Weeds are an eyesore that can transform a dream garden into a nightmare, and what makes matters worse is weeds will compete with garden plants for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Weeds have also been known to encourage diseases and to be a harbourage for many garden insect pests. Because of this, we should do all that we can to keep our gardens clear of weeds.
A newly installed lawn looks so beautiful and stunning but what happens when that lawn that you invested your time and money in turns from a dream lawn to a nightmare? What went wrong? this has been the unfortunate experience of so many, the good news is there is hope to revive your St Augustine grass to its former glory. What to keep in mind is when your St Augustine starts to decline may be either underlining issues that need to be addressed or poor management practices that are contributing to St Augustine’s decline.
Every turf type needs a maintenance program to grow healthy and lush year round including St Augustine Grass, this grass type once properly groomed will produce a beautiful carpet of grass that’s just stunning. I have worked with St Augustine over the years and have gotten great results even though I faced a few challenges.
Maintaining a beautiful lawn does not only require the right mowing height, proper watering, and fertilizing methods but creating that detailed look with a polished finish. What better way to achieve the desired end than with the help of an edger, these garden tools are built to get in those hard to reach please where a lawn mower can’t reach like along the grass edges or around flower beds without the concern of damaging garden plants.
What I love about bougainvilleas is their ability to transform an outdoor living space or a garden area into a tropical paradise with their many colors, these hardy perennials are highly prized and are known as low-maintenance plants. Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of working with these garden beauties on many projects as well as maintaining them.
There are so many reasons for pruning shrubs, trees, and other garden plants, but for the beginner gardener pruning jobs are painful because of not knowing when to prune and how to prune. In this guide we will be showing the benefits of pruning and pruning mistakes to avoid, the practice of pruning trees and garden plants is not a death sentence in fact pruning will add to the longevity, health, and beauty of your plants once done correctly.
Adding value to your property should be something every homeowner should work towards why because investing in our property is one of our greatest investments when it comes to home ownership. However, there are many homeowners who don’t take the time to properly maintain their property which can decrease its value. Just a few changes can pay off in big ways adding thousands of dollars which I think is pretty amazing.
Lemons are citrus fruits that are popular worldwide for their zesty flavors that flavor many food recipes as well as beverages, lemons are one of my favorite fruit. There are said to be more than 25 species of these plants that are cultivated on farmlands and even in home gardens. My wife and I are growing a lemon tree in our backyard that is growing pretty nicely, it’s still too young however to produce fruits but we are waiting. Keeping your lemon tree healthy while producing an abundance of fruits requires not only the right planting location, water, and fertilizing methods but also giving your lemon tree good pruning which should be carried out in later winter or early spring before bud break.
Roses are popular flowering plants that are cultivated on a wide scale, from being grown to entering plant shows to the homeowners that grow and groom these plants as a part of their landscape or garden designs. Roses are popular for being used on special occasions or just to say get well soon, it’s believed that roses were cultivated in China about 5,000 years ago.
Installing and caring for a lawn is one of the most important investments we can make because a lawn that’s properly maintained can and will increase our property’s value. But for a lawn to be beautifully maintained requires proper maintenance practices which involve the proper cutting height, water, and fertilizer methods along with disease and insect control.
Golden dewdrop or Duranta erecta thrives best in tropical to warm sub-tropical regions, this perennial is native to Tropical America and ranges from the Florida Keys through Mexico and South America. The golden dewdrop is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceas, this fast-growing evergreen produces yellow, green, or variegated leaves with small purple flowers that are showy.
Introducing coco plums into your garden or landscape will help to bring that much-needed flavor that will compliment the overall design of a garden or landscape. Coco plums are native to Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The coco plum is an evergreen perennial plant that belongs to the (Family Chrysobalanaceae) chrysobalanceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of trees and shrubs in 18 genes and 500 species.
The bougainvillea plant is a tropical-subtropical perennial that is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chubut, and Peru, this garden beauty will produce an abundance of flower blooms during the spring and summer months. The dwarf bougainvillea once established is drought and salt tolerant making the bougainvillea a low-maintenance plant that can also be planted in coastal areas.
