By Sian Thompson
​

Having a garden you can be proud of can do wonders for your mental health. A presentable garden not only gives you a place to relax during the day, as a nice breakaway space, but it also gives you a space where you can host guests - there is nothing better than a summer BBQ. Music playing, socialising and a glass (or two) of wine to enjoy. ​

When the weather is cold and the rain is pouring, more often than not, your garden gets neglected, so you need a day or two when the weather is nice and summer is approaching to get it ready. As summer is starting to approach and the weather is looking nice ahead, now is the perfect time to get your garden ready for summer. 

To help give you some inspiration, here are three ways you can do so. 

Repaint your fences and decking 

Every year, it is a good idea to dedicate some time to repainting your fences and decking. Over the colder months, where it’s raining a lot, they can take a battering and start to tire, making your garden look old and tired. A quick lick of paint and you can instantly add a nice colour to your garden whilst also making it more presentable. Whilst you are thinking about repainting, this could be the ideal time to change the colour altogether - pinterest is a great place to look for inspiration.
 
Prepare your furniture 

Take a moment to go through your old furniture in the shed and clean it up. Over the winter, cobwebs are bound to have built up as well as dust and dirt. It may be that now is the time to replace some of your old furniture or buy new pieces of furniture which you haven’t owned before - a deck chair is lovely to relax in and read a book. When going through your shed or your storage unit, keep an eye out for any rodents as you may need to get rodent control    if, over the winter, a problem has cropped up.

Mow your lawn

One of the quickest changes you can make to your garden is mowing the lawn. When your grass is overgrown, it instantly makes your garden look ugly and uncared for. Overgrown grass can also cause insects to come in as well as weeds to grow in unwanted places. When mowing your lawn, to take it to the next level, consider mowing patterns into the grass, as this can add a cool effect and a new dynamic to your garden. 

I hope I have given you some inspiration on getting your garden ready for the summer months.

By Sian Thompson
​

Put Up Some Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets can be a great addition to a house, especially around the outside of your home. There are plenty of places where you could put them. Around the entryway is an obvious start, and this can have much more of an impact than you could think.

You can even place them around the garden in various spots, too. The trick to this is not going overboard with the number of baskets. A more minimal approach could be recommended for this. After that, you just need to pick baskets that enhance the style of your entryway and garden.

Update the Garage

A garage can always be a welcome part of a property, and it could’ve been one of the reasons you bought your home. Over time, it starts looking a little rundown. This affects your curb appeal, so it’s worth putting a little effort into giving the garage a bit of a facelift.

Replacing the garage door is a great way of doing this. Companies like LT Garage Doors can help with this. A new garage door could even be more functional than the old one, too. It costs a bit of money, but it’s more than worth it.

Do Some Landscaping

One of the more notable parts of your curb appeal is how your garden looks. The nicer your garden, the better your curb appeal. It’s worth putting some effort into this, even if it takes a bit of time. You mightn’t even need to do too much, depending on how large your garden is.

It’s just a matter of sprucing up your garden a bit. The hanging baskets mentioned above are a start. You could also consider trimming the hedges and lawn, adding a few water features, and some garden furniture. It’ll be simpler than you’d think going forward.

Install Feature LightingSpeaking of your garden, it’s always worth adding a bit of lighting to it. This adds more than a few benefits. The right lighting adds to the overall ambience in your garden at night time. It could also make your home safer, as potential burglars will be less likely to try to break in.

Then there’s the fact that feature lighting lets you highlight specific parts of your garden that you’re proud of. It’s just a matter of figuring out the best type of lights for your garden and where you should put them. It shouldn’t take much time or effort.

Refresh the Fences

If you have fences around your garden, then it’s worth putting a bit of effort into them. That’s especially true if you’ve had them for a while. They could’ve started looking a little rundown and gotten damaged, making it even more worth giving them a refresh. This shouldn’t be too hard.

As long as your fence is in good condition, it could just be a matter of repainting it. That mightn’t even take too much time, depending on how large of a fence you have. You could get it done in an afternoon and mightn’t have to put too much effort into it.

It’s natural to want to be proud of your home. This only happens if your house looks and feels nice, though. If you haven’t looked after it for a while, your home could look a little rundown. You could need to boost your curb appeal to make it look and feel nicer.

