Read on for free gardening ideas that can lead to low or no-cost gardening. How to Garden for Free While completely no-cost gardening may be a stretch, it is certainly possible to keep landscape costs down by working some free gardening ideas. Many of the tools and gadgets people buy for their gardens are totally unnecessary to growing flowers or crops. Identify what you truly need to get into gardening on a budget, starting with the basics....

About Fruitless Olive Trees This olive tree is described as a distinctive evergreen, growing at a slow to medium rate. At maturity, it may reach 25 to 30 feet (8-9 m.), with approximately the same width. Consider this width if contemplating one in your landscape. It may have a single trunk, but more often it has several. These are twisting and contorted, topped by greenish gray foliage. This tree must have at least eight hours of full sun....

What are Cloches and Bell Jars? Garden cloches are the fancy term for a glass dome that you place over plants sensitive to cold. The word actually means “bell” in French. The glass enhances the light and heat for the plant and protects it from direct contact with snow or ice. These are most useful for small plants and starts. A bell jar is basically the same item, but fans out slightly wider at the base and has a handle at the top....

Garden Windbreak Design The best garden windbreak design incorporates up to four rows of trees and shrubs. It begins with a row of tall evergreens closest to the home, with rows of successively shorter trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, behind it. This design directs the wind up and over your home. The National Renewable Energy Foundation recommends planting the windbreak at a distance of two to five times more than the height of the closest trees....

Why Use Darker Colors in the Garden? Dark colors definitely have their place in the garden. They can be used to highlight plants or other garden features that are lighter in color, for instance. Darker tones provide contrast and visual interest. They add drama to an outdoor space. Gardening with Dark Colors Depending on how and where you use them, darker colors in the garden can be striking and attractive. Using dark colors can also be tricky and may not have the effect you were hoping to achieve....

What is Vermiculite? Vermiculite can be found in potting soil or purchased by itself in four different sizes for gardening with vermiculite. Germinate seeds using the smallest size of vermiculite as a growing medium and the largest size for improved soil aeration. Vermiculite is the name of a group of hydrated laminar minerals (aluminum-iron magnesium silicates) which look like mica. Horticultural vermiculite is processed with massive heat that expands it into accordion shaped pellets composed of multiple layers of thin plates....

Dense plantings of tulips also signal a flair for Dutch garden style. Ready to take on a new design style for your garden? Follow these tips to reimagine your space and add linear lines and rectangular layouts. Gardens in The Netherlands: Learn About Dutch Garden Design One of the most famous examples of Dutch design is the Keukenhof (means “kitchen garden” in English) in the town of Lisse in the Netherlands....

DIY Natural Christmas Garland To make a natural evergreen garland, you’ll first need to collect the materials you’d like to use. These can come from your own backyard or from the yards of family, friends and co-workers. It’s advisable to ask permission from property owners before foraging garland natural materials from fields and alongside roadways. Here’s a list of suggested materials that can be used to craft DIY natural Christmas garland:...

Paperwhite Seeds Paperwhite plants can be propagated by seeds, which are found within the swollen seedpods that appear after paperwhites bloom. While this form of propagation is relatively simple, it does require lots of patience. The tiny, black seeds are collected and then planted in protected areas until they begin forming bulbs, at which time they are transplanted into pots. Germination will usually take anywhere from 28 to 56 days. However, it will take anywhere from three to five years before the seeds produce a blooming size bulb....

Graffiti Eggplant Info There are numerous eggplant varieties from which to choose. They run the gamut from Asian and Mediterranean types with differences in size, color, and shape thrown in as further variation. The eggplant, Graffiti, is possibly a hybrid of those native to India. Wherever the plant’s origin, it has been bred to bring out the sweetness and remove any bitterness associated with wild fruit. Many types of eggplant have especially appealing skin....

What is Grevillea? Grevillea (Grevillea robusta), also known as silk oak, is a tree from the Proteaceae family. It originated in Australia, but is now growing well in North America. This is a tall tree and is referred to as being a skyline tree with lots of vertical accent. Grevillea is very fast growing and can live 50 to 65 years. This evergreen has a rugged look. It can grow to be over 100 feet (30 m....

Why Do Flowers Change Colors? Three main types of plant pigments exist: anthocyanins, carotenoids, and betalains. Though these pigments are directly related to the visible colors in plants, the entire process which determines plant and flower color is quite complicated. Even cellular differences between plants can have a pronounced impact on color. Outside influences can also be a major factor which will affect plant color. This includes temperature, soil type, and even plant stress....

Companion Planting Reasons Vegetable companion planting makes sense for a few reasons: First, many companion plants are already plants you would grow in your garden. By moving these plants around, you can get the best performance from them. Second, many companion vegetable plants help to deter pests, which helps to decrease the amount of pesticides and effort it takes to keep your garden pest free. Third, vegetable companion planting frequently also increases the yields of the plants....

Growing Annuals in Zone 9 A comprehensive list of annuals for zone 9 is beyond the scope of this article, but our list of a few of the most common zone 9 annuals should be enough to pique your curiosity. Keep in mind that many annuals may be perennial in warm climates. Popular Annual Flowers Common in Zone 9 Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) Verbena (Verbena spp.) Sweet pea (Lathyrus) Poppy (Papaver spp....

Black Dahlia Flowers The most intensely colored dahlias range in color from deep purple to very dark burgundy. Though their shades can be quite eye-catching, black dahlia flower care is quite the same as for other cultivars and requires no special maintenance by growers to tend to color. Below, we have outlined some of our favorite varieties of dahlia with black leaves and/or dark blooms. 

Calla Lily as a Houseplant First of all, calla lilies actually prefer to grow as a marginal aquatic plant and frequently are found growing on the edges of streams or ponds. This is a wonderful benefit for people that tend to water a lot! Keep your indoor calla lilies continually moist and never allow them to dry out. You can even keep a little water in the saucer that it sits in but be sure that it doesn’t sit in standing water for too long....

About Container Grown Chicory In the garden, chicory is appreciated for its brilliant, blue flowers, which may actually be more white or pink, depending on the pH level of your soil. Chicory is easy to grow, but it has long taproots like its cousin, the familiar yellow dandelion. If you use the roots, planting chicory in pots makes the plant easy to harvest. If you grow chicory for the leaves, chicory in a container can be conveniently located just outside your kitchen door....

Growing Japanese Maples in Zone 9 Japanese maples tend to do better at being cold hardy than heat tolerant. Excess warm weather can injure the trees in several ways. First, Japanese maple for zone 9 may not get an adequate period of dormancy. But also, hot sun and dry winds can injure the plants. You’ll want to select hot weather Japanese maples to give them the best chance in a zone 9 location....

What is a Leek? Perhaps you may be wondering, “What is a leek?” Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) are members of the onion family, closely related to onions, garlic, shallots, and chives. Unlike their counterparts, leeks develop long, succulent stems rather than producing large bulbs. These stems are used as an onion substitute in many dishes. How to Grow Leeks Leeks can be grown from seeds or transplants. When growing leeks from seeds, it’s often easier to start them indoors even though they’re considered cold tolerant, as hard frosts can be detrimental to young plants....

What is a Mamey Tree? Growing mamey fruit trees are indigenous to areas of the Caribbean, West Indies, Central America and Northern South America. Mamey tree planting for the purposes of cultivation does occur, but is rare. The tree is more commonly found in garden landscapes. It is commonly cultivated in the Bahamas and the Greater and Lesser Antilles where the climate is ideal. It can be found growing naturally along the roads of St....