So just how can you stop grasshoppers from devouring your vegetable plants, flowers and perennials? An invasion of grasshoppers can spell serious problems for a home garden and landscape. The voracious plant-eaters can quickly decimate crops, perennials and annual flowers. But with a few home remedies, and the help of a few predatory friends, they …
When it comes to getting hardy, bed-planted mums to bloom this fall, it's all about providing them with a little summertime TLC. Each and every fall, millions upon millions of mums are sold as potted and container plants. And with good reason - their gorgeous colorful blooms are the perfect compliment to any autumn display. …
When it comes to how to best harvest a garden, when and how you pick your produce makes a huge difference. And not just for how much plants will produce, but for how long they will stay in production as well! With the exception of determinate vegetable plants that bear their fruit all at once …
Summer is here, and that means it is time to harvest, cure and store the garlic that was planted last fall. And, that means its also time to select the best bulbs from the harvest to plant again this fall! Hardneck garlic is a wonderfully simple and delicious crop to grow in the home garden. …
When it comes to attracting butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds, nothing works quite like growing butterfly bushes! In fact, they have become a go-to plant in recent years for those looking to create their own backyard butterfly gardens. These deciduous shrubs become overloaded with butterflies as their massive, nectar-filled blooms appear in early summer. And …
When and how you fertilize vegetable plants can make a huge difference in both the health of your plants, and the size of the harvest. Vegetable plants need a steady supply of nutrients to grow and produce. Whether grown in a traditional backyard garden setting, or in raised beds or rows, plants can quickly devour …
When it comes to adding an explosion of color to the landscape, its hard to beat growing marigolds. From giant blooming "puff-ball" styles to dainty miniatures, and everything in between, there are well over 50 varieties of marigolds available. And with their high tolerance to both sunlight, drought and heat, it's easy to see why …
When it comes to delicious easy-grow crops for the garden - it is hard to beat growing turnips from seed! Turnips are a great addition to any garden plan. This ultra-nutritious crop has been grown around the world for thousands of years. And, it continues to be a popular garden crop today as well. Turnips …
Springtime is the perfect time to divide and transplant hostas. Not only will it help to keep these beautiful perennials healthy and well-shaped, it's also a great way to add additional plants to your landscape. And all for free! The best part of all? It's easy and quick to do! How To Divide And Transplant …
Planting hanging baskets and containers at home is the perfect way to create gorgeous flowering displays that best fit your home and landscape. And, a great way to save on the budget too! Let's face it, purchasing ready-made baskets and planters can be pricey. And often, selections are limited to just a few boring choices. …
Planting and growing Rhododendrons is an excellent way to add color, texture and beauty to your landscape. Rhododendrons almost always keep their over-sized foliage throughout the entire winter season. That alone makes them great for keeping a bit of color in beds long after most plants have shed their leaves for winter. But where Rhododendrons …
There is nothing quite like growing heirloom sweet corn in the garden. It is one of the best ways to experience the true taste of summer freshness. The sugary sweet taste of a just-picked ear of heirloom sweet corn is almost too good to be true. Especially when compared to the ears of corn found …
When it comes to adding incredible flavor to homemade dishes, growing a kitchen herb garden is a must. Fresh herbs are key ingredients in a near endless list of culinary favorites. From adding zing to pork, beef, poultry and fish, or seasoning vegetables, pasta and more, life without herbs would be tasteless indeed. And there …
When it comes to growing hydrangeas in the landscape, a few simple tips can go a long way to gorgeous blooming success. Hydrangeas are well known for their large, mophead-style blooms. Available in a wide variety of brilliant colors, their beauty is simply stunning. But what makes Hydrangeas even more special is they can be …
There is no need to wait until summer - get your garden season off to an early start this year by growing a few cool-weather spring vegetable crops! Many vegetables actually grow better in the cooler temperatures of spring. In fact, they thrive in it. Some crops can be planted as early as 4 to …
Looking for an all-natural away to repel insects? Then growing a few herbs in your garden patio or porch just might be the answer. Nothing can spoil a beautiful day or an evening outdoors like a few pesky mosquitoes. Or for that matter, flies, gnats and even ticks! But believe it or not, many herbs have …
Growing strawberries is great way to add lasting flavor to your landscape. Spring is coming, and that means strawberry season is just around the corner! Nothing can beat the taste of fresh strawberries, homemade strawberry pie, or delicious strawberry jam. Or for that matter, anything strawberry! And you might be surprised at just how easy …
Believe it or not, wintertime is a perfect time for ornamental grass care! Not only is it easy to do, cutting back in the winter lets you get a head start before the onslaught of spring landscaping and garden chores hit hard. By mid-winter, ornamental grasses have gone completely dormant. And with the snow, wind, …
When growing heirloom tomatoes, gardeners need to prepare themselves for a bit of an explosion. As in an explosion of flavor! Heirloom tomatoes have taken the vegetable gardening world by storm over the last decade. Old-time varieties, once phased out in favor of more "standardized" commercial tomatoes, are now being rediscovered and grown again. Growing …
When it comes to creating Christmas memories and magic, it's hard to top a visit to a Christmas Tree farm! Christmas tree farms are an iconic part of Christmas traditions that exist so many families. The smell of fresh-cut pine. A roaring campfire to warm the hands. Maybe even enjoying a mug of hot chocolate, …
Growing Cranberries - how this well-known "holiday" super-fruit makes it to the dinner table. Cranberries have long been a traditional part of many Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Families all seem to have their own way to enjoy them, whether it's in the form of cranberry sauce, cranberry relish, or a dish of fresh whole-cooked cranberries. …