With spring just ahead of us, we can get into our gardens once again working the soil as we work with some of our favorite garden plants not to mention planting those fruit trees or installing a herb or vegetable garden. Springtime is the time of the year when our garden plants are bursting with beautiful colorful flower blooms. This time of the year is greatly anticipated by the weekend warriors as we leave the colder months behind and look forward as the warmer months approaches.
There is a popular saying that” one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” but what if I tell you that your junk can also be your treasure? Don’t trash the treasure use it, kitchen scraps is a gold mine but too often this gold mine heads straight towards the trash bin when it could have been used to do so much good, in fact, kitchen scraps are one of the safest ways to provide nutrients to our garden plants because these scraps are natural organics that is beneficial for our plants, soil microbes and for us as well.
The presence of indoor plants can beautify any indoor living area, I have had the pleasure over the years of being involved with many indoor garden projects that brought a restful pleasing and beautiful transformation that just breathed taking. It’s amazing how an indoor living space can be transformed into a thing of beauty with the presence of plants.
House Flies are at the top of the list when spreading disease, It’s believed that house flies are responsible for transmitting more than 60 disease some of which includes leprosy, yaws, tuberculosis, tularemia, typhoid fever, cholera, poliomyelitis, dysentery, Escherichia coli, etc… house flies measures 6 to 7 mm. The female is usually larger than the male.
Dust mites are tiny microscopic mites that cause skin irritation, asthma symptoms, stuffy nose, and watery eyes, it’s believed that these mites contribute to or influence allergies. Dust mites feed on dead human skin cells which is why they invade our bedrooms causing many health issues, below we will be looking at steps that can be taken to rid your bedroom and lives of these pesky pests.
The last thing we what to see is bugs in our pantry, these pests can become a nuisance causing us to discard food items. The invasion of these uninvited guess can cause us to spend those hard-earned dollars that could have gone to something else or placed in our savings. Are you having issues with pantry bugs and it seems almost impossible to clear your pantry of them?
A pantry is a great storage area where we can stock up on and place our canned and dry food goods, but over time our pantries can become so overstocked that food items that were there for a while can get pushed to the back meeting their expiration date. An unorganized pantry can also make it difficult to find what we need at the time we need it and can cause us to spend money on items that we may have purchased but are hidden among other food items causing needless spending.
I believe that at some point and time, we have all been there when it came to making our bathroom feel free and inviting, no matter the shape or the size the bathroom is one of those areas of our homes where we come to after a long hard day to catch that cold or warm shower or laying back and soaking in bubble bath that’s both relaxing and refreshing.
There are many famous adages that are “a man’s home is his castle”, “home is where the heart is” or how about, “home sweet home”, whatever adage appeals to your senses we all want that private oasis where we are the king or the queen so to speak. Whether it’s that mansion that we always desired, that middle-size home, or that cottage-style setting, etc… there is just something about owning our own home where we can sit back, unwind and enjoy the comforts of our private kingdom.
Low water pressure can become annoying especially if this is a common issue that you face, there are many reasons for this, and what makes matters worse is depending on why you are having issues with your water pressure can cause an increase in your monthly water bill. Finding the reason why may mean doing your homework, once the issue is found can be corrected so you can once again have good water pressure in your home. Below is a list of measures that can be taken, this guide will help you to resolve your water pressure issue.
A good working shower is so soothing after a long day but in some cases our shower may lose the amount of pressure that it had, leaving many people wondering what they should do or how to solve this issue that is all too common. There are many reasons why this happens which we will be looking at, the good news is whatever the problem, can be fixed and you can DIY it yourself. If you are having these issues then continue reading as w take a closer at how to increase your shower water pressure.
The convenience of having a home dryer can make life pretty simple especially if there is a lot of laundries that must be done in a large household. Because of this, you want to ensure at all times that your dryer is in tip-top shape or working at a high performance. To keep your dryer performing like new, follow this guide that has proven to be effective when cleaning a dryer vent duct.
A leaky faucet has the potential of racking up hundreds of dollars over time if the problem is not addressed, I had to deal with this issue numerous times in my home. A leaky faucet can also become annoying because of the drip, drip, dripping sound. I am sure that I am not the only one that have had to deal with a faucet that leaks and continues to leak until a plumber had to be called in or you may have done the job yourself.
