This post is in collaboration with Pennington Vertical Gardening Systems >>> Giveaway now closed! Congrats to our winner, Zoeyjo!
We are renting now, as you may know, which comes with some pros and cons, as everybody knows. One pro is that in this neighborhood, we don’t have to deal with our landscaping at all. In fact, I can hear the lawn crew edging my sidewalk right now as we speak. That’s a huge load of work off our shoulders, especially since the house we moved from had a big yard that required a lot of not-fun maintenance.
But one thing I was sad to give up was my little garden. Believe it or not, this seemingly desolate and sun-baked part of the earth I live on is actually fertile farmland. Just a couple of blocks away are fields and fields of melons, onions, roses, hay, cotton, corn, you name it. Crazy, huh?
So, every season I tried to grow a thing or two myself. Tomatoes do really well here, and I can coax a decent crop of cilantro out of the ground too. Works nicely, since my husband makes the best homemade salsa in town.
But now, unless I can convince the lawn crew to till up a patch of grass for me, it looks like my garden is a thing of the past.
Well, guess what fellow renters and small-space dwellers? That’s not true! There is a solution, and I’m so excited about it! Pennington Vertical Garden Systems is a new product specifically designed for any gardener with limited space capabilities.
They offer several systems that are completely customizable: each component is sold separately so you can design exactly what you want, how you want it. When you can’t grow out, grow up!
Not just for gardening though, they are also great for simply organizing a tight space. New accessories are added to the line-up often, to give you ongoing style at an affordable price.
To help spread the word, Pennington Vertical Gardens is offering Better After readers a $50 American Express giveaway!
Entering is super easy!
Simply share your favorite lawn or garden tip in a comment.
(Please leave your name and email so I can contact you if you win.)
Here’s my tip: When the weatherman says to cover your plants, don’t laugh at him and think “If my plants can survive triple-digit heat, surely they can survive a chilly night.” FALSE. I learned that one the hard way.
Good luck friend, I hope you win!
Giveaway ends and winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, October 2.
(UPDATE: We have a winner! Congrats Zoeyjo! Loved her tip: “I learned once that onions and strawberries are companion plants: plant them together and you will get amazingly sweet strawberries and delicious onions! I tried it and it was the best crop I’ve ever tasted!”)
Disclosure: Pennington Vertical Gardens partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate audiences about their Pennington Vertical Gardening System products. As part of this program, I received compensation. All opinions are 100% my own. Pennington Vertical Garden’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
161 Comments
Julie
September 27, 2013 at 11:19 AMI grew some basal on my windowsill (also can’t have a full garden, which is why I would love the Pennington Vertical one!) and the thing I learned most was to make sure to prune it by cutting the small leaves off the top, not the big leaves off the bottom/side. Otherwise it grows in one looooooong stalk instead of a cute bush of basal.
Kaylor @ Fisherman's Wife Furniture
September 27, 2013 at 11:22 AMThis tip isn’t anything ground breaking but there has been less plant death at our house since I have started doing this. I am forgetful and often neglect my plants and have lost several to lack of water…Texas heat is a killer. I now have an alarm set on my phone for every other day in the morning, that’s when I am usually outside, to water the plants. During the summer I set it for everyday. Seems so simple but it works.
rachel
September 27, 2013 at 11:24 AMI saved my poinsettia from last Christmas and learned that I can get it to bloom again by putting it in dark for 16 hours a day, starting 40 days before I want a bloom!
Bessie
September 27, 2013 at 11:27 AMBuild raised beds. So much easier to control weeds!
Rebecca
September 27, 2013 at 11:28 AMHere’s my gardening tip: Let me husband do the gardening.
Michelle
September 27, 2013 at 11:33 AMI keep a pretty lightweight flower pot (medium size) near my gardens. If I’m walking around the garden and see a weed, I pick it and drop it in the pot. When it is full, I dump it. This isn’t for full-on weeding, just pulling that random one as you’re walking by. I’m more likely to pluck the offender if I’ve someplace handy to deposit it!
Chris D.
September 27, 2013 at 11:39 AMBest gardening tip: Do a little bit every day. That way it never gets out of hand.
Emily
September 27, 2013 at 11:41 AMIf you can, have a couple of chicken buddies in your garden for free weed control and eggs!
Kelly D
September 27, 2013 at 11:41 AMMy favorite garden tip is to add compost to your garden to improve the health of the soil and plants.
Truli
September 27, 2013 at 12:03 PMThe next you have green onions, don’t throw away the white ends. Simply submerge them in a glass of water and place them in a sunny window. Your onions will begin to grow almost immediately and can be harvested almost indefinitely. Make to to Make sure to empty out the water periodically, rinse the roots off and give them fresh water to keep them growing strong.
mollie d
September 27, 2013 at 12:05 PMEpsom salts!
Jill
September 27, 2013 at 12:08 PMI’ve never had a garden because I’ve always rented, but I bet remembering to water your plants would be a good tip!
