Outdoors Gardening

Named for Russian Princess Anna Pavlovna, Royal Empress Trees are kind of a miracle. They grow at a rate unmatched by any other tree and don’t care a lick what kind of soil they’re in. Some classify them as exotic invasive plants. Others are awed by their unique beauty and grand presence. I’ll let you decide.

I’m blue, da ba dee da ba die… Well, not quite. I’m a fan of blue. My hair is blue, ya know. I like blue decorative items, too. When it comes to finding garden decor that is blue, things get dicey. Not many flowers are blue, at least…not naturally. Want to find out what the most popular blue flowers are?

Keeping a tree stump in the yard can be a physical hazard and just get in the way. Decaying stumps also attract termites and ants, and then they migrate to gardens and the house.

It is illegal to plant invasive plants in most legal jurisdictions. You cannot even legally plant invasive plants in your yard in most cases, as many invasive plants spread quickly. The regulations and fines for invasive plants vary between states, so you must research local laws. 

When winter gives way to spring, it’s time to clean up the outside for garden and barbecue get-togethers.  As you begin mowing unruly patches of grass, dead leaves, and the occasional twig, your lawnmower simply stops.  

Rabbits are regarded as symbols of good luck and prosperity in many cultures. When you see one of these furry mammals hopping around your yard, however, you might not feel so lucky. While these animals are cute and often kept as pets, they can also inflict harm on your yard. If you’ve seen rabbits in your yard, you’ll want to prevent the damage they can cause and learn all the ways to keep them off your property for good.

Every gardener should aim to create a natural and organic home garden, but making this dream a reality isn’t always easy. Fertilizers, pest control products, and even potting soil often contain chemicals and other unhealthy man-made ingredients. While natural gardening isn’t always simple, there are many ways you can create a more organic garden in your yard this year.

Part of the reason why having a riding lawnmower is so beneficial is that you can cut your grass in half the time it would take with a push model. However, because these machines are relatively complex, they can experience a wider array of issues. One problem you may encounter is that the mower will not move while in neutral. If that happens, it can be tough to maneuver the machine, whether you’re trying to store it or roll it to a new spot.

Your property needs a facelift, starting with the landscape. Meanwhile, you’re struggling to decide which type of grass to install. Then you see that grasses come in different-sized pallets. So, now what? First, measure your property. Next, find out how many square feet are in a pallet of grass.

Creating a beautiful and lush yard that is the envy of the neighborhood is a lofty yet attainable goal for many homeowners. Understanding the right  grass to plant in your specific climate zone, coupled with your particular soil and sunlight, can make your lawn goals a reality.

Your modern John Deere lawnmower has three safety switches that safeguard against a variety of situations. One protects breaking, another manages cutting blades or other accessories, and the final switch guards against operation without an operator. The latter of which is referred to as the seat safety switch, and kills the engine or keeps it from starting unless the rider is sitting in the seat.

We’ve all seen a bare patch of land where grass once grew, but now only contains a sad mound of dirt. Terrible, isn’t it? If you’re like many homeowners, you want to avoid that ever being your lawn. Sometimes, though, things happen. Then, you need to take care of that issue ASAP, and that’s where a hidden technique called hydroseeding comes into play.

Whether it be a collection of houseplants or an outdoor garden, plants can trigger allergies and asthma. Most plants produce pollen and many of them even release spores that can irritate some people. Understandably, many homeowners with allergies and/or asthma, want to know the best plants to have.

Making your own compost is a great way to help the environment, while also providing free nutrient-dense soil for plants. While your compost pile takes months to break down and develop into the type of compost that is ready to add to your garden, its benefits are worth the wait. If you have a lot of compost you are excited to use, but aren’t ready to use it quite yet, you will want to find the best way to store compost so you can use it later.

Dairy products should never be added to your compost pile. For one, they tend to spoil and smell horrible after a while. This is particularly true when left outside in the sun. This scent can also attract animals.

One of the best and most popular uses for coconut coir in a garden is to improve soil aeration. If you live somewhere with dense or clay-like soil that is easily compacted, then coconut coir can make your soil conditions more favorable.

Whether you’re trying to hide an ugly fence line or want to add beauty to your landscape, there are a ton of good things to plant along your fence. Planting the right things along your fence line requires planning and forethought. Simply throwing some trees or plants into the ground isn’t going to be enough.

Between their appearance and dietary habits, carnivorous plants are endlessly fascinating. Mostly known as vicious bug predators in tropical areas, carnivorous plants have proven they can grow in many environments, inside or outside. So, what are the best carnivorous plants for indoors?

Fall weather can be so confusing, especially when it comes to your garden. Some days it may be cold and rainy, and then the next day it may be sunny and warm. So, when should you water outdoor plants for the last time of the year?

