Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

Outdoors

		Build a Straw Bale Cold Frame Inexpensive straw bales can be used to create an effective cold frame for tender, young plants by insulating the leaves from winter temperatures.
		Cheap Trick: Build Your Own Water Reservoirs Do you have a planting bed that droops before you arrive home from work or a tree too far from the hose? Here’s a simple, effective way to solve your watering problems for pennies – and it’ll keep your plants healthy in even the driest conditions.
		Easy-Made Potting Mixes Instead of having several different potting mixes for each kind of container plant, vary one good mix by adding sand or leaf mold.
		Extend Your Growing Season: Take It to the Hoop! If you want to start gardening earlier in spring and extend your growing season later into fall, are looking to control pests organically or just want to protect marginally hardy plants over winter, a hoop house may be for you. Best of all, they’re easy and inexpensive to make yourself!
		Garden Art: All Bottled Up Bring some charm to your outdoor space with this inexpensive garden art idea! Bottle trees – iconic pieces of folk art – are finding their way into home gardens nationwide. Learn how they became a part of the contemporary garden scene and how to build a bottle tree of your own.
		On the Path of Shady Greatness – Quick and Easy Stone Walkways Love the idea of a stone walkway but not the thought of all the work? Here’s an easy garden path project you can complete in a weekend. With a few materials and a Saturday, you can create a stone path that dresses up your garden without stripping the wallet.
		Quick & Easy Raised Bed Planters It doesn't take much to build some raised bed planters. Your plants will love them.
		“Rock of Ages” Plant Markers It’s nice to know what plants are growing in your garden. But keeping track of dormant perennials can be tricky, and plastic or metal garden markers can detract from a garden’s beauty. Stone plant markers are an easy and inexpensive solution – and make attractive additions to the garden.
		Step Right Up: Accessorizing Your Garden Making stepping-stones from scratch is a fun and easy project to do with the family – and a great way to accessorize outdoor rooms for less money. Lean how to make a garden stepping-stone for your yard (or for someone else’s).
		Tackle Garden Hang-Ups Raise your garden to new heights! Vertical garden space brings extra color and interest to outdoor rooms. One quick and easy hanging basket idea is to hang plants from trees. Learn the proper way to add these shade planters in your yard, bringing eye-level beauty without harming your tree.
		What’s Old is New Again: Refinishing Worn Containers If you’ve got some old, worn-looking planters hanging out in the garage or shed, think about refinishing them instead of pitching in the trash. Learn an easy, cost-effective way to keep your lightweight pots looking new and beautiful – and your plants looking better than ever!