Search Results for: blog problem plants in the garden

Three Beautiful but Poisonous Plants

Last week I looked at some plants you might not want in your garden because of allergic reactions to them. Here are some others that are poison and you will need to think carefully about planting, especially of you have children who want to put everything in their mouths. Oleander Beautiful to look at, especially the candy pink oleander which from my observation always seems to be the most prolific flowerer of all the oleanders. Leaves and flowers however are poisonous. The advantage is that they taste dreadful, so that may solve the problem. We had an oleander in a … Continue reading →

Problem Plants in the Garden

Some plants could cause health problems for some people. Here are a few you might want to think carefully about before planting them or deciding where to plant them. Wattle or acacia is one that affects many people, when it is flowering, with hay fever. But it doesn’t affect everyone. I can eco-exist quite happily with wattle and even bring it in the house in a vase as cut flowers to no ill effect but I cannot go with ten feet of a crepe myrtle bush, which gives me severe hay fever. This is a shame as they are spectacularly … Continue reading →

Using What You Have Frugal Gardening

With all that we are doing to spruce up the inside and the outside of our home for the big move, we have had to get innovative and work on a pretty small budget. We don’t want to spend a lot unless it is going to raise the value of our home. Many cosmetic fixes help the house sell better, yet do not warrant a higher price. The same goes for the outside of your home. We decided to spend some time researching, checking out the smaller local garden centers and searching through books and magazines to get ideas for … Continue reading →

Another Way to Go Green: Houseplants for Air Purification

We know that plants are good for many things, from providing food in the form of fruits, vegetables, and grains, to offering medicinal qualities, such as those found in the Aloe Vera plant. Plants also make great accessories, giving spaces throughout the home more life. However, plants deserve a lot more credit. They have some tremendous properties that can help make your home and your family healthier. We are aware that plants can absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen, but I for one hadn’t given this important issue as much thought as I should have. Then, I learned … Continue reading →

Home and Garden Review: October 2 – 8

I don’t want to fill the post with nothing but links, but here are this week’s articles at a glance. We’ve got it all, from entertaining to organizing and little known facts. If you missed any of these articles, or you’d like to find them easily for reference, just visit the Home Blog Archive and click on any title. Oct 2 The Lawn You Never Have To Mow Decorating for Halloween or Harvest Day Flowers in the Home? An Old Thought Oct 3 Decorating Tips From Our Parade Of Homes Tour “Fluffing” Your Home Fall Decorating and Home Improvement Flowers: … Continue reading →

Get Your Porch Organized and Decorated for Fall

Fall is fun! There is nothing like the crisp air, the bright colors, and the last push for outdoor adventures before the cold winds of winter start bringing everyone in doors. While you can still enjoy the outside, why not get your porch organized and decorated for Fall? Fall is a great excuse for decorating, but who has the motivation when the front porch is filled with clutter and debris? This area sets the first impression whenever anyone visits your home. Start by removing everything from your porch, so you can clean the floors. Shake out those rugs, use a … Continue reading →

Wildcraft: A Herbal Adventure Game

Do you wish that you were the plant whisperer, a naturalist and herbalist who knows all about the amazing properties of edible and healing plants? Sure, you might. But how do you become such a guru without sitting down with a book and memorizing the plants around you? What if there was a fun way to do this – like a game? Over the Christmas season, we finally opened the game that I’d purchased for my daughter a long time ago, at least a year back. I was waiting for the opportune moment to give it to her, and that … Continue reading →

Stop Procrastinating

Procrastination is not my friend. I’m a huge procrastinator and as a single parent that comes back to bite me on the butt more times than I care to remember. Like right now for instance. I haven’t done the stuff I need to do outside of the house to get it ready for winter. The swamp cooler is uncovered, so is the grill. The skulls still line the walkway instead of those cute little Christmas trees I bought last year. In Utah we usually get quite a bit of snow but we’ve been lucky this year so I’ve been procrastinating. … Continue reading →

Recycling Coffee Grounds

I’ve written about recycling a lot of things – blue jeans, magazines, but here’s something most people just throw in the trash – coffee grounds. But, before you toss those grounds, think of some of the ways they may be reused. Why would you want to find a use for old coffee grounds? When they break down, they release methane, which is a more powerful gas than CO2. If you need to dry the coffee grounds for later use, spread them out on a cookie sheet and sit near a sunny window to prevent molding. You can use coffee grounds … Continue reading →

Growing Weeds

A few months ago I decided to grow weeds. My garden is good at this, after all. It’s a little shady, so many of the traditional vegetable garden candidates don’t like it very much. It resides in a place with a lot of rain, and it grows at an elevation that is almost sub-alpine. It’s also neglected upon occasion, as all of the gardens of those with young children probably are. Really, it’s a wonder that anything grows there at all. After years of attempting to grow tomatoes and squash, then downgrading my expectations to some nice lettuce and spinach, … Continue reading →