Outdoors Gardening

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?

Raised garden beds have grown in popularity, and it’s with good reason. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also easy to take care of if you don’t have a lot of gardening experience. The improved soil drainage, accessibility, mobility, and weed control make raised garden beds quite enjoyable. 

Troy-Bilt mowers are excellent machines. There are times when you may have to do a bit of maintenance, though. Changing the spark plug, air filter, oil, and gasoline are essential to the running of your Troy-Bilt. However, you also need to know how to adjust your belt on the mower.

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. 

Your trusted and reliable Briggs and Stratton engine is showing signs of trouble.  You have noticed gas leaking around the air filter.  You begin to wonder if it is time to replace that old engine with a new one.

By keeping your fig trees properly pruned, you will allow them to produce sweeter, more flavorful figs. Pruning enables the hormones and sugars to make their way all the way up the branches and into the fruits. While the process isn’t entirely complicated, many home gardeners are at a loss as to how to prune a fig tree.

If you’ve grown a vegetable garden every year since you can remember, then you probably have the process down pat. You know what to buy, when to plant, and you can even anticipate harvesting dates. While there are many benefits to repeating your gardening successes, you might want to make this year’s garden more exciting by adding some unique and exotic plants you’ve never grown before.

Mold forms in terrariums because of excessive moisture and poor airflow. You can also accidentally introduce mold to your terrarium via contaminated rocks, plants, and decorations from a pet store. Mold is especially common in dark, stagnant terrariums that don’t get enough attention.

Not everyone likes earthworms, but you can’t deny that they’re extremely beneficial. Worms can increase the nutrient availability in your soil, aerate the soil, and support healthy plant growth. You can make a huge difference in your plants’ success this summer if you attract worms to your garden.

Anytime between December and March is ideal for cutting down trees. That’s because trees go dormant during this time in many parts of the United States. This makes it easier to cut down trees, especially if they are as dry as possible.

Lawnmowers rely on numerous components working in unison in order to deliver the performance expected of them. If even one of those components is not working properly, you may encounter issues while trying to maintain your yard.

Whether you’re growing palm trees in your yard or a small palm plant inside your home, you likely selected them to enjoy their magnificent, lush green fronds. When palm trees flourish they are reminiscent of paradise and island getaways but have you noticed the leaves of your palm tree turning yellow?

Spring is the most important time to plant most flowers. Not all flowers will thrive and grow if you plant them in spring, however, so it’s important to choose the right ones. What are the best flowers to plant in spring?

One great way to deter skunks from entering and spraying in your yard is to install outdoor motion sensor lights. Skunks are nocturnal animals, which means they do most of their moving around at night. Motion-sensor outdoor lighting tends to startle nocturnal animals and usually makes them want to head elsewhere.

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?

The transmission has a significant role to play, as it adjusts the engine gears for a better drive, movement, and speed in a vehicle. A lawn tractor also needs a decent transmission system for working on various types of terrain. So, should you choose a hydrostatic transmission or a manual?

Cilantro has many health benefits, whether you eat it or use it topically. You can turn cilantro into an essential oil, or simply use it as is. For example, some people mix ground cilantro with plain yogurt, rice powder, and coconut milk. 

There are tons of different types of bonsai trees. Just about any tree can be altered into a bonsai form. Therefore, there is not a universal growing condition that bonsais enjoy. There are, however, a few challenges to growing bonsai indoors.

Regardless of whether you are in the market for a mower and are thinking of purchasing a Gravely or you already have one, knowing the average life span is important. Especially when buying one of their more expensive Pro-Turn Kawasaki mowers that costs upwards of $14,000.

Lawns can be fickle, and it’s all too easy to overwater or underwater your grass. Grass becomes straw-like when it gets too little water. Overwatering can damage your lawn’s root system, and that’s hard to come back from.

Storing your extra peppers is the best option after picking too many of them. That way, you can enjoy your peppers for a long time even after the growing season is over. Luckily, peppers hold up well if you properly store them in airtight containers.

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. 

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.

It’s no secret that butterflies are highly beneficial to any garden. They can help contribute to a healthy garden ecosystem, and they are great to look at. Luckily, there are many easy ways to attract butterflies to your garden.

Does your home have lots of tall trees? Or maybe you have tall shrubs or even high-climbing vines that tend to grow out of control. Regardless of exactly what type of hard-to-reach plant life you have in your yard, it is bound to become difficult and even frustrating to maintain your home’s landscaping once you can no longer reach the plants. This is where pole saws and pole pruners come in handy. But what exactly are pole saws and pole pruners, and when is it a good idea to use one over the other?

If you're a plant-lover, then you can relate to the pain of watching your favorite plants wither away when temperatures plummet. That doesn’t need to be the case, however, as many plants can survive and even thrive throughout cold weather. So, what are some of the best plants that survive winter?

Moving dirt can be a big project. Most people will not have the tools, or equipment, needed for moving a large amount of dirt. There are a few options for getting the job done, some cheap, some not so cheap. It depends on how much dirt, and how far you need to move the dirt.

Redbud trees are vibrantly colored trees that can really change the aesthetic of a property. And like any other tree that would get planted in a backyard, there are things to take into consideration. Remember, you want the tree to be protected and healthy, but you also want to keep your home protected as well.