Holly
September 27, 2013 at 12:24 PMI try to do some weeding at least once a week – even if just for 15 minutes – so it doesn’t get too far ahead of you!
Suzann Knudsen
September 27, 2013 at 12:25 PMSprinkling chili powder on your houseplants will help keep your cats from chewing on them 🙂
Robin
September 27, 2013 at 12:26 PMA friend told me if you trim off the branches of a tomato plant under the lowest flowers and above the highest flowers on each stalk (?) they’ll produce better tomatoes. More nutrients go to growing the tomatoes and less to empty branches.
Rachel
September 27, 2013 at 12:28 PMBest gardening tip: when you have a perfect red tomato on the vine, don’t think “i’ll pick that tomorrow.” An animal will come in the night and eat the entire thing.
Jessica H
September 27, 2013 at 12:38 PMCompost. Compost is black gold. I have the luxury of a whole bin to put lawn clippings, leaves, and veggie food scraps. But you can do it on a much smaller scale too.
Rosie
September 27, 2013 at 12:41 PMUse quality compost! We had tried using a truckload of horse manure tilled into the ground that we managed to get great weeds! jacinth_amethyst at yahoo dot com
H.M
September 27, 2013 at 12:44 PMI put broken egg shells on the soil to give calcium to my plants.
Jessie C.
September 27, 2013 at 12:46 PMMy tip is to start with lower maintenance perennials.
Laurie F
September 27, 2013 at 1:01 PMSneaking into the neighbor’s garden or shopping at the local Farmer’s Market are my best tips…. especially when I don’t have a green thumb! 🙂
Robin
September 27, 2013 at 1:04 PMI love using Epsom salt to green my lawn!
Tracey Weaver
September 27, 2013 at 1:07 PMFollow the spacing recommendations for planting! Or else you will have squash climbing all over your tomatoes and burying your jalapenos!
Geri Pendle
September 27, 2013 at 1:15 PMWhen repotting or reusing any dirt at all I always add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. It keeps my plants vibrant and my soil clean, the pepper repels most tunneling insects!
Jennifer K.
September 27, 2013 at 1:23 PMI trim back my (planted) mums three times throughout the summer to make huge, full, almost bush-like plants in the Fall. The end result produces so many flowers this time of the year! I love seeing the splash of color as the rest of my plants and bushes and trees begin to die away. And how to you know when to trim back the mums throughout the summer? It’s easy! Do it right around the three main holidays…Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day 🙂
Dani
September 27, 2013 at 1:34 PMCrushed egg shells in the garden to keep the slugs away!
Stephanie
September 27, 2013 at 1:52 PMInstead of digging up delicate perennials every year add two or three inches of mulch on top of them to keep the roots from freezing over winter.
Ashley
September 27, 2013 at 2:01 PMcompost from veggie scraps!
Patti
September 27, 2013 at 2:07 PMPlacing unscented newborn diapers at the base (under the dirt) in hanging baskets and flower boxes keeps the moisture content up and they don’t dry out as easily.
Cindy B.
September 27, 2013 at 2:19 PMPlant Marigolds Flowers around your tomatoes to help keep them pest free.
Kim N
September 27, 2013 at 2:52 PMWhen in doubt always use those water globe things for indoor plants unless you are really good at watering everyday and hiring a neighbor to water your plants while you’re away. I travel a lot for work, so those globes have given me a green thumb and allowed me to keep an orchid plant going for going on 5 months now versus the 3 weeks it took me to ice water my last one before it died.
Cherie Huff
September 27, 2013 at 2:55 PMAwesome post! Can you share your hubbies Salsa recipe. I love it for football Sunday!!
Carol Hake
September 27, 2013 at 3:02 PMLurrrve this vertical organizer!!! We have the luxury of lots of space (just over 1/2 acre) and in San Diego County we can grow just about anything. But with a one year old Parson Russell Terrier (named Flike) we’ve got holes to spare. Hopefully, this digging is just a phase (like eating my bras) and we can train him out of it or learn to live with it. I would love a veggie/spice garden but with him around, it might not be a smart idea. The vertical way would be awesome! Out of his reach and enough for my black thumb to manage.
Funny story … my husband planted some Trinidad Scorpion peppers (2011 world record holder for hottest pepper) in a pot and placed it on a very high table. Flike managed to jump on the table and grab a couple peppers for a mid-day snack. Never saw a dog drink that much water in one sitting. That’ll teach him, poor guy!
Check them out – don’t know why he wanted to grow them since you can’t eat them and have to wear gloves when handling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_Scorpion_Butch_T_pepper
Victoria
September 27, 2013 at 3:13 PMOh wow, I love this! We’re apartment dwellers and only have a lanai so my gardening is limited but I seem to have good luck with Morning Glory…it’s found its way through the screen and looks so pretty from the outside:) Being in Florida, succulents do really well also!
