Improve Your Home and Garden
Ever driven through a neighborhood where the houses looked pretty much alike, but some were clearly more interesting than others? Take a closer look next time and you’ll soon spot the difference: landscape design. The grounds that surround a home can often make the difference between the ordinary and the spectacular. And that, according to [...]
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Seems like everyone has discovered outdoor living spaces. Many homeowners are even tearing out their lawns to create these “living room extensions.” Not only do they give you additional space to entertain and spend time with your family, they often add significant value to your home. Versatile outdoor living spaces can be as simple or [...]
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Creeping Winter Savory is an underutilized culinary herb that belongs to the genus Satureja. The word Satureja, simply translated, means savory. Creeping Winter Savory Satureja montana ‘Illyrica’ is low growing and makes an attractive addition to rock gardens or cascading over the edge of containers or pots. In addition it makes an attractive front border [...]
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Inspired by the rising popularity of locally grown food plus a desire to be thrifty during these iffy economic times, many homeowners have begun growing their own fruits and vegetables. Come harvest time, however, even a modestly sized garden can produce a bumper crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and radishes that one family [...]
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The last few weeks of summer are upon us, and it’s time to combat pond scum and get your pond ready for fall. Here are a few tips to make that late summer/early fall care for water treatments a little easier. To keep water quality healthy, hand remove dead, dying and unwanted pond weeds from your [...]
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Most people can’t tell the difference between a bee and a yellow jacket. So here’s the short course: Yellow jackets ruin barbecues. Bees pollinate, and some make honey. So if you want more flowers and a bountiful crop of fruits and vegetables, you want bees. It’s that simple. “People really don’t understand the role honeybees [...]
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Its 5:00 PM and your dinner guests are due in an hour. You put the finishing touches on the table when you realize something’s missing. Oh no! There’s no centerpiece! What can you do at the last minute? Well, if you’re lucky enough to have a few things around, like flowers and filler material, you can [...]
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Hidden deep in southeast Portland in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood along Johnson Creek, Leach Botanical garden is a wonderland of the exotic and the native, blended in a style all its own. It’s been called “Portland’s best kept secret” and no wonder. “The garden was the outgrowth of John and Lilla Leach’s fascination with plants,” [...]
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We could literally fill our website with the horror stories we’ve heard of local trade contractor let-downs. It’s a heart-breaking reality, but there are contractors out there who would shamelessly waste your hard earned dollars with shoddy workmanship. Instead, we’d rather share a hot tip on this great website with you!
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National Garden Clubs, Inc., promotes a range of gardening from the aesthetic to the practical. The organization is divided into many sub-topics, such as… The Historic Gardens and Trails. This committee is devoted to providing historical research and policies for the historic preservation and conservation of gardens and buildings. The Memorial Gardens which provides guidelines and recognition [...]
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Container gardening is one of the topics taught in National Garden Club’s Gardening Study School The Gardening Study Schools were established in May 1977 as a program through the National Garden Clubs. The Gardening Study Schools are conducted in each Region of NGC and its International Affiliates and covers a wide range of horticulture. School [...]
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A small greenhouse sounds appealing to many homeowners, especially as the price of fresh produce continues to rise. Yet to some homeowners it also sounds … complicated. A new method of growing doesn’t have to be difficult, though. Larry Strobel of Simply Solar Greenhouses in Bell City, MO, shared tips and information on getting started [...]
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The purpose of landscape lighting goes far beyond looks. Homeowners install it for security purposes to discourage potential thieves from lurking in the shadows. They also use it for safety, such as illuminating steps that become practically hidden at night. Of course, well-designed outdoor lighting is also beautiful, and when installed in something as utilitarian [...]
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Dear Flora, Last spring we planted 2 younger sugar maples and they have done well. But now I’m concerned about keeping them strong and healthy. My neighbor says they need “frequent” fertilizing, but he wasn’t more specific. Can you help? National Garden Club’s “Ask Flora” Answers… Sure. Your tree should be fertilized when it will do [...]
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Dear Flora, We recently tore down an old barn just west of our house and now realize that it had provided a nice windbreak. Can you suggest some trees suitable as a windbreak replacement? – Indiana Homeowner National Garden Club’s “Ask Flora” Answers… Your Indiana soil is probably fairly sandy, so sturdy pine trees would [...]
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The old adage is true: you get what you pay for. While it’s tempting, especially in these times, to cut costs wherever possible when updating your home, homeowners looking for short-term savings, especially when it comes to outdoor lighting companies, may find that the actual cost of a shoddy installation will become much greater in [...]
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There are countless articles on blogs and in magazines ranting about organic fertilizers or “the next big thing” in sustainable agriculture. But what is sustainable agriculture all about? Pardon the pun, but I feel it means a return to our roots. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mycorrhizae (pronounced my-core-rye-zuh), a little fungus that could [...]
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Dear Flora, Last spring I bought several pots of tuberous begonias and transplanted them into a window box on the east side of my house. They produced some blooms but were not as vigorous or abundant as I had expected. Do you have any suggestions for my plants this spring? National Garden Club’s “Ask Flora” [...]
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With the GroPole, you stake your vegetables once and the pole extends as the plants grow. Starting a garden at home has never been easier than with the help of the GroPole. The GroPole is telescoping stalk-helper that extends as the plant grows. There is no longer a need to replace old plant stakes or [...]
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