Monthly Archives: May 2011

Easy Beans

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Beans are one of the easiest crops to grow in a home garden. Plant a bean seed, and it will almost certainly grow and produce a generous crop with little effort on the part of the gardener. And although most gardeners have tried bush beans, fewer have tried pole beans. A crop of pole beans grows in the Bean Grow Bag. Beans are one of the easiest crops to grow in a home garden. Plant a bean seed, and it will almost certainly grow and produce a generous crop with little effort on the part Read more [...]

Marigold Makeover

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When it comes to annuals, gardeners can get a little, well, snooty. Some disdain any plant that's not a perennial. But the fact is, annuals provide some of the best non-stop color in a garden. Sure, they only last one season, but they bloom more than any perennial ever could. This is what my friend Kathy came up with when I challenged her last year. Sweet. I tried something with a purple planter, thinking the color-play would be really cool. Honestly, it wasn't even good enough for a photo. When Read more [...]

Fill Gaps with Greens

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It's the time of year when you might see gaps in your vegetable garden. Maybe a broccoli plant died or the beets have been harvested. Make the most of that space by planting a few salad greens, which are more tolerant of shade from neighboring plants. Lettuce seedlings are tucked into an open strip along a raised bed. It's the time of year when you might see gaps in your vegetable garden. Maybe a broccoli plant died or the beets have been harvested. Make the most of that space Read more [...]

Inspiration: Where to Find it

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Have you been to the garden center lately? It's the time of year when the greenhouse benches are overflowing with amazing annuals in all colors and textures. It can be a bit overwhelming, yes? I was walking through our garden center in Burlington last week, looking for respite from the April showers that have continued into May. It's always a treat to see the greenhouse benches are overflowing with amazing annuals in all colors and textures. It can be a bit overwhelming, yes? In my Read more [...]

Keeping Pets Out of Garden

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I'm looking for a simple, attractive, 3 ft. (total above ground) fence to keep our dogs out of certain landscape beds. The iron fencing I've seen is too elaborate and costly. Cheap wire fencing looks cheap. Any ideas? -Kathleen Border Fence In looking through comments that appear on article about keeping dogs and cats out of the garden, I found this: I'm looking for a simple, attractive, 3 ft. (total above ground) fence to keep our dogs out of certain landscape beds. The iron fencing Read more [...]

New Potting Soil

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The secret to beautiful pots and planters? Feed them regularly. Easy to say, but hard to remember. With our new Energized Potting Mix, your plants will get fed all season long. The only thing you need to do is water. With Energized Potting Mix, these Rim Planters can go all summer without additional fertilization. The secret to beautiful pots and planters? Feed them regularly. Easy to say, but hard to remember. With our new Energized Potting Mix, your plants get fed all season Read more [...]

Teaching New Gardeners

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Since we launched the Kitchen Garden Planner in 2009, we've been hearing how people use it. Beginners find it helpful when starting a garden for the first time. Meanwhile, avid gardeners use it to create complex designs and keep records. Recently, we heard that the Peterson Garden Project, a community garden in Chicago, is using our online tool. LaManda Joy, founder of the Peterson Garden Project. Photo by Jennifer Stix. Since we launched the Kitchen Garden Planner in 2009, we've been Read more [...]

Themes for Annuals

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My house is on a fairly busy street, so I like to do something special with the strip of garden that borders the sidewalk. I plant tulip bulbs for a spring show, but summer is reserved for annuals. One of my most successful and unusual plantings was a "hedge" of Redbor kale and cardoons, shown here in early summer. I used white petunias to keep things interesting early on, while the kale and cardoons were getting started. In addition, I mixed in some pink-flowering agastache, which had Read more [...]

Keep Your Pond Clean

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All gardeners want to be green — except when it comes to water. Whether you have a fountain, pond or a small reflecting pool, chances are good that at some point you'll have to deal with nuisance algae. To keep ponds clear, begin treatment early in the season, before problems arise. All gardeners want to be green — except when it comes to water. Whether you have a fountain, pond or a small reflecting pool, chances are good that at some point you'll have to deal with nuisance algae. Mother Read more [...]