You may be used to enjoying the fruits of your own labor, no pun intended. But when the weather is…well what it is is many parts of the country, it feels like forever until you can get started on your own garden again.

Can’t grow fruits and veggies?

We bet you didn’t know that you can grow fruit indoors if you have a spacious sunroom, enclosed porch or conservatory. Thanks to an awesomely informative Reader’s Digest Article, we learned that there’s actually quite a bit you can grow in a pot in your home to get you through the winter. Here’s a short list:
Peaches and Nectarines: these can be grown as short standards on 30-inch stems. Keep indoors in a well-lit area in temperatures of 50 to 55°F until fruit sets. Once they set, they will require higher temperatures of 65 to 70°F.
Apricots: Train the stems against a sunny conservatory wall. To ensure fruit, hand pollinate by transferring pollen from one flower to another with a paintbrush, according to RD.
Figs: The Negro Largo does best indoors. A temperature range of 55 to 65°F (13 to 18°C) can limit the mature size of the plant. Set in a well-lit spot, but away from direct sun, and feed it only 2-3 times during growing season.
If growing indoors is not an option, and neither is local (or you’d be doing it in your own backyard) it’s best to buy organic, though not all food that is organic is necessarily better. For example, bananas grow inside the peel, which you do not eat. Your non-organic bananas should still be free from harmful pesticides. On the other hand, non-organic apples lose 50% of their nutritional value. Other foods you can save money on are: Avocado, Onions, pineapple, corn, cabbage, mangoes, and kiwi.
Foods that are found inside the peel, underground growers, and food that is naturally resistant to bugs (like cabbage) are usually not affected by pesticides. For a complete list, including other foods, check out Real Simple.
In general, your best bet when it comes to fruit is to freeze your own to get you through the fall and then buy frozen fruits and veggies throughout the winter. Frozen food actually retains more nutrients, as opposed to your strawberries that traveled three thousand miles and then went bad a few days after you bought them.
Organically frozen is even better!
Sources:
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/9-delicious-fruits-to-grow-indoors/#ixzz3Rxr7sCpf
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/non-organic-food

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No matter how many times you’ve done it, and how experienced a gardener you are, it’s always cool to watch your spring garden grow from a tiny seed. It’s a bit miraculous, when you think about it. Here is a quick guide of what to plant and when.

Planning Ahead for Your Spring Garden

When: If you’re thinking spring, simply find out the “average last frost date” for your area. Connecticut and California might look very different. Plant about a week after that to ensure that your seedlings won’t be subjected to frost. By the time the weather is warm, your flowers will have started to bloom.

However, it’s also important to also understand that if you’re planting vegetables, some actually thrive on cool weather and taste better after a little frost (namely: broccoli, lettuce, tomato, cabbage).

Another option is to plant sooner indoors and transfer outdoors, especially if you live in the Northeast and your last frost date isn’t until April.

What: The following annuals can tolerate the coolest weather in the early Spring. Plant these first in your spring garden–all will result in bountiful colors.

• Calendula
• Wallflower
• Bachelor button

Next up are seeds that will tolerate cool weather, but not too cool. Plant the following well into March, but definitely after the danger of frost has passed.

• Cosmos
• Zinnias
• Dianthus
• Nicotania
• Tulips

Once you’re into April and anticipating warm weather into the 60s, you can safely plant your late Spring blooms:

• Iris
• Lilly of the Valley
• Blubells
• Anemone

Tips:

If you’re planting exclusively outdoors and are not doing transplants, it can be difficult to manage the growing process. Sometimes it is a challenge to differentiate between the growing plant and weed. Clearly mark your seedlings.

If you are planting indoors, remember that your seeds need plenty of warmth and light. You might accomplish this by using a heating pad during the nursing process. Sunlight might be adequate, but you might also want to use a fluorescent light to ensure that the stems are strong.

Sources:

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/garden-care/ten-steps-to-beginning-a-garden/

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/good-time-plant-seeds-flowers-spring-summer-52999.html

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It’s a new year and many of us have resolved to get healthier. Why not make it last by actually planning your garden around it? Then, you have no choice since your food is in your back yard! The good news is that most greens, whether common or specialty generally require similar cultural conditions, so you can really branch out (no pun intended!). Since I’ve also resolved to be more natural this year, I turned to the University of Minnesota’s horticulture department to break down the types of greens I should be growing and why.

Leafy Greens:

Here is a list of greens commonly grown in a home garden:

• Collards
• Endive
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Arugula
• Romaine

And that’s just to name a few. Your dark lettuces like romaine and arugula are rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K. They are known to improve bone health, skin health, blood health and eyesight.

The cruciferous greens have it all: vitamins, fiber, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. Kale, mustard greens and collard greens fall into this almighty category. Most importantly, these options are cancer inhibitors, as well as minerals enhance heart health and brain function. Talk about a super food.

