13 Tips for Growing Better Tomatoes

Looking for tips for growing better tomatoes? Check out 13 Tips for Growing Better Tomatoes. These tips will help you learn to grow the best tasting tomatoes!

How to Grow Forsythias from Cuttings

Tutorial: How to Grow Forsythias from Cuttings

Learn to grow forsythias from cuttings.

How to Grow Crape Myrtles from Cuttings

Crape Myrtles are one of many ornamental trees that are easy to grow from cuttings. Crape myrtle cuttings can be taken from stems, shoots or suckers.

Crape myrtle cuttings usually root with in two weeks and will sometimes bloom the same year depending on the time of year you took the cuttings. They can be propagated by cuttings nearly any time during the year.

Tutorial: How to Grow Crape Myrtles from Cuttings

Hummingbird Food Recipe

Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures! You can attract your own hummingbirds using the right hummingbird food recipes, plants and more.


Hummingbird Food Recipe

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How to Grow Tomatoes from Cuttings

A little known fact about tomatoes is that they are very easy to grow from cuttings. Growing tomatoes from cuttings is a great way to preserve heirlooms and to collect your favorite varieties of tomatoes without having to spend a fortune.

Aside from saving money, one of the most common reasons for growing tomatoes from cuttings is that you can extend your tomato seasons. Most tomatoes fizzle out by fall and die off. You can replenish those plants by taking cuttings in midsummer. Tomato cuttings root with in a week and with in 2 to 3 weeks you will have a healthy plant that will soon be growing tomatoes.

Propagating tomatoes from cuttings you can guarantee that you will produce the same exact tomato plant as the parent plant. This is not possible with seeds due to hybridizing.

To learn how to grow tomatoes from cuttings check out my tutorial on How to Grow Tomatoes from Cuttings.   It' quick, simple and super easy. Great for beginners and gardening with children.

Rose Tips

Looking for tips on how to grow roses? Maybe you need information on pruning roses or growing roses from cuttings? You can find plenty of rose gardening tips on some of my other blog posts.

How to Prune Roses
Knowing how to prune roses can mean the difference between having healthy, beautiful roses and a blooming mess. Knowing how to prune roses will lead to a hea...

10 Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses
Whether you are a beginner in rose gardening or looking for useful tips on growing roses you have come to the right place. Here you will find tips for everyt...

How to Grow Roses from Cuttings
Learning how to grow roses from cuttings can save you a lot of money and help you extend your rose garden. Growing roses from stem cuttings is easy with the ...

Sundowner Rosa Grandiflora
Sundowner is a beautiful Grandiflora rose. After planting it in my rose garden this spring I think it is now one of my favorite roses. Here you will find tip...

My Sundowner Rose

My Sundowner Rose

Above: pictures is of my Sundowner just as it began to open.

Below: My Sundowner a few days after the two blooms opened. Notice how the colors changed from the bright orange to various shades of peach, yellow, pink, and orange.

For more information on growing the Sundowner Rose check out:

Sundowner Rosa Grandiflora
Sundowner is a beautiful Grandiflora rose. After planting it in my rose garden this spring I think it is now one of my favorite roses. Here you will find tip...

My Floribunda Rose

My Angel Face Floribunda 

My new Angel Face Floribunda is doing great. I just planted it along with several others in my new rose garden. This beauty was the first one to bloom this year and I think it is officially one of my new favorite roses. It's last 8-10 days, smells great and has large, thick-petaled blooms.

My Garden Is Slowly Coming Together...

Over the last week or two I have got quite a bit accomplished in the yard... another reason for my lack of posting and updating my blog.

Well, since I last posted about my yard I have manged to put out about 2 yards of mulch and have 2 more to go. I also planted 28 Crape Myrtles; my proudest accomplishment seeing how I purchased them LAST YEAR and never got them in the ground till this year. They are the pink Souix Crape Myrtles and were planted 3 to a pot about 2 feet high.

I lost a few over the winter but still had 28 healthy crape myrtles left. I paired them up- using to per hole and used them to create a perimeter around my front yard on both roads (I live at the corner of an intersection on old dirt roads...) I am hoping by the end of the year they will be nice and thick and over the next few years put on some height.

My main goal is that in about 5 years I will have a 'screen' type privacy that is still see through, obviously, but adds to the decor.

Top 10 Easy Indoor Plants

Whether you are a beginner or a Master Gardener easy indoor plants may be better for you. I tend to forget about them or not have time to care for my indoor plants as much as I would like to. I have stopped trying to grow high maintainence plance indoors becuase I tend to run out of time to deal with them. Between work, family, and tending to the outdoor plants I forget all about the few I have indoor. I have had to revert to easy plants...

