Hot Gardening Posts

Grow While You Go: The Bus-Top Gardens of New York City

If you were to look on the roof of your local city bus, what would you find? A little bit of dirt, most likely, and a whole lot of space. Precisely the stuff you'd find in an empty container garden! Enter NYU graduate student Marco Castro Cosio's Bus Roots, a project which, through installing gardens on the rooftops of New York City buses, seeks to "reclaim forgotten space, increase quality of life and grow the amount of green spaces in the city."

How To: Protect your garden from cold and frost

During the winter and freak weather events in spring and fall your garden can take a beating from frost and excess cold. Watch this video to learn how you can protect your plants and flowers during the cold so they are healthy and ready to grow when the weather improves.

How To: Prune and trim a tree with Lowe's

In this tutorial, we learn how to prune and trim a tree with Lowe's. Pruning your trees will help them stay healthier and look better. It will help the tree grow new and healthy branches and stay alive for longer. Make sure you gather all the tools you need first so you are prepared for your trees. Now, take some pruning shears and climb to find the dead branches on the tree. Cut along the inner corner of the branches to cut them off from the tree. When finished, clean up the dead branch debr...

How To: Grow a culinary herb garden

In this tutorial, we learn how to grow a culinary herb garden. This will save you money in the kitchen and is very easy to do! You can grow herbs in a 6 square feet area that only needs watered for around 10 minutes each day. You just need to make sure to cut out the flowers that will grow inside them. You can grow chives, rosemary, mint, basil, and thyme. You can use all of these inside the kitchen for all of your different dishes. This will save you a small fortune, because herbs at the gro...

How To: Start an urban living indoor garden during the winter

In this tutorial, we learn how to start an urban living indoor garden during the winter. You can easily place a shelving unit over the side of a window sill. This will also need a fastener attached to it to give it extra support. After this, you will need to install florescent tubes at the top of the shelving to help your indoor garden grow. Use small plastic bins to plant your seedlings in. These are perfect for a small greenhouse that you can place on the shelves and leave to grow with just...

How To: Build a raised flower or garden bed with Lowe's

In this tutorial, we learn how to build a raised flower or garden bed with Lowe's. First, you need to decide what you want your bed built with. There should be enough support for the soil and plants, along with being in a good place so it will reach the sun all over. Make sure there is 6" of soil at the bottom so there is enough room for the plants to grow. Once you have everything constructed, you will be able to plant in your flowers or vegetables. Make sure you pay attention and water them...

How To: Properly grow asparagus in your garden

Growing your own vegetables are a cheap alternative to going out to the grocery store and buying it. Plus, it will taste much better and you will feel better about yourself as you eat them! If you're looking to grow Asparagus but aren't really sure where to start, check out this video. In it you will learn the best environment to grow them in and what the fastest way is to get the best result.

How To: Put together a Zen garden

Zen gardens and gardening are serene places and activities. If you want to make your own Zen garden and add some harmony to your life, watch this video to learn some general guidelines for going about it. These tips are for full-size Zen gardens, not the desktop models.

How To: Properly care for an indoor saintpaulia flowering plant (African violet)

Taking care of houseplants is a tough job, especially if you have more than one kind, because the proper, healthy growing conditions can become muddled. If one of your houseplants is a African violet, which is a saintpaulia flowering plant, then this video will help you take care of it for a thriving plant that will surely brighten up any room. Learn about picking the right environment, watering, fertilizing and keeping pests away.

How To: Build your own hydroponics system

In this tutorial, we learn how to build your own hydroponics system. To do this, you will need: square line rain gutter, 6x end caps, 3x gutter running outlet, 1x small pond pump, 2 meters pond pump tubing, timber for framework, large plastic container, and gutter leaf guard. When you start, you will need to measure out how tall your pump will need to be, then build the framework to surround it. Then, grab all your gutter parts and put them together. Once you do this, start to set up all the ...

How To: Fertilize your lawn

In this video, we learn how to fertilize your lawn. First, you need to pick out what kind of fertilizer you need. You need to know how to read the numbers that are on the bag, so you can choose the right kind for you. After this, go to the store and look at the different fertilizers that are in stock. Look at the back of the bag and read to see if it's the correct type for your project. After this, look up the right time to apply the fertilizer to your project. When spreading it, make sure it...

How To: Choose the plants best suited to your home garden

So you want to start a home garden in your backyard? Make sure you pick the best plants and flowers for your garden by considering climate, soil composition and growing seasons for what you want to cultivate. Know the difference between annuals and perennials, and master home gardening techniques so your garden can thrive beautifully!

How To: Help seeds grow faster by nicking them

Most seeds have a thick outer shell meant to protect the soft inner seed. 'Nicking' is a gardening technique to remove the outer shell so the seed will germinate faster in your garden after planting. You can use water, sandpaper, a nail file or even sulfuric acid to nick your seeds.

How To: Make gardening tomato stakes out of cedar or redwood fence boards

Keeping your garden tomatoes free from pests and insects is no easy task. Luckily you don't have to spend a lot of money to help your tomatoes grow to be their best. Staking your tomatoes will lift them off the ground, away from pesky insects, and protecting them from pests. In this video you'll learn how to make your own garden tomato stakes with cedar or redwood fence boards, which will save you a lot of money in the long run!

How To: Prune rose bushes with bypass pruners

If you're looking for tips on how to prune roses bushes, there's no one better than rose expert Muriel Humenick to show you how it's done. First, she shows you the proper pruning tools you'll need for the rose garden, and the main tools are bypass pruners, but there are others, like loppers, goatskin gloves and an elbow and arm cover. Now that you know the pruning tools, watch and learn the rose pruning process

How To: Effectively water your garden to beat the summer heat

If you're new to gardening, it's important you know some of the best tricks. Not being able to do something properly can result in flowers that may soon die. One thing that is important is watering your plants just right during the summer. So in this tutorial, you'll find out how to effectively water your garden in order to beat the summer heat. Pay attention and good luck!

How To: Transplant raspberry bushes

In this video, we learn how to transplant raspberry bushes. First, you will want to add in soil to your raised bed or garden where you have your other plants. After you get the soil in and have mixed manure in, cut the bands off of your raspberry bushes and put them in a bucket. The bucket should have water and flower food inside of them. After you have placed the flowers into the bucket, you will then be able to place it inside of the soil. Then pour water over your soil and wait for your bu...

How To: Make a yule log for a gift

In this tutorial, Ingrid teaches us how to make a yule log for a gift. First, wrap two pieces of wood together with wire thread. Next, take some raffia and tie it onto the top and bottom of the yule log to give it a rustic look. To warm it up, add in some pine needles to the middle, as well as fur, cedar, and whatever else you find. To make it look more festive, take some red shiny ribbon and tie it onto the top of the pieces of wood like a package. This is inexpensive and useful for anyone t...

How To: Repot a Phalaenopsis orchid in a bark mix

In this tutorial, we learn how to repot a phalaenopsis orchid in a bark mix. First, take out all the moss from the plant and wash off the roots. After this, get the plant ready for trimming and trim it at the very bottom of the roots. Measure the depth of the pot to make sure the roots aren't too long. Now, gather the roots and place them down into the pot with packing peanuts and soil inside of it. After you do this, pack in soil around the sides of it and keep it watered so it doesn't die out.