Rachael
September 27, 2013 at 3:26 PMIt may seem rather silly but while I thought of protecting my garden from animals, I never thought to protect it from my dogs. Who knew they loved fresh tomatoes and cucumber vines?
Sara S.
September 27, 2013 at 4:34 PMMy tip: Harvest the veggies and herbs that you grow when they are ready to eat! It makes no sense to waste food letting it rot on the vine or to end up with baseball bat zucchini!
Paige
September 27, 2013 at 4:35 PMWish I had a good gardening tip, but sadly we haven’t had much luck so far. We keep trying though.
stephanie, sandpaper & glue
September 27, 2013 at 4:43 PMMy best tip: don’t get lazy with the leaves! rake them up weekly, and before they get wet.
Jana Waitman
September 27, 2013 at 5:01 PMI have a bird of paradise plant I brought back from Hawaii with me. It has grown into a pretty large plant, moving from large pot to larger pot. Then a caterpillar ate through one of the leaves. I found the caterpillar and removed him, but it turns out that caterpillars eat in nice straight rows – just like Eric Carle always said they did. 🙂
Lisa
September 27, 2013 at 5:04 PMMy favorite tip is to use packing peanuts to help lighten large planting pots.
freebiequeen15@gmail.com
AshleyB
September 27, 2013 at 6:02 PMI have a tendency to kill plants, so I don’t have any tips or tricks. But I’m picking up some great tips here – I especially like the one about cayenne pepper on plants to keep the cats away! I’ll have to try that!
Jen Y
September 27, 2013 at 7:06 PMOne of my favorite watering tips is to fill a bottle (I like to recycle decorative glass bottles) with water, quickly invert & put the opening down into the soil of your containers. The water drips out slowly keeping it moist for longer periods of time in the summer heat.
Mumzy
September 27, 2013 at 7:06 PMHow cool is this!!?? I think my favorite tip is to put “Winterizer Fertilizer” on my grass in the fall. It really helps my grass come back quicker in the spring!
Susan
September 27, 2013 at 7:16 PMI put a coffee filter in the bottom of my outdoor pots before adding the potting soil and plants. It keeps the dirt from washing out the drainage hole all summer when I water.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Jeaneane
September 27, 2013 at 7:50 PMOK, so here is mine! Experiment! You will learn a ton…just don’t give up. Keep tryint! I learned that here mints and basil will spread like wildfire so keep those contained in a pot…not right in the ground (unless you want it everywhere!! (hope that makes sense). (:
Hanna Cage
September 27, 2013 at 7:51 PMMy tip: When you buy rotisserie chickens at the grocery store, keep the plastic containers they come in — they are great for starting seeds. Like mini-greenhouses.
Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos
September 27, 2013 at 8:22 PMMy best tip is when you are removing the grass to create a new planting space, don’t waste time installing a layer of the black plastic weed preventer. I use preen instead and I love it. I sprinkle it on the new area I am going to plant in then cover with mulch after you plant and sprinkle it over the mulch once every month during the summer and it cuts down weeks tremedously!
Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos
Shireen Wahid
September 27, 2013 at 9:16 PMThose vertical gardens look amazing!
lots of great tips too!
My tip is to sprinkle Diatomeacous earth around to keep away unwanted pests.
Cheryl A
September 27, 2013 at 10:09 PMMy tip is don’t go pesticide crazy! You may be frustrated with bugs munching on your plants but when you kill them, you can also kill the bees and good bugs that help your plants.
Kelly R.
September 27, 2013 at 10:20 PMI don’t have any tips that haven’t been said already…but nothing is better than fresh tomatoes or cucumbers right out of the garden. My boys munched all summer long. Even though the weather is turning, I’ve got some nice zucchini & cucs still growing on the vine!
Roxanne Reinhart
September 28, 2013 at 12:36 AMMy best gardening tip – hire someone good at it! Lol
Alisha
September 28, 2013 at 2:01 AMAwesome giveaway! My email is themorganclanATgmailDOTcom. A great tip I learned from a friend is to fertilize roses with Epsom salt. It can help roses that don’t get enough sun to grow.
Noel
September 28, 2013 at 5:36 AMWe have an herb garden and would love to expand! My tip is to keep everything well pruned and trimmed. Don’t let your herbs get out of control. The plants stay healthier and the herbs taste better if you trim regularly. There are lots of tutorials online to learn more about it.
Mami2jcn
September 28, 2013 at 6:09 AMI have heard that you should crush egg shells in the garden to keep slugs away.
Katie
September 28, 2013 at 7:15 AMAfter buying plants, remove them from their container and then transfer to a large pot and let them soak in water overnight. Since they usually are under watered for easy transportation and root-bound from sitting in a too small pot, this gives them the extra boost they need before they are planted or potted. Always remember to pull the roots apart to so help them retain moisture.
Shannon
September 28, 2013 at 9:33 AMBuy good soil. We bought cheap dirt this year and EVERYTHING died.