I have compiled a list of easy indoor plants for those of you who may be interested-

Top 10 Easy Indoor Plants
The key to growing indoor plants is to find the perfect plant for your home and gardening capabilities. Easy indoor plants are better for beginners and those...

How to Grow Crape Myrtles

How to Grow Crape Myrtles is a step by step guide for growing crape myrtles. It shares how to plant, water, fertilize, propagate and much more. A must have for any Crape Myrtle Gardener!

How to Grow Crape Myrtles from Cuttings

Crape Myrtles are starting to put on new growth and shortly it will be time to propagate crape myrtles from cuttings. Crape myrtle are easily grown from cuttings and you can learn how to do it at How to Grow Crape Myrtles from Cuttings, a tutorial on crape myrtle cuttings.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees

Well, my new greenhouse is up and running and filling up with plants fast. It's also filling up with carpenter bees. Oh my.... I didn't know much about carpenter bees till I started to tell my husband about all the buzzing and the whole in one of the boards on my trusses in my BRAND NEW greenhouse. I was telling him how the sawdust was filling up one of the trays on my Canna Lilies and he told me that i was carpenter bees.

Ok- a bee. No big deal the bees are actually beneficial in my greenhouse because they polinate the plants. Well much to my surprise Carpenter Bees are far from beneficial. They chew holes in the wood and build nests inside the boards causing the boards to become hollow, less sturdy and eventually break.

Well, as if that ain't enough, getting rid of the carpenter bees consisted of more that spraying them out of their whole with the water hose or trying to squash one and think I was done. With that being said I thought it may be useful to share some of the info I discovered on How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees.

How to Sell Plants Online

One of the most important decisions of selling plants online is deciding what plants to sell. There are several things you should factor in before making your ultimate decision. Do you have a specific type of plant you want to sell, a variety of plants, cuttings, seeds, rare plants?

Find out more about selling your plants online at How to Sell Plants Online and Where to Sell Your Plants Online

Turn Your Love for Plants Into Profit with a Backyard Nursery

Have a ton of extra plants? Love growing extra plants but don't know what to do with them? Want to open a nursery but don't' have the means or start up costs? Check out How to Start a Profitable Backyard Nursery to learn how to start your own nursery in your backyard with little or no space and no start up costs. Use what you got to get your profitable backyard nursery going!

How to Start Backyard Nursery

How to Grow Roses from Cuttings

Learning how to grow roses from cuttings can save you a lot of money and help you extend your rose garden. Growing roses from stem cuttings is easy with the right knowledge. There are a few things you need to know before getting started. Once you get the hang of it you can quickly increase your number of roses and enjoy them in a few short weeks.

For a step by step guide to growing roses from cuttings visit How to Grow Roses from Cuttings.

* This photo is a picture of my Sundowner Grandiflora that I will soon be taking cuttings from. I will keep you guys posted!

Growing Canna Lilies from Seed

My Canna Lilies that I started from seed a few weeks ago are coming along great! I will post pics as soon as possible. I created a tutorial on How to Grow Canna Lilies from Seed if anyone would like to give it a try. It is super easy!

How to Grow Canna Lilies from Seed

Gold Glow Rose

Gold Glow is a beautiful golden-yellow colored Hybrid Tea rose. Aside from its bold color, Gold Glow is well known for its very fragrant, double blooms. It is a repeat bloomer that produces abundantly from Spring to Summer. Gold Glow is a bush style rose that grows 3-6 foot high and has a width of 3-4 feet.

The Patent has expired and can be legally and ETHICALLY propagated.

Tips for Growing Roses

10 Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses

Where to Buy Cheap Roses

How to Plant Bare-Root Roses

About the Different Types of Roses

How to Treat Black Spot On Roses

How to Grow Roses from Stem Cuttings

How to Grow Beautiful Roses With Bigger Blooms

Tips for Growing Roses From Cuttings

How to Identify and Treat Black Spot on Roses

Black Spot is a common problem associated with growing roses, especially in the south. I would have to say it's only thing I dislike about growing roses. Here in Florida the humidity is high and offers the perfect breeding grounds for Black Spot.

Black Spot is easy to identify. It starts of with little black spots that rapidly grow and take over the entire rose bush if not stopped quickly.

You should treat roses at the first sign of Black Spot to keep it from spreading. Be sure to treat the soil, mulch and anything else near the infected plants. Always water plants from the base to insure you are not spreading the Black Spot with water. Splashing, trickling and running water are all common reasons for the disease spreading to other plants.

