10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Organic Food in Containers

10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Organic Food in Containers

Have you followed the recent news in the US about the peer-reviewed study that determined that 80 percent of Americans test positive for the synthetic pesticide chlormequat? This pesticide has been found in conventionally-grown grain crops like oats, wheat and barley, and has been linked to fertility problems in animal studies. Regular exposure to pesticides like these is at least partly responsible for recurring health crises around the world, including major diseases like cancer and cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic and psychological disorders. By growing at least some of your own food, you can reduce your exposure to these harmful chemicals and begin to take control of your health. Container gardening is a great way to get started.

Read More

Hydroponics & Sustainability: Everything You Need To Know

Hydroponics & Sustainability: Everything You Need To Know

In the modern world, the importance of sustainable farming practices cannot be overstated. With the growing challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, and a rising global population, it has become imperative to explore innovative methods of agriculture that can minimize environmental impact while ensuring a steady food supply. One such practice that is gaining increasing attention and popularity is hydroponics.

Read More

Get Inspired: Water-Saving Landscape Design Ideas for Every Home

Get Inspired: Water-Saving Landscape Design Ideas for Every Home

Imagine a lush, vibrant landscape that thrives while sipping water instead of guzzling it. This is where xeriscaping comes in, where every drop of water is treasured, and every plant is chosen for its resilience and beauty. In this guide, we will delve into how xeriscaping can transform your outdoor space into a sustainable, water-wise haven.

Read More

How to Make Your Garden the Envy of the Neighborhood

How to Make Your Garden the Envy of the Neighborhood

Are you dreaming of turning your garden into a mesmerizing oasis that leaves your neighbours in awe? Look no further! In this guide, we'll share some expert tips and tricks to transform your outdoor space into a botanical paradise. From enchanting wisteria vines to creative landscaping ideas, you'll discover how to make your garden the envy of the neighborhood.

Read More

How to make money from your garden

How to make money from your garden

Making money from your garden is a great way to turn something you enjoy doing into a profitable business. But how can you get started? Is it as simple as growing some plants and then selling them? There are several things to consider before you take steps to make your garden into a lucrative business or side hustle, including your gardening space and environment, the type of products you can sell, the existing demand and competition for those products, and the costs involved.

Read More

Why you should keep a gardening journal this fall

Why you should keep a gardening journal this fall

A few years ago, I started keeping a gardening journal for the first time. As a year-round gardener, I have multiple gardening spaces including 4 raised beds, a small unheated greenhouse and a deck which I use to house 10-12 large pots and numerous small-to-medium-sized containers in the warmer months. My aim was to grow enough food to meet at least half of my family’s needs for fresh produce. I also wanted to be able to share a surplus with neighbors and friends. Little did I know that a garden journal could help me achieve so much more than I expected!

Read More

5 Innovative Products to Transform Your Container Garden

5 Innovative Products to Transform Your Container Garden

Container gardening has gained immense popularity in recent years, allowing individuals with limited space or resources to indulge in their love for plants. According to The Daily Green, the expenditure on container gardening by U.S. consumers has reached a significant amount of USD 1.3 billion.

Read More

12 ways to create a stunning container garden

12 ways to create a stunning container garden

Summer is almost here! Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or a newbie to the gardening world, it's never too late to bring some life to your living space with a beautiful potted garden. While some may have already started their seedlings indoors, there's no need to worry if you're just now getting started - there's still plenty of time to grow good things this season!

Read More

5 Ways to Prevent Weeds Without Using Pesticides

5 Ways to Prevent Weeds Without Using Pesticides

Weeds are a problem for many homeowners, especially homeowners with gardens. They can take over your lawn, and make your driveway or pavement look messy. In the garden, these unwanted plants compete with nutrients needed by your flowers and crops, can destroy the health of your soil, contribute to the spread of mold spores and diseases, and take over your garden bed if left unchecked.

Read More

The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gardening Checklist

The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gardening Checklist

Guest post by Greg Niewold

Anyone who loves to garden knows that one of the best parts of winter is looking ahead to spring: the season of planting. This year as you’re dreaming and planning, why not think about trying some eco-friendly strategies in your garden? Whether you’re a total newbie or a veteran grower, you may be surprised to learn how little steps toward sustainability could improve your everyday garden operations. With eco-friendly approaches, not only will your garden be greener and gentler to the environment, but you’ll possibly save costs and improve your yield, too.

Read More

Tree Pruning vs. Tree Trimming: What’s the Difference?

Tree Pruning vs. Tree Trimming: What’s the Difference?

guest post by Bryan Hardin

If you are the proud owner of a garden or yard, you will agree that it takes effort to maintain your green area. You need to care for your plants and trees and make sure they remain healthy and looked after. Speaking of maintenance, pruning and trimming are two techniques that can help to keep your trees in excellent condition. However, most people confuse them to be the same thing. While trimming and pruning are both landscaping techniques, they differ in their functions and applications.

Read More

Start Your Own Garden: The Perfect Care Instructions

Start Your Own Garden: The Perfect Care Instructions

Guest post by Nairi Bodroumian

Start your own garden? It sounds like it would be a lot of work, right? However, this is a great way to save money on groceries and get closer to the natural rhythms of earth. This article will provide all the information you need to ensure that your garden thrives from start to finish!

Read More

Fall through Winter Gardening: how to harvest throughout the cool season

Fall through Winter Gardening: how to harvest throughout the cool season

For many of us who grow food, late autumn brings cold weather and spells the end of the harvest. But the cold season doesn’t have to end your gardening journey. While it is true that some places, like USDA zones 0-2, have extremely short growing seasons that make growing vegetables outdoors extremely challenging, in most zones, even those where it snows every winter, you can continue to grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and even some flowers all year. Planting or placing your crops inside a greenhouse, coldframe, hot box, polytunnel, row cover, pop-up-plant protector, or heavy-duty gardening plastic will keep them growing through the fall and winter months. Some of these tools are inexpensive, while others can cost a small fortune. For example, a lean-to or freestanding greenhouse with walls made of polycarbonate plastic can be purchased or built for as little as a few hundred dollars, while a large walk-in greenhouse with walls of horticultural-grade glass can cost tens of thousands of dollars. These are some of the most common ways that you can extend your growing season from the early fall months, or even begin growing new crops in the winter.

Read More

Plant problems and quick fixes: how to diagnose and remedy common issues in your garden

Plant problems and quick fixes: how to diagnose and remedy common issues in your garden

The past year has seen many people turn to food gardening – some for the first time – to cope with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at Green and Prosperous we have previously written about the mental and physical health benefits of gardening. While previously, food gardening seemed to be something you did as you approached middle age and your senior years, nowadays people of all ages are enjoying the benefits of growing some of their own food. The availability of products that make food gardening easy, like Aerogarden’s collection of indoor fully automated growing kits, had made food gardening an option for those who have little to no experience with food gardening. The many benefits of gardening, however, can also come with a fair amount of stress when you have problems that plague your plants, preventing them from growing and producing as they should. This post offers advice for diagnosing and dealing with some of the most common problems in your garden.

Read More