Outdoors Gardening

Does the sound of running water help you relax? If so, you’re not alone, and that’s why so many people put fountains in their yards and gardens. Fountains and ponds can work wonders to help you relax and enjoy a nice escape without leaving home. 

When you own a good amount of land, the upkeep can be a little more comprehensive. Mowing a larger lawn can become a little overwhelming with just a push mower at your disposal. Thankfully, there are riding lawn mowers that can make the job a bit easier.

One way to ensure you pick healthy flowers without hurting the plant you are trimming from is to choose the right time of day. Try to pick flowers in the early morning, but before you water the garden for the day. This is when plants are fully hydrated, and the weather is typically cooler. Plants are strong, healthy, and happy at this time. Therefore, taking a few stems won’t hurt them as much at all.

Early fall is the best time to bring plants inside in most climates. Some homeowners even bring their plants indoors as early as August. It’s a great idea to bring many of your plants inside once the low temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can’t permanently get rid of poison ivy in your yard until you know where it all is. That’s because the poison ivy you see each day may not be all that’s on your property. Some homeowners mistakenly smother and kill poison ivy in certain areas and miss it in other parts of their yards. 

Mosquitoes are attracted to light, and they also love water. A glistening water feature in full sun, like a bird bath, is a mosquito's paradise. It has many of the ideal conditions for these pests to lay their eggs, so a bird bath will quickly attract them.

Skinks may appear gross and scary, but they are far from it. While these small garden lizards aren’t dangerous, they are still a nuisance and can be quite annoying to deal with. Many homeowners understandably struggle with how to get rid of skinks.

As a fan of retrowave music, I am a palm tree fan by default. I love palm trees. As in, I actually want to move to California as a result of them having palm trees. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. With that said, it only became recently clear to me how many different types of palm trees there are out there. The palm family is way larger than album art suggests!

The sponge gourd is a very unique and fast-growing gourd species. It grows thin and long like their relatives, the squash. It loves warm and tropical climates and requires full sun. While these gourds at first are edible, they eventually become very fibrous, and turn into a natural loofah. 

Summer heat waves have become common throughout the world, and these prolonged periods of hot weather make it more challenging to keep plants alive. Your garden needs plenty of water in the heat of summer, but it can be uncomfortable and dangerous to spend hours watering outside when temperatures are high. 

Pill bugs may look cute and harmless, but it’s easy to hate them when you see how much time they spend eating your plants. It can also be disheartening when you constantly see the pill bug population grow in your yard. That’s why we compiled the six best ways to stop pill bugs from eating your plants.

A big part of the joy of composting is that you get to see your progress week after week. Unfortunately, this becomes much less rewarding during the winter, when organic matter decomposes more slowly. However, you can avoid many common winter composting pitfalls if you keep a few simple tips in mind.

Most of the world’s stunning blossoms require plenty of sunlight to thrive. This is because sunlight gives plants the energy to create stunning and intricate flowers, but sometimes, too much sun can have fatal consequences. With intense sunlight and long days, the dangers of extreme heat and dehydration become very real. If you live in an area with very hot summers, then you need to find flowering plants that can withstand these arid, sunny conditions.

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. 

A riding mower is supposed to make your life easier. After all, no one likes pushing around a mower, right? Well, it only will be a breeze if your riding mower will move in one direction or another. When a riding mower won’t move forward or reverse, things can get very dicey. Sadly, this can be caused by a wide variety of different things…

There are millions of fungi species growing around the world. Some fungi are harmless, some are delicious, and others are poisonous. Unfortunately, there are fungus varieties that can also be very harmful to your plants. Certain fungi can destroy entire gardens if left unchecked, which is why you must know all the warning signs that your garden has a fungus problem.

Having the perfect lawn is a goal for many homeowners. Luscious green grass is a status symbol in many neighborhoods, but achieving a pristine lawn is a formidable challenge that isn’t for everyone. Whether you are sick of paying a high water bill or can’t dedicate the time required to maintaining healthy grass, sometimes it’s easier to give up on grass altogether. If you’re ready to say goodbye to your lawn, the first step is finding the best way to kill your grass.

It is sometimes nothing more than an eyesore, and sometimes it is much more. Regardless of how it is perceived though, that hole in the yard or glaringly uneven area in the lawn is a problem. The simple answer, of course, is to fill the hole or build up the low spot. That is where the real question also arises. Namely, those questions typically sound like what can or should be used to fill that hole in the yard? Can sand, topsoil, fill dirt, or potting soil be used?

