Posts in Garden
Plant Trellis For Pots (DIY with Natural Materials)

Are you almost as picky about your indoor plant accessories and pots as you are your plants? Looking to bring the outdoors in with a garden room and a bunch of ugly plastic accessories and pots don’t fit the bill? Me too!

While I definitely have quirky plant preferences that may or may not be rooted in aesthetics, (like some weird trait they have) I want them looking good in their container and on display.

They are the living part of my home decor and in many ways my favorite design elements, but regardless, they need to contribute to the home aesthetic and not just look like a bunch of plastic-y pots crowded together by a window. (OK so that’s kinda what’s going on in my kitchen, but we’ll pretend otherwise for now.)

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How to choose the right pot for your plant [Why pot shape & size matters. A lot.]

Choosing a pot for your plant may seem like it’s only a matter of aesthetics, but the size and shape of your planter along with the soil/potting mix you choose has a direct result on the amount of available water for your plant.

If you’re serious about growing your potted plants as successfully as possible, whether indoors or out, it’s really helpful to have a grasp of the science behind how water and soil interact under different conditions in containers.

In addition to choosing the most attractive planter to show off your prize plant, (also important!) this’ll help you make informed choices about what kind of pot to use for your plants’ long term health and growth.

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How to force spring flowering branches to bloom indoors during winter

Forcing - refers to the process of getting your spring-flowering branches to bloom early. Essentially, by cutting them and bringing them indoors, we’re tricking them into thinking it’s spring. Whether it’s forsythia, quince, or spring-flowering fruit tree branches like cherry or plum, putting together a floral display with these spring harbingers can provide the winter mood lift we need.

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Saucer Magnolias [Winter Flowering Trees & Shrubs]

When winter is dragging on long after the holidays have come and gone, (perhaps the only time some of us may be excited about cold weather) saucer magnolias suddenly appear to perk us up with their large goblet-shaped flowers that bloom on bare wood.

Magnolia x soulangeana typically blooms from mid winter to early spring, depending on variety and climate, when most other garden plants are still in deep in winter sleep. In Napa, CA where I live, it’s mid February and they are blooming all around town now.

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How To Propagate And Repot Agave Pups

Agaves and other plants that produce clone offshoots or “pups” are easy and rewarding to divide, transplant, and repot. There are just a few simple steps to successfully extract the pups from the mother plant and transplant into a pot or soil. So long as you’re careful with the roots and give them appropriate soil and water, your newly transplanted agaves should establish and grow beautifully.

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Best pomegranate varieties to grow in your garden & pots (Plus how to prune, water and fertilize)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum), one of the most ancient fruit crops still grown today, has been cultivated for several millennia. Some scholars believe it was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Found the tomb of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut’s butler Djehuty, (even her butler got his own tomb!) and referenced several times in the Bible, it was one of the first fruit crops to be domesticated in the Middle East and Mediterranean.

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How To Winterize Your Yard & Garden

If you’ve worked hard making a beautiful garden during the warm months, the last thing you want to do is see all your hard green-thumb work come undone during winter’s cold months. Taking steps to prepare your landscape with a fall gardening cleanup will go a long ways to protect your yard from winter weather so your can enjoy it when it's cold and prep it for successful spring growing season.

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