Irises are big and beautiful plants that come in over three hundred varieties. Irises range in size and color and are an excellent perennial addition to any garden or landscape. Adding irises is a great way to  help control moisture in the garden and invite some beautiful coloration to your space.

One of the easiest ways that anyone can try to remove dirt from underneath fingernails involves warm water and time. After gardening, prepare a large bowl, or plug your sink, and add warm or hot water, whatever is more comfortable for you. 

Many plant lovers throughout the world dream of having a greenhouse in their yard. While it is a blessing, it can also turn into a nightmare if you find mold. You’re not alone if you want to know how to prevent mold in a greenhouse to avoid headaches.

Although a lawnmower is not likely the most expensive machine you have, it can be relatively costly to repair it. One of the priciest repairs is a broken or bent crankshaft. Unfortunately, it may be better to replace the whole mower instead of fixing it if that does happen.

Planning a landscaping project or just want to liven up your house with a few potted plants? Home Depot offers a wide variety of flowers, trees, shrubs, and plants to help you find what you’re looking for. But what happens if you change your mind after your purchase? Can you return plants to Home Depot?

Whether you grow plants from seed or buy seedlings at your local nursery, you should know there’s an art to transplanting young plants into the ground. While many young plants are more resilient than they look, the last thing you want to do is make a mistake with your seedling. You'll want to do all you can to ensure your young plants survive this spring. 

Landscape fabric has been used for years to cover the ground around gardens and other landscaping where you are trying to prevent weeds. But many of the landscape fabrics are costly and can actually be bad for your plants and soil.

Proper lawn maintenance often requires using a variety of tools. A lawnmower on its own may not be enough to keep your yard well-manicured. For many homeowners, the usage of a tool such as a string trimmer is also necessary.

The most common weeding position is a kneeling position. This is because weeds come out of the ground, so the closer to the ground you are, the easier it is to pull them. What you might not know is that there are several types of kneeling positions, and some are better for your body when weeding than others.

Rabbits may be cute, but the cuteness wears off when they damage your plants and lawn. Not only do they eat soft flowers and vegetables, but they can also burrow into your soil and damage it. So, why are there so many rabbits in my yard?

Roses are the oldest flower ever recorded with archaeologists finding a rose fossil from 35 million years ago. In fact, the oldest living rose is more than a thousand years old! There are over two thousand types of roses from short ground cover to large rose bushes and heirloom to wild. That makes answering the question of when roses bloom a difficult one.

Attracting birds is much easier if you have a basic understanding of which birds live in your area. This can tell you a lot about their nesting habits and diet. From there, you can figure out what kind of plants and food you can use to attract birds. 

Gone are the days of standing outside with a hose to water your grass. Automatic sprinkler systems keep your lawn green without ever having to leave your house!

Summers are getting warmer, and heat waves are more common in many regions around the world. While many plants can handle normal summer heat, the extreme temperatures that accompany a heat wave can stress, burn, and kill even your most resilient plants. If there’s a stretch of hot weather heading your way, you’ll want to know all the ways you can protect your plants from the heat.

Automatic irrigation and sprinkler systems are extremely convenient, but like most things, they can develop issues over time. A common problem is that the sprinkler head won’t rotate. If this happens, you should repair it immediately to prevent future complications.

The first step to reviving your lawn after an overnight frost involves patience. As soon as you see glistening ice crystals on the blades of your beautiful grass, you may feel the urge to address the problem immediately. 

Lawn mowers have come a long way since the old push mowers of yesteryear. Now they push themselves, mulch your grass and sometimes even take you for a ride. If you recently purchased a new mower, you are probably eager to take it out for its first mow. But in making room for your new mower you are left wondering what you should do with your old mower.

A greenhouse lets homeowners expand their gardening capabilities and extend their growing season. However, a greenhouse can also attract many pests looking for shelter and food sources, including snakes. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to keep snakes out of your greenhouse.

There are riding, push, and self-propelled mowers. There are mowers that self-bag, that have no bags, and that have built-in mulchers. There are high-powered and pricey riding mowers, and more affordable and basic pushing mowers, and seemingly a million different options for mowers in between. While having choices in mowers is a good thing, it also creates more potential for finding lawn tractor brands to avoid.

There are several different kinds of flowers in the Dianthus genus. Some of these include carnations, Sweet Williams, and maiden pinks. Dianthus flowers have pink, lavender, or pink blooms and these flowers are extremely popular with gardeners.

The first major safety question you need to ask yourself when you notice a tick on your body is how long the tick has been there. This is an important for two reasons. First, the longer a tick has been in your skin, the more embedded and stubborn it is likely to be. 