While this often seems like it takes a lot of time and effort, it shouldn’t have to be complicated. A few strategies are simpler than you think, but they’ll still have quite an impact. You’ve no reason not to put the effort into them.

Gardening is a fantastic hobby to have. It allows you to spend time outside, where you can get fresh air and increase your vitamin D levels. It gets you involved with nature, which can teach you about sustainability and how to live in an eco-friendly way. 

But most of all, it doesn’t demand too much time and attention from you. Most plants are able to take care of themselves once you get them going, and you can sit back and enjoy them as they bloom. 

That being said, many gardeners can fall in and out of love with the hobby. There could be many reasons for this, but when the time comes that you’d like to pick it up again, gardening can feel quite inapproachable. 

That’s something we’re going to tackle today. If you’d like to try gardening again, but it feels like too big a job to take on, here are a few tips that could smooth you back in. ​

By Sian Thompson
​

If you want a beautiful garden and are wondering what you can do to make this as easy as possible, focus on having healthier plants. The healthier the plants are, the better your garden is going to look. So, what’s the secret a healthy and happy garden?
 
Right Plant, Right Place
 
This is a simple but important step to ensure your plants are as healthy as possible - simply position each plant in the right place for them. This means considering their light needs, preferred temperature and humidity, and the space that they will require in order to grow healthily. If you can get all that right, it’s going to really help a lot with making your plants and your garden a lot healthier.
 
Improve Soil Quality
 
The soil is obviously always going to be important too, and you need to make sure that you are doing everything you can to improve the soil quality. This can be done in several ways. You can make your own compost from garden and food waste, which can lead to a very nutrient rich kind of soil, or you can consider using some premium mulch as well. The best way is to go for a combination of these - and make sure that you are adding in some fresh compost every year if you can.
 
Water Correctly
 
Many people harm their plants by overwatering. You might find yourself thinking that more water is always better, but this is simply not the case. Very often, in fact, it is the opposite - plants often need a lot less water. Checking the soil moisture before you water - if it’s dry, it’s time to water, otherwise leave it alone. Overwatering your plants makes them vulnerable to pests and diseases.
 
Feed Regularly
 
Regular feeding is another way to make your plants happier and healthier. With regular feeding, your plants will be healthier and happier. Make sure you are using a balanced fertilizer during the growing season for the best possible results here - and repot wherever your healthy plants outgrow their current living quarters.

By ​Sian Thompson

It’s great to have a lush, green yard, but not everyone has the time to maintain it, let alone the patience, and that can be a problem. After all, if you want something that looks perfect, you’ve surely got to spend a lot of time making it happen and taking care of it, haven’t you? 
 
Well, in some cases, yes, and if that’s what you enjoy, go ahead. But if you don’t have the time or the green thumbs needed, you can still have a thriving yard with minimal effort - keep reading if you want to learn how. ​

Choose Low-Maintenance Plants 

If your yard is full of plants that need constant attention, you’re just setting yourself up for the stress of taking care of it, and soon enough, if you run out of time or lose motivation, what could have been a nice-looking yard will look awful. So instead of all that, it’s better to opt for hardy, low-maintenance options that can manage quite well if they’re left alone for a while. You’ll still need to do some work, just not as much as with other, more needy plants. 

Native plants are a great choice because they’re already adapted to your local climate, meaning they need less watering, less fertilizing, and that’s less work for you in the long run. You could go for things like drought-resistant perennials like lavender, sedum, and ornamental grasses for example - they can keep going even if they’ve been ignored for days or weeks in some cases. And if you want some effortless greenery, you can plant some evergreen shrubs which are so easy to take care of and which also keep your yard looking green and lush all year round.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

A gorgeous lawn is the centerpiece of any yard, and the great news is that you don’t have to constantly look after yours to make it look fantastic. The trick is to treat your grass in the right way, and for the most part, it’ll just take care of itself (although you’ll still need to mow it, of course - that’s one job that’s got to be on your to-do list). 

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their lawn is to overwater it, thinking that’s going to keep it alive and looking good. However, you really don’t need to water your grass every day - in fact, it’s far better to do it once or twice a week, but to make sure you’re giving it a deep water at that time because that’ll get down to the roots and your lawn will look a lot healthier. 

