The Gardening Path

Loved learning how to grow your own vegetables over the summer and want to continue your efforts during the winter months? If you're lucky enough to have a greenhouse, even if it's just one of the best mini-greenhouses, you'll be able to put your gardening time to good use over the winter months and get growing a bumper crop of veg. After all, there's nothing like tucking into homegrown vegetables whatever the time of year, plus it’s good to try and be as sustainable as possible.  We've picked some of the best vegetables you can start growing right now, plus all of the varieties we’ve chosen below are packed full of nutrition and vitamins so you can keep your immune systems fighting fit all year round too. 1. BRUSSELS SPROUTS Maybe not a favourite for the kids when served up for Christmas dinner, but definitely a hit for greenhouse growing! Brussels sprouts are a great source of vitamin C and folate and the Brodie variety has good holding ability and is disease resi...

Houseplants make a dramatic difference in our decor. They add colour, vibrancy, and life to our homes. Do you love using houseplants in your decor too? These strange and beautiful houseplants are a sight to behold.  Houseplants help you to breathe easier too as they release oxygen. During the night, photosynthesis ceases, and plants typically respire like humans – they absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide – isn’t nature amazing? Essentially, they help purify the air too!  Here’s a list of some strange and yet beautiful houseplants for you to enjoy.  1. Trachyandra Trachyandra is a genus of plants similar to Albuca and is native to South Africa. It features a curly squiggly branch and reminds me of curly pasta! Each branch is unique and has perfect symmetry. I can see bunches of them in a huge pot on my windowsill! You can also feature just one plant in a little pot too – perfect to perk up your bathroom!  2. Dolphin Succulents  The internet is on fire becaus...

If your friendly yucca plants become yellow or may discover black spots on leaves then there may be chances of spoiling the growth of yuccas from blooming flowers. You need not worry as this problem can be easily solved by applying natural fertilizers and by providing sufficient water and sunlight to the plants. The Yucca plant is a perennial shrub in the family of Asparagaceae that is abundantly seen in the Caribbean and American countries. It is a super air-purifying plant and grows well in hot and dry climatic conditions. Plant leaves, stems and roots are poisonous if consumed directly. Though the plant is poisonous it contains powerful antioxidants that help to cure stomach ache, headache, and other skin-related problems in humans. Here in this article, we shared the detailed information related to the yucca plants, growing conditions and how it is helpful in your daily life to lead a happy life. Companion Plants Yucca combination plants include euphorbia, sedum, lilies, sage, rudb...

If you grow only one vegetable other than tomatoes, it should be lettuce. Growing lettuce is so easy, takes up little space, and you can even grow it among flowers. here are a few things to think about when adding lettuce to your garden. Since lettuce is a cool weather plant it’s best to plant them in the spring or fall. You can also do succession planting to be able to have lettuce harvest all season long. To succession plant, you’ll want to plant a few seeds and then a week or two later plant a few more. This way your lettuce will be ready to harvest at different times, so you don’t have a huge harvest of all at once. When to Plant Lettuce is a cool weather plant and does well in most areas when planted in the spring and fall. Lettuce seeds can be started indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. Lettuce seeds can be direct sown into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. Lettuce usually grows well at temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees. Hotter weather tends to make l...

Building up your garden’s soil is the best way to make your garden thrive this year. As we grow plants in our gardens year after year the soil breaks down and needs help to provide your garden with what it needs. If you are growing a garden to feed your family or even to make a little extra money from your garden it is important to have great soil. Building up your soil is an easy taste that has a great reward. Fall is a great time to build up your soil for next year.  Compost, compost, compost for the best garden soil Adding great compost to your soil is an amazing way to build up your soil quickly. Check your local Craigslist for a deal on mushroom compost. This strong compost is often sold by the truckload or large feed bags for cheap. Mushroom compost is high in salt so it is best to add to established plants rather than germinating seeds. This is a great start for any canning garden. If you would rather DIY your compost you can reduce kitchen waste and get great compost for yo...

There’s nothing quite like the experience of going out into your own backyard and picking fresh fruit right off the tree. But fruit trees can be discouraging to many gardeners who like to see a quick turnaround in yield. Many fruit trees can take years to start bearing fruit, and represent a significant time and space investment in any garden. Some citrus trees can take between six and ten years before you see the first piece of fruit! For those of us that like to see a quicker turnaround from our gardens but still don’t want to give up the idea of fresh fruit, there are several types of fruit trees that will bear fruit fairly quickly. Figs, mulberries, peaches, and even limes can all give you a successful fruit harvest within the first year they are planted when well cared for. The key to getting a quick first harvest from many fruit trees is to purchase grafted stock. Grafting is a technique where a budding stem of one tree is inserted into the rootstock (roots and some portion of th...

Growing Bell Peppers In Containers Peppers are a complete joy to grow if you live in a continuous hot weather climate that is! If you don’t have the space to grow them in a garden, it gets a little trickier, but don’t fret, a pot is all red peppers need to grow! It’s container gardening at it’s finest! After you’ve got your hands on some pepper seeds or a plant from the local nursery, the next step is, yep you guessed it, you need to find a pot! Time to start growing bell peppers! Pots Or Containers : When browsing for suitable pots, make sure its at least 10 inches deep and 10 inches in width. Drainage holes at the bottom are definitely recommended, a pot of this size can easily grow and maintain 2-3 plants. Avoid place pots if you’re already in a hot climate for your plants will attract a little too much sun. Seeds: If you choose a plant from a nursery you can skip to the next section, however, if you simply purchased some seeds you’ll want some seed food or potting mix as well. Fill...