be added to counter how quickly water drains through the small particles of sand.
A trip to any gardening or home improvement store can be overwhelming when all the choices of plants and flowers are realized. It is a good idea to do some research before attempting to landscape a garden so that there is understanding about what plants will work in a particular region, how big they grow, their sun and watering needs, maintenance requirements and what their growing time is. It is important to remember that even if plants look nice next to each other it might not be a good idea to plant them close together if their feeding needs and full growth size is drastically different. Having a choice of plants in mind will also help keep the garden in a set budget.
For thriving beauty year after year, perennial ground cover is a good option for a garden. There are numerous types of flowering and leafy ground cover that will flourish with the proper care and require less labor than replanting annuals every spring. Knowing what ground cover is best for which growing reason is essential so that planting effort and time isn’t wasted. To further enhance the appeal and longevity of a plant and flower bed, choose a decorative and functional edging. The right edging will neatly define the border of the flower bed and be an important guide for weeding and mowing. Edging can be something as simple as lined up landscaping bricks or consist of more ornate wire border fencing. Keeping a consistent vision of color and texture is the key ingredient in how to landscape a garden properly.
Summer months are almost upon us, but before you throw that famous backyard BBQ party of yours, its time to cover those bald spots around your flowerbeds and home. Here are five simple ground cover options that will turn your backyard lush with color and make you look like a decorated landscaper.
Low Growing Sedums
I love Sedums! These ground cover plants are hearty, resilient in direct sunlight and there are numerous verities. They handle light foot traffic and even stand strong in dry soils. The shinning feature on this plant is that you can rip a chunk out of the ground and it will take root wherever you wish to replant it.
Walk on Me Plant
Walk on Me Plant, also known as creeping thyme (or Mother of Thyme) stands at three inches tall and buds beautiful red flowers. Walk on it and your backyard will smell of aromatic fresh thyme. This ground cover plant does well in partial shade and full sunlight. It spreads rapidly, and attracts butterflies while resisting deer and other wildlife.
New York Aster
New York Aster (also know as Aster Dumosus) is a short growing plant that blooms lilac-blue flowers. Its creeping rootstocks make it a hardy plant to control erosion on steep slopes and embankments. It’s a fairly simple plant to maintain but should be cut back hard in the spring or autumn to allow fresh growth.
Gold Dust
This perennial is sometimes referred to as Basket of Gold as it has bright yellow flower cover in early spring. It’s perfect for rock gardens and thrives in poor soil with sun.
Black Scallop
Blue flowers accented by black foliage, makes for a beautiful contrast and a stand out choice in any soil that receives fill sun. The flowers bloom in early summer and look Georges. The plant does require thinning of the runners to prevent the roots from crowning.
Happy Landscaping!
When deciding what to water plants with, there are many options available to plant enthusiasts and casual plant-growers alike. Each option can be effective when your plant needs the all-important water that will help it to grow into a mature plant. Watering plants can be fun, and you may as well make it as enjoyable as possible since the plants will die without water. Consider using the following tools in order to water your plants.
Utilizing a watering can is a classic style of plant-watering. Your grandmother, her mother, and previous generations all used watering cans to deliver water to the plants. They are simple, effective designs that are also very affordable. Plants love soaking in the moisture from water cans, because the cans pour the water directly over the roots. The thirsty plants rejoice when they see a person with a watering can approaching. You just put the water in the little can and tip it over like a teapot to get the water out.
Watering wands are attached to hoses, and they provide effective means of watering plants. The wand has a faucet-like design on the end that allows even flows of water to reach the plants. These are ideal for people with short arms or for plants that are located around areas with a lot of weeds. Watering wands are lightweight and compact, which makes them easy to use and easy to store in the home or in a garage. They don’t get dirty very easily, and if they do, they are easy to clean. These are often the most affordable of the options listed here, and they provide the best value.
Water breakers are more powerful nozzles than what you will find with watering wands. Water breakers use more pressure so that the water can reach deep down into the roots of the plants. If the roots of the plants don’t receive enough water, they won’t reach their full growing potential. Water breakers are great tools because they can be used with a variety of hoses and they are inexpensive. They are very efficient at delivering water to the plants in a timely, enjoyable manner.