Finally, Swiss chard and spinach are great options. They boast vibrant green leaves—a sure sign of goodness. The color indicates their richness in iron, a necessity.

Growing and Planting

Leaf lettuce grows quickly and is the easiest type of lettuce to grow. A cool weather vegetable, they grow best at 60-65° F in a soil with a pH of 6-6.5. Most greens will do best planted outdoors in the light shade. Perpetual watering is absolutely necessary, especially in the warmest months to delay or even prevent bolting. If the plant dries out, the leaves will become bitter and unusable. Successive sowings in small numbers of seeds will ensure continues, fecund growth.

Harvest the leaves as soon as you can. Spinach and other lettuce varieties can produce new leaves, if individual leaves are harvested at the “baby” stage, so multiple harvests are possible. Flavor is best in leafy greens if harvested before the weather becomes hot and dry.

 Are you going to grow leafy greens this year?

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If you’re fortunate enough to have an abundance of land, you probably want it to look aesthetically pleasing year round, while flourishing in the spring and summer months. The obvious answer is the evergreen. Like it’s name suggests, an evergreen shrub or tree is, well…evergreen which combats that feeling of desolation the descends every winter when we must clear out our gardens and our once fecund trees are now thin and bare. But, it doesn’t have to be the only answer. Here is a list of your best options:

Planting Trees In Winter

Evergreens: We’ll just start with this because it’s the most obvious. If you’re partial to the evergreen, have a plan that includes a design with different kinds of trees and shrubs. Firs and cedars, commonly used as Christmas trees are one solution, especially if you’re into lighting displays around the holidays. They are festive and classic. But if you’d like to try something a little different, try a cedar. These look gorgeous when it snows, as the snow tends to rest on the thicker shelf-like branches.

Deciduous Trees: Some trees can still retain their sophisticated elegance, even after their leaves have fallen. Let’s consider the Three B’s:

• Bark 
• Branches
• Berries

There are many trees with beautifully textured and colored bark. These include: birch, cherry and eucalyptus trees. For branch architecture, look for trees that have clustered branches. Look especially for: orange osage and Japanese maple. Finally, don’t discount the possibility of fruit. The holly and Hawthorn grow beautiful, festive looking berries that last throughout the winter.

Palm Trees: If you live in a warmer climate, adding palm trees to your landscape is a great idea as these trees are perfect for adding a tropical touch to your garden. However, in order to keep your palm trees looking beautiful, you need to know exactly what they need.  There is not a blanket answer because not all palm trees are the same and knowing what is needed depends on the type of palm tree you decide to grow.

So, when it comes to planting trees in winter, which type would you go with?

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If you’re hosting any part of the holidays, be it Christmas Eve dinner or brunch with your closest friends, your guests will feel most welcomed when you give your attention to the details of your dining table. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to make thoughtful, inviting tablescapes for your guests to admire before enjoying their meals. And just because it’s winter, it doesn’t mean you can’t take the outside indoors. Here are some ideas to create a nature-filled winter tablescape that will dazzle your guests.

How to create beautiful winter tablescapes:

Pinecones:

These are easy, and fun, especially if you have little ones. Dress up a pinecone by dipping it in paint or glitter. White frosted paint lends a more sophisticated look. Place it on a sprig of evergreen atop your napkin.

Fill a vase, or multiple vases of different sizes with pinecones. To spice it up, color the pinecones differently, or mix with ornaments and/or evergreens.

Evergreens:

Use a faux garland for to place on your table, but use real evergreen to stick into the garland as accents. Among your garland, randomly place pinecones and candles for a rustic look.

Nestle your candles in small beds of evergreen or inside your hurricane glasses or vases.

Stick a spring of evergreen in your napkin holder for a subtle, but warm effect. If you happen to have a holly bush in your garden, a sprig of holly also creates a lovely effect.

Twigs and Branches

These are really easy to come by! You can create (or buy, if you’re not inclined to create) tiny bird’s nests to place on each setting. Add a tiny red bird for effect, available at your local craft store.

Create a really dramatic look by sawing some heavier, branched twigs off a tree in your yard and place them alone, in a vase. Hang ornaments if you feel so inclined, but the branches alone, surrounded by evergreen or holly will create a lovely, rustic, winter look.

Twine

You probably have some lying around in the garage. Wrap some twine around your vases, candles or napkin holders. Remember, it’s all in the details!

Do you have other ideas for winter tablescapes?

