Photo: gardenofeden.blogspot.com
If you love to cook, then you know the value of fresh herbs. Modern transportation and preservation methods make all sorts of produce, including herbs, easily accessible from most of our groceries. But if you want them even fresher, more convenient, and cheaper, consider growing a culinary herb garden. You’ll have fresh herbs at the ready at any time of day, as well as plenty to share with neighbors and friends.
Related: 9 Essential Tools for Every Gardener
Photo: blackburnsprinklers.com
Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to think about lawn maintenance again. Go ahead and tune up your mower and start focusing on what is required to care for your grass—that includes watering.
Most lawns require about one inch of water per week. How long should you leave the sprinkler running? There’s an easy way to find out. Simply set out a small container and water until it’s holding one inch. If it takes 60 minutes, then that’s how long you need to water your lawn each week.
Related: Watering Well: 10 Sprinklers to Quench Your Garden’s Thirst
Indeed, best practices in watering the lawn can help keep your grass healthy. Here are some top tips:
Photo: tallgrassdesign.blogspot.com
If you want to keep a little bit of your summer garden with you all year long, you can do so by drying herbs and storing them for use after your plants have fallen to the frost. Drying herbs is simple, can save you money, and imparts peace of mind—it’s nice knowing exactly where your food ingredients come from!
Related: Top Tips on Growing Herbs Indoors
Photo: Flickr / jencelene
Last year, I was dying to have some deck rail planters to grow spinach and lettuce in, but I couldn’t find any that were the right size (or that I liked well enough for the price).
So this year, I decided to build my own. For about $45 a piece in materials, I succeeded in making a trio of beautiful, 48-inch planters in cedar. You could make them less expensively in pressure-treated lumber.
Being that stock lumber, a butt joint design, and only basic carpentry skills were involved, I would rate this as an attainable project for a beginner who has some experience with power tools.
Bamboo is one of the most exotic and eco-friendly materials used in construction. Long associated with Asian cultures and design, this giant grass has been trending in the U.S. for the last few years, especially in flooring. It is strong, beautiful, and thanks to speedy growth, an economical choice for consumers and a renewable resource for producers. Outdoors, there are countless ways you can use bamboo to stunning effect, and here are five ideas to help you envision bamboo landscaping possibilities for your property.
1. EDGING
Photo: oregonlive.com
The varying heights of the bamboo posts in this edging installation give the garden path a timeless, natural look. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a zen-infused stroll along these step stones?
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Photo: mooseyscountrygarden.com
With planting season around the corner, it’s time to hit the garage and take inventory: what have you got, and what do you need to get? Act now to ensure you have the right equipment for transforming your wintertime garden planning into springtime reality.
In a small yard, a wheelbarrow might only be occasionally useful, but on larger properties, one-wheeled helpmates of this kind are virtually essential.
Related: 10 “Style Setting” Garden Sheds
If you’re heading out to shop for a wheelbarrow this weekend, it’s more than likely that a slew of options will be available. So on what basis should you choose a wheelbarrow? Here’s a breakdown of the basics:
Photo: theexperthousepainter.com
How strong is your relationship with your spouse? Do you want to test it? Spend a weekend stripping wallpaper together! Just kidding: Whether you’re working solo or with help from a partner, it’s not so hard to remove wallpaper. As with so many do-it-yourself projects, preparation, patience, and perseverance will be a few of the most valuable tools you can bring to the job.
Photo: organicconnectmag
It couldn’t be easier to go out and buy seeds from the local nursery or the nearest home improvement store. A large selection is available at either venue. But there’s a much, much larger selection ready to order from seed catalogs and online vendors.
But why should you wait? And why should you pay shipping costs when you can get seeds so easily at the local grocery store?
Photo: blindsforslidingdoors.com
When we moved out of the city and into our new home, we increased our window inventory more than three-fold. The windows we have are big and beautiful, but complicating matters is the fact they are custom sizes.
The thought of having a professional come to measure, order, and install window treatments made our wallets run for cover. Don’t get me wrong. Measuring and installation services are very well worth the money you pay, especially if you have a lot of windows. But if you don’t have a lot of money to spare, this is a job you can do yourself so long as you prepare properly and pay attention to detail.
Photo: modernvictorygarden.com
Though Punxsutawney Phil has barely gotten back into his den, you’re already itching to start spring planting! Unfortunately, the last frost is still about two months away. What’s a gardener to do?
Simple answer: Plant cool-weather crops in containers on your deck or front stoop! You’ll have homegrown salad on your table before you can even get one seed into your garden.
After all, greens like spinach, lettuce, arugula, swiss chard and kale thrive in the cooler temperatures—between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit—and they’re as happy to grow in a pot or planter as anywhere. So fill some empty containers with dirt and get yourself some seeds!