Something else to invest in to make your lawn look amazing is a lawn dethatcher. Over time, grass clippings, dead roots, and various other bits and pieces of general debris build up at the base of your lawn, and that means water gets blocked, so your grass doesn’t get the nutrients it needs. If you use a lawn dethatcher, you can clear all that out and let your grass breathe and get stronger, with hardly any effort involved at all. 

Finally, we’ve got to talk about mowing. As we’ve said, it’s essential, but how you do it can make a big difference. You should always keep your mower blades nice and high because cutting the grass too short makes it weak. So even if your lawn is a little longer than you’re used to, it’ll be healthier and look better, so it’s definitely worth it.

Use Mulch

Weeding is another job that takes ages but must be done to keep your garden looking good, and it can be a bit of a pain, to say the least. But what if you could make it so fewer weeds grew in the first place? Then weeding wouldn’t take so long and wouldn’t be so arduous. Well, that’s exactly what you can do with mulch. Lay a layer of mulch around flower beds, trees, shrubs, and so on, and that’s going to smother weeds before they even start, saving you time and effort. 
 
On top of that, mulch helps to lock in moisture, which means less water is needed - another job that takes time and effort. Plus, as it all breaks down, it improves the health of your soil, so your plants get all the nutrients they need without you having to do anything extra to make it happen. Mulch can also last months before you need to add any more, so it’s as close to a do it and forget it kind of job as you can get.

By Stuart Kushner

​Indoor plants are lucky. They don’t have to deal with winter’s cold temperatures, snow, ice, and wind like outdoor plants do. Nevertheless, they still must deal with the changes winter brings. Shorter days reduce the amount of light they receive and the cold, dry air isn’t their favorite.
 
Whether it’s your plants hanging from the ceiling or the herbs growing by the windowsill in your kitchen, you’ll need to adjust how you care for your indoor plants. Here are several tips to keep them alive and healthy this winter.

1. Increase Light

With winter comes shorter days than in spring and summer. Make sure your houseplants get enough light during this time.
 
Move them to a brighter spot, like a window, so they can get more light. If it’s not enough, consider adding a supplemental light source, like a grow light. However, don’t move them to a frosty window or they might catch a draft.
 
Rotate plants a quarter turn each week to ensure all parts of it get sunlight.

2. Increase the Humidity

Plants grow best in humidity levels between 40 and 50%, but the humidity drops 10 to 20% in winter. If you have a humidifier, move your plants to a spot close enough for them to reap the benefits. If you don’t, you have other options.
 
Clustering plants is a good way to ramp up the humidity. Plants transpire naturally to release water through their leaves, so placing them together will raise the humidity around them. Place them in bathrooms or kitchens for even better results –– they’ll absorb the moisture from showers and cooking.
 
Another option is to place them on trays filled with pebbles and water. Placing the pebbles at the bottom of the tray will lift the plants above water level. In doing so, it ensures water can evaporate from the plants without them getting root rot.
 
3. Water Less Often

Plants grow at a slower rate in winter and need less water to stay hydrated, and overwatering. Overwatering them will lead to root rot.
 
Rather than follow a watering schedule, check to see if your plants need water by poking your finger at least an inch into the soil. If it’s dry, water it thoroughly. If it’s moist, hold off on watering for a few days, then check to see if it’s dry. Dry soil ensures oxygen can travel to the plant’s root system.
 
Use room temperature water to water your plants –– cold water can shock their roots.
 
 
With just a few changes to your plant care routine, you can enjoy the benefits of having plants inside year-round. When the weather outside is frightening, well-cared-for plants are a surefire way to bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

Gardening is a sure-fire way to promote “farm to table” fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Although spring and summer are notably the best times to raise most garden favorites, autumn and winter planting helps to enrich soil throughout the growing seasons. Often called “green manure,” cover crops feed the soil with decaying roots and dead leaves. Rooted vegetation keeps groundwater from evaporating and protects it from erosion.

Cover Crops
Planting cover crops in winter helps prepare soil for spring and summer favorites like tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. Some cover crops (legumes, for example) increase oxygen in the soil. Other benefits include the following:

• Increase organic material that feeds soil microbes
• Keep soil from washing or blowing away
• Break up compacted soil.
• Improve drainage, water infiltration, and retention
• Provide habitat and food sources for beneficial insects
• Create habitats for earthworms.

