Martinis and Marigolds - Refreshingly Quick Tips for Home and Garden

What Are Those Brown Patches in My Lawn?

What Are Those Brown Patches in My Lawn?

If you live in an area that received snowfall this winter, you might be noticing circular brown patches like the ones in the photo as your your lawn tries to come back.

Read on to find out what is causing this and what you can do about it!

Posted in beginner gardener, landscaping, lawn, low maintenance gardening

Spring Fever - 5 Things You Can Do Now To Get a Jump on Spring Gardening Season

Spring Fever - 5 Things You Can Do Now To Get a Jump on Spring Gardening Season

We've had quite relatively mild winter here in PA. The warmer than normal temperatures have really given me a case of Spring Fever. I just can't wait to get out and plant.

Sadly, it's not quite time to start planting yet and I know that it is still a bit too early to remove the leaves in beds that beneficial insects are using for winter cover. 

So what's a gardener to do?

Read on for my list of 5 things you can do now to get a jump on your spring gardening.

Spring Gardening Questions and Answers

Spring Gardening Questions and Answers

Spring is getting closer and closer so the amount of questions popping up in on-line gardening groups is increasing. I love participating in these groups, trying to answer questions and/or give advice.

There are a few questions that keep coming up over and over and at least one that I never thought about. 

Read on for the questions and my answers!

Posted in beginner gardener, container gardening, flower gardening, gardening tips, herb gardening, low maintenance gardening, spring gardening, vegetable gardening for beginners

Orchids 101

Orchids 101

It's so dreary here in PA. I thought it might be a good time to share my insights from a few years ago when I decided to teach myself about orchids. So if you've got a case of the winter blahs maybe it's time for you to jump in and try growing orchids yourself.

And if you already have orchids, maybe treat yourself to a new one.

Read on to find out more about growing Orchids!

Posted in beginner gardener, flowers, indoor gardening, indoor plants, low maintenance gardening, orchid, orchids

5 Pet Friendly Houseplants

5 Pet Friendly Houseplants

A while back I wrote an article about 5 easy to care for houseplants that also clean the air. If you missed it, you can check it out here. One of our readers posed a great question. She asked whether any of these were toxic to pets. Unfortunately all except the spider plant were. 

So she got me thinking that since so many of us have pets, it might be good to find some plants that we could grow indoors and that wouldn't be toxic to our furry friends. 

Read on to find our more about 5 Houseplants that are considered safe for dogs and cats

Posted in houseplants, indoor gardening, indoor plants, pet-friendly

Growing Herbs Indoors Made Easy

Growing Herbs Indoors Made Easy

I see lots of people in gardening groups just itching to plant even though it's still cold outside where they live. Houseplants are great but some of us are looking for more. However,  I found a way to add to my indoor gardening and have delicious herbs to use in my cooking.

Read on to find out how to grow herbs (and other plants) indoors quickly and easily.

Posted in beginner gardener, herb, herb gardening, herbs, indoor gardening, indoor plants, low maintenance gardening, vegetable gardening for beginners

Give Your Houseplants a Spa Day

Give Your Houseplants a Spa Day

Winter can be tough on all of us including our houseplants.

So if you're yearning to do a bit of gardening, why not give your houseplants a spa day?

Read on for a few quick tips on the care you can give your plants now that will keep them healthy through the long winter months.

5 Cures for Ailing Houseplants

5 Cures for Ailing Houseplants

Houseplants can really add to our indoor decor. But for many folks, growing them is not as easy as the gardening websites would have us believe. Yellow, brown or dropping leaves, insects, fungus, and general bad health can plague us all. Fortunately, most houseplant problems can be traced back to a few easy to solve causes.

Read on to find out how to cure what ails your houseplants.

Posted in dying houseplants, houseplants, sick houseplant

Getting Started with Growing Plants from Seeds

Getting Started with Growing Plants from Seeds

Now that the days are slowly starting to get longer, I’m yearning for spring. I’m trying to find more winter hobbies, but I really don’t like the cold. And while I like organizing my house, office, car, etc as a way to get a good start to the new year, my fascination with this only lasts so long.

I find myself looking around my property and thinking about gardening. It’s much too cold here in SE PA to do much of anything outside, so what’s a gardener to do?

Well, garden planning is a great winter indoor activity. And this is a great time to plan our your beds and containers and order seeds to so that you can start growing plants indoors. If you’ve subscribed to any seed and plant catalogs, the good news is they start coming now.

Read on to find out how to start plants for your garden from seeds and get a jump on spring.

Posted in beginner gardener, garden planning, low maintenance gardening, starting seeds

5 Tips for Easy and Successful Garden Planning

5 Tips for Easy and Successful Garden Planning

As the cold temperatures are here for many parts of the country, it might seem a strange time to think about what to plant this spring. But this time of year is a great time to work on planning your garden.

Good garden design starts with thinking before digging.

Read on for my 5 Tips for Successful Garden Planning. 

Then curl up by the fire with a few plant and seed catalogs, pen and paper and your favorite beverage and start dreaming of spring.

Posted in garden design, garden planning, planning my garden, what should I plant

Flocking to the Feeders

Flocking to the Feeders

EDITOR'S NOTE: The winter months are upon us. And now that the holidays are over and spring is a few months away, there's not much to do in the garden. So what's a gardener to do?

Well, our resident blogger Paula Marolewski, really enjoys the birds that visit throughout the winter. Please enjoy Paula's article with some helpful tips to get birds to flock to your feeders.

 

5 Tips for Turning Resolutions into Reality

5 Tips for Turning Resolutions into Reality

The New Year is finally here. And with it comes the time-honored tradition of making New Year's Resolutions. 

For most us, resolutions don't really work. Studies have shown it. While stating what you want to see happen in your life is always a good idea, many times things don't change. But in 2018 I found a way to achieve at least some of the goals I set for 2018.

Read on to find out the 5 things I did to Turn Resolutions into Reality

Posted in garden planning, goal setting, goals, resolutions