gardening

How to plant Fall Bulbs for spring color

September 5, 2022 Leave a Comment

bed of tulip flower — Photo by Co Sch on Pexels.com

There’s a wide variety of fall bulbs you can plant for spring color. Fall gardening is such a fun time because the temperatures are cooler and there are less bugs buzzing around. Planting fall bulbs doesn’t have to be a scary task. It’s one of those set it and forget it chores in the garden. Some great bulbs to plant in fall are Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus, Hyacinth and Alliums. All of them come in many varieties and offer tons of spring color.

close up photography of yellow flowers. Planting fall bulbs — Photo by Jacek Mleczek on Pexels.com

Find a spot that gets great light

You can grow bulbs in part sun but I wouldn’t go any darker than that. Bulbs need a lot of light to grow well and bloom.

Dig your hole

Dig your hole according to the package directions for deepness. It is important that you don’t plant them too deep nor too shallow when planting them in ground.

purple flower — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Add in fertilizer

Fertilizer is great to add in your holes prior to planting. It will give the bulbs a head start to the season. After planting the bulbs will develop roots and a little fertilizer will help them along the way. When they wake up in the spring you are welcome to add a little more fertilizer when you see them break through the soil.

purple allium flowers in close up photography — Photo by Jeffrey Eisen on Pexels.com

Cover your fall bulbs and Water in

Now it’s time to cover your bulbs up with soil and water them in. You do not have to water them regularly but once a week is ok until your first frost. Once spring rolls around you will want to start them back on a regular watering schedule with the rest of your garden.

Planting fall bulbs is a task that can be very annoying at the time but I promise that come spring you will be thanking yourself for taking the time in the fall to plant.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

10 Fall Garden Chores to ease into Winter

August 31, 2022 Leave a Comment

The season is changing fast and so is the garden. It’s time to start preparing your garden for the winter cool down. Here are 10 fall garden chores you can do to get your garden ready for it’s winter sleep.

selective focus photography of planted orange flowers. Fall Garden — Photo by Dom J on Pexels.com

Pull out dead or under performing plants

Now’s the time to be ruthless. No more stringing half dead plants along to see if they will bounce back. Pull them and put them into the garbage or compost.

Dead head any spent flowers

Deadheading is cutting back spent blooms. It makes the plants look a lot more tidy and some will even rebloom depending on the type of plant.

Save seeds

If your growing plants for seed now’s the time to start collecting. Saving seeds from your plants can save you money in the garden.

For tips on how to save money in the garden check out this post!

Take cuttings

If you plan to overwinter any plants it’s time to take cuttings. Many plants root very well and you can grow them indoors over winter and bring them back into the garden in spring.

Clean up any debris

Nothing is worse than having a garden cluttered with the leftovers from the spring and summer. Pick up any empty pots, tools, trash, branches, piles of debris and discard them. You can also take time to organize your garden storage spaces whether its your garage, shed, basement or wherever you keep your garden things.

If you plan to grow any fall vegetables check out this post to get you started!

Pull Weeds

By now if you haven’t been keeping up with the weeds they are probably taking over. It’s best not to let them get too big before pulling them. Take a half hour and work an area a day to keep it from being overwhelming.

Don’t Prune

If you know what shrub you are cutting for goodness sakes don’t prune it until you know. Do some research to figure out what shrub it is and when’s the best time to prune.

Wrap up garden projects

We’ve all got those loose ends in the garden. Fall is a great time to wrap up those projects and to table new project until next year.

Clean Pots and Tools

Cleaning your tools and pots is a great way to prolong the life of your garden equipment. You should clean them throughout the season but at least once a year is better than nothing.

Mulch

Fall is a good time to add another layer of mulch to the beds before winter. Make sure you pull weeds first so that they don’t overwinter. Adding mulch to your garden beds is a great way to seal in moisture and provide extra protection to your plants over winter.

The fall garden is a time of reflection and maintenance. Try not to start too many new projects unless they can be completed quickly but most of all enjoy all of the hard work you put into your garden this year.

Happy Gardening!

Ciearra

Vegetables you can grow in your fall garden

August 16, 2022 1 Comment

Fall is on the horizon and it’s time to be thinking about your fall garden. It’s not too late to start your fall garden from seed. The first thing you want to do is figure out what your first frost date is. You can google that. Then the fun part is figuring out what you can plant! Once you have your first frost date you count the days between that date and today. That’s how many days you have to grow your fall vegetables before the frost sets in. Here is a list of fall vegetables you can grow and harvest before your first frost!

This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my plant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Carrots

Kohlrabi

food healthy vegetables agriculture. Fall Garden — Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

If you need more seeds for your fall garden you can shop here at Park Seed Co. They have quality seeds that germinate quickly.

Cabbage

Kale

Collards

Collard Greens grown in the fall garden — Photo by Cats Coming on Pexels.com

Lettuces

green leaf plant — Photo by NastyaSensei on Pexels.com

Cucumbers

cucumber on plate — Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.c

Radish

Beets

Cauliflower

Swiss Chard

leaves of chard — Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA on Pexels.com

Spinach

green leaves in close up photography — Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev on Pexels.com

Bok Choy

Choose vegetables that will have enough time to mature in your growing window. Growing a fall garden can seem quite scary but I promise you it’s much easier than growing in the summer. There’s less pest pressure and the weather isn’t so hot. It’s a very comfy and cozy time of the year.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

6 Plants that make your garden a tropical paradise

August 10, 2022 Leave a Comment

There is nothing wrong with a traditional styled garden, they are classic but tropicals just pack a punch in the garden. There are so many tropical plant combinations that make you feel like your on vacation as soon as you step outside your door. Here are my favorite tropical plants that pack a punch in the garden.