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What You Need to Know About Poinsettias

• Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous to humans. A study showed that a fifty pound child would need to consume 500 leaves in order to be sick. However, they taste terrible and would cause diarrhea and vomiting in your pets.
• December 12 is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851, who introduced the plant to the US.
• Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where Poinsett was a US ambassador. There, they are a perennial shrub that grows up to fifteen feet. Believe it or not, they were once considered weeds.
• Though they symbolize Christmas in North America, poinsettias are not frost tolerant.
• The colorful parts of the plant are not flowers at all. They are modified leaves. The flowers are the yellow buds in the middle of the bracts. Once the flowers shed their pollen, the leaves drop. So, if you’re looking for a plant to last the whole season, look for plants with less or no pollen showing.
• The color of the leaves is created through a process called “photoperiodism,” developed by Paul Ecke. This means that the plant needs 12 hours straight of darkness for a period of five days. Though, once the color develops, they need abundant amounts of light.
• The Paul Ecke Ranch located in California is now responsible for 70% of poinsettia sales in America. Before 1991, they had even more of this market because they had a secret technique that caused every seedling to branch. That method has since been discovered, decreasing their share of the market.

Caring For Your Poinsettia

Though the Poinsettia is the official Christmas plant, you must be sure that it is not exposed to very low temperatures for any period of time. You should even avoid letting it lean on or touch cold windows.

At home, unwrap your poinsettia and place in indirect light, ideally for six hours a day in a climate of 60-70 degrees. Temperatures any higher will shorten the life of your poinsettia.

Soil should always be damp. Be sure to put holes in the foil so water can drain and discard the excess water. If the plant wilts, the bracts will drop sooner.

Fertilize with a houseplant fertilizer if you wish to keep your poinsettia past the holiday season. With good care, it will last from 6-8 weeks in your home.

Do you use poinsettias as holiday decor?

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Are you the house that people slow down for during the holidays because of your abundant display of lights? Or maybe for you, less is more. A cute snowman, a few reindeer and a lighted tree in soft white might be enough to illuminate your Holiday spirit. Either way, we’ve got you covered with these can’t-go-wrong tips for hanging your outdoor Holiday lights.

Hanging Outdoor Holiday Lights

Plan your design. Do. Not. Wing. It. Really, trust us. Everyone will see your house lit up and every day that you pull in your driveway, you’ll curse the lopsided-ness of your overall design. To avoid that, begin by picking a focal point. Start with the home itself by focusing on columns or an entry way.

Consider how festive you want to be. How many areas do you have the time, money, and patience to cover? Some choices are:

• Along your roofline (ladder and no fear of heights required)
• Atop bushes, hedges and railings. If you’re going to cover your hedges, be sure to rip out your dead flowers and plants. It doesn’t look pretty next to majestic, twinkling lights.
• Around pillars and posts for a more regal look
• Around windows and door frames (This can look busy really quickly. Be sure you’re ready for this.)
• Inside window boxes/planters for a more artistic feel (This looks nice around some faux poinsettia arrangements).

Measure every straight light that you wish to adorn with lights. There is nothing worse than realizing you have half of what you need and it’s now Sunday at 8PM. And no, you may not take a sick day to finish your lights tomorrow.

How many lights you need to decorate each individual structure is up to your personal taste. A rule of thumb is 100 lights for every 1 ½ ft of tree or shrub. So this means, that a 6ft evergreen will need at least 400 lights for full coverage at a basic level.

Decide on light color. All “white” lights are not created equal. LEDs have a blush tint, whereas incandescent bulbs have an orange tint. If you mix and match them, they will look, well…mismatched. If you need to buy some new lights to hang with your old, be aware that color can change over time. Best to buy a whole new batch.

Figure out what kind of light you need. When in doubt, go with LED lights. They will save energy and money, and you won’t have to worry about overheating. Then, decide on your color scheme. If you’re whole neighborhood is using white lights, why not spice it up a bit with colorful lights? Are you feeling a bit nostalgic? Go with the big bulbs for the most traditional Holiday feel (even though you might annoy your neighbors).

If you’re doing icicle lights to add dimension to your look, be sure to bunch them closer together, or the look will be lost. For your bushes, it will save you time and a headache to use net lights. These tips will certainly brighten up your outdoor decor.

How do you arrange your outdoor Holiday lights?

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There’s nothing worse than a sad, melting, lopsided snowman on the front lawn, despite hours of hard work from you and your kids. All outdoor decorations, including your prized snowman, should keep up appearances. In anticipation of a strong winter, here are a few tips to ensure a happy snowman!

How to Build a Snowman

Step 1: Know what kind of snow you’re working with. The giant, flaky snowflakes look pretty, but don’t make good snowmen. The snow should have moisture which makes it good for packing. Snow that falls just above or just below freezing usually produces the best packing snow. Test your snow by lobbing (or pitching) a few good snowballs.

Step 2: Start by making a snowball. Keep packing until the giant snowball is too big to fit in your hands. When it is, place it on the ground and begin rolling. Be aware that you should roll into the vicinity that you want to build your snowman, as it will likely be too big and heavy to move.