There are several methods for treating and preventing Black Spot. You can spend fortunes trying to treat it and prevent it with chemicals from the garden center OR you can use SIMPLE at home remedies that work well and cost pennies.... How to Treat Black Spot on Roses and several methods for treating Black Spot on roses. Click HERE to read the article.

Types of Roses

    There are several different types of roses. Each type of rose has it's on qualities to use for different landscape purposes. Some roses are more like shrubs, some are like trees and some are climbers. 
Every rose grower has their own preference on growing roses. Some gardeners prefer a low-maintenance rose bush while others may prefer a more profound, elegant look that will require more work. Knowing about the different types of roses will help you to determine the right rose bushes for you and your rose garden. 


Types of Roses:

• Floribunda - Bushy, easy to maintain, clusters of 3-15 roses on a stem.
• Hybrid Tea - Used for floral arrangements, single rose per stem, requires more maintenance.
• Grandiflora - A mix between Hybrid Tea and Floribunda, longer stems but more roses per cluster. Easier to maintain then Hybrid Tea and has more blooms. (Queen Elizabeth pictured with this post is a Grandiflora)
• Shrub - Very easy to grow, requires little maintenance. several blooms all over, very bushy.
• Climber - Great for using on trellis, fences, arbors and as ground covers. Easy to maintain and grows quickly.
• Tree Roses - Roses bushes shaped into trees. Does require more maintenance to keeps its shape. Usually has several blooms depending on the type of rose bush used to create the tree. Not as hardy as most roses.
• Miniature - Small, compact bush usually no more then 2 feet high. Does well in planters, pots, and small beds. Easy to maintain but does not cover large areas.

When to Fertilize Roses

    Now that Spring is knocking at the door and roses are starting to leaf out, it's the perfect time to fertilize. There are two options to fertilize roses; liquid or granular.

Liquid Fertilizer:
    Liquid fertilizer is quick and easy but will require applications more often. You can choose any general purpose fertilizer you use on the rest of you plants or you can bump it up a notch and use one formulated just for roses. Miracle Grow has one in each. Simply mix according to the directions and apply by pouring near the base of the rose bush.


Granular Fertilizer:
    Granular Fertilizer requires a different application method along with a little work but, in the long run it does last a lot longer and does not need to be applied very often. Most only require 1-2 applications a growing season.

When using granular fertilizer apply the correct amount according to the package. Again, this can also be a general purpose fertilizer or one formulated just for roses. Sprinkle the granules around the rose with in 1 foot of the base. DO NOT let the granules touch the base of the plant or else it will burn it. Finish it off by 'scratching' it in using a rake, pitch fork or other tool that will penetrate the soil. Cover the fertilizer with about an inch of soil and water in. Afterwards, when each time you water your roses or get blessed with a little rain, your roses get treated to some well deserved nutrients.

Keep in mind, you can use any general purpose fertilize of any brand. However roses will thrive better if you use NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) ratios of about 1:2:1. When you chose a rose fertilizer they will most likely consist of this ratio. Again, you what ever you like but, if you are looking to beat the neighbors you will want to follow this ratio to insure they are getting the Phosphorous needed to produce strong, vibrant blooms! 

Gardenias... A Southern Beauty

Any true-Southerner will tell you that Gardenias are a 'must' in the south. Gardenias known for their scent. The deep green foliage and beautiful blooms are just an added bonus.

Gardenias are easy to grow and go great in just about any type of landscape. If taken care of properly, they will reward you for many, many years!



Quick Tips for Growing Gardenias:

• Keep the soil moist.
• Do not prune during blooming.
• Plant your Gardenia in full sun but protect from long, scorching days.
• Fertilize once a month using a liquid fertilizer at recommended strength.
• Do not allow the soil to dry out for days at the time. It will drop its leaves!
• Keep in mind that some people have allergies stimulated by the scent of Gardenias. Do not plant near by if you or a family member is allergic to Gardenia because it is highly fragrant and will quickly take it's toll.

For more detailed info on growing Gardenias, check out Guide to Caring for Gardenias

Cypress Vine Seeds Are Germinating!

   Well, I got my Cypress Vine seeds in and soaked over night as directed. Out of 65 I only had a chance to plant half of them yesterday after letting them soak overnight. I left the others to soak until I got a chance to plant them. I checked on them today and much to my surprise, in less than 48 hours they were starting to germinate in the water. I expect that those planted in the trays will start popping up in the next day or two.


   Cypress Vines are great for attracting Hummingbirds and creating a filler. They do well on trellises and will climb on just about anything they can reach.

Herb Garden Ideas

 I found this picture while searching Google for flowerbed Ideas. I am planning on creating an herb garden similar to this. Some in pots, some in the ground and maybe a few from baskets. I love the "Summer Thyme" sign that ties it all together.