Kathy
September 28, 2013 at 11:27 AMRain barrels give your plants the ongoing benefits of natural water. Our friend had rainwater for his plants throughout the last half of our summer when we were in a drought. He had the BEST tomatoes by far!
Mary K
September 28, 2013 at 11:45 AMDon’t overwater. Don’t underwater. It’s a very fine line between the two….
Seriously, this is a great blog and the vertical planter would be most excellent for my townhouse!
kelsey
September 28, 2013 at 12:50 PMWe will be spending the next few years in apartments and I just got my first taste of gardening. These look so neat! But my favorite tip is to soak the seeds before you plant them. I soaked some seeds and then compared them to unsoaked seeds. Very impressive : )!
Laree @ Ever Heard Of Euless
September 28, 2013 at 3:39 PMGrowing up my dad always made mini hot houses out of old milk jugs for our plants. He would just cut the bottom off the jug and stick it in the ground over the more sensitive plants (like tomatoes)
Of course, it only works in the spring when the plants are small. But it also does a great job of catching in that warm sun and makes the plants grow bigger faster, which makes them stronger too.
( bookwormbaby at hotmail dot com)
Marilynn Raatz
September 28, 2013 at 5:06 PMI love to grow tomatoes. My tip is to water in the morning, not at night. This should help you avoid blight. Water deeply, and just once a week unless it’s super hot.
Monica C
September 28, 2013 at 6:43 PMI drilled holes in 2 liter soda bottle, buried them inbetween plants to use as an irrigation system. The neighbor kids love helping me water and I love teaching them.
Sue H
September 28, 2013 at 9:41 PMCompost! I add all of my veggie scraps, eggshells and coffee grounds to a compost bin.
Zoeyjo
September 28, 2013 at 9:53 PMI learned once that onions and strawberries are companion plants: plant them together and you will get amazingly sweet strawberries and delicious onions! I tried it and it was the best crop I’ve ever tasted!
Zoeyjo
September 28, 2013 at 9:54 PMBTW, there are other companion pairings that work, but onion and strawberries is the only pairing I remember! Also, (zontziry at gmail dot com)
Jo @ Let's Face the Music
September 29, 2013 at 4:40 AMMy best suggestion is to make compost. I built a 2 bin composter 15 years ago that’s still going strong. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
Mary Hall
September 29, 2013 at 4:58 AMMy gardening tip is to not overlook potential containers for plants. You can use old buckets (metal or plastic–just drill small drain holes in them), old washing tubs, wagons, etc. as planters.
sangeetha
September 29, 2013 at 6:03 AMClean your tools after every usage
Amy
September 29, 2013 at 6:35 AMI wish I had a tip! I’m not good at gardening. I live in an apartment for the time being and I’m dying to have some fresh herbs and maybe a few tomatoes and spinach home grown! My husband is better at it than I am. Maybe my tip is to not give up! ha ha.
Stephanie of Minnesota From Scratch
September 29, 2013 at 6:59 AMMy grandma taught me to water things slowly so that the soil gets wet about 2″ inches down. I used to only water until the ground looked wet enough and I never understood why it would take her hours to water her garden. But now I get it and the plants appreciate it!
Teresa Orton
September 29, 2013 at 7:28 AMThe soaker hose has been my best gardening friend. It saves time,keeps water off leaves preventing disease, and creates good root systems by deep watering. Love the Pennington Vertical Gardens, can think of lots of uses, indoor and out. Thanx for the chance at the giveaway.
Chelsea M.
September 29, 2013 at 9:01 AMUsing a small water sprinkler that has a timer has one wonders for us. Before we would either forget to water or we would both water without telling the other…thus causing it to flood. I have a black thumb so basically any tip that keeps me as far away from the garden the better my garden grows.
Cathy
September 29, 2013 at 9:33 AMHi,
This is such a great idea and beautiful as well! I’m a balcony gardener so something like the Pennington system would work very, very well.
I don’t have a hint, per se, but little bit of my balcony gardening philosophy. Balcony gardening is very different from gardening in the ground. As the years have gone on, I decided not to restrict myself to the tried and true plants. I will try just about anything: if it works – great; if it doesn’t I’ll try something else.
Use your imagination – you might find yourself pleasantly surprised!
Cathy
Heather M
September 29, 2013 at 9:38 AMI am by no means a gardener… When I moved to Arizona a few years ago, I learned about yearly overseeding (something I’d never heard of before). And I have learned one thing about that! It IS possible to get a beautiful green winter lawn without starting with fifteen bags of manure! 🙂 I can keep my lawn green and attend to my one rose bush, but other than that, I’ve never done gardening. I’d love to do a vertical garden with succulents, because that seems like a beautiful, doable project for a non-gardener!
Susan
September 29, 2013 at 10:32 AMMulch, mulch, mulch! It really keeps the weeds down and keeps the soil from drying out during hot summer months. Great gardening tips in these comments, thank you!
