Succulents are beloved as houseplants not only because of their interesting foliage but also for their flowers – although it is usually small or less interesting than the leaves. You’ll also need patience as many succulents do not flower until they reach maturity. Some may even need to be coaxed to flower under the … Read more
With the rapid improvement in battery and electric motor technology, the cordless lawn mower category is quickly filling up with top quality products, and our testing of the GreenWorks G-Max mower has really awoken us as to just how good a cordless mower can be. Not all that long a ago battery powered lawn mowers were … Read more
While many other houseplants are content with commercially available potting soil, succulents want excellent drainage, better than you’ll find in any pre-mixed product from the store. Making your own potting mix is easy, saves you money, and grows robust succulents quickly, free from pests and disease. Beyond providing the basics (sun and water), there is … Read more
Growing your own produce is one of the most fulfilling things you can do with your yard. But when pests start getting involved, they can quickly turn a useful hobby into a frustrating disaster. To battle these garden pests, many homeowners turn to toxic pesticides and other chemicals. What they don’t know is that diatomaceous … Read more
Visual illusions, anything from shadow puppets to the art of M.C. Escher, have an entrancing quality. Many plant lovers enjoy the visual pun-play involved in raising plants that mimic other plants or animals, such as string of pearls (a.k.a. string of peas), Psychotria elata (a.k.a. hooker’s lips), or Orchis italica (the naked man orchid). If … Read more
Laying sod is a great way to quickly transform a bare yard into a beautiful, lush lawn. But figuring out how much sod you need can be tricky, especially when you consider that every vendor sells sod in different quantities. To help you figure out exactly how much sod you need to transform your yard, … Read more
The Perfect All-Natural Subscription Service for Weedy Lawns Finding an all-natural subscription lawn care service for a weedy lawn isn’t easy. At least, it wasn’t before LawnBright came around. This newer subscription service uses many of the same principles as Sunday and other more popular options. LawnBright delivers natural, organic, and chemical-free fertilizers and soil … Read more
Whether you’re filling in bare spots or reseeding an entire yard, timing is everything when it comes to planting grass seed. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you’ve waited too long or are trying to start your project too early. Yes, cool season grasses are best seeded in late summer and early … Read more
In the 1970s, a man named Gary Dahl became a millionaire selling Pet Rocks. This “toy” was literally a smooth gray stone that came nestled into a straw bed inside a cardboard box perforated with “breathing holes,” along with a 32-page tongue-in-cheek instruction manual for its proper care and feeding. While the original Pet Rock … Read more
You just got back home and noticed that your beautiful lawn needs another round of fertilizer. However, you know that poor application could damage your grass and cause other problems. You also know that the effect of the fertilizer depends on the timing of the application. Some people do it before the rain, but as … Read more
Winter is one of the toughest times for our lawns, and ensuring that the grass gets through the colder months and has enough food to flourish in spring is important. Luckily, winterizer is designed to do just that. Knowing when to apply a winter fertilizer and what brands to choose are critical in ensuring the success … Read more
Ticks and fleas are more than just a nuisance for dogs and cats. These blood-sucking pests can cause diseases, including Lyme disease, bubonic plague, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. But it’s not just your pets who are at risk of getting sick. If your dog or cat has fleas or ticks and comes into … Read more
It can be just as difficult to figure out how to feed your succulents as it is to decide how to feed yourself. If you’ve researched succulents, you’ve probably come across opinions ranging from “succulents never need to be fertilized” to “fertilize with Miracle Grow monthly” and everything in between. In this article, we’ll explain … Read more
Let’s face it, pulling weeds is not a fun way to spend your weekend. Luckily, there is a less labor-intensive alternative — a pre-emergent weed killer. It’s a herbicide that you apply two to three times per year to prevent those unsightly weeds from ruining your lawn or flower bed in the first place. But … Read more
Since the 1980s, a hens and chicks plant has been growing on an old tree stump in my grandmother’s flower bed in Indiana, USDA zone 6. It has survived forty years or more despite annual snowstorms, without any maintenance, fertilizer, or even soil to grow in. Sempervivum is just as attractive as it is resilient, … Read more
Don’t eat these peas! The succulent known as string of pearls—otherwise known as string of beads or string of peas, for obvious reasons once you’ve seen it—is poisonous. However, in a pet and toddler-free household string of pearls makes an ideal houseplant. The long trailing stems festooned with round green leaves that look just like … Read more
Does your succulent look like an adolescent—tall, gangly, and awkward, with limbs that look thin as toothpicks? Does it resemble a Charlie Brown Christmas tree more than it does than the bushy succulent you brought home from the store? What did you do wrong? The simple answer is that your succulent is leggy (or, in … Read more
If your succulents are covered in little white crumbs, it isn’t because your significant other was eating crackers over them. The problem is more likely mealybugs , a species of scale. And, they are the most common pest that infests succulents. Eliminating mealybugs can be a daunting challenge, but there are some good strategies you … Read more
Yes, wood ash is good for your grass. Wood ash has many benefits for your lawn, including being a great source of potassium and having high alkalinity levels. Of course, it is important that you are using clean wood ash when you add it to your lawn grass for maximum effect. The benefits that come … Read more
Save your Plants With this great invention If you are anything like me, then you probably forget to water your plants – and when you go away on vacation, well, they need to fend for themselves. But all that has changed since Elecrow offered to let me try the Growcube. While the Growcube is still … Read more
