Home / Books / Articles

GARDENING TIPS

To arrange flowers in a wide-mouth vase, crisscross strips of tape at the top of the vase and insert the stems into the spaces between the tape to give a balanced look.

If cats like to dig in your flowerbed, cover the top of the soil with bits of screening weighed down with flat rocks.  The screening and rocks can be moved as plants grow.

Cover your plants and shrubs with a drop cloth before painting outdoors.

Rose Bush Cuttings:  In the fall select a stem that has blossomed well and cut off pieces about 10 inches in length.  Remove all the leaves and plant the cuttings in a well protected sunny spot with only the top bud above the ground.  Cover the cuttings with a foot of loose mulch.  In the spring the plants will be rooted.

If you need greenery for flowers, use carrot tops as they look like fern.

Line window boxes with aluminium foil before adding dirt to make them last longer.

If your flower vase is too large, crumble some plastic wrap and add to the bottom of the vase.  It will help to hold the flowers and it looks like cracked ice.

Sprinkle seeds from a salt shaker to plant an even row in your garden.

Plant sunflowers in your garden to attract birds.

For indoor gardening an apple corer is a useful gadget to use for potted plants.  It can make holes for transplanting or for applying small amounts of plant food or as a cultivator to loosen the soil.

If you have heavy bags of fertilizer to move, slip them onto a scoop or snow shovel and drag them, or use a skateboard.

Fine Seeds: When planting, mix them with talc powder so they are more visible.

Clean garden tools with an oily cloth to help prevent rusting.