The snow blankets my garden beds, and I peer out longingly at them each morning. The frozen ground is no longer fit to be dug, and most of the straggler plants have wilted away. Each year I have grand plans to build cold frames and harvest through the winter. I tried it once in my…
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How Much Dirt Does my Raised Bed Garden Need?
One of the benefits of raised bed gardening is the ability to use your own soil mix. It’s a serious advantage for those stuck living in places where the soil quality is poor or where there’s no soil to speak of (e.g., those who have a concrete yard). But how do you figure out how…
Repel Cockroaches Naturally Using These Ingredients At Home
No one wants to see a cockroach running across the floor of their home. Cockroaches generally prefer to stay put of the light but they’ll scuttle around if they have to. In fact, if you think you have a cockroach issue you should leave the room in darkness for 10 minutes and then quickly open…
Prepping for the Holidays: Cooking in Advance
Canadian Thanksgiving has already come and gone, but Americans are patiently awaiting the day when they’ll get to enjoy turkey, stuffing, and all the delicious sides. Other holidays are around the corner, too. Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, and New Years, all coming in hot. Are you already stressing about your next family gathering? Whether you’re the…
Closing Down the Garden
Here’s your quick reminder that now is probably the time to start thinking about closing up the garden if you haven’t already done so. The cold weather is slowly trickling in, and garden production is creeping to a halt. Don’t wait till the last minute to put away tools, pull out plants, and get everything…
5 Quick-Growing Trees to Consider Planting This Fall
Fall is the optimal time to plant many tree species. It’s dryer than most months and not too warm. Heat is unlikely to damage young newly planted trees, and root systems are more likely to thrive in fall conditions. If you’re looking for a quick-growing tree to plant this fall, we’ve got five suggestions below. …
Avoid These 5 Costly Fall Garden Mistakes
Summertime errors in gardening are usually easy to fix. Forgot to prune your tomatoes, and now the foliage is out-of-control? No problem. Just trim the excess and choose an appropriate support structure. Forgot to water for a few days? Most plants will be fine, and if not, it’s likely you still have time to re-plant…
Please, I Beg You. Bring in Your Tender Potted Plants!
Every year around this time as I walk around the neighborhood with my dogs or pass by homes on my morning runs, I see the insane amount of people who throw away potted plants. In the summer, when the weather is hot and toasty, people calmer to buy all the beautiful plants at the nursery….
5 Things You Can Probably Still Plant Now for a Fall Harvest
The warmth has returned for but a moment this week, though it definitely gets chilly throughout the night. As I slowly pull out spent crops from the garden, I’m still taking the time to pay attention to new seedlings poking through the earth. That’s right. Things are still growing in the garden! Even as fall…
Fall is Slowly Approaching: What to Do in the Garden
As soon as the calendar flipped to September and ‘back to school’ was declared, Mother Nature seemed to follow suit. Nighttime temperatures chilled rapidly, and in the mornings, I need to throw on a sweater to head outside. I’ve wholeheartedly embraced the fall season. My pumpkin decorations are out, my candles are flickering on the credenza,…