A couple months ago I put together my little 6’x8′ Harbor Freight greenhouse. It was an inexpensive greenhouse that I was hoping would be a good way to increase my growing area for my small nursery business. I thought it was time I gave an update on how the greenhouse is working out for me. … Read more
Perennials are the work horse of just about every garden. Trees and shrubs provide structure, but perennials provide a consistent impact. Annuals are great for an instant punch but perennials give you a repeat performance year after year. Some perennials bloom consistently through the season while others give a nice show for a short period … Read more
Our first group of irises has just started to bloom. The iris blooms are coming much later than last year due to the cold temperatures that have pushed everything back about nearly a month. There are a just a couple types of iris here in my garden including the tall bearded irises, the Dutch irises, … Read more
I like the look of rocks for bordering my garden beds. Rocks define the border between the garden area and the walkways, help keep mulch in place, and give the garden bed a structural element. I’ve gathered rocks from several places over the years and brought them to my garden. It’s not easy work but … Read more
It’s Friday! I think I may have heard you exclaim in glee from here…maybe that’s just my imagination. The weekend is approaching and you are eagerly anticipating being outdoors in the garden. Have you planned out your chores and tasks yet? If not here are a few things that I need to do in my … Read more
One of the many things to consider when starting your own nursery business is the workload. You probably really enjoy gardening (or else you wouldn’t even consider a nursery business!) but do you realize how much work goes into producing a plant for sale? We aren’t just talking about one plant either. We’re talking about … Read more
You’ve probably heard of adding lime to soil. Farmers and lawn experts recommend it frequently to add to gardens and lawns to help your plants grow, but why? Why should you use lime for your tomatoes? What is Lime? Lime is calcium carbonate. Which leads us to one easy answer for why it might help … Read more
Springtime is full of all kinds of color. New foliage comes out, flowers bloom, and all kinds of fresh growth begins. One of the classic plants many people think of for spring is the tulip. Tulips are usually best planted in the fall about 6 inches deep in the garden, but sometimes we forget to … Read more
It’s planting time in many areas of the country and many gardeners are just starting their first gardens. Figuring out just what to do in the garden can get a little overwhelming for beginning gardeners so here are 5 essential garden chores that gardeners can do to maximize their success! Keep the Garden Weeded … Read more
It is full fledged spring around our Middle Tennessee garden. There is no shortage of work that needs to be done in the form of weeding and mulching on top of a myriad of miscellaneous projects. For now though let’s just take a few pictures of the garden and we’ll think of that monster spring … Read more
Every year I notice these little green insects, aphids. Well, sometimes they aren’t green, I’ve seen them in orange and yellow and they come in red, brown, and black too. Whatever fashion sense these insects display one thing is for sure: you don’t really want aphids on your plants! Aphids are a soft-bodied insect that … Read more
In the vegetable garden there is always a need for more space. You never have enough. The garden is constantly being filled with more plants than you really have room for and you have to find ways to organize it. That’s why going vertical is a great option and the most classic way to go … Read more
What is my favorite tree? That’s a hard question to answer, since there are so many trees that I enjoy. Some trees provide fruit, other trees, shade, and others flowers which makes them hard to pick a single favorite. I have to categorize. In the spring for the flowering trees I would have to say … Read more
It all adds up! Everything you do has some sort of financial cost to it that can contribute to your business expenses when beginning your nursery business. Often we don’t think much about them. I know I’m guilty of not considering certain items as part of the expenses. There are lots of things that sound … Read more
The 20-Minute Gardener on Amazon A couple weeks ago I was sent a review copy of the 20-Minute Gardener from Sunset Books. The idea behind the book is very intriguing: 20 minutes of gardening each day for a great garden. You may have heard this concept before. The idea is simple. If you do a … Read more
Today lots of people are becoming more conscious of how their activities can change the environment. One of the things you often hear about is getting rid of the lawn. I’m not one of those people who advocates getting rid of the lawn but rather being more responsible for lawn care. Here are a few … Read more
