Flowers for the Fall

     20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape

Gardeners tend to get excited about spring, looking forward to trying out new plants and maybe even making a big move and changing their landscapes. And in summer there’s the joy of the garden in full bloom, and most fruit trees and vegetable gardens produce abundantly. By September, though, even the most avid gardener can start to feel worn out, and the best-tended garden can start to look a little tired.

That’s too bad, because gardening in the fall can be delightful. The weather is generally cooler than in summer (except in places like San Francisco), yet the garden doesn’t need as much care as in the spring . Continue To Read

Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Landscape by Phoenix Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

10 Container Garden Ideas

People love container gardens—and it’s easy to understand why. For one thing, you can grow plants almost anywhere, which means you get to show off your creativity in unexpected places.
Got a rusty old chair? Make it a pedestal for a container garden. This arrangement for sun or part sun is overflowing with cottage charm featuring dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), calibrachoa, and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)—three plants that are as easy on the eyes as they are easy to grow. Continue Reading Here

Tomato Disease Prevention by Using Aspirin

How-to Grow a Vegetable Garden from Kitchen Scraps

Homemade Insecticidal Soap Spray

Homemade Insecticidal Soap Spray 

1/4 cup grated soap, use real soap like Ivory or a Naptha based soap.
4 cups hot water, make sure that it is hot enough to melt the soap.

Mix soap into water until dissolved. I store mine in a mason jar.

To use the concentrate mix 1-2 teaspoons with 32 oz. (4 cups) of water in a spray bottle.
Shake to make sure its mixed well. Spray directly on the Aphids

This has been safe for all the plants that I have used it on. You can test it on a small set of leaves to make sure. I will be adding more Homemade garden sprays in the coming weeks.

Thanks to Tom Wentworth for this post.

Gardening Tips For Growing Chives

 
 Chives thrive in full sun and well drained moist soil rich in organic matter. They tolerate light shade, but 6 - 8 hours of direct light is best. Chives are very hardy perennials in zones 3-10. In cooler climates, you can grow them as annuals. The most ideal temperature for growing chives is 60° F – 72° F.  Chives are a excellent herb for your indoor garden. They do very well in containers.

You can plant your chive seeds indoors 8-10 weeks prior the last frost of winter. Transplant seedlings outdoors or direct sow seeds outside after the danger of frost has passed.  Chives grow best in sandy or loamy soil that is rich in organic matter.  For best results, amend your garden soil with a thick layer of organic or worm compost prior to planting. Test the soil pH; chives do best at 6.0 – 7.0.

Sow your chive seeds 2-3 inches deep. Keep them spaced about 6-8 inches apart or you can thin them to this spacing once they reach about 2-3 inches high. Over-fertilizing can be detrimental to your chives as this plant is not a heavy feeder. A soil rich in organic compost should provide sufficient nutrients for them to grow healthy.

Water chives regular until they become established.  Give them a good watering during dry, hot periods.  Chives can be harvested about 6 weeks after sprouting.
Cut them off 1/2 - 1 inch above the soil line. This will leave enough of the plant to regrow.

Homemade Ant killer

These are a very effective homemade ant killers that work. The cost to make them is very small compared to commercial ant killers.

HOMEMADE ANT BAIT:

To create a homemade ant bait start by boiling a cup of sugar and two cups water. After it  cools, add a tablespoon of boric acid (Borax) and shake very well to mix. Put this blend in jar lids or milk jug caps and etc.  Place the homemade ant bait by ant trails or mounds. Leave out as long as needed. They do dry out over time and may need to be cleaned and refilled.*


HOMEMADE ANT SPRAY:

I use a ratio of 1 part sugar to 3 parts water and a tablespoon of borax. To use
combine boric acid (Borax), sugar and water in a spray bottle. Shake very well to mix .*

*Keep this ant bait and spray away from children!

Growing Herbs in an Indoor Garden

 

Many folks love the taste of fresh herbs. Starting your own indoor herb garden is not that difficult and with a little experience can provide you with a delicious year around supply. The following tips and information will get you going on this wonderful journey.