A living Christmas tree is an excellent way to celebrate the holiday season and add lasting beauty to your landscape. For many, decorating the house for Christmas all starts with selecting the perfect tree. Many folks still love the tradition of heading out into the woods to find and cut down their special tree. Others …
As winter approaches, it's time to protect perennials, roses and other small bushes from the impending cold weather. Snow, ice, and fluctuating freezing and thawing temperatures can take a toll on plants. Without proper protection, many can become heavily damaged, or freeze out all-together. But with a little care now, hydrangea, rose bushes, lilies, hosta plants …
A homemade root cellar is the perfect way to successfully store fresh fruits and vegetables. Before modern-era refrigerators and freezers became commonplace, it was the only way to keep food on the table through the long winter months. But as more and more people are getting back to growing their own produce, root cellars are …
How to extend your growing season with a Hoophouse. When the weather turns cold, many gardeners think it's time to pack it in until warm weather returns. Although its true that a hard frost or freeze can stop vegetable plants in their tracks, a hoophouse can protect plants and extend the growing season well beyond …
A Photo Tour of Cheekwood Gardens and Estate - Nashville, Tennessee One of our favorite passions at This Is My Garden is to share in the beauty and stories of wonderful private and public gardens from all over. Whether it's a roof-top garden in the middle of a big city, a rural backyard home garden, …
Winter is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start preparing garden equipment and tools for winter storage! There is nothing more important to a gardener than the tools they use. Whether it be a favorite shovel, a trusted old tractor, or anything in between, it takes working equipment to get things …
It's apple season, and we couldn't be happier that one of our loyal readers has shared her family's famous homemade freezer apple sauce recipe for all to enjoy! To be exact, it is actually her Aunt Jeanie's famous homemade freezer apple sauce recipe! In addition to our weekly gardening articles, we try each month to …
There is simply no better time to plant trees than in the cool, crisp air of autumn. Whether dealing with fruit, nut, shade or ornamental trees, fall planting gives a tree's root structure time to gently acclimate to the soil before going dormant for the winter. Although trees can be planted nearly anytime the ground …
Autumn is here, and its time to head out and perform the all-important fall garden clean up! Clearing out and cleaning up the garden may seem like small potatoes, but it has a huge impact on the health and vitality of next year's garden. A proper fall garden clean up will help keep disease at …
You might be surprised just how simple, quick and easy it is to make homemade hot pepper flakes from the hot peppers growing in your garden! Hot pepper flakes are a great way to spice up everything from morning eggs to a slice of pizza. And if you have a bumper crop of hot peppers …
Whether you have daylillies, daisies, hostas, coral bells, black-eyed susans or nearly any perennial for that matter, late Summer and early Fall are the perfect time to divide perennials! Dividing perennials is an excellent way to add a whole slew of free plants to your landscape It also helps keep plants healthy, manageable, and blooming strong …
Some of the most common garden mistakes and landscaping miscues occur during the middle of summer. Summertime is great time to enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, all of that enjoying sometimes leads to a few forgotten chores. As much as gardeners worry about getting things "just right" in the spring, or putting their yard and garden …
There is simply no shortage of folklore when it comes to predicting winter. For as long as humans have roamed the earth, they have been passing down stories, myths and legends about how to tell how much snow will fall, or how cold the temperatures will plummet this coming winter. Some involve animals, while others …
So much work goes into garden planning and planting, that sometimes gardeners forget how important the process of harvesting vegetables is to the overall success of a garden. But good harvesting techniques really do matter when it comes to the continued production levels of plants. Here are 3 big keys to harvesting vegetables, and how …
Autumn is just around the corner, and its time to think about creating beautiful fall containers! Fall containers and flowering baskets are a great way to add color when summer's blooms begin to fade. As the autumn air turns crisp, there are a wide variety of great-looking plants that actually thrive in the cooler conditions. …
This week's article comes straight from the backyard garden of Sally Junkin, as she shares her award-winning blue ribbon fresh salsa recipe! One of the best things about planting a backyard garden is enjoying all of the wonderful homemade, super-fresh foods you can create from it. Whether it is crunchy homemade pickles, roasted eggplant, or …
Yes, summertime really is the perfect time for dividing hostas and daylilies! Many think that the summer heat is simply too hot to split and divide perennials from the landscape. This is indeed true for some plants. Take for instance ornamental grasses. Splitting and replanting grasses while in full-growth mode can lead to instant death for …
When it comes to adding a vivid splash of color to your landscape, nothing can beat a few hardy purple perennials! The color purple can add a vibrant focal point to your landscape. It also works as a great accent color to the many variations of green foliage of shrubs, bushes, trees and other landscape …
You might be amazed that by simply avoiding a few common mowing mistakes, you can have your yard looking beautiful in just a few weeks. Believe it or not, how you mow has a huge impact on the overall health of your lawn. In a time when billions are spent on a myriad of lawn …
One of the biggest secrets to gardening success is watering vegetable plants and flowers correctly. Pests, disease and weeds can certainly spell trouble for a gardener, But it is usually the lack of too much or too little water that creates the most trouble for plants. Although water needs will vary from climate to climate, …
There is something special about taking a midnight stroll and seeing night blooming plants in glorious full-bloom. Especially when it's in your own backyard! Moonlight Gardens, or garden spaces that can be enjoyed best in the dusk and dark of evening, have become all the rage. They use a combination of traditional bright blooming plants …