The kitchen is one of the most occupied places in the home, this is where we delight our taste buds by cooking some of our most delicious food dishes. However, because of the amount of time that is spent in the kitchen at any given time, the kitchen sink is one of those areas that are mostly used to wash our hands and clean meats, fruits, and vegetables besides washing kitchenware.
A garbage disposal can make our lives easier but in order to keep our disposal functioning properly there are some dos and don’ts to follow. A garbage disposal that’s not properly maintained will not only run badly but food particles that are not ground properly will get trapped and over time will cause your garbage disposal to emanate a foul odor. If this is your experience continue reading as we discuss cleaning garbage disposal the right way.
Buying a home is one of our greatest investments therefore we should be very cautious when it comes to this type of investing because of the amount of money that is spent. It’s said that “a man’s home is his castle” of cause women as well, therefore we don’t want our dream home to become our nightmare. There are so many things to consider to ensure that we are getting a great deal for what (money) we invested.
If you were ever thinking of DIYing your home plumbing system which can help to cut costs you have come to the right place to see how this process is done. There are many reasons to drain your home plumbing system which include, making some upgrades or doing some repairs such as extending or replacing the main plumbing lines, water hammering issues, or shutting down your system (seasonal) during the winter months. If these were your thoughts and you were wondering how this is done then continue reading as we take a closer look at draining your home’s plumbing system.
There are many challenges the cold temperatures present one of them being frozen pipes which can become damaging to a home water system. Water that’s frozen in a water pipeline not only stops the free flow of water but frozen water can cause the pipes to expand exerting a tremendous amount of pressure that can cause the pipes to burst. This damaging effect from the freezing weather can cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars in damage.
What I love about wallpaper is it can give that instant look bringing a real quick and easy transformation to an area that needs a facelift or upgrades, the challenge that so many people face however is the removal of this paper once the decision is made to go with a different look. The good news is the removal of wallpaper doesn’t have to be difficult these proven methods which we will be discussing will take the hassle out of wallpaper removal making your job easy. With that said let’s take a closer look at what’s the best way to remove wallpaper.
During the winter months, freezing temperatures can cause much damage to our water lines but there is hope, by taking action we can ensure that our water lines are protected from the cold harsh winter. Below we will be discussing a few steps that are effective and have proven to give good results during this time of the year so continue reading as we take a closer look at how to winterize outdoor faucets.
A popular indoor living space for finding peace, relaxation, and comfort while reconnecting after a long day at the office or getting through that busy day where we can unwind is our bathroom, this private oasis can be so refreshing as we are rejuvenated in serenity and comfort. However in order to take advantage of this indoor living area we should do what we can to make this part of our home restful.
You don’t have to break the piggy bank to design or redesign your indoor living space all it takes is a little creativity and a few extra bucks to get the job done, with the rise in the cost of living it can be challenging to achieve our desires. The good news, however, is we can “have our cake and eat it too” over the Christmas holidays both my wife and I did just that.
Garden herbs are popular and are used for medical purposes and for flavoring food recipes, in fact, herb use has been dated back as far as 13,000 B. C. and 25,000 B.C. The traditional method for growing garden herbs is outdoors in a garden setting but herbs can also be grown in an indoor environment or living space. Once these herbs reach maturity how can we help them to keep their natural forms that will encourage more healthy growth and freshness? Below we will be discussing this along with how to dry and store herbs and the benefits of pruning herbs. So let’s take a closer look at how to prune indoor herbs.
All plants need water to survive based on their watering needs, in an outdoor garden setting plants require water more often because of direct exposure to the sun and there may be the challenge of the wrong soil type (sandy soils) where high-maintenance plants may be involved. Because a plant’s natural habitat is outdoors bringing them indoors to a more controlled environment requires some know-how of how to care for them so it can grow just as healthy and thrive as if it was in an outdoor garden setting.
Fiddle leaf fig also known as ficus lyrata is a broad-leaf evergreen that grows along the Western African coast, this garden beauty belongs to the mulberry and fig family Moraceae. The fiddle leaf fig can reach heights of 60-100’tall in its native habitat and can also be grown as a popular indoor plant growing from 2-10′ tall. Many years ago I worked as an interior plantscape technician for a 5-star resort and one plant that was used on many projects was the fiddle leaf fig.
