Archive for September 2021

10 Plants to Naturally Repel Mosquitoes From Your Garden

Plants that naturally repel mosquitos

These ten plants can help keep mosquitoes out of your garden to protect you, your family, and your pets from these blood-sucking insects.

10 Plants to Naturally Repel Mosquitoes From Your Garden

Mosquitoes can make enjoying time in your garden difficult. Not only are they annoying, they can also potentially spread diseases to you and your pets. Luckily, there are certain scents that these blood-sucking insects can’t stand. Reducing the number of mosquitos attacking you in your garden is as simple as planting a few strategically chosen plants.

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Why Spider Plants Are the Perfect Houseplants

Why Spider Plants are the Perfect Houseplants

There are many benefits to owning a spider plant.

Why Spider Plants Are the Perfect Houseplants

Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are one of the most popular houseplants, and for good reason. There are many benefits to choosing a spider plant as your next houseplant. These tropical, leafy plants are incredibly easy to care for and are very difficult to kill. They are believed to be one of the most effective houseplants for cleaning the air and removing indoor air pollution. Spider plants are also one of the best houseplants for pet-lovers, as they non-toxic to cats and dogs. These plants are very easy to propagate from naturally growing offsets, so you can quickly fill your house with baby spider plants. These baby spider plant plantlets also make wonderful gifts for your friends and family. Here are some of the reasons why spider plants make the perfect houseplants.

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How to Clean Your Drains Naturally With Bokashi Tea

Unclog your drains with Bokashi tea!

Bokashi tea is a wonderful, eco-friendly alternative to harsh chemical drain cleaners. Learn how to use this bokashi composting byproduct to safely and effectively get rid of annoying clogs in your plumbing.

How to Clean Your Drains Naturally With Bokashi Tea

Bokashi tea, also sometimes called bokashi leachate or bokashi juice, is the liquid that builds up at the bottom of a bokashi bucket. It is simply a byproduct of the fermentation process that happens inside the bokashi bucket. This byproduct doesn’t have to go to waste. In fact, it has a number of uses, including fertilizer, weedkiller, and even drain cleaner! This article will focus on how to use bokashi tea as a green, eco-friendly alternative to traditional harsh chemical drain cleaners.

If you aren’t familiar with bokashi composting or are interested in starting your own bokashi bin, check out my article: How to Set Up and Use a Bokashi Bucket for Indoor Composting

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How Gardening Improves Your Mental Health

Mental Health Benefits of Gardening

Gardening has been shown to be very beneficial to mental health and well-being.

How Gardening Improves Your Mental Health

Spending time in nature can have a tremendous positive impact on your mental health. Gardening, in particular, has been shown to have numerous mental health benefits, from reducing symptoms of mental health disorders and easing stress to helping you to develop a more positive mindset and helping to strengthen social bonds. Spending more time in your garden is sure to make you feel better and give you a sunnier outlook on life.

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10 Pollinator-Friendly Perennial Flowers That Grow Well Near Black Walnut Trees

Juglone Tolerant Flowers for Pollinators

Many plants don’t grow well under black walnut trees due to a chemical called juglone contained in every part of these trees. Here are some plants that not only grow well near black walnut trees, but also attract many pollinator species to your garden.

10 Pollinator-Friendly Perennial Flowers That Grow Well Near Black Walnut Trees

If your garden is near a black walnut tree, you probably know that many plants have trouble growing there. This is because black walnut trees produce a chemical called juglone that makes it difficult for many other plants to grow. Black walnut trees have developed this as a way of reducing competition for soil nutrients.

Though many plants won’t survive in soil with high juglone content, there are many that have adapted to these conditions and will do just fine. Here are some juglone-tolerant plants that are especially attractive to pollinator species, such as monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.

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Natural and Humane Ways to Repel Raccoons From Your Garden

Repel Raccoons naturally and humanely

Though trash pandas may look cute and cuddly, they cause massive amounts of destruction in the garden. Here are some tips to keep raccoons away from your garden or yard.

Natural and Humane Ways to Repel Raccoons From Your Garden

I’m going to be honest up front. These methods only have limited success and seem to work best when I switch out methods on a regular basis and combine more than one method at a time. Some methods work better than others, and sometimes methods that some gardeners have had luck with just don’t work with another family of raccoons living in a different area. Most of these methods are scent-based and need to be reapplied after it rains.

I have a family of at least six baby raccoons and their mother living near my property who visit almost every night, as confirmed by my trail camera. Though they are very cute, and I don’t want to hurt them, I would much prefer that they keep their cuteness out of my garden, as they have a very bad tendency of digging up my plants and forcing me to replant them first thing in the morning. It is quite annoying. Here are a few raccoon deterrent methods that I have tried to use to repel the trash pandas from my garden and how effective I have found each to be.

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Hardy Geraniums vs Tender Geraniums: Which Should You Plant in Your Garden?

Types of Geraniums

There are several types of flowers often called “geraniums,” which have different growing needs and are native to different climates. Both can be planted in your garden, but which is the best choice?

Hardy Geraniums vs Tender Geraniums: Which Should You Plant in Your Garden?

If you are confused by the different types of geraniums available, you aren’t alone. It is easy to become confused about the different types of geraniums, considering there are multiple plants with different needs that share the name. Though the two types of geraniums are cousins, both belonging to the Geraniaceae family, they have different growing needs and are native to different climates. True geraniums are a hardy perennial plant, while the plants often sold as “geraniums” at garden centers, which are actually pelargoniums, are tender plants that are typically grown as annuals in cooler climates such as in my home-state, Ohio.

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How to Properly Water Air Plants

How to Water Air Plants

Air plants are interesting plants with unique watering needs. This guide will help you to keep your air plants properly hydrated.

How to Properly Water Air Plants

Air plants, or tillandsia, are a unique type of plant that require no soil to grow. Instead, these plants take in moisture from the air through special hair-like structures called trichomes on their leaves. Air plants are epiphytes, which means that they are found in the wild growing on other plants. Instead of using their roots to absorb water and nutrients from the soil like most plants, tilandsias use their roots to attach to trees high in the humid rainforest canopy. Because your home is likely much less humid than their native environment, they do still need to be watered occasionally. There are several methods that are often used for watering these plants including misting, dunking, and soaking. This article will tell you how and when to use each method.

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10 Pet-Friendly Houseplants That Are Safe for Cats and Dogs

Pet-friendly house plants

It is possible to enjoy a home filled with houseplants even if you have a cat or dog. Here are 10 houseplants that are safe to have in your home if you have pets.

10 Pet-Friendly Houseplants That Are Safe for Cats and Dogs

It is possible for pets and plants to coexist in the same home. While you should try to keep your plants away from your pet’s reach, accidents can always happen. To keep your furry friends safe from potential poisoning from toxic plants, keep only non-toxic plants in your home if you have cats or dogs.

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10 Pet-Friendly Succulents That Are Safe for Cats and Dogs

Pet-friendly Succulents

It is possible to have succulents in your home even if you have pets. Here are ten types of succulents that are non-toxic and safe to have in a home with cats and dogs.

10 Pet-Friendly Succulents That Are Safe for Cats and Dogs

It is possible to have both pets and succulents living together peacefully in the same home. While you should try to keep your succulents and other houseplants out of your furry friend’s reach, it is always possible for accidents to happen despite your best intentions. To keep your fur babies safe from possible poisoning, keep only pet-safe succulents (and pet-friendly plants in general) in your home if you have pet cats or dogs.

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