Banana Trees

Banana trees are grown as annual and perennial plants depending on your gardening zone. You can grow them in ground or in pots and their big leaves have a way of making you feel like your on a tropical vacation when you step outside your door!

Hibiscus

There are several types of Hibiscus and all are gorgeous! They have big beautiful blooms that come in different colors. Did you know Hibiscus is often used for tea?

Elephant Ears

Elephant Ear plants are so gorgeous and boost big leaves that are shaped similar to you guessed it Elephant Ears.

green plant beside white concrete wall — Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

Coleus

Coleus come in so many shapes and colors! They add that bright pop of tropical colors to the garden and are so easy to propagate.

purple and green leaves in close up photography — Photo by Jeffry Surianto on Pexels.com

Canna Lilies

Gorgeous Canna Lily plants come in different sizes and colors there’s a perfect one or two for your garden

green leaves of a canna plant on close up shot — Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com

Ferns

Ferns are so beautiful! They have the frilly foliage and looks so beautiful when it blows in the wind.

close up photo of green fern plants — Photo by Darius Krause on Pexels.com

Palm

Palms are so stunning in the garden and are available at any garden centers from spring through fall. They look amazing in the garden and add height to any space.

green leafed plant — Photo by Lena Khrupina on Pexels.com

Which tropical plants are your favorite to grow in your garden?

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

10 Tips For Small Space Gardeners

July 19, 2022 1 Comment

selective focus photography of strawberry fruit — Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

You would be surprised at how much food and flowers you can grow in a small space garden! Even if all you have is a windowsill you can grow! When you start thinking differently about the space you have you’ll begin to see all the possibilities. Once you seed the possibilities you’ll be able to grow a garden to its full potential!

This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my houseplant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Maximize Your Space

No matter the size of your outdoor space, there’s always room to grow food and flowers. Sketch out your space and what you would like for it to look like. Then make a list of what you would like to grow and what materials you’ll need. Check for container-friendly plants that won’t grow as large, but will still produce lots of fruit. Planning is the key to a good gardening season.

Install Drip Irrigation

Automating your watering will save you so much time and money. Drip irrigation waters your plants for however long you want and how often you want; it’s a garden game changer! To get you started, here is a basic drip irrigation system to reference.

Prune to Maintain Size

Because you are growing in a small space, you will want to make sure you are pruning to maintain the size of your plants. If you are growing indeterminate tomatoes or flowers like petunias, they can easily take over your garden space, so pruning is a must. Here are my favorite pruners.

To purchase reliable garden seeds and plants check out Park Seed!

Grow Vertically

Growing vegetables and flowers vertically is a great way to utilize your small space garden. Use hanging planters and trellises to grow off the ground.

dog resting in cafe garden — Photo by Thắng Lê on Pexels.com

Utilize Hanging Baskets

Using shepherd’s hooks or hooks screwed into posts, you can hang many hanging baskets and grow a multitude of plants.

Grow in Raised Beds

Raised garden beds are a great way to grow in small spaces. They come in so many configurations, or you can build your own. Here is a raised garden bed that I love and use every year!

For tip on how to grow in raised beds checkout this post!

Grow in Pots

If all you have is a patio, then pots will be your best friend. You can grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, trees, and so much more in pots.

Plant Multiple Plants Together

What could be a better way to grow more than to plant multiple plants in the same pot?! You can mix and match plants like herbs and vegetables, or petunias and hydrangeas. Dealers choice!

person digging on soil using garden shovel — Photo by Lisa on Pexels.com

Leave Space for Sitting

Don’t forget to leave space to sit and enjoy! The garden shouldn’t just be about work. It’s also about the view, so nestle in a little table and chair so you can sit amongst the jungle you’ve created.

Love Your Space

No matter how big or small your garden is, you have to love it. You’ve put your time and energy creating a space that is edible and beautiful. Take pride in what you create even if you only planted one plant or harvested one tomato.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

What to do with your garlic harvest

July 14, 2022 1 Comment

It’s garlic harvesting season and you’ve got more than you know what to do with! I completely understand. Here are my ways of using my garlic harvest.

Cure and store it

Garlic has a long shelf life based on variety. Curing and storing until needed is the most common way to use your garlic. Just be sure your garlic is fully cured before storage and you’ll be able to utilize those bulbs until your next harvest.

To learn how to cure your garlic bulbs read this post

Make Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt

If you’ve got a dehydrator or oven you can dry garlic cloves and grind them into a powder. Store in a mason jar and use as needed. Here’s the grinder I use and I love it!

Use it right away

You don’t have to wait for your freshly pulled garlic to cure in order to use it. You can cook with it right away!

Freeze it

You can freeze peeled cloves of garlic in airtight zip locks or food storage containers. They lose their crisp during the freezing process but are still good to use.

Share it

If you feel like you have way more than you’ll need then share with family, friends, neighbors or coworkers. Everyone loves fresh garlic!

No matter what you do there’s nothing like having home grown garlic at your fingertips.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

gardening

Find a spot that gets great light

Dig your hole

Add in fertilizer

Cover your fall bulbs and Water in

Share this:

Like this:

Pull out dead or under performing plants

Dead head any spent flowers

Save seeds

Take cuttings

Clean up any debris

Pull Weeds

Don’t Prune

Wrap up garden projects

Clean Pots and Tools

Mulch

Share this:

Like this:

Carrots

Kohlrabi

Cabbage

Kale

Collards

Lettuces

Cucumbers

Radish

Beets

Cauliflower

Swiss Chard

Spinach

Bok Choy

Share this:

Like this:

Banana Trees

Hibiscus

Elephant Ears

Coleus

Canna Lilies

Ferns

Palm

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Cure and store it

Make Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt

Use it right away

Freeze it

Share it

Share this:

Like this:

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