Marjorie T.
September 29, 2013 at 11:32 AMResearch natural solutions to problems such as garden pests and weeds. There are simple items in your kitchen that are effective and don’t introduce additional chemicals into the environment.
Maureen
September 29, 2013 at 12:56 PMMy gardening tip is to stick with what works. I have a raised bed garden that loves strawberry plants, rosemary and sweet potatoes. I used to try to grow new things most years and most of them just cost me time and a lot of water, Now I stick to what works in this bed (sunlight? geographical orientation? garden gnomes?) and trade my bumper crops with friends who have their own specialties.
Carolyn G
September 29, 2013 at 5:39 PMUse garden grade vinegar to kill weeds. You can buy it at any garden store and it is natural.
ashley @ my craftily ever after
September 29, 2013 at 5:56 PMMy best tip… don’t forget to water your plants! Gets me every time!
Ashley
September 29, 2013 at 7:28 PMI am the queen of lazy gardening. I put down heavy black plastic about two months before planting season where I want to have a garden. When it’s time to plant, everything under the plastic is dead. I run a garden rake over the soil to loosen it and recover with the plastic. Then, you simply poke holes in the plastic, drop in seeds (no need to cover with dirt), and wait until your plants produce. The plastic inhibits weed growth (no more weeding!!!) and keeps the soil warm and hydrated.
Erin @ The Impatient Gardener
September 29, 2013 at 8:45 PMYou know you’re killing me asking for just ONE tip, right? Here goes nothing: Compost! It will make everything you grow, grow better. And it feels way better to be making something with food waste instead of throwing more stuff in the garbage.
Lindsey @ Better After
September 30, 2013 at 9:31 AMIf anyone needs to put out a gardening e-book, it’s you! Help us all out! 🙂
Stephanie P
September 29, 2013 at 8:57 PMConsider investing in an automatic watering system, esp if you travel alot in the summer. I lost quite a number of plants, sure that they could make it for a few days in the hot summer sun before I set up the auto watering system.
Kimberly
September 29, 2013 at 10:54 PMWater plants (and lawns) early in the morning (or set your sprinklers to do this)… if you wait until the afternoon to water plants, not all of it will actually make it to the roots (evaporated, dried up, etc.) and if you water in the evening, if it’s a cold night your plants are more likely to get mold or a disease from being moist and then getting hit with the cold temperatures.
Emily
September 30, 2013 at 4:34 AMDoing a little often makes it more manageable, especially the weeds. Keep up with it or they’ll take over.
alex
September 30, 2013 at 5:26 AMFor me, just watering my plants is an accomplishment.
Lindy
September 30, 2013 at 6:14 AMI take a perm. marker and measure and mark 6 inch lines on my garden shovel so when I am planting I can use my shovel to mark how far apart my plants should be.
Robin
September 30, 2013 at 6:26 AMTake care of Japanese beetles as soon as they appear, or they will reduce the leaves on your plants to nothing within a few weeks. The first wave of beetles are “scouts” that mark the territory as a good place to eat, and hundreds will follow! We use a combo of inexpensive traps from Amazon, plus recycled aluminum cans halfway filled with dish soap and water…and all the beetles we can knock off plants and into the cans. The scent of the decomposing beetles helps keep new ones away.
Harmony B
September 30, 2013 at 6:36 AMOnce a week I water and add Epsom salt, veggies grow faster and plants and flowers last longer
Meghan
September 30, 2013 at 6:38 AMi am in no position to give gardening tip. every plant i have ever brought in my home has died within 5 seconds 🙂 one reason is that i just dump water on them with reckless abandon. i guess there is a reason people say some plants need more/less water than others 🙂
Sue S.
September 30, 2013 at 7:12 AMI search out low maintenance plants like hostas, day lilies, astilbe and Autumn Joy sedum for my outdoor plantings. They all look great and aren’t super fussy so I’m not a slave to the gardens. Ask at your garden center for easy care suggestions or Google it!
LisaBinAR
September 30, 2013 at 8:37 AMMost herbs can be grown indoors on a kitchen windowsill. Using colorful pots, bowls, etc… can add color and decor and the herbs are eaily on hand to cook with.
Suzanne D
September 30, 2013 at 8:41 AMMy tip, bird netting! The mocking birds are no longer eating our beautiful red ripe tomatoes.
deb
September 30, 2013 at 8:41 AMBanana peels add nutrients to plants.
Deb momscount at yahoo dot com
the cape on the corner
September 30, 2013 at 9:00 AMI wish I was a better gardener. my tip is get easy plants that don’t require much maintenance! thanks for this giveaway.