One of the newest methods available to people who like to grow plants are hand and pump sprayers. You can control how much pressure goes into the water by pumping the tank that you fill up prior to going out into the yard. Some plants may require more water pressure in order to feed the roots, whereas delicate flowers will get damaged by higher water pressures. Use your judgment and find out what works best for your plants. Hand and pump sprayers are the most versatile option for watering plants.
Spray guns may be the most popular choice of all for watering plants. They often have metal triggers on the nozzle so that the person operating them can aim the water before shooting it. These are ideal for watering plants at a distance as well as in close proximity. They are fun to use and can provide for plenty of entertainment during the hot summer months. Kids love squirting each other with spray guns, and they provide relief from the scorching sun.
Don’t fret over what to water plants with. Each of the above options can keep your plants healthy and in great condition. There are few things in life more beautiful than a plant that is well-hydrated and taken care of. You can proudly display your freshly-watered plants to your neighbors and friends. Use different watering methods to find out which ones are the best for you and for your plants.
 If you are looking for a way to add a little more color to your garden, then maybe you should consider planting some bulbs throughout your garden to provide more visual interest and of course color as the bulbs grow into beautiful blooms of flowers. There are many types of bulbs that you can plant in your flower beds and garden. Some of these types of bulbs that you may want to consider planting include tulips, daffodils, and belladonna lilies. A trip to your local greenhouse will afford you a better look at the multitude of bulbs that you can choose to incorporate when planting.
Bulbs aren’t like annuals, in that they cannot be planted in the middle of summer and be expected to give you a show of blooms. You need to follow the following tips for planting bulbs when choosing where to plant bulbs and when to plant bulbs. Bulbs perform the best when they are planted in cool soil and then gradually warmed up and primed to grow as the soil gains warmth. This means that the best time to plant bulbs in early in the spring when the soil is still cool, but beginning to warm up or late in the fall when the bulbs will be able to sit in the cool soil until spring when the soil begins to warm. Take into account what growing zone you live in when considering the best time to plant bulbs.
Where to plant your bulbs is a pretty easy thing to decide. You only need to make sure that the area that you are planting them in has good drainage so that excess water does not cause the bulb to rot and you want to make sure that the area gets at least six hours of sunlight daily. Besides having to follow those two guidelines where you plant your bulbs is your decision. If you notice that they are not growing after you plant them. You can always choose to dig them up and replant them in a different location.
These are just a few tips for planting bulbs. If planting bulbs is something that you are interested in, you can always visit your local nursery or greenhouse and get your questions answered. Have fun adding interest and color to your flower garden by choosing to plant bulbs. You will enjoy the different varieties that are to be found and the fun that comes with planting them. Happy planting!
 With so many incredible varieties of tulips that come in many colors who can possibly resist adding them to your garden and flower beds, so that when spring begins you have a beautiful show of flowers to start off your growing season. If you are interested in planting tulip bulbs in your garden the first thing that you need to do is explore the multiple kids of tulip bulbs available for planting. Most of the time you can find a large selection of tulip bulbs for purchase at your local greenhouse and your local home improvement store.
Because tulips are bulbs that grow and bloom in the spring, the planting tulips should be completed in the fall. Planting tulips in the fall allows the bulb to nestle itself into the ground for a long winter’s rest to prepare for its awakening in the spring once the ground begins to warm. In most places it is thought that September is the best time to get your tulip bulbs in the ground.
The best planting area for tulips will be in an area in which the soil is either sunny or partially shaded. Tulips will also do better in soil that is sandy and has good drainage. The soil also needs to be loose so that the tulips can grow easily when they begin to sprout and aerated soil will also ensure that the tulip bulbs are able to get the nutrients that they need easily.
When planting tulip bulbs you need to use a trowel or a bulb planter to dig a hole that is approximately twice the length of the bulb that you are planting. Tulip bulbs can be planted close together to create a cluster effect when they bloom; however, when placing multiple bulbs in the ground at the same location you will want to make sure that you plant them two to three times their width apart. This means that if your bulbs are about one inch in width that you need to plant multiple bulbs two to three inches apart. Once you have the tulip bulbs in their resting location you need to gently place the soil back over the bulbs making sure that the tip is pointing upward and lightly tamp the soil with your fingers to ensure that the bulbs are in place.
Tulips can add incredible beauty to your garden and are some of the first signs of spring. Make them an addition to your flower beds the next planting season and you are sure to love the results.
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