Proper Watering
One of the most time consuming and misunderstood summer projects is that of watering the lawn, flowers and the vegetable garden. So here are some hints on the when, where, why and how’s of outdoor watering during the summer months.
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest
Spring Flowering Bulbs
Fall is the time to plant the spring flowering tulip, hyacinth, daffodil, crocus and iris bulbs for a profusion of color the next spring. Groupings of bulbs throughout the landscape will accent and highlight the garden. When used in naturalized settings of tall evergreens or among trees and broadleaf evergreens, they are particularly effective.
Harvesting & Storing Vegetables
For fullest flavor and nutritional value, it is important to harvest your vegetables at the right time. Many can be harvested at just about any stage of their growth, but others do not have their best taste if they are picked when they are under-ripe or overripe; they must be harvested at exactly the right point in their development.
Force Bulbs For Early Indoor Color
This is a great project for any member of the family. It’s easy, rewarding and fun to force a few bulbs for early indoor color. Hyacinths, because of their distinctive fragrance are one of the favorites for this project, but crocus and daffodils are other easy to force bulbs.
Fall Lawn Care & Maintenance
There isn’t a great deal that needs to be done in the lawn area during the fall. However, if you do spend a little extra time grooming it, the lawn will look better during the fall and winter and be in better growing condition by the time spring rolls around.
Houseplants That Help Purify The Air
Houseplants are not only beautiful in the home, they also help cleanse the air. Bamboo palm, Spider plant; flowering mums; Peace lily plant and Mother-in-laws-tongue, are just a few of the best houseplants for purifying air in the home, according to an ongoing two-year study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA).
Planting Peas and Sweet Peas
Late winter is the time to plant out garden peas and sweet peas, two of the earliest of all seed crops.
Seed Planting Chart
Approximately how many of any vegetable do you need to feed four people? This chart will tell you what you need to know to plan a home garden.
Companion Planting
It’s said that vegetables are like people, they thrive on companionship. It is believed that vegetables will yield up to twice as much when they are surrounded with companion plants.
Wide Row Vegetable Gardening
Is space limited for a vegetable garden at your house? If so, wide-row gardening may be a practical solution. It is a way to produce an abundant quantity of vegetables in limited space.