Preeti
September 30, 2013 at 9:04 AMThis has already been said, but we have learned the hard way that it is important to buy soil that is good quality. Also, read the instructions in terms of how far apart to plant things, etc. 🙂
Hannah Wright
September 30, 2013 at 9:36 AMNot always a necessary tip, but when my husband and I were having trouble getting plants to grow, we were able to send off a kit and sample for a free soil analysis from the state. It addressed the problem, completely fixed it and helped us understand our lawn and garden chemistry so much better!
Hanna
September 30, 2013 at 9:52 AMI have a black thumb, so my gardening tip? Watch others garden successfully and enjoy the fruits of their labor 🙂
Kiersten
September 30, 2013 at 9:52 AMI don’t even know. I kill everything. I’m here for advice! My mom tells me, though, that I need to use manure.
Angela Bzdula
September 30, 2013 at 9:54 AMI live in Northern California. We have an abundance of ants in and around my house. Sometimes the little critters go for my plants. I have found that if I soak cinnamon sticks in a gallon of water and use that to spray my plants with the ants go away. I love that it is pesticide free. Smells great and doesn’t harm four legged critters that come to visit. It really works. Thanks to Grandma for this tip.
Leigh Anne
September 30, 2013 at 10:07 AMMy grandmother use to save her egg shells, grind them up in the food processor and then sprinkle them around the base of her flowers. She said the calcium would help them bloom better and longer.
Denise
September 30, 2013 at 10:22 AMOrchids can grow “babies”. you can cut them off and replant them and get a new orchid for free!
Courtney Roberts
September 30, 2013 at 10:23 AMWe recently started using a manual lawn mower and love it! The yard is always so well clipped, the grass grows slower and more evenly, and the overall evenness of the grass is equal throughout.
Joey
September 30, 2013 at 10:24 AMUse a watering globe! ‘Set it and forget it’ type of watering.
Laura
September 30, 2013 at 10:28 AMI tried my first ever gardening experience this year with a topsy turvy tomato plant…so I don’t feel qualified to give tips. But somehow I did manage to get a few tomatoes off my plant!
Maria
September 30, 2013 at 10:36 AMHere’s a fun way to get double use out of a couple things: for natural fertilizer, put banana peels around your rose bushes, and used coffee grounds on your azaleas.
Solducky
September 30, 2013 at 10:39 AMMy tip is fish emulsion – I get the best crops when I use it as fertilizer for my tomatoes.
Ming
September 30, 2013 at 10:40 AMWater in the morning or early evening so roots don’t rot and plants remain hydrated through the heat of the day.
Beth
September 30, 2013 at 10:49 AMMy tips (learned from the hubby): Switch the areas you plant tomatoes from one end of your garden to the other every year (to reduce the probability of disease). Also, cut the lower the branches of the tomato plant off, and cover the soil around the base (as far out as the longest branch) with hay or newspaper. Not only will the newspaper keep the tomato plant moist, but you also keep your tomatoes healthy by avoiding dirt splashing up on them (which can contain diseases to give them spots).
Amber
September 30, 2013 at 10:51 AMCoffee grounds! I save them during the week, and sprinkle them on my houseplants and outdoor plants every weekend. At work, I use the actual leftover coffee to water my plants, and they look amazing!
Melanie
September 30, 2013 at 11:17 AMWe’ve found that tomato “tables” work MUCH better than those wire cage dealies. It’s pretty much a pair of chicken wire panels suspended about a foot off the ground on either side of the plant… so it looks kinda like a short coffee table with a chicken wire top and a plant growing through the middle of it. The plants spread out across the “tabletop” which keeps the tomatoes up off the ground and away from bugs and slugs, and it’s easy to pick them because they’re not tangled up inside a cage.
Katie
September 30, 2013 at 11:50 AMMy tip is to remember to actually water your plants! (I definitely have a black thumb.)
Anna
September 30, 2013 at 12:04 PMMy tip? Find someone other than the 10 year old neighbor boy to water your flowers while on vacation! Great to get the mail, not so good to remember to water 9 planters.
Haley @ The Forman's Corner
September 30, 2013 at 12:07 PMIf your are having the same gardening problem year after year, have your soil tested!
Samantha
September 30, 2013 at 12:13 PMKnow your plants. It’s a simple tip, but a lot of people don’t realize that different plants need different things. Some plants need lots of water and a shady spot to live. Other plants need lots of sun and little water. Thanks to the internet, knowing how to treat the plants you buy (and what plants are best for your climate) is insanely easy. God bless Google.
Jane
September 30, 2013 at 12:16 PMMy best tip is to hire a gardener/yard man. Or have your husband do it. The one time I did yard work I got horrible poison ivy and swore off yard work FOREVER.
Ann
September 30, 2013 at 12:16 PMPlants like regular water, not just when you feel like it. And, just because the gardening company says you must have some fantastic new product, doesn’t mean there isn’t a cheaper way to do it.
Aubrey
September 30, 2013 at 12:47 PMI wish I knew more about gardening! I guess my tip would be don’t let things get out of hand with your yard. Maintain it every week or else you’ll have an overgrown jungle like us that had taken many long Saturday hours to get under control again!
