PopSugar

Cool Idea: Lighting the Dark Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0800

I've been pretty bummed about the time change, since it's usually dark by the time I get home from work. This means that any outdoor chores, gardening work, or frolicking with the dogs is done in near pitch black, or lit from sharp, glaring porch lights.

Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening at my favorite gardening store, Gardeners Supply Company, has come up with a pretty solution to combat the darkness. Besides using solar lights along pathways, she's also indulged her inner artist with a cool project.

She writes:

Last Fall we came up with a combination art project/all-season, outdoor lighting solution. We made an orb with two rusted steel bands from an old whiskey barrel planter. They're held together at the top with a rusted-iron hose guide, which fits into a metal pipe that anchors the whole thing to a cedar post. Around the center of the pipe I wove a loose ball of wild grape vines. Then I stuffed the ball with a 24-foot string of small LED lights (these are the warm white ones - I don't like the cool blue lights).

How do you light your yard or garden after the clocks fall back?

Would You Like to Have a Topiary Garden?

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:13 -0800

I've always been fascinated with topiary gardens. They seem so magical. It amazes me how gardeners create such tailored shapes from something as unruly as trees - and then keep up with trimming them. I can't even grow a Chia Pet or remember to get a haircut. I would love to have a topiary garden, but obviously I'd have to hire someone to keep it in shape. Would you like one?

Source: Flickr User Arthur Chapman

Garden Therapy: Plant Garlic For a No-Fuss Crop

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:30:31 -0700

Want to get your garden on this Winter, but don't want to spend a lot of time or money? Then garlic is your go-to crop.

In most of the US, now is the ideal time to plant garlic, since the cloves you plant will establish roots before the ground freezes. They require virtually no care, and you can then harvest them in June or July.

If you're squeezed for space, you can also plant garlic in containers. Start with good quality potting soil, and fill most of a container with it. Then plant one garlic clove (buy in a garden or hardware store) per small pot. Push the clove about an inch under the soil surface. Water, then set along the side of your house out of the way of cold winds, and let it winter there. It's always so fun to see the green garlic shoots peeking up in the Spring!

Source: Flickr User lburiedpaul

Cool Idea: A Car Turned Planter

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:32 -0700

I stopped by Flora Grubb the other morning to grab some delicious Ritual coffee and to check out the amazing garden store for inspiration and ideas. Before picking up a gorgeous spear-like Sansaveria, I wandered around the gardens, taking in all of the beautiful plants. I was particularly taken with the way Flora Grubb had reimagined this classic car. I love the way it's been "reclaimed" by nature in a rather Land of the Lost fashion. While this project is definitely more art installation than practical idea for your backyard garden, I do love the idea of creatively reusing unexpected materials as planters. What's around your house that you could re-use as a planter? Could you use an old candelabra to display air plants? How about using cracked bowls as flower pots? Tell me, what have you used around your home as an unexpected garden or indoor-plant vessel?

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Garden Therapy: Preventing Creatures From Eating Fall Bulbs

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Ann Whitman, the green goods supervisor at Gardener's Supply, recently offered some advice for preventing squirrels, deer, and other critters from digging up and destroying your Fall bulbs. Check out her tips below.

Squirrels love to dig in newly disturbed soil, so prevent them from exploring by disguising your newly planted bulbs. Cover the planting area with rocks, boards, buckets, or chicken wire. Once the ground freezes, you can move the rocks or other materials.
Since deer don't care about bulbs until the Spring, protect tender leaves by covering them with wire mesh once they start popping up next Spring.
Avoid damage from chipmunks and voles by surrounding bulbs with sharp gravel and oyster shell. You can also plant them inside a wire cage.
Deter rascally rabbits by spraying repellents, such as Liquid Fence, or predator urine, around bulbs in the Spring.
Try planting bulbs that animals find unappealing. Chief among these are daffodils, alliums, fritillaries, grape hyacinths, and many other spring-flowering bulbs.

Source: Flickr User Gilles Gonthier

Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:12 -0700

Those of you who are lucky enough to enjoy a cool-weather gardening season should think about starting some of these seedlings soon. Can you tell me what this plant is called?

Having a Green Thumb Could Give You a Red Rash

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:30:55 -0700

Planting your own vegetable garden is fun and rewarding, not to mention a money-saver when it comes to all the veggies it produces. If you're new to gardening, then you may want to know a surprising fact. For some people, touching the leaves, stems, or veggies of certain plants can result in a red, dotty, itchy rash known as contact dermatitis. It can happen with zucchini, cucumber, pumpkins, or other plants that have prickly hairs on their vines. The rash can appear where the contact occurred on your skin, or it can show up on other areas of your body. To see what the rash looks like, just read more.

If this rash appears after gardening, the best thing to do is wash your skin with cold water and a mild soap.

Let your skin air-dry, and the rash should go away after an hour or so. If it doesn't, or it's really bothering you, apply an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to reduce inflammation and relieve the itching and burning. If the rash still doesn't go away, it's best to see your doctor. To prevent this bizarre rash next time, wear gloves when handling your plants.

Have you ever gotten a rash after gardening?

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Casa Quickie: Water Wise

CasaSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:30:23 -0700

Want to save some money on your water bill this Summer? A drip irrigation system or soaker hose can save 30-70 percent of the water that is used by overhead sprinkler systems. However, if you don't have a fancy irrigation system, you can still save water. If you water by hand, don't water foliage, but water at the base of the plants, where the plants will absorb the most water.

Source: Flickr User couragetoxlive

Do You Have Succulents In Your Garden?

CasaSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:00:04 -0700

Not only are succulents a great choice for low-water-use gardens, they can also add beautiful texture and shape to a garden. Are there any succulents around your home?

Source

Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0700

This garden herb is a staple of Italian cooking. Can you tell me what it's called?