Australian music teacher Marion Sinclair wrote a song for her students about black gum trees. Maybe you’ve heard it? “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, eating all the gumdrops he can see.” The beauty of the gum tree and its animal inhabitants deserves to be remembered in song.

A bug or animal’s appearance doesn’t necessarily tell you whether or not it’s good for your garden. After all, some scary-looking snakes and lizards are harmless, whereas some cute bugs are poisonous. So, are skinks good for your garden?

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a popular species of tropical vine plants, distinguished by their glossy, heart shaped leaves and long, trailing stems. They are typically one of the first houseplants that novice plant parents own, and for good reason. These indoor plants are incredibly easy to grow, require minimal care, and are very versatile. For example, you can grow pothos up a moss pole, in a hanging pot and the leaves will drape downwards, or horizontally across windowsills, mantles, and tables.

Having a sprinkler system makes it easier to keep your lawn beautiful. But, when they go underground and do not come back up, they are not doing much good. What happens when you cannot find a sprinkler head that has gone underground?

If you live somewhere with long cold winters, you may go months without seeing green plants sprouting from the ground. This means the days of picking fresh herbs from your outdoor garden are suspended until the weather warms up. But if you love to cook and sprinkle fresh herbs into your meals throughout the year, you are probably wondering if any herbs can survive indoors in the winter.

At one point or another, you’re probably going to have to deal with animals or bugs eating your plants. Unfortunately, that’s part of being a gardener, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. It’s easier to fight back if you know what’s been eating your plants.

Growing vegetables in a garden is a simple way to get fresh veggies. Growing certain things is a relatively easy endeavor, too. Even still, there are certain things that can impact things like tomatoes and even cucumber plants.

The thought of a termite infestation makes many homeowners cringe. These tiny pests can have a huge impact–and not in a positive way. If you’re looking to avoid termites, one of the best things you can do is choose a termite-resistant mulch.

We all cut our grass in different ways. Some of us can get by with a traditional push mower while others use a riding lawn tractor. Whatever the case, there is a common problem that most of us have experienced before: a stuck rear wheel.

After several hot summers and significant changes in water levels in many areas, water usage has become a critical consideration for many homeowners. This is especially true for those who have gardens and lawns in drought-prone areas. There is not a whole lot one individual can do to increase the water levels in an entire region. There are, however, a lot of different ways you can create a stunning and thriving garden with very little water.

Typically, when talking about riding lawnmowers, the most common elements to discuss are its horsepower, cutting capabilities, and turning radius. However, one other critical component is its weights. Chances are that you haven’t thought much about your mower’s weight (unless you had to transport it somewhere), but it matters.

There’s always some confusion when it comes to the cayenne pepper. What is it? Is cayenne a pepper or a spice? And when is the best time to pick cayenne pepper? We shirk away from the unknown, and especially from the spicy unknown. But in reality, we use cayenne pepper every day to flavor our favorite dishes. That pizza you’re enjoying? You can thank cayenne pepper for that fiery tang. 

Gardening is fun and tranquil, albeit physically exhausting in some cases. No matter how much time you spend in the garden, you will likely get sweaty and dirty. Because of that, many homeowners struggle with what to wear when gardening.

Plant care involves more that fertilizing and watering them. Right from the start, putting plants in unhealthy soil will affect their growth, and many factors affect soil health. So, how important is soil temperature?

Lawn care is often more complicated than many people realize. There are many invasive plants that look similar to desirable plants that you’d actually want in your lawn. For instance, St. Augustine grass and crabgrass look almost the same, but they are two very different plants.

Some homeowners embrace the fall and winter, whereas others dread the cold temperatures. However, many can agree that taking a break from many standard yard chores, like mowing the lawn, can be nice. So, when should you stop mowing your lawn before the winter?

If you are worried about people seeing into your home through the windows, then consider installing an extra set of curtains. Most people have a heavy set of curtains to block the sun or provide complete privacy at night. 

One of the perks of living in a warm climate is it allows you to grow all sorts of exotic and tropical plants. Depending on your exact location, you might be able to grow citrus trees, stunning tropical blossoms, and even banana trees. But even subtropical and hot climates can experience an occasional and unexpected cold snap that can put these plants at risk of dying. So when there is a frost you need to make sure you take steps to protect your tropical plants from freezing.

One of the most deadly reptiles in America is the rattlesnake. This snake is known for its shaking tail that makes a loud, rattling sound. The snake often makes this sound when an animal (or human) gets too close for its comfort.

For many homeowners, choosing the grade of oil they use in their lawn mower can be tricky. A common oil grade that people use in their lawn mower is SAE30. However, many people wonder whether or not they can swap out the SAE30 in favor of 10W30.