Melissa
September 30, 2013 at 1:02 PMSelf-watering pots are the only way I’ve managed to grow a decent crop of anything. I’d love to try vertical gardening as our garden space has disappeared wtih our new place.
Terri
September 30, 2013 at 1:17 PMI pick up cute watering cans & garden shovels at flea markets & resale shops and keep them scattered throughout my gardens for easy watering or digging.
noel
September 30, 2013 at 1:33 PMi’ve learned from painful experience that it behooves a gardener to know what soil type they have, and what plants do well in it. all soils are not created equal, and there are certain soils that plants like much better than others. it always pays to do the research.
Trisha
September 30, 2013 at 1:54 PMPut down weed cloth and then mulch over it. You can cut the weed cloth where you want to plant something.
Lisa S
September 30, 2013 at 2:04 PMGardening is therapy for me…stress reducer….years ago we belonged to a community garden….under the flight path of the airport. My husband loved corn so we grew some. It wasn’t the only thing we grew, but took up a good portion of our plot. He became proficient at it. So if you decide you want fresh off the stalk corn, remember it needs to be watered everyday….I mean lots and lots of water.
Sandy A
September 30, 2013 at 2:36 PMI always enjoyed walking through our gardens in the early morning with a cup of coffee before I went to work. I would dead head and pull a weed or two that popped through the mulch and this always seemed to keep the gardens neat. And I think my days always started out better spending that time looking at all the beauty. We have moved to a home with much smaller gardens–and I no longer work outside our home–but I still have my coffee every morning appreciating the beauty and keep ahead of the work with a little dead heading and weed pulling…
Justina
September 30, 2013 at 2:44 PMMy best gardening tip is to weed a little bit everyday!
Barb McKinley
September 30, 2013 at 3:13 PMI learned that after cutting an onion to keep about 1/4-1/2inch of the end (root) and bury it under just enough soil to cover it and keep it watered and in no time you will have green onions coming up. I had to try it to believe it! I did this in a container as I live in an apartment. Thank you for the chance to win♥
Lindsay M.
September 30, 2013 at 3:20 PMPick your produce frequently to encourage the plant to grow more. This is my first year growing pattypan squash, which are meant to only grow about the size of a golf ball though they are also good at a much larger size. I learned that unless you pick the squash as soon as they’re ready instead of lazily waiting until the last minute, the plant will only grow a few at once.
preciosa
September 30, 2013 at 3:34 PMMy gardening tip: Mulch to conserve moist; plants like it.
Kyra
September 30, 2013 at 4:21 PMLet somebody else do it for you!
Marci
September 30, 2013 at 5:14 PMMint is easily transplanted from cuttings. Just remember to plant it in a contained area, or it will spread all over your lawn. It does smell nice when you mow it, but the mowed mint isn’t so pleasant to walk on.
Brooke
September 30, 2013 at 6:05 PMI don’t think I have a good tip…I’ve always had a black thumb, but I’d still love to win!
Michelle B
September 30, 2013 at 6:48 PMIf plants in your garden start showing yellow in their leaves, sprinkle some Ironite on the soil around the plants. It will ‘green’ them right up. 🙂
Julia
September 30, 2013 at 7:41 PMA lot of great tips! We move a lot, so going to your local extension office helps a ton with learning what to plant and how to treat it. They’re a wealth of information and not used enough!
m. herbert
September 30, 2013 at 8:05 PMsorry but i have a black thumb when it comes to gardening as of late. so honestly i’m just commenting for the gift card ha! love that garden by the way.
m. herbert
September 30, 2013 at 8:08 PMoh and may info is marjoriedawnt(at)gmail(dot)com sincerely M. Herbert
Jolene
September 30, 2013 at 9:36 PMLet the kids help pull weeds! They think it is FUN!!!
Jes Killion
October 1, 2013 at 5:47 AMI guess my tip would be… remember to water. You can’t grow anything if you don’t have water.
Sam
October 1, 2013 at 7:34 AMHappy October 1st everyone! I don’t know what the weather’s like for the rest of you, but Autumn has arrived here in Alabama:)
Here are a couple of my favorite gardening tips that apply to all types of gardens:
•Always water in the early-morning hours. It allows the water a chance to hydrate your precious plants before evaporating in the sun! Watering at night is to be avoided (except for emergencies). Mold and rot just THRIVE in dark, damp conditions.
•When planting a container garden, place a piece of window screen over the drainage holes in the bottom of the container to prevent soil from escaping. And if your container is especially deep, fill the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 (depending on root depth) full with styrofoam packing material and then add your soil. This not only saves money on soil but the container won’t be so heavy. Plus, it allows air to circulate in the root area helping to prevent soggy roots in case you did water at night!
Happy gardening!
