Smart Garden

Jumpstart Your Spring Garden When spring rolls around after a long winter, you don't want to waste a minute of that glorious warm weather growing! Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get ahead of the season. This is a fun and rewarding project that you can often make with what you already have on hand; No need to buy any special items. And with just a few dollars worth of seeds, you can grow many plants very cheaply. Starting your own seeds allows you to try unusual and exciting varieties that you might not find at the local garden center. Here's what you need to know to successfully start seeds indoors to plant seeds in your garden if temperatures stay above freezing. Easy seeds to start indoors If this is your first time starting seeds indoors in winter, it's best to go small. Choose one or two varieties that are easy to grow from seed, like these favorite flowering annuals Marigold Flowers Many of us have fond memories of these cornflowers in our grandm...

7 Tips for Transplanting Seedlings into the Garden So you've started your vegetables, herbs, and/or flowers from seed indoors, and the seedlings are happy and healthy. You might be interested in planting them in your garden, but wait, they are not ready for it. not yet. The most important step in successfully starting plants indoors—and one often overlooked by novice gardeners—is gradually acclimating them to their outdoor environment, a process known as "hardening off." This requires close attention to the dramatic change in conditions your seedlings are about to experience. It takes some effort, but only for a few weeks. Look at it from your plants' point of view: they are growing in a comfortable, stable environment with the same temperature, regular watering, bright (but not too intense) light, and no wind. All that is about to change. If you want your seedlings to thrive in your garden, they must be gradually introduced to variations in outdoor condi...

Boxelder bugs and prevent them from invading your home As the weather cools in the fall, boxelder bugs start looking for a cozy place to spend the winter, such as your house, garage, or garden shed. These black and red bugs are mostly harmless as far as indoor pests go, but they can be a nuisance when they get inside. Like their fellow fall beetle, the brown marmorated stink bug, boxer bugs like to gather in large numbers. Although they won't cause any structural damage, having hundreds of insects sharing your space is not an attractive idea. Here's how to get rid of box bugs in your home and how to get rid of them this fall. 1. Seal cracks around doors and windows The best way to protect your home against boxelder bugs (and many other indoor pests) is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place. Make sure to weather-proof your doors and windows, and seal any obvious cracks or holes in your home's exterior, such as torn window screens and openings ar...

7 must-have plants for your vegetable garden and kitchen Make the most of your growing space by planting easy-to-grow vegetables that will give you a reliable harvest of delicious produce. Of course, the best vegetables to grow in your garden are the ones you enjoy eating. This collection of edible plants will fill your plate with fresh flavors and colors all season long. 1 Heirloom Tomatoes No store-bought tomato can compare to a big, juicy heirloom tomato picked fresh from your garden. Heirloom varieties are more irregularly shaped and thinner-skinned than mass-market tomatoes. That means heirlooms don't ship and your product is hard to find in the aisle. Ensure your own supply by growing these delicious and tender tomatoes yourself. Choose from colorful heirloom, cherry, and sauce varieties to enjoy all the delicious flavors and textures this tomato has to offer. 2 Summer Squash Prolific might be the best word to describe summer squash. Although plants can take up a...

Best Coastal Plants That Will Grow Well in Your Home and Garden If you like a beach vibe, there are some beautiful plants you can grow right in your garden to bring that feeling to your living space. Some of them grow well indoors like other houseplants. They belong to the coast, so they are used to combat tough vegetation, drying winds, drought, scorching sunlight, and salt air in exposed areas. That's why they're easy to grow and can tolerate whatever you throw at your own garden. They have attractive color, texture, and movement, and growing these plants means you're making your home and garden more beautiful and adding some more interest to your yard. Some of them grow well indoors like other houseplants. Besides, they help purify the air and create a fresh landscape, which makes people feel more relaxed and happy. 1 Kentia palm The kentia palm is an icon of tropical lands that has curved leaves to add a graceful touch to your indoor space. 2 Pygmy date palm...

Good Luck and Wealth Apart from providing a green space to the environment, and to human life, plants can bring some positive beliefs like money, luck, or fortune. If you believe in feng shui, there are certain plants that are abundant and bring good fortune to increase the positive energy of your home. Here are 12 feng shui plants that can attract good things into your life that you want. These feng shui plants help balance the water element and displace negative energy. Growing a population of houseplants can help clean the air in your home, improve humidity, and reduce stress. Also, they are very easy to grow indoors without requiring much care. Most of them adapt well to all conditions, and some still grow in your oblivion. 1 Money Tree Plant The money tree plant attracts money, wealth, and prosperity, hence the name. Although it is an ornamental feng shui lucky plant, indoor varieties of money trees do not bloom. 2 Peace Lilies Peaceful lilies with elegant large green...

