| - Part 4

How to Plant Hanging Upside Down Tomatoes

instructables.com

Upside Down tomato planters are popular. DIY tutorials usually use 5 gallon buckets. As Zoe_Roses notes, these planters are usually pretty ugly. Here, she shares her tutorial for making upside down tomato planters in large Coco Baskets. You can hang them from a shepherd’s hook which makes watering easier. Make sure you hang them in a sunny spot. My neighbors have successfully used the upside down method with cherry tomatoes.

I like the Coco Baskets very much because they have a more organic look. I also think watering and maintaining the tomato plants would be easier. Zoe_Roses includes a Supplies list and complete tutorial. There are 9 steps in the tutorial.

One note: If you look under the title of the article, you’ll see a “9 Steps” button. If you click this button you’ll see page numbers that you can go to. You can also click the arrow to the “9 Steps” button and move forward through the tutorial.

Click on the How to Plant Hanging Upside Down Tomatoes link below to see the tutorial.

How to Plant Hanging Upside Down Tomatoes

How to Start a Butterfly Garden

nababutterfly.com

This is a great post on the North American Butterfly Association site. It explains everything you need to know to establish a garden that attracts butterflies.

The post begins:

“Tips and Techniques on how to start a butterfly garden. No matter how large or small an area, you can have a butterfly garden that creates important habitat for butterflies.

Beginning a butterfly garden can be as simple as choosing flowering plants that will invite adult butterflies to your garden to feed. But if you want to create a butterfly garden that will act as a sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of butterflies while also providing a place where butterflies can grow and multiply, you will first need some simple planning. By considering which plants to grow and evaluating your garden site, you can plant a butterfly garden that will help with the creation of more butterflies.”

The post includes details and everything you need to know about:

Plant Selection
Garden site selection

Click on the How to Start a Butterfly Garden link below to read the complete post.

How to Start a Butterfly Garden

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10 Secrets for Growing an Edible Urban Balcony Garden

Photo Credit: Marie Viljoen

Michelle of the Gardenista site shares 10 tips by Marie Viljoen on how to create an urban balcony garden. One important thing to note is that Marie grows much of her food in her garden.

The post begins:

“Raised in South Africa by a mother who is a ferociously good gardener, Marie Viljoen had one non-negotiable requirement when she went apartment hunting in Brooklyn. “I took this tiny, tiny apartment only because it had a terrace on the top floor of a brownstone, where it was open to the sky,” she says. “I knew I could have a garden.”

A small terrace, to be sure–the size of a bathroom, say, or a walk-in closet. But Viljoen, taking advantage of the good light, a wide ledge for pots, and enough floor space for a table and two chairs, has transformed it into a lush garden where she dines outdoors and grows much of her food.

Marie then shares 10 practical tips for starting your own urban balcony garden. In addition to fruit and vegetables, she also grows flowers and herbs and has created an amazing urban garden.

Click on the 10 Secrets for Growing an Edible Urban Balcony Garden link below to see Marie’s tips and wonderful photographs of her garden.

10 Secrets for Growing an Edible Urban Balcony Garden

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6 Amazing Garden Ponds

livedan330.com

Water features like ponds can add a wonderfully peaceful focal point to your garden. In this article, Dan shares 6 beautiful garden ponds. If you see a pond design you like, just click on the red link under the photograph of the pond. You’ll see additional information, tips, and more.

I think my favorite is #3 – the Simple Pond with Water Plants. It’s peaceful, visually attractive and can be scaled for larger or smaller garden spaces.

Click on the 6 Amazing Garden Ponds link below to see all 6 garden pond ideas.

6 Amazing Garden Ponds

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3 Easy to Grow Culinary Herbs

livingawareness.com

In this post, Kami answers the question “Which kitchen herbs are the easiest to grow?” She shares 3 kitchen herbs that you can easily grow, even if you haven’t had success in the past growing herbs.