If you want a lush, green, gorgeous lawn, you need plenty of water to fuel it. For those who love their yard, there isn’t much worse than turning on your sprinkler system in the middle of the summer only to discover that there is no water coming out.

Photographs and memes of bright sunflowers facing each other have long circulated the internet and been the subject of many chain emails. The memes suggest that when the weather is cloudy or, overcast sunflowers will turn to face one another. Sunflowers can feed off each other’s energy by facing each other, or so the belief and widely circulated memes tout. But is this true?

Nothing is more annoying than when weeds from your neighbor’s yard spill over into your yard. This is especially true if you take pride in your yard and don’t have a problem with weeds yourself. It’s also an eyesore to look at a yard full of weeds. Understandably, you may struggle with what to do when your neighbor’s yard is full of weeds.

Phlox is one of the most vibrant, popular plants, and it’s a fixture in countless gardens. That said, phlox goes dormant between fall and early spring like many perennials. Some homeowners don’t cut phlox back, and that’s fine in some cases.

You hop on your Cub Cadet riding mower, start the engine with no problem, put the lever into forward, and release the clutch. Nothing. No movement. The engine sits idling happily and you are going now where. What is the problem when a Cub Cadet hydrostatic transmission won’t move?

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.

Early spring and fall are the best times to move plants because of the weather and growth conditions. Plants are rarely in bloom during early spring and fall, so you are unlikely to harm them. Flowers are much more likely to go into shock and even die if you move them during the peak of spring and summer.

One of the most underrated fast-growing flowers on the planet is the nasturtium. These reddish orange blooming flowers can be planted indoors from seed in late winter, and bloom in the spring. If you live in a warmer climate, they will grow back every year. 

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.

Sprinklers are a highly useful tool for keeping a yard or garden properly and consistently watered. They can even be scheduled and automated so that they require little intervention from the user. At the end of the day, they are quite effective for proper yard and garden care.

Whether you like bugs or not, some of them are good for your garden. The average homeowner doesn’t like having to navigate a sea of insects and arachnids while doing yard work. However, it’s unavoidable, and many of them are more beneficial than you may think. So, what bugs are good for your garden?

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?

Foxes don’t go into your yard because they want to play around: they’re there for food. However, they won’t stick around your yard for too long if they can’t find any food. They are drawn to fruit, vegetables, and even compost bins. 

Spring is the most exciting time of year for anybody with a green thumb. The excitement and possibilities of picking out plants and planting seeds are incredible. However, it can be disconcerting when you discover moldy soil in your garden or potted plants. So, is moldy soil bad?

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.

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?

Dahlias are a beautiful perennial flower that can last for a long time if you properly care for them. They come in a variety of colors and are a lovely addition to any garden.

Edging out a flower bed used to mean digging the outline with a garden spade. Fortunately, this task is much less tedious and significantly more accurate with the emergence of power edgers.

Lawnmowers, for many homeowners, are like a best friend. They’re tools we rely on! That’s why a sputtering mower can be a nightmare for people who get attached to their lawncare equipment.

Not only is composting great for the environment, it’s also a rewarding process. Nothing feels better than reducing your carbon footprint at home. However, it can be alarming and discouraging when your compost pile smells foul. So, why does my compost smell like sewage?

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.

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 have banana plants in your yard, then you know how quickly these tropical trees spread. Each banana plant can produce several bunches of tasty bananas each year. When they aren’t making fruit, these plants grow giant green leaves. In addition to being great to look at, you can use banana leaves in ways you may never have thought of.

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?

Nothing quite says summer like biting into an ear of fresh, sweet corn on the cob. This vegetable is perfect for a cookout or popped to make popcorn. Corn is one of the most popular vegetables, and for a good reason. But all too often, casual gardeners do not believe that they have the time, resources, or space to dedicate to this plant.

The first frost of the year is enough to make the average homeowner accept that winter has arrived. However, that doesn’t mean your yard has to suffer, that is, if you adequately prepare it. That’s why we put together an easy-to-follow guide about what to do in your yard before the first frost.

There are all sorts of reasons to purchase an indoor tree for your home. They add a much-appreciated pop of life and color to a room, they are great to look at, and even provide clean oxygen-rich air for you to breathe. While some indoor trees require a bit of maintenance and upkeep, there are many that are resilient and require very little work to maintain. But every indoor tree needs water. If you recently purchased an indoor tree, you need to know how often you need to water it.

Genovese basil is the most commonly grown variety of basil, especially in North America. It is a staple in Italian cooking, and it has a slightly sweet, and very fragrant classic basil flavor. It is known for its signature shiny leaves and typically grows up to 24 inches in height.

A drought is a nightmare for homeowners and communities, especially when they aren’t prepared. Droughts can disrupt the ecosystem, harm animals, and kill your garden and lawn that you worked hard to grow. Understandably, many homeowners struggle with how to prepare for a drought.

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.

Electric companies charge higher rates during peak times. In most places, peak usage times run between 5 P.M. and 8 P.M. You can lower your electric bill if you turn off the grow lights for your indoor garden during this time.

One of the most common reasons why seeds in your vegetable garden don’t sprout is a lack of watering. Just like established plants, seeds need consistent watering. Vegetables like moist soil. Not soaking wet, but moist.