Fruit Trees to Grow Indoors There are many reasons to grow fruit trees indoors. As far as I'm concerned everything has to be under control. With container fruit trees like container vegetable gardens, you have complete control over watering, pruning, sunlight, and location, which can make all the difference in a fruit tree's yield. While it's certainly possible to grow a fruit tree from seed, you'll have better luck and a quicker harvest of fruit by purchasing a seedling. Two things to think about with container fruit trees are the size and weight of the tree and the container. Bigger isn't always better, and it's important to continue pruning and re-potting only as necessary to avoid growing the tree too large to maintain. Another consideration is whether you plan to bring the tree outside during the warmer months. So what kind of fruit tree should you grow? While there are many to choose from, here are five of the best container fruit trees to grow...

 8 beautiful black rose varieties  If you really like the smell of roses and especially rose varieties, you will love today's article. Have you ever seen black roses? In fact, a true black rose has yet to be discovered. Most have a deeper color tone than usual, such as dark shades of crimson, red or purple, but all bring a charming, mysterious beauty to the soft, delicate wings. Here are 8 beautiful black rose varieties to add exotic vibes to your garden. Growing them not only gives you a beautiful flower garden to look at every morning but also brings power, elegance, sophistication, and mystery to your living space. Each has its own charm and of course, you will have more choices to suit your taste. Scroll down and discover the different categories! 1 Black Jade Rose Also popular as ‘BenBlack', this black jade rose offers deep crimson petals that turn black in hot weather. 2 Black Velvet Rose Black Velvet Rose displays stunning flowers with a dark velvet appeara...

Indoor Plants to Make a Big Statement Bringing large indoor plants into your home takes your plant parenting status to a whole new level. Big, bold houseplants with oversized leaves are the perfect way to embrace biophilic design and the nature-based decor trend that's everywhere right now. That beautiful, leafy growth can't help but add life and greenery to a room. Find the best big-leaf houseplant for your space with our list of options that offer great lush greenery. 1 Bird of Paradise Also known as Strelitzia reginae, this large indoor plant has long, glossy, banana-like leaves. Native to South Africa, it thrives in warmer temperatures between 60-80°F. Keep the bird's paradise away from heating and cooling vents so it doesn't dry out. Avoid frequent repotting as this can delay flowering for up to two years. This lovely plant is mildly toxic to cats and dogs, so it's best to keep your furry friends away from it. Size: 5 feet tall Light: Bright, dire...

 5 Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Design  When planning your raised bed vegetable garden layout, the types of vegetables, watering needs, and sun play a big role. The best advice I've learned about garden planning is to group your vegetables and herbs together that have similar watering and light needs. Generally, when we envision raised bed vegetable garden ideas, we may be tempted to place vegetables where we think they will look best or fit best, but experienced gardeners plan their gardens in early spring for a good reason. Let's get into all the things to consider before building and laying your beds. 1 Choose plants that make good roommates One reason the Pros spend so much time planning is that there are such things as incompatible plants—their Moon signs are polar opposites and you definitely shouldn't ask them to share an apartment. Have you ever had a toxic roommate? Some vegetables are considered allelopathic, meaning they may have toxic behaviors or eve...

 What do you need to know to remove weeds from your garden? Follow these tips and tricks to get rid of wild plants and weeds naturally—and get our recommendations on the best tools for the job. It's hard to be kind to weeds, but they're plants that grow where they shouldn't (and some weeds are even edible!). Try this philosophy: If you like it, it's a flower; If you don't, it's a weed. That said, it's perfectly reasonable not to want weeds mixed in with your vegetables and perennials. To effectively deal with them without resorting to toxic chemicals, you need some hard-hitting tactics, some quality tools, and an understanding of the different types of weeds you'll encounter. Then, you have to keep on top of them throughout the growing season: persistence pays off. And weeding activities can also be therapeutic. Types of weeds Some weeds produce large amounts of seeds, and when they are easy to pull or hoe, new ones will quickly appear to tak...