•Let's Get Started Creating Your Indoor Herb Garden

Most popular herbs can be grown indoors. Of course you will want to start off with just 2-3 of your most tasty favorites. Then as you see the results and gain confidence you can add more. Some of the common varieties of spices you can grow indoors are basil, cilantro, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
As with other indoor plants, you will need a pot with holes that allow for adequate drainage or perhaps you prefer a deeper container into which you can place rocks at the bottom into which excess water may drain. Like most other plants grown indoors, herbs cannot survive the root rot plants get from sitting in waterlogged soil.
Speaking of soil, herbs grow best in a rich organic material like a high-grade, quality, potting soil. If you wish to use dirt from you garden, be sure to mix in some vermiculite to prevent the soil from compacting and to provide adequate aeration to the root systems.
Now that you have chosen the herbs you want to grow, and selected the container and soil, simply plant the herbs as you would any other indoor plant and follow the next steps to reap a nice harvest.

•Factors To Consider When Growing Herbs Indoors

As with all indoor plants, herbs require that you provide the proper amount of light and water as well as maintaining a proper environment of temperature, humidity, and air circulation.

•Adequate Lighting For Your Indoor Herbs

Most herbs grown indoors require from 6-8 hours of sunlight to thrive. Providing this much light each day will produce the best flavored herbs. Select the spot in your indoor space that receives the most amount of natural sunlight. If this is not enough you can supplement it by using a grow light or place a fluorescent bulb within 12-15 inches from the herbs.
Since most plants grow toward light, depending upon your layout, you may need to rotate the containers every 2-3 days to prevent them from growing sideways and to be sure they receive light on all sides.

•Proper Watering Procedure For Your Indoor Herbs


As with most plants, your indoor herb garden will need to be watered regularly and should never be allowed to completely dry out. Over watering may cause root rot and allowing them to go totally dry may kill them or ruin their flavor. A good rule of thumb is to check them daily with your finger. Water them only when the top soil is dry and the soil beneath is only slightly moist. Another good idea is to add a water soluble plant food nutrient to the soil each month by following the recommendations on the plant food fertilizer of your choice.

•Proper Temperatures For Your Indoor Herbs

Your indoor herb garden will grow best in a temperature environment ranging from 65F to 75F. Also be sure to keep your indoor garden away from window and door drafts too, since most herbs don't like the cold, and for some, even small amounts of cold drafts can be fatal.

•Proper Humidity and Air Circulation For Your Indoor Herbs

For the best and most tasty results, your indoor herb garden should be in an environment that is high in humidity and air circulation. This is not that difficult and can be accomplished by misting your herbs once or twice a week and using an oscillating fan to provide adequate air flow.

Now all you need to do is harvest your bounty and enjoy their fresh taste.

Tips For Growing Cilantro

Best Location to Plant Cilantro

  Pick a location that gets the maximum sun exposure. If the soil is not rich, amend it with a good compost. Worm castings and compost is excellent to enrich your soil. Learn more on about Verimcomposting (Worm) Here.
If you live in a very hot and dry area plant your cilantro in a area that gets partial shade. Make sure the location picked to plant is well-drained.

Planting
 Make sure the chance of frost has passed in your area. Plant  the seeds an inch in the ground. Set each seed an 1-2 inches apart. If you are planting in rows you should keep them about 16-18 inches apart. When your plants mature they will need this room. Your seed should start to sprout in about 8-15 days. Mulch around the plants as soon as
they emerge to prevent weeds.

Care
Water cilantro plants once per week during the first two months of growth to keep the soil from drying out completely. Reduce watering to once about every 10 days thereafter. Do not allow standing water to accumulate, or your plant will rot. Fertilize cilantro immediately after harvesting the seeds to replenish the lost nutrients.
I have found using a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer is enough to provide the proper nutrition for additional flowering. Always apply the fertilize at the rate recommended by the fertilize manufacturer.

Harvest and Storage
 Harvest when leaves are about 4-8 inches tall. Cilantro is best used fresh, it can also be stored either by freezing or drying. When freezing, simply place in a resealable bag and put in the freezer. Dry the cilantro by hanging it upside down in a warm place.

A great place to buy your seeds and gardening supplies! 15% Off all orders with code AFFC111 until 11/30 at CooksGarden.com!