Categories
If you want diversity in the garden, plant “less popular” edibles like lavender flowers, roses, and wild violets—they spice up salads, breads, and spreads (who knew?).  Flowering plants produce more blooms after nutrients have sunk into the soil. Winter crops add food sources to the soil, while protecting it from erosion and decay.

Cover crops are often divided into three categories; legumes, annual grasses, and miscellaneous varieties.

Legumes add nitrogen to the soil and produce beneficial bacteria to enlarge root cells. Root bacteria then “grabs” nitrogen from the soil to convert it into nutrients. Legumes emit bacteria carbohydrates, oxygen, and protein. Large tap roots help to break up the soil.

Annual grasses like cereal rye, barley, and oats germinate quickly and provide cover for the soil while legumes (and other winter vegetables) are getting started. Grasses (and their decaying roots) provide organic matter to the soil. 

Miscellaneous varieties bring benefits to the soil in different ways. For example, mustard leaves and radishes store nitrogen from the soil, “recycle” it, and then work it back into the dirt. (Legumes do this, too).

Greens
Green veggies like spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli, fennel, Brussels sprouts, and cress are cool-hardy crops that survive in frosty climates with cold temperatures. (Check out your state’s growing zone with the U.S. plant hardiness zone map). Enrich garden soil with compost, bone meal, mulch, manure, and other types of organic matter.

Fennel is packed with vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and manganese. Celeriac, a type of celery root vegetable, has lots of phosphorus and vitamin K. Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.

Colors
​Color up your winter garden with orange carrots, red turnips and radishes, white onions, purplish beets, and orange-brown potatoes. Root vegetables feed the soil as it feeds them. 

Onions are high in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, manganese, fiber, and beta-carotene. Turnips are a great source of vitamin C.
 
Starting a vegetable garden takes a bit of planning. Cover crops improve the soil in your garden as the land “rests” during the regular growing season. Choosing the type of winter veggies depends on what you like, but the best kinds are those that don’t take a lot of time and effort to maintain. After all, you need a rest, too.

What’s prettier than violet flowers mixed with butter and jellies spread on freshly baked biscuits?
These perennial violets in the lawn or garden beds (some people call them weeds) are in the
same family as edible pansies and Johnny jump-ups.

​Violets are easy to grow in sun or shade. Some gardeners transplant them from the lawn to
flower beds where they work as a ground cover. If pulling from the lawn, be sure they have not
been treated with herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides.
 
If you’re worried about how to grow your edible garden without pesticides so you can safely eat
the plants, remember that there are plenty of beneficial insects –– even spiders –– that help
your garden grow. In addition to the pollinators, like bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, and birds,
your plants need other critters in order to thrive. So, skip the pesticides that will kill all the bugs,
and let nature work its magic.

Advice on implementing sustainable practices in your garden like home-made compost, DIY weed killers and more to have a garden that's natural and thriving. ​

• Plant with the ecosystem in mind - choose which plants to include in your garden to attract beneficial wildlife like pollinators to establish a thriving, healthy ecosystem. Lavender, Milkweed & Sunflowers are all great choices.

• Make your own compost mix - you can use kitchen scraps and garden waste to create a natural, nutrient rich compost that gives your garden a boost. The best mixture will be a 70-30% mix of ‘Brown’ & ‘Green’ waste.

• If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals in your garden, there are many DIY weed killer methods that successfully eradicate weeds from your garden. Try directly applying vinegar, lemon juice, hot water or salt to the affected areas. They tend to dehydrate/ kill the plant cells. Make sure this is applied sparingly & in a targeted manner for best results and for minimal damage to the surrounding area.

• With rising costs, a lot of gardeners (both novice and professional) are turning to growing food in their garden to both save money & to create a circular, re-usable system for fresh, home-grown produce. 

• Invest in a water butt to ensure you’ve got a constant supply of naturally provided water. This saves on your water bill and means the plant is getting natural rainwater for healthy growth. Water butts may seem like a big expense but they are cost-effective in the long run and a sustainable alternative to treated tap water.