She includes photos of each herb and gardening tips, including sunlight, soil and watering information. I don’t want to reveal the herbs here. To find out what they are, click on the 3 Easy to Grow Culinary Herbs link below.

3 Easy to Grow Culinary Herbs

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24 DIY Garden Projects Anyone Can Make

bestplants.com

There are a lot of projects that will enhance your backyard or garden and make it a more inviting place to spend time with family and friends. This article shares 24 DIY garden projects. If you see a project that looks interesting, just click the link under the photo and you’ll see more information.

Here are a few of the projects:
Build a Bird Bath
Pallet Wood Garden Walkway
Log Planter with Summer Annual Flowers
Vertical Flower Bed
Upcycled Tea Time Feeder for the Birds (Wonderful idea!)
Fairy Garden
Create a Succulent Water Fountain
And MORE!!

Click on the 24 DIY Garden Projects Anyone Can Make link below to see all 24 DIY Garden Project ideas.

24 DIY Garden Projects Anyone Can Make

25 Small Backyard Ideas for Tiny Gardens

Photo Credit: Debra Lee Baldwin on countryliving.com

Rori and Jenae have collected 25 creative ideas and tutorials for small gardens. They begin the post with:

Not everyone has a spacious backyard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your outdoor space its own unique flare. Check out our favorite ideas for amping up a smaller yard.

Some of the tutorials include:

Tree Stump Planter
Pallet Flower Display
Tiered Planters
Vertical Herb Garden
Succulent Wall Art (Pictured above. I LOVE this!)
Herb Spiral
Planters on Wheels (another great idea)
+ MORE!

You’ll find ideas, excellent photos and tutorials. Really well done! Click on the 25 Small Backyard Ideas for Tiny Gardens link below to see the complete post

25 Small Backyard Ideas for Tiny Yards

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The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Pruning Roses

gardenpicsandtips.com

If you grow roses in your garden, this is an extremely helpful article about pruning roses.

How much to prune off
When to prune
What to cut with
What type of cuts to make
What not to cut
What to avoid after pruning
What size of stem in particular should you prune
And MORE!

There’s also a link to an online pruning guide. The photographs of roses are spectacular! Click on the 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Pruning Roses link below to see the complete article.

The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Pruning Roses

How to Build a Garden Potting Bench

designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.ca

I love potting benches because every single one had its own personality. Anne needed a new potting bench for her mudroom. She decided to build it herself.

She provides a link to the plans that she used for her bench. If you go down to the “Getting Started” section, you’ll see another link that will give you the materials list, cut list, a detailed drawing and step-by-step build instructions.

Ann explains how she built the potting bench and customized it for her needs. I think she did a wonderful job.

Click on the How to Build a Potting Bench link below to see the complete tutorial.

How to Build a Garden Potting Bench

Small Vegetable Garden Ideas

gardeners.com

One of the great things for small space vegetable gardeners is that there’s a healthy selection of dwarf variety plants that grow well on patios, balconies, rooftops, in pocket gardens and other small spaces.

Ellen begins this post with:

“Growing a small vegetable garden is like living in a small house: it is not as easy as it looks. Choose the right plants and you’ll have a bountiful harvest…

It took a few years of whittling down my list to come up with the crops I grow every year in my small garden plot. I start with a foundation of tried-and-true favorites: lettuce, basil, and tomatoes. Yet I leave space to try a few new varieties each year. To supplement my harvest, I buy vegetables from a CSA or farmers market. Below are a few of my recommendations, along with those from seed companies that conduct extensive trials to deliver the best varieties.”

She then goes on to discuss 9 different crops that you can grow in a small garden. Ellen includes specific veggie varieties and other information. Nice photos too.

She mentions “Cut and Come Again” varieties, which I love. I have several varieties of cut and come again lettuce in my garden. I pinch off leaves above the soil line and the plant grows new lettuce leaves. It’s magic!

Click on the Small Vegetable Garden Ideas link below.

Small Vegetable Garden Ideas

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