Mowing the lawn is an important, but often dreaded activity. As the summer heat increases, this chore can become hot, sweaty, and altogether exhausting. So, there may come a time when you have procrastinated longer than you should have, and find yourself needing to mow the lawn in the immediate future. But if the immediate future calls for rain, you might find yourself wondering if you can cut the grass when it is still wet.

May is synonymous with rebirth. The ground has thawed and spring blooms explode in a celebration of color, welcoming the longer days and warm weather. May is also home to a significant holiday – Mother’s Day. And while most mothers tend to love any gift they receive from their children, it can sometimes feel overwhelming when shopping for a gift for Mom. But the good news is, Mother’s Day could not come at a better time because May is the perfect time to buy your mom an amazing gardening gift that she can use right away.

All plants need water to survive, but some need more than others. When you live in a flood-prone area and have soil that is constantly wet, you face unique home gardening challenges. Some plants get waterlogged and develop rotted roots in damp soil, while others thrive. If you have a saturated yard, you need to grow plants that do well in flood-prone environments.

Maintaining a garden is a big responsibility, as you must keep up with maintenance. Of course, watering is the biggest chore, and you may worry about how much water you waste each day. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to conserve water in the garden.

If you want a maple that provides the most dramatic and vibrant foliage in the autumn, then the red maple is a great choice. In the fall, many maple species have leaves that turn yellow or orange with hints of brown. Red maple leaves, however, turn a rich red.

When using a gas lawnmower, you become accustomed to the loud revving the engine makes. However, what happens if you notice a sound that isn’t supposed to be there? In some cases, you might hear a loud, clanking sound while mowing. If you do, it could indicate one of a few different problems.

If you’ve ever done any planting or gardening, you’ve likely had to purchase plant pots. You might have also noticed that plant pots are extremely expensive if you want new, quality plant pots. However, plant pots are merely containers to hold a plant when you think about it. Why, then, are plant pots so costly?

It’s hard to enjoy your vacation if you can’t stop thinking about your plants back home. Many plant lovers know that feeling all too well, and it can sometimes keep them from taking vacations. You’re not alone if you’ve ever worried about how to keep your plants alive while you're away on vacation.

Spider mites can wreak havoc on plants and even kill them. They can quickly turn your idyllic garden into a nightmare that is hard to recover from. Many homeowners struggle with how to get rid of spider mites.

Almost every kitchen has eggs in it. After you crack eggs, you may set them aside for your compost, or simply toss them in the trash. Moving forward, consider crushing them up and adding them to your soil.

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?

One of the best tiny plants to incorporate into your home with limited space is an air plant. These exotic plants thrive in hanging terrariums, or simple glass bowls. Some species flower from time to time, offering tropical color to your space.

Thornless honeylocust is a frequently-used tree that’s commonly found in urban areas. It has beautiful yellow leaves in autumn. Plus, thornless honeylocusts provide plenty of dappled shade that still allows grass to grow underneath.

Having live plants around your home can not only be beautiful to look at, but they can help improve your air quality as well. Choosing the right pot for your plant is essential. Something too small can inadvertently cram your plant into a tight living space, which can stunt its growth. But, is there any danger in choosing a pot that is too big for the plant?

Lavender is a great plant to grow indoors near a sunny window. These plants don’t require lots of water and enjoy a bit of shade. Furthermore, lavender is a soothing herb that produces beautiful purple flowers, making it a practical and ornamental indoor plant.

There are many benefits to having a birdbath in your yard. This garden feature attracts various species of birds, which is great for bird watchers and for the plants in your garden. Birds and other pollinators flock to these pools of water, pollinate your garden, and eat many garden pests at the same time. To ensure your birdbath continues to serve a vital function on your property, you need to know how to properly clean and fill it.

Walk behind string trimmers are exceptional at reaching places that standard lawnmowers can’t go. If you want to up the ante, can you put a blade on a walk behind string trimmer?

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.

When you’ve had a riding lawnmower for so long, one thing you’ll start to notice is that it will get slower. When that happens, it will take longer to mow the yard, meaning that your machine is working less efficiently. If you have a hydrostatic mower, you might want to increase the speed so that you can get the job done in less time.