Step 3: Repeat step 2, two more times. Your “belly” and “head” should be proportionately smaller. If you’re going for an “Olaf” look, your head can be more oval shaped, though this is harder to achieve. In that case, you should go bigger and trim the sides to thin out the ball shape. This may require some craftsmanship.

Step 4: Use a shovel, or your muscles, to place your middle section atop the bottom. Then, place the head onto the middle section. Pack extra snow between the sections for staying power.

Step 5: Bring your snowman to life! This is the fun part! Add sticks for arms and possibly hair if he (or she) is not wearing a hat. Have your kids raid the house for silly items to dress up the snowman. Use a princess crown or a tutu, or dad’s flannel shirt. Get creative or buy a snowman kit, like this one for a more traditional look.

Step 6: Take lots of pictures! Of course you need to take lots of pictures and show off your amazing snowman creation!

How do you build a snowman?

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Most areas of the country have been bitten by frost by early-mid November. Instead of scurrying out in the dark to protect your plants (even though you knew this day was coming), follow these simple guidelines to protect your tenders.

How to Protect Plants from Frost

1. Succulent plants belong in containers so that you can remove them from the frost indoors or in a sheltered location outdoors.
2. Water the soil! This feels counterintuitive, but wet protects roots and warms air near the soil. The exception here is succulent plants, which if left in the ground, should remain dry.

1. Cover your plants with suitable material (bed sheets are fine in a pinch!). Stake the material to be sure it doesn’t touch the plant, especially if you’re using a plastic tarp. You can remove your cover in the morning, when the frost has lifted and temperatures have risen.
2. If it’s an unseasonably cold period, or if you don’t expect the frost to be prolonged, cover your low plants with mulch or straw.
3. Strategically place your holiday lights around your garden (though not the LEDs). Or, place an outdoor lamp (100 watts) in a small tree. It should produce enough warmth to protect your plants.
4. Pick up an anti-transpirant spray at your local nursery and spray on the foliage of tender plants. It will seal in the moisture for up to three months.
5. Place container plants close the house, if possible under a covered porch. Cluster them close together.

If your plants sustain damage, don’t panic. Your plants are tougher than you think. If you think your plant has been damaged, do not automatically prune the damaged leaves, or dig up the plant. Wait until the weather warms to see whether the plant has survived. Likely, it has. Once you see new growth, you may then prune the damaged parts of the plant. Only if no regrowth is noted, should you remove the dead plant and replace it.

Here is a short list of cold-hardy plants to suit various different needs and looks:

• Clematis
• Hydrangea
• Bartzella Peony
• Standing Ovation Bluestem
• Black Tower Elder
• Red Midget Mexican Hat
• Hyacinth
• Day Lilies

 We hope these tips to protect plants from frost help you!

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When we think of ideal planting times, spring instantly pops to mind first. Although spring is a prime time to plant, fall, specifically October, offers some distinct benefits for planting flowers and plants. For starters, the cooler air in fall is easier on gardeners and plants alike. Secondly, the soil is still warm so plant roots can continue to grow until the ground freezes. In spring, plants can’t start growing until the soil warms up considerably.

If you’re still in need of a reason to plant in fall, consider the number of good weather planting days compared to spring. Rain and other unpredictable weather can delay planting in spring, whereas fall is full of beautifully sunny, cool days and plentiful gentle showers that water plants and fall flowers deeply without flooding.

Another reason, fall is a great time to buy plants. Most gardening centers are trying to get rid of their inventory before winter. Disease and pests also decline during fall’s cooler temperatures. Prime fall planting typically ends about six weeks before the first hard frost.

So, since fall is such a great time to plant, which plants are the best to grow in October? The following list is sure to give you some inspiration.

The Best Plants to Grow in October

Grow in October: Spring-flowering bulbs

Spring-flowering bulbs needs to rest during the winter months in order to bloom properly in the spring. Plant spring-flowering bulbs in the fall for the best display of color when the weather begins to warm.

Grow in October: Pansies

Pansies love the cool weather and warm soil of fall. Plant pansies in the fall and they will continue to grow until the ground freezes. Once it does, cover the plants in a thick layer of mulch to protect them from freeze and thaw cycles. You’ll likely get two growing seasons out of these plants.

Grow in October: Cool Season Vegetables

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, kale, lettuce, kohlrabi, radishes, spinach, rutabaga and Swiss chard all grow well in the fall. Most of these veggies are planted in August to give them enough time to mature, but some such as spinach, lettuce and other greens can be planted later in the season because they mature quickly. Growing season for these vegetables can be extended by using cold frames to protect plants from frost.

Grow in October: Trees and Shrubs

Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs because the warm soil gives their roots enough time to get established before they go into full dormancy. Keep newly planted trees and shrubs watered well until the ground freezes.

As you can see, fall is the perfect time to get many of the plants you love in the ground before winter hits. For many of these plants, the dormant winter months are vital for proper growth and flowering in the spring.

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