Eco-friendly gardening methods mean less money spent on expensive weed solutions/ compost mixes, saving you money & helping your garden thrive naturally at the same time. Gardening in a sustainably minded way also means your garden is likely to thrive for longer, meaning less maintenance for you in the long run.

A lot of people think the growing season ends with summer. However, you can create a container garden for edibles and other plants that thrive during fall. Many of the plants also possess the ornamental value we crave for our pots. We’ll show you how to create a container garden for your edibles.

​Start with cool-season plants

Many cool-season plants are also spring favorites because they can tolerate low temperatures and bounce back. Pansies are a good example of an edible plant working in spring and fall containers. Read on to discover more plant suggestions.

Where to place containers

Group containers to aid harvesting and maintenance. By grouping pots, you can plant each with individual plants rather than a mixed planting. Pots with individual plants mimic a garden.
 
Grouping containers also makes it easier to toss protection over your plants if freezing temperatures threaten your landscape. Most of the plants can take a light freeze, but a hard freeze may kill some.
 
Use a cover, blanket, or sheet to protect your plants when needed. It’s best to tent these coverings above your plants. Do not use plastic sheeting, and if a hard freeze threatens, harvest as much as you can to eat or freeze.
 
Remember that the sun is lower in the sky in the fall and winter and that more sun is likely since trees and shrubs have lost their leaves. Most edible plants do best when grown in full sun, or about eight hours of direct sun a day. Group plants where you have the best light. Additionally, place pots where you have easy access to water. Although watering needs may be lower in the fall, plants still need an occasional drink to keep them growing and producing.

What to do with summer plants in the fall

Some annuals will carry over into the fall, such as Calibrachoa and Verbena. Although not edible, they tolerate cooler temps and continue to bloom. Compost or toss other summer plants to make room for your fall selections.
​
What kind of containers should you use?

If you are starting with a new container, select one with drainage holes. All-season material, such as fiberglass or heavy plastic, can survive winter temperatures. Fill containers with a high-quality potting mix. Potting mix is lighter weight than soil and drains better. Some potting mixes also contain plant fertilizers.

Where to get plants for fall containers

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, parsley, pansies, and Johnny jump-ups may be found in some garden centers, home improvement stores, and other retailers. The number and types of plants available will be less than what retailers have in the spring. To be sure to get the fall edibles you want, sow seed. Some plants are easy to grow from seed sown in midsummer for transplanting to a fall container.
 
You’ll also find ornamental cabbage and kale in garden centers in the fall. Although lovely ornamental plants, the leaves have a bitter taste. Use the leaves for displaying tempting food treats like appetizers. Ornamental cabbage and kale last well into the winter. If they look good, use them as natural ornaments in winter greenery.

How to care for edibles and plants in fall containers

Water containers when the top inch of soil feels dry. Mix a granular fertilizer into the soil when planting transplants or apply a water-soluble fertilizer after planting. Always read and follow label directions. If it’s a long fall season with moderate temperatures, the containers may need to be fertilized every few weeks to keep plants growing.

As with any garden, monitor plants for diseases like powdery mildew or beneficial insects like spiders. Spiders are good for your garden because they trap and eat troublesome bugs, like aphids. When caught early, controlling problems may be as easy as spraying insects off your plant with water. Always know what you have before you treat it.

How to harvest edible plants in the fall

Harvesting plants in the fall is the same as in the summer. Snip off leafy greens, starting with the outside leaves. Harvest broccoli as stalks or heads, and Brussels sprouts as stalks or individual sprouts. Snip off parsley, peas, and pansy flowers with scissors.


12 great edibles that thrive in fall containers:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Chard*
• Johnny jump-up
• Kale*
• Lettuce*
• Mustard*
• Nasturtium*
• Pansy
• Parsley
• Spinach*
• Snow pea*

 
*Pro top: The edibles marked with an asterisk are easy to grow from seed. Simply read and follow the seed packet’s directions.

​The first tip is not to choose a large variety of plants but to narrow it down to a few seeds that won’t crowd each other. Plants that are grown too close together can end up competing for nutrients and light. Plants that are properly spaced will give you a better yield versus trying to squeeze in too many plants in the same space.
 
