What Are These White Spots?
Question: What are the white spots on my trailing ivy?
Answer: Well, they could be lots of things… A really great thing to do would be to invest in a magnifying glass (I use the word “invest” here loosely, since magnifying glasses can be bought most anywhere and are pretty cheap). It is underestimated how helpful [...]
Winter Refugees
You know cold weather is around the corner when the bugs start their yearly exodus from the garden. There is a little spider taking up residence in one of my cupboards. He’s just too fast, I can’t catch him!
I only hope the first few light frosts kill off the smaller pests, like spider mites and [...]
Banana Answers
Question: I bought two dwarf banana plants. I kept one and gave the other one to my sister. Well, mine died, but hers is still growing. I don’t know why. Do you know where I can get another dwarf banana plant?
Answer: Try looking up some local greenhouses in the phone book. This is a tropical [...]
Croton Likes the Sunshine
Question: Is it good to put a Croton plant outside?
Answer: In the Summertime, yes it is. Croton loves sunlight and your back yard, or sunny porch would be a great place for it. Make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, this is NOT a drought resistant plant.
If you choose to put it outside, keep an [...]
Your Best Garden Defense
Having an organic garden is a great way to watch nature in action. I have never laid a chemical on my garden, and I never will. To help gt rid of garden pests, I simply allow nature to take its course. I put out bird feeders and bat boxes to encourage pest-eating animals to stop [...]
Gardenia Growing
Q: I have a gardenia topiary in a North facing window in my house. Some of the leaves are turning brown and some of the branches are wilting. Why? Please help!
A: Ah, gardenias. The famous white bloom Billie Holiday wore in her hair. Popular in the Southern US, these plants are native to Asia and [...]
A Picture Tour of My Urban Vegetable Garden
Even though I live in the city, I like to have fresh, organic produce on hand. I also like to know that my yard space is being put to good use. I used about a third of my fenced in back yard to create a veggie garden that I’m very proud of. The space is [...]
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Should I, or shouldn’t I?
Q: Is it good to put a Croton plant outside?
A: It’s good to let them live outside in the Summer as long as you bring them in in the Winter. Crotons love the sun and rain and fresh air. Mine has luxuriated in the full, bright sun all Summer, and it’s loving life!
If you live [...]
Wanted: Garden Enemies
Have you seen this critter?
This is a common grasshopper. These guys are native to the US. Just a few of them is no big deal, but a swarm of them can wipe out a whole Summer’s worth of work. Grasshoppers have many natural enemies. Help harbor the predators, keep the pests to a minimum.
Don’t throw [...]
Composting 101
You may be spending dough on store bought fertilizer for your plants while throwing away valuable bits of it every day. I have seen the beauty of decomposing organic material, readers! It’s so easy and beneficial to compost, I don’t know why I never did it before. The steps are simple and you can go [...]