Poinsettias are a favorite at Christmas time because of their beautiful colors and soft texture, but what happens once the colder months have passed and your poinsettias begin to lose their luster and beautiful color? While it may be a challenge to help your poinsettias regain their colors it’s possible for your poinsettias to rebloom by following this method that has proven to give the results you’re
looking for.
Poinsettias are beautiful plants with colorful showy bracts or leaves that can add much flavor to any indoor or outdoor living space, and while it’s true that care must go into these garden beauties for them to maintain their beauty there are several methods that’s been used to increase their numbers which will not cause you much except for your time. Below we will be discussing such methods that have proven to give much success, so let’s take a closer look at how poinsettia plants are propagated.
One of the key components to growing healthy poinsettias is carrying out pruning procedures, for the beginner garden however this may seem to be a bit of a daunting task of fear of damaging or killing the plant. However, there is no need to fear because the knowledge we’re about to share will give you the confidence to prune your poinsettias to ensure that they stay healthy and vibrant.
Although the Christmas holidays come to an end and the warmer months arrive you can still keep your poinsettias growing healthy and thriving, one of the many challenges however is knowing how to continue to care for these garden beauties once the colder months have passed. Besides providing adequate moisture the proper lighting and the right amount of fertilizer there other maintenance practices that must be carried out which include insect pests and disease issues that may arise.
A Plant that’s a favorite at Christmas time is poinsettias, these garden beauties have been a part of the Christmas tradition for centuries, in fact, history records that the tradition of poinsettias being used at Christmas time began ” in southern Mexico in the 1600s when Franciscan monks or priest used the colorful leaves and bracts to adorn extravagant nativity scenes”.
The cold months have finally arrived but you shouldn’t let that stop you from extending the season, why not move your outdoor garden indoors by gardening in containers, this method of gardening can have you connecting indoors with nature amid the freezing outdoor temperatures. What I also love about growing foods indoors is having an almost endless supply of fresh healthy veggies grown by my very own hands.
The colder months of the year are not the time to hang up our garden gloves and put away the tools until the warmer season arrives, there is still much that can be done during this time of the year and even though nature is taking that long-awaited rest, nature will still lend a hand to those of us who see the many opportunities of working in our winter gardens.
The colder months have finally arrived which means that much of our garden chores have basically come to a standstill even though there may be a few tasks that can still be carried out. However one of the challenges that we have to deal with is the removal of snow which can become a daunting and challenging task, many homeowners prefer to call a professional company but for the homeowner who may be thinking of DIY your yard ( do it yourself) here are a few helpful tips that will guarantee success on how to remove snow from your yard.
The cooler months are finally here and as the temperatures continue to dip it’s not too late to winterize or prepare your fruit trees to survive the colder months as it sets in. Making preparations now will ensure that your fruit trees are healthy and in top shape, once the warmer seasons return. The steps that we are about to discuss have proven to be effective in fruit tree winter protection. Let’s continue our discussion below as we take a closer look at winterizing fruit trees in South Florida.
For most of us, spending time in our gardens is a great way to unwind and relax as we connect with nature, allowing the creativity of our minds to come forth in our garden oasis that says home sweet home. The spring through the summer months and even autumn offer us the opportunity to plant our favorite veggies, fruits, herbs, ornamentals, and flowering plants that paints our gardens and landscapes with an array of beautiful colors.
Mulches are natural organics that can benefit our gardens and landscapes in so many ways however although mulches are popular their use is limited by many homeowners simply because of not knowing how important mulches are to plant life, soil, and soil microbes. I have used mulches over the years both on outdoor garden projects as well as interior plantscape and have seen how these natural organics do not only transform (aesthetics) those garden projects but the nutrients that were added as mulches break down or decompose over time.
Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus this veggie/fruit belongs to the same family ( Cucurbitaceae family) as squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Cucumbers have many benefits and can be eaten raw in salads, alone, and on sandwiches, and can also be fermented or pickled. Cucumbers are mostly water 95% making this veggie a good food for hydration.