For example, tomatoes and basil fare well together, but tomatoes don’t do so well when planted next to corn or potatoes. Also, take time to research which plants grow best in your region and which gardening techniques will work for you.


2.   Consider the layout and light conditions

The essentials you’ll need for any garden to thrive are water, good soil, and plenty of sunlight –– and that means your garden’s layout is extremely important. Plants should be positioned in a way to receive the proper nutrients and sunlight. To maximize a small gardening space, choose a location in your yard that provides adequate sunlight.


3.   Grow vertically

Vertical gardening is quite popular these days. It’s a great way to grow a lot of vegetables in a small footprint, and trellises are great for small-space gardening. Growing plants upwards not only saves space in your garden beds but trellised plants are exposed to more sunlight which helps fruits to ripen faster.
 
For example, green beans are a favorite of many backyard gardeners and can easily be planted on teepees. Cucumbers are another plant that will climb and prosper on a wide trellis.


4.   Use containers

Containers are a great way to grow plants in small spaces because you can add them to patios, balcony areas, or even your kitchen counter. Herbs, for example, don’t take up a lot of space and will grow well in containers.


5.   Say goodbye to rows and hello to pathways

Forget about growing plants single-file in long, straight rows. You don’t need straight rows –– especially since you don’t have the space anyway. If you plant in curves, your garden will look natural and informal. But do add pathways! This feature will make the space feel bigger. You can create a pathway simply by using wood chips.


6.   Raised beds yield more produce

Another tip is to use raised beds. You can grow significantly more produce in the same space by using raised beds –– plus the benefits of raised beds are endless. You can keep weeds from infiltrating your garden soil, prevent water runoff and soil compaction, and you won’t have to worry much about garden pests like snails and slugs.
 
Don’t feel limited by the amount of outdoor space you have. In fact, many of us do not have acres and acres of land or even the time to have huge plots, but we can still enjoy eating home-grown juicy tomatoes from the vine or home-grown vegetables hot off the grill by embracing the space we do have.

By Hannah Simpson

A verdant and fruitful garden is always a treat to the eyes and a balm to the soul, so just imagine how amazing it would be if it were your garden. Of course, it’s going to demand time, attention, money, and hard work from you. But with tangible benefits like a more beautiful home and healthy food on your table, the ROI is more than compelling — and a great garden can also help you sell your home when the time comes! The fact that you’re contributing to a better world can be a welcome bonus, as well. So, The Daily Garden takes a moment to break down the process of starting and sustaining a productive garden.
 
Learn the Basics
 
Like most things worth doing, gardening should start with due diligence. By breaking down the basics of such an amazing activity and understanding its nuances, you not only ensure that you can grow stuff, but you can also create a productive garden worth admiring.
 

• No doubt, there’s much to learn when you start gardening, but there’s no need to be daunted by the specifics.
  
• You’ll want to understand different gardening techniques to find one that works for you.
• Even more important is to find out which fruits and vegetables you can realistically and sustainably grow in your area.
  
• It’s also a good idea to learn all you can on methods like composting and mulching, as well as irrigation, soil management, pest control, and more, for starters.
• Lastly, you may want to hire someone to build a fence around your garden to protect it (the average cost of a fence is approximately $4,500).

 
Focus on Health
 
A garden is a wonderful addition to any home. But with the hard work that goes into it, why not ensure it also serves you and your family in other ways? In fact, growing food in your garden ensures that you eat healthy at all times while also getting a good workout in the process.
 

• Choose the healthiest food items to grow in your home or apartment garden.
• Make the most out of all the fresh produce your garden is yielding with healthy and delicious recipes using all-organic ingredients, like low-carb broccoli and cheddar soup.
• Also, brush up on the proper storage of produce, so you keep your harvest fresh for a longer period of time.
• Don’t forget that you can already get your requisite daily exercise by gardening, so make the most out of it and hit two birds with one stone.
• You can also use gardening as an excuse to get the kids outside. Teach them the basics and get them to help you maintain your garden.

 
Invest in Sustainable Solutions
 
A good garden is not only productive; it should be sustainable, too. By and large, your garden actually has the potential to become your most significant contribution to the environment, so consider making use of eco-friendly techniques to make it count.
 

