Gardening Tips Weekly (September 30, 2018)


Hard landscaping projects such as borders, paths, and in this case a birdbath border also enhance the beauty of your garden.

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Today's Featured Post

Enhance Your Garden With Stone Birdbath Border

By Benetta

birdbath on circle of small cobbles with borderIt is common knowledge that a beautiful garden adds to your property value. However, making major changes to a garden can be a costly exercise. It is then when it becomes important to add new life to something old, and see the difference it can make. We created a circular stone border around our birdbath.

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This Week's Guides
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for Bedding Plants
Flowering plants at a nursery.
Using Citronella Soap as Mosquito Repellent
Mosquito
Soil Advice for Avocado Plants
Two avocados growing on a tree.
How to Compost Shredded Paper
Shredded Paper
Using Aquarium Water for Plants
Aquarium in the middle of a water change
Feeding Wild Birds Suet
A Downy woodpecker eating suet.
Today's Posts

Buckley Homestead Geese

By dalessandrokim

Buckley Homestead Geese - gray geese in a penOn a recent visit to Buckley Homestead County Park in Lowell, Indiana I was greeted by two noisy and curious farm geese. Buckley Homestead is a late 19th/early 20th century working farm. I enjoyed stepping back into the past for a few hours and visiting with the animals.

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Succulent Pumpkin Planter

By 15mhhm15

Succulent Pumpkin Planter - ready to display or giftThis is a cute succulent pumpkin pot DIY for fall. It is easy and very inexpensive to make. It is perfect to give as gifts to teachers, co-workers, family, friends, for your home decor, or to use as centerpieces for any fall parties/weddings.

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Cleaning a Hummingbird Feeder

By littergitter

Cleaning a Hummingbird Feeder The hummingbirds have gone south so I took my feeders down, gave them a good cleaning and put them away until next spring. Although I have a feeder that is smaller and easy to clean, the birds seem to like this old bottle feeder the best.

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Elephant in the Garden

By Deborah S.

Elephant in the Garden - butterflies on tree trunks that resemble an elephantI took this photo in the butterfly garden. There were so many lovely beautiful, colorful, quiet little beauties in that garden! I must have taken 100 pictures that day. Thru the camera lens I peered and snapped photos and all of a sudden I saw an elephant!

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Patience and Misting for Starting Roses

By Lilly M

Rose StartGrowing roses from seeds can be a bit tricky and requires a great deal of patience. As rosemom mentioned, the seeds may not produce the same plants as the "mother" since most roses in garden centers are hybrids.

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The Sideline Praying Mantis

By lalala...

The Sideline Praying Mantis - mantis and its shadowAt a recent football game for my son, we got to enjoy the presence of this fun little guy. After getting some fun pictures of him cheering on the teams, we moved him to a safer location. Capturing his shadow in the photo was the best part!

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Using Natures Own For Decorations, While Going Green

By Ana

Using Natures Own For Decorations, While Going Green - mini pumpkin gourd, pinecones, apples, greenery and a candleI love creating decorations from items that are free! Not only is it free, it smells nice, adds earthy freshness, and can be changed out and composted, eaten, or dried for arrangements. With apples from the tree, pine cones, and my favorite magnolia leaves, all of earth's freshness, can go back to the earth.

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Cleaning Fingernails After Gardening

By ShirleyE

scraping soap under nailsEven if you wear gardening gloves your hands and fingernails get ingrained with dirt that is hard to remove.

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The Northern Cardinal

By EllenB

The Northern CardinalWith its unmistakable brilliant red color, the Northern Cardinal is one of the most popular and well-known song birds in North America.

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Coffee Filter Over Drainage Hole
When repotting plants, or planting new seeds, place a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot before filling it with soil. The filter stops the soil from leaking out of the holes in the bottom of the pot, it also helps keep the soil moist.
Water Plants With Leftover Coffee
When you have leftover coffee, add some water and use it to water your plants (houseplants or garden). It acts like plant food. Coffee grounds can be mixed in your garden soil for a boost.
Store Bird Suet in the Freezer
Birds like to eat suet all year, but it sometimes melts in hot weather. What I do to make the suet last a lot longer is to put it in the freezer; I do that as soon as I buy new cakes, and keep them there until I need to put them out.
Avoid Blisters When Raking Leaves
Do you get a blister on your hand when raking leaves? If so, try taping a piece of first aid cloth tape on your hand where the blister forms before you put your gloves on.

Answer Questions and Earn!

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This Week's Questions
Mammillaria elongata Cactus Turning Yellow
I'm experiencing an issue with my Mammillaria elongata cactus. I've had this plant for about a month and recently it's started to turn yellow. I have it by the windowsill and water it once a week so not sure why it's turning yellow.
Identifying the Variety of a Calla Lily
Identifying the Variety of a Calla Lily - deep purple calla
Value of an Electric Westinghouse Motor Push Mower
Value of an Electric Westinghouse Motor Push Mower
Potted Avocado Tree Losing Leaves and Turning Black
Potted Avocado Tree Losing Leaves and Turning Black - healthy plant
John Deere Tractor Has Temperamental Start
Sometimes I have to leave the key for about ten minutes before the tractor will start. Has anyone else come across this problem? What is the solution?
Zucchini Is Getting Soft at the Blossom End
I have grown zucchini for the last couple years, but this time, the fruit doesn't look great. It's not evenly straight, but instead I'm getting a pointy tip at the blossom end and most of fruit when it gets to 2 to 3 inches long, the blossom end gets soft, but not rotten, so I don't what is causing this?
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