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?

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. 

Are you having issues with starting up your riding mower? When you go to start it, does it crank over but not completely startup? Thankfully, riding mowers aren’t very complicated pieces of equipment, and the owner can quickly resolve most issues. This will help save you money and time on bringing it into a shop. However, if this happens to you, what do you do?

Raccoons don’t build elaborate nests. Instead, they look for well-equipped shelters and then call them home. Hollowed-out trees and crawl spaces under decks and sheds are all ideal homes for these animals.

January is not a month most people in cold climates associate with gardening. While it’s true the outdoor conditions are harsh this time of year, it’s still possible to get ahead on your spring vegetable garden by starting plants indoors. The key is knowing which herbs and vegetables will sprout when you start them from seed indoors.

Having a nice-looking lawn comes with its own set of responsibilities and maintenance. When choosing between Bermuda and fescue grass, there are a few things to consider. We are going to show the differences between the two, and which might be the right one for your lawn.

Blooming in shades of pink, purple, lilac, and white, vibrant wisteria vines and trees are beautiful flowering plants that are perfect for the nostalgic gardener. Their heavy, dangling clusters of flowers and twisted branches fill garden landscapes with fragrance and color. Wisteria grows up to an astounding 12 feet in a single growing season, making it very quick and easy to train the vine up a pergola or arbor.

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.

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.

When properly placed, trees in the backyard can make for a beautiful visual aesthetic. It can also provide quality privacy in areas where homes are closely bunched together. Maintaining privacy in those close quarters can be of the utmost importance.

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.

Citrus trees are fantastic to grow in subtropical climates and other regions with mild winters. They are usually compact and relatively self-sufficient once established. They also provide numerous benefits, including a wealth of delicious fruit. While most citrus trees produce fruit, harvests can vary significantly year to year. There are, however, several ways you can encourage your citrus trees to produce more fruit year after year.

Planting a garden adds beauty to your home’s exterior and is also a great stress reliever. But if your plants struggle to grow, it can become frustrating. Gardening takes knowledge for flowers, plants, and veggies to flourish, like choosing the proper soil and planting space. If you decide to use planters, you might wonder if you can use garden soil in pots?

Wasps are lean, mean, and ready to sting you and ruin your time in the garden. They wreak havoc on countless homeowners during the spring and summer. The average homeowner would do anything to keep wasps away. Understandably, many people struggle with how to get rid of wasps.

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.

A pergola is a wonderful and show-stopping outdoor structure that provide sshade and opulence. It also gives you additional usable space in your backyard. Most pergolas look lovely on their own, but a lot of these structures can benefit from a bit of plant life. While some people opt to garden along the borders of a pergola, to truly bring some charm and whimsy to your pergola, you should introduce a vine or creeping plant.

If you are looking for an easy-to-grow edible flower to add to anything from pizza to salad, look no further than the nasturtium. This vine-like flower species grows quickly, and produces lots of blooms.

One excellent way to use jalapeños is to add them to baked goods like bread. Cornbread is a particularly perfect place to add these spicy peppers. The sweetness of the corn helps to offset some of the spice of the pepper, but you still get the delicious flavor.

No gardener wants to find aphids invading their plants, whether it's outdoors or indoors. Aphids are among the most stubborn garden pests, and getting rid of them isn’t always easy. However, it isn’t as hard as it seems if you know what to do.

You may be familiar with lemon balm if you know much about adaptogens. Adaptogens naturally trigger the stress response system to relieve anxiety. It’s a beautiful, tasty herb that provides a natural, healthy way to cope with stress and anxiety. 

Aphids are one of the most common threats to a garden and even houseplants. There are more than 1,000 types of these bugs, which means they can exist in just about every climate. What makes these pests particularly tricky is that they can feed on the entire plant. They will suck on the leaves, stems, and even the roots of a plant.

Choosing between sod and grasses is not only aesthetic but also often about function and climate. One grass may be better looking while another may be better suited for the environment that you live in. Two common tropical types of grass are Bermuda and Zoysia, but what’s the difference between them, and which is better?

Snake plants can grow just about anywhere with a bit of sun and pleasant temperatures. They require practically no maintenance, and can even grow hydroponically, with no soil at all. This makes them great for a bathroom, as they won’t leave soil residue like other plants.