• Sustainable and environmentally-friendly gardening is all the rage right now.
• Implementing water conservation measures in your gardening is a fine way to do it.
• Make sure to keep your garden chemical-free by using green fertilizers and pesticides.

 
Suffice it to say, having a productive garden actually need not be a pipe dream. In fact, the hardest part is in learning how to get started. From there, you can just about hit the ground running and start enjoying the holistic benefits of such a valuable addition to your home. You’re happy, and so are your family and Mother Nature — so what’s not to love?
 
To read more about gardening life, explore the musings at The Daily Garden!

​This morning I spotted a nesting pair of blue violet swallows as they gathered stems from a weed patch in my garden.

I spotted a California thrasher working through a pile of acorns and oak leaves I had left piled in a heap.

These birds would not have been in my yard if I kept it all cultivated and in proper order.

A garden can be an ongoing struggle against Mother Nature. A gardener must fend off a myriad of competing life forms: weeds, gophers, crows, insects, etc.

A few years back I made a decision to stop battling nature, and instead celebrate and encourage it.
How can a conventional backyard promote nature?

Every garden and gardener is unique, but here is how my little Silicon Valley nature garden came to be.

5. Rose of Sharon. Many see this as a difficult weed with a hard-to-pull taproot, and it reseeds easily. But I let some live to feed the bush bunnies. It's one of their favorite foods, and at least in my yard, there is balance.

6. Butterflies are attracted to wet clay. This is called "mud puddling." Keep a small wet patch for them.

7. Birdbaths are essential, both for bathing and drinking. Mammals will also drink the water. Wash and refill often, to prevent disease and mosquitoes.

8. A nature preserve does not need bird feeders. The weeds in my yard provide lots of free seeds, and birds are pecking away at them all day.

9. Oaks are so common in California that their sprouted acorns act like weeds. I have two large oaks. I pile up their leaves and acorns out on the meadow. Wild creatures rake, rummage, dig and fight over the acorns all year long.

10. Bunnies. Leave favorite weeds for the bunnies to eat instead of your valued crops and flowers. In my yard they mostly graze on the wild plants in the meadow, which is what we call where the lawn used to be.

You will have to observe your bunnies to see what they eat, and experiment. I have had a lot of fun doing this. They roam the neighborhood grazing on neighbors' lawns and shrubs. I think wild bunnies use my garden as a nesting area safe from dogs. It is futile to try and eliminate them - they multiply like rabbits. Note: information on the internet says bunnies don't eat rose of Sharon. I watched one yesterday chow down on one in my yard.

11. Oxalis. Know your local oxalis strains. Some are hostile invaders; others bring joy and beauty. In spring my meadow is a field of beautiful waving oxalis flowers. After the rains stop the oxalis rapidly dries up, and I rake it away.

12. Set up wire tomato cages out in the open. Birds will use them to perch on, and you will see them easily. Place them over your hummingbird plants and the hummers will rest as they feed!

13. Spend time sitting quietly in the wild yard, and you will make many interesting discoveries. I find that birds, bunnies, even lizards will approach me. They want to figure out if I am a friend who will go about my own business, or an enemy who will give them chase. I have come to believe that if I move slowly and predictably, they think I am a harmless grazer. Birds and small animals like to be near a large grazer, as they stir up the ground and expose grubs, or serve as protection against predators like cats or coyotes. If I quit "grazing" and head for the house, the flock near me will take off too. Not out of fear of a gardener, but of a possible approaching predator.

14. Rats and mice. These are intolerable in the house. Garbage must be tightly contained at all times. But native strains of rats and mice out in the garden are just part of nature, and it is futile to mindlessly trap or poison them.

There is only one way to guard against rats and mice in the house, and that is to keep them out. Every crack and hole in the exterior of a house and attic must be carefully sealed. Keep unscreened doors shut.
​
15. Coyotes. All over the USA coyotes are increasing in urban environments. Last night at 1:30 a.m. I was awakened by the eerie howling and yapping of a coyote concert in the distance. I'm tempted to leave my gate open so they can prowl and maybe catch some rodents. On the other hand, I think I'll draw the line there and keep the gate locked at night.

I no longer view my garden as a battleground. After several years of letting nature take the upper hand, I am inclined to let nature have its way in my meadow. I will never return to a lawn. I will grow vegetables safe from gophers in large containers. I will use my raised beds for experiments and flowers.
​
​Best of luck with your own Garden of Eden.

