Plant-astic

 Apple Trees Could you imagine a world where apple trees were on every street? Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there's an apple tree.  Apples just so happen to be my favorite fruit so no doubt I would be living a dream. For those of you that don't particularly like apples, that would be tough luck. I know it is completely unrealistic to imagine that this would ever be a reality, but how cool would it be if it were real? I wouldn't ever have to worry about forgetting to bring a snack to work or when I go to the library to study. I would just pick a few apples and be on my merry way. In the world we live in I can assume that there would be someone somewhere who would use this as a way to make a profit because that's all people care about anymore: money. In this imaginary apple-filled world, no one would be allowed to make a profit off of these apple trees. No one would be able to hoard all of the apples either. Take one when you need one and carry on with your day...

 This or That? Come Springtime, you decide it is time to go to your local garden center and restock on your outdoor flowers for your home. Do you reach for the flower seeds or the pre-grown flowers ?  Growing up, my mom would take me to the garden center at our local Home Depot to help her pick out this year's selection of flowers. Not once did we ever buy the flower seeds. Always the pre-grown flowers . I can understand why majority of people would buy the pre-grown flowers. It's easier, faster, less time consuming, and overall, just more convenient. I have a hunch that when I become a homeowner the chances are high that I will buy the pre-grown flowers instead of the seeds.  On the other hand, buying flower seeds would make me feel more accomplished. Sure, it takes longer to see the results and it requires more work, but I would look at those flowers and know that I did that all on my own. It is definitely harder to grow flowers from the seeds and there is a chance th...

 Butterfly Bushes Butterfly bushes are one of the best ways to add more than beautiful flowers to your landscape. These plants attract butterflies which will help your bushes as well as the other plants surrounding it.  You may not realize it, but butterflies are pretty important to the environment. Along with bees, they help aid with plant pollination. They are drawn to yellow and red flowers the most, due to their higher nectar count. The way this is done is by nectar sticking to the bodies of butterflies while they feed on the nectar, and it is transferred to other flowers they land on.  Another benefit is that butterflies will keep your other plants in control. As caterpillars , they feed on leaves and seeds in the area. This allows for your current plants to be trimmed and maintained so they do not grow out of control.  Although having butterflies nearby may seem pesky to some, scientists say that having butterflies in the area determines a healthy ecos...

Hydrangeas  and  Lilacs , two of my favorite flowers. They are so similar yet so different. Both equally beautiful but require different care in some ways.    A few  similarities  between the two plants: -         Both plants are perennial This just means that lilacs and hydrangeas die off at the end of the season and bloom again in the early spring.  -        Classified as flowering shrubs Hydrangeas and Lilacs both have very distinct looking flowers. Their greenery do resemble shrubs although it's hard to ignore that pop of color from the vibrant flowers.  -        Drought tolerant Hydrangeas and lilacs are both able to withstand drought weather. -        Acidic soil requirement Both plants require acidic soil to keep them healthy, lilacs can handle acidic to neutral. Even though these two p...

 Potting Plants I feel as though most people underestimate the importance of updating planting pots. It seems to be such an overlooked aspect when it comes to house plants. Changing the pot your plant lives in can actually make a big difference for the plant's well-being.      A few benefits that could enhance the quality of your plants include: - More nutrients  As your plant grows, it feeds off of the nutrients from the soil. Over time the nutrients available to your plant will wear out and it will be time to add some new soil to re-up your plant's nutrients. - More water for the roots Plant roots tend to wrap around the edges of the pot once they become too big for their current environment. This can be harder for the roots to get the water they need for the plant to continue growing. Changing the pot allows you to break up the roots and give the plant a new home that will accommodate its new size.  - Mor...

How To Get Rid of Weeds What is the number 1 enemy of gardening? Weeds. They seem to always be around. There’s a number of reasons as to why they come around and a number of ways to get rid of them. So, lets get into it. If you see weeds, this isn’t necessarily a bad sign. It means that your soil is healthy. You could rip the weed out of the soil and think problem solved. Although, that’s not entirely how it works. Weeds are only really gone if you pull them out from the roots. Otherwise, they’ll make a reappearance before you know it. You can buy weed killer from the store, which works well. But there’s a diy you may not know about: vinegar. It’s inexpensive and chances are you may already have it in the kitchen. If you’re going to get rid of weeds, it would probably do you some good to figure out why they show up in the first place. Usually, this is because: the roots still remain in the soil as I stated earlier, if the roots are not pulled up with the weeds, then they wi...