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The good news is there are companies specializing in recycling garbage waste and there are even ways of utilizing old garbage supplies, like old hoses or tools, without adding to our landfills. Garden Related Garbage Non-organic garden waste includes the items mentioned above and so much more. There’s that faded plastic garden gnome who now needs a new home or the pruning shears that seem to be broken beyond repair along with the hose that has kinked its last kink....

What is a Mediterranean Diet? Scientists have identified blue zones across the world. These are locations where citizens live longer, healthier lives than in other regions. The reasons for these vary but often come down to diet. In Italy, Sardinia is the home to some of the oldest living denizens. The credit is mostly due to their adherence to a Mediterranean diet, which has become popular in other countries. Gardening for Mediterranean diets provides easy access to the fruits and vegetables necessary to follow this healthy lifestyle....

How to Reuse Old Bottles in Gardens Our old neighbors along the beach had a glorious cobalt blue glass “tree” made from the kind of fancy bottled water that we shunned for tap. Artistic it certainly was, but there are plenty of other ways to use not only glass but plastic bottles in the garden. We like to use plastic bottles to water our outdoor container plants when we are out of town....

You can grow enough protein in the garden for your whole family if you know which plants provide the most of this basic need. Including Plants for Protein in Your Diet You don’t have to be vegan to want to eat more plants that provide protein. Studies show that switching to a mostly plant-based diet can help save our planet in several ways. You can even consider it a fun challenge to select and grow plants for protein....

Traditional Holiday Plants Amaryllis – What better way to celebrate the holidays and bring in the New Year than by forcing one of these huge flower bulbs to burst forth in bloom? Proper care after flowering will ensure Amaryllis bulbs are ready for forcing again next fall. Choose a white variety for Hanukkah or use red Amaryllis to accent Christmas decorations. Christmas Cactus – Native to South America, this thornless succulent is readily available in the U....

Can I Grow Gladiolus in a Container? If you are one of those interested in planting gladiolus in a container and want to know if this is possible, the resounding answer would be yes. Placing gladiolus bulbs in pots is a good idea where garden space is limited. All you need is to provide suitable drainage and growing conditions. Growing Gladiolus in Pots If you desire to grow gladiolus bulbs in pots, you will first need to choose a variety of glad types that you would like to plant....

How to Plant Mexican Bush Sage Mexican bush sage plant (Salvia leucantha) is a perennial flowering plant with unique greenish silver foliage. Hardy to USDA zones 7b-10, bush sage can also be grown as an annual in regions outside of its hardiness range. Though they can reach sizes up to 4 feet (1 m.) in both height and width in native growing zones, these plants will be much smaller when grown as an annual....

How to Care for Pitcher Plant Indoors Light – If possible, refer to the tag that came with your pitcher plant, as sunlight requirements vary depending on the species. Some require full sunlight and may need supplemental lighting year round, while types that originate in the floor of the rainforest may need filtered light. If you aren’t sure of the variety, place your plant in moderate to bright light and avoid, direct, intense sunlight....

Choosing Plants for Slopes and Banks The first steps to planting a sloping area are to evaluate the pitch and runoff. If the pitch is more than 30 degrees, it might be a good idea to terrace the area to prevent topsoil from eroding and all moisture evacuating every time you water or it rains. Once you have solved any moisture retention and erosion problems, it is time to evaluate the site further for exposure and zone, and plan what plants grow on slopes....

Problems with Using Tin Can Planters There are a few things to consider if growing edibles in metal cans. When a tin can is opened and the inner layer is exposed to oxygen, it begins to break down. If using an older can, make sure there is no rust. This may still be present when you plant into the can (even after washing) and can affect your veggie plant. Some tin cans have an inner plastic coating which can include BPA, and may also cause problems with planting food in them....

Best Herbs for Hanging Baskets While some of the best herbs for hanging baskets are those that are comfortable in potted environments, basically any type of herb can be successfully grown this way as long as you provide adequate growing conditions and drainage. Although you can grow nearly any herb in hanging baskets, here are some good choices to start with as well as the most common: Dill Parsley Thyme Sage Lavender Mint Rosemary Oregano Basil Chives Marjoram...

What Flowering Trees Grow in Zone 6? Choosing a tree for the landscape is a big decision, not only due to the size of a tree but because its architectural dimensions will often define that area of the garden. For this reason, picking the correct hardy flowering trees will ensure year after year of gorgeous flowers and a unique microclimate provided by the tree. As you look at your options, also bear in mind the site lighting, drainage, exposure, average moisture, and other cultural factors....

Ornamental Trees for Zone 4 Our suggested cold hardy flowering trees offer more than just spring flowers. The blossoms on these trees are followed by a shapely canopy of attractive green leaves in summer, and either brilliant color or interesting fruit in fall. You won’t be disappointed when you plant one of these beauties. Flowering Crabapple – As if the delicate beauty of crabapple blossoms isn’t enough, the blossoms are accompanied by a delightful fragrance that permeates the landscape....

Growing Tropical Plants in Zone 6 Who doesn’t love the look of a tropical island, with its echoes of softly whispering surf and verdant green forests? Bringing these notes into the zone 6 garden is not as impossible as it once was due to hardier cultivars and hardy, tropical-looking plants. Another way to utilize zone 6 tropical plants is by taking advantage of microclimates. These vary depending upon elevation, topography, sun and wind exposure, humidity, and proximate shelters....

For harvesting rose seeds, professional rose breeders or hybridizers control what pollen they want used to pollinate a specific rose bloom. By controlling the pollen used in the pollination process, they will know exactly who the parents of a new rose bush are. Out in our gardens we typically have no real clue as to whom both parents are since the bees or wasps do most of the pollinating for us....

Hay Scented Fern Habitat Hay scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba) is a deciduous fern that, when crushed, releases a scent of fresh mowed hay. They can grow up to 2 feet (60 cm.) in height and spread up to 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m.) wide. This fern grows singly from underground stems, called rhizomes. Hay scented fern is a bright green that turns to a soft yellow in the fall....

What is Hedge Cotoneaster? Hardy in zones 3 through 6, hedge cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus) is native to areas of Asia, specifically in the Altai Mountain regions. Hedge cotoneaster is a more rounded upright plant than the very common wide, sprawling cotoneaster that most of us are familiar with. Due to its dense, upright habit and its tolerance of shearing, hedge cotoneaster is oftentimes used for hedging (hence the name), privacy screens, or shelter belts....

About Honey Babe Peaches When it comes to growing a compact peach, Honey Babe is about the best you can do. This dwarf tree is typically only 5 feet (1.5 m.) tall and no wider. You can even grow this peach tree in a container on a patio or porch, as long as there is enough sunlight and you provide larger containers as it grows. This is a firm, freestone peach with yellow-orange flesh....

If your plant has lost all of its leaves or the leaves have all gone brown, don’t panic. If you suspect your plant is dead but you aren’t sure, the fastest way to tell if it is dead is to check the stems. The stems of the plant should be pliable and firm and will have a green cast on the inside if they are still alive. If the stem is mushy or brittle, check the roots for the same conditions....

What is a Gabion Wall? Wire gabion baskets or cages filled with rock are the substance of your rock wall. Gabion baskets are secured together to create length. This construction is among the strongest available and used commercially to stabilize shorelines and riverbanks from erosion. Originally used by the military, gabion baskets have now become an integral part of building decorative hardscape features in your landscape. Landscape contractors may use gabion walls to help correct erosion or control problems in your landscape, especially near a pond or river that might flow across your land....