Linda B Campbell-King is a writer, gardener, championship barbershop singer, and so much more!

History of Sesame

Sesame seeds and their oil also have a lengthy history. They are mentioned in records from the Indus Valley civilization (India) from 3050-3500 BCE. There are numerous mentions of it. As well, from Indian religious literature (note the epithet in the scientific name). Herodotus wrote about it in the fifth century BCE and there are records about sesame from third century BCE from both China and Egypt. The largest producers of sesame seeds today are Sudan, Myanmar and India. World production is about 6 million tonnes (2,204 pounds called a metric ton in the US).


The etymology of sesame derives ultimately from the Akkadian šamaššamu which moved into the Greek as sesamon and finally becoming the Latin sesamum. The original Semitic root is smn (Semitic word roots do not include vowels). In Hebrew shemen means oil and sesame oil was a major crop. It is believed that sesame, also known as benne, was brought to the United States during the period of African slavery. That sesame plant is native to west and central Africa is Sesamum radiatum and has been cultivated there for generations. In addition to the seeds, the stalks and the leaves are used as a thickener to cooked dishes in a manner similar to okra. This effect require pounding the leaves before cooking.

By Kimberly Park

When you hear someone bark, "Who let the dogs out?", it’s more than likely a gardener. Even the most ardent animal lover has a bone to pick with a dog who poops, pees, and digs in the garden. Instead of getting angry, learn how to keep your dog out of your garden.
 
Dog-repellent plants
 
Dogs hate chili peppers, lemongrass, citrus trees, garlic, and onions -- veggies that people love to eat. Just the smell of these plants is enough to keep your dog at bay. The herb, rue, is also a great repellent for dogs and cats, but use it cautiously. Rue can be toxic to people, so while it's OK to plant around your rose bushes, it isn't the right choice for your vegetable garden. 
 
An extra bonus: Many of these same plants, like rue, garlic, and citronella, also repel mosquitoes.
 
Raise the garden

Raised garden beds don’t just look cool, they also serve as a physical barrier to your dog. Fido is unlikely to exert the extra energy to climb up onto raised garden beds to raise a ruckus.
 
These beds also deter those other pet peeves: garden pests like slugs and snails. You'll also have fewer weeds to deal with, and better drainage for your plants.
 
Raised beds can make it easier to maintain your landscape. Another option? Contract out for all your yard work. LawnStarter estimates the cost to hire someone in San Jose for monthly landscape maintenance averages $174 a month.
 
 
Stake it out
 
Don't want to redesign your garden to keep out your Ruff-ian? Keeping your dog out can be as simple as placing some short stakes throughout your vegetable plot. You can also place some prickly branches on the ground or cover the plot with a roll of chicken wire. (This is also great for keeping out the squirrels and bunnies.)
 
None of these methods will harm your garden nor your dog, and they don’t cost much. Fifty feet of chicken wire might cost you about $40.
 
Train your dog to stay out

Teach your dog to respect your garden boundaries -- and that alone could protect your seedlings and tender plants.
 
Depending on how receptive your dog is, you can teach him that the garden is no place for canines. It may be as easy as finding a good series of dog training videos on YouTube or consulting a local dog trainer.
 
Ultrasonic gadgets
 
You won’t be able to hear it, but your dog sure can. A literal dog whistle -- an ultrasonic dog repellent -- will cost you less than $100 and keeps dogs and other animals out of your yard.
 
There are solar-powered gadgets on the market that don’t need a source of electricity or a battery, and it can be a low-maintenance, chemical-free way to keep your four-legged gardener out of the cucumbers and prize roses.
 
Keeping your dog out of the garden can be frustrating, especially if you discover holes that have been dug, or dog waste next to vegetables you planned to put on the dinner table. But one or a combination of these tips can help keep Sam and your fruits and vegetables apart -- and that’s one way to make gardening even more of a pleasure.
 
Kimberly Park grew up on a farm, where she learned to love animals and the great outdoors. As an environmental activist, she has dedicated her life to educating people about gardening and eco-friendly living. She has two beagles and a Siberian husky who know better than to mess with her garden.