Heather
October 1, 2013 at 9:08 AMInvolve the children with a vegetable garden. They get a kick out of helping grow things they can actually eat.
allison
October 1, 2013 at 9:29 AMWe mad self watering containers. Great for low maintenance and temporary gardening.
Saskia
October 1, 2013 at 9:42 AMSelf-watering planters are the way to go for me! Otherwise, I tend to over or under water.
Rachel Jackson
October 1, 2013 at 9:47 AMWe live in Texas and have all sort of watering restrictions, one of the restrictions is that you can only water by hand. So my favorite tip on keeping my lawn green is to put my kids in swimsuits and turn on the hose and had it to the baby and tell him to go get his siblings. Watering by hand made easy!!
amy
October 1, 2013 at 9:50 AMCut down peony bushes in the fall. This gives them the full summer to grow/store food.
Teresa
October 1, 2013 at 9:52 AMAn old kitchen colander found in a thrift store or flea market makes a great outdoor planter. Built in drainage! Just line it first with landscape fabric to prevent soil from washing through.
Kathe
October 1, 2013 at 9:59 AMMake your own compost for free! This Fall, set up a compost bin and then look for a local horse rescue. They have soooo much poo to just give away (or, you can leave a donation to help care for the horses). Cart home as much as you can and then use your own leaves, neighbors leaves, leaves from Craiglist, bags of leaves found on the side of the street, where ever you can get them and, mix with your poo. If you can’t get enough leaves, have your friends and family give you their shredded paper. Once or week or so, go out and turn the pile and add water if needed. Compost needs 1 part green (poo), 3 part brown (leaves or paper) and moisture. Come spring you should have a wonderful pile of all natural compost to throw on your garden!
Tracy
October 1, 2013 at 11:41 AMIf you have outdoor plants that you may not see daily: pay attention to the weather. If it rains regularly for a while you’ll get spoiled on not having to water them then a dry spell hits and suddenly all your plants are dead or near death!
Jenna
October 1, 2013 at 11:46 AMDo a little work in the garden every day, so it doesn’t pile up so much! My beds need weeded soooo bad!
Kathy
October 1, 2013 at 11:53 AMBuy used pots at the thrift store and paint them. I use plenty on my porch to act as a shield against my neighbors. Also, use empty wine bottles as watering globes. They are free, well…after the wine is gone! Keeps my plants green in the hot summer months without me having to water so much.
Debbie Thurmond
October 1, 2013 at 12:01 PMDaylilies! They are so easy to tend, are naturally disease resistant and multiply quickly so that you can spread them around for more color or share with friends. They are colorful and bloom almost all summer. Some of mine are STILL blooming! They blend in well with other plants as well!
Becky
October 1, 2013 at 2:16 PMMy hubby bought me a timer that attaches to the spigot outside that I use to water the garden. You then attach the hose to it, turn on the water and set the timer. When the timer goes off, it stops the water from flowing. It’s great, especially for my absent-minded, mom-of-an-8-month-old self!
Lisa Brown
October 1, 2013 at 2:20 PMto conserve water and to protect top soil, use mulch in your garden
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
Andrea Mikrut
October 1, 2013 at 2:47 PMI love to grow lettuce inside in the winter next to a window. Fresh, homegrown salad all year long 🙂
Carrie
October 1, 2013 at 2:52 PMSince I have a total black thumb, my only gardening tip is to offer to help my mother pick her veggies so she lets me take some home 🙂
Heidi N.
October 1, 2013 at 3:51 PMI pull weeds in the spring when it is still wet then mulch to keep them away.
Jessica J.
October 1, 2013 at 4:14 PMMy last apartment had a beautiful balcony on its east side and was able to glean a bit of the sun from the south, as well. I dropped some lettuce, lavender, and lemon seeds into plain, old rectangular planters I kept feng-shuiishly on the floor, kept the dirt decently watered, and watched things grow! The lettuce grew in amounts that were just right for me as a then-single person. I can’t remember what I did with the lavender…and the lemon leaves are still waiting on a purpose. (Suggestions?)
Maureen Corbett-Gentile
October 1, 2013 at 8:30 PMMy gardening tip would be to keep me away from any & all plants!
Gretchen
October 2, 2013 at 11:05 AMUse LOTS of mulch to cut down on weeding!
Jennie Ferguson
October 2, 2013 at 2:15 PMUse egg shells around your plants to ward off slugs.
Cathie
October 2, 2013 at 2:17 PMUmm…put someone else in charge of watering? Or choose plants that are hard to kill…
Telly
October 2, 2013 at 2:40 PMMy tip is to put newspaper down before adding mulch or dirt around plants and it will prevent weeds from coming up for the season.
Superyards
October 5, 2013 at 10:25 PMVertical gardening is the way of the future! With a cramped society like ours, it will be necessary for urban gardens.
My tip: Use chamomile tea to control damping-off fungus, which often attacks young seedlings quite suddenly. Just add a spot of tea to the soil around the base of seedlings once a week or use it as a foliar spray.