In the San Francisco Bay Area, I rarely have to worry about a frost, which means that I can leave plants out all year round without incident. I know that's hardly the case with readers living in the Midwest and on the East Coast, though.
Steve, over at Gardening Gone Wild, recently wrote, "I overwinter a host of plants in my cold dark basement.
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Remember how I was saying that I couldn't seem to keep plants alive? I'm ashamed to admit it, but I just found out it may not just be my negligence after all! It might be that I'm picking the wrong plants for the environment they would be growing in.
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There's one thing that these plants, known as Tillandsias, don't need to grow. They require minimal maintenance, and are ideal for you black thumbs out there. Can you name the one ingredient that these plants do not need to grow?
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One of the most beautiful weddings I've ever attended used succulents as centerpieces at the reception. The unusual plants were nestled in small colored glass votives that were laden with pretty, tiny pebbles. Would you use succulents as centerpieces at a wedding or a party?
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The next time you're attending a housewarming party, once you've built your housewarming bucket, you'll need a cheerful card to wish your friends or neighbors well in their new digs. The Hello! Lucky Welcome Home Greeting Card ($4.50) will fit the bill and then some.
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As if the ominous name didn't clue you in, death caps are very dangerous. This species is responsible for the majority – 95 percent! – of fatal mushroom poisoning of people and pets.
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I recently showed you some tricks for repelling deer from your garden without pulling out your rifle. But probably the simplest way to keep Bambi away from your beloved plants is to choose plants that he doesn't find palatable. To begin, you should certainly avoid planting hostas, lilies, tulips, hollyhocks, impatiens, sunflowers, crocus, daylilies, lobelia, phlox, rose, and yews, which are deer faves.
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For most of us, Summer is about being outdoors, enjoying the warm weather, and surrounding yourself with nature. When Fall comes, we bundle up, move indoors, and say goodbye to our gardens as they begin their descent into frosty Winter. But, one way you can have an endless Summer is to choose perennials with late-flowering habits for your garden.
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Don't let a nosy pooch sniff around or dig up any flowers you haven't planted yourself! If Summer travels take you to new parks or yards, double check that the gardens don't use cocoa mulch, a common fertilizer made from poisonous cocoa beans. Just like chocolate, it contains theobromine, a chemical that can cause vomiting, muscle tremors, or even death to furry friends.
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I avowed to use technology last week to help me keep plants alive — a daunting feat if you know me — but Botanicalls, though impressive and aggressively geeky, is just a little too involved for me. Enter Grobal pots, which, though low tech, are exactly the kind of gadget I need.
Grobal's sophisticated reservoir knows when the plant needs water and nutrients and gives it up, unlike, well, me.
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