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Taking the Ew Out of Compost

One of my favorite things to do is to walk out into my garden and pick and eat. It is one of the most rewarding feelings of instant gratification to pick a cucumber off the vine and pull a few radishes up then take them to my kitchen and cut them up for a snack for my family. But then I’m left with radish tops and the ends of a cucumber, instead of throwing those away and adding to the garbage pile I get to take those back to my garden and add them to my compost pile where they will break down and give new life. Composting is a wonderful thing and if you’ve been around with us for a bit then you know we love our soil! Healthy soil supports abundant plant growth, it reduces pests, diseases, and weeds. It is the base of a good garden, and compositing is a fantastic way to take care of your soil and reduce your waste production. By composting, you can grow a more sustainable garden and participate in one of nature's most powerful processes,...

Here are the ten common mistakes we want to help you avoid this spring so that you can start your garden off right this year, and you'll see the benefits all season long! 

Number 1: Forgetting to tend to your soil 

You must take care of your garden's base before you can even think about growing plants. That's why getting a soil test, making amendments, and adding fertilizer is so important! If the plants don’t have good soil to grow in you’ll be disappointed and can get frustrated by the lack of growth and progress. Before planting we like to add a plant or animal-based fertilizer like Fertrell brand - or anything organic. It’s a great granular fertilizer that allows the plant to take up the nutrients when it needs them! Whatever fertilizer you choose, it is important that it contains nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When adding your fertilizer make sure that the soil isn’t too wet. Spring is a rainy time so be patient and wait...

Spring is in the air and the creativity is budding like the trees around us. If you couldn’t tell we LOVE spring it's a time of new growth and fresh new gardens! We have been busy creating new gardens and revitalizing old ones and we wanted to share some of our favorite ways to give your garden a springtime makeover! 

Nothing feels better than right after a spring clean when the house is fresh and the stale air of winter is replaced by the warm breeze and the same goes for your garden. So here are some tips for making your garden feel new again and exciting so that you can get back into the routine of gardening!

Tip Number 1: First take some time to clean up your garden beds and paths if there are any dead leaves or fallen branches get those out and into your compost if you have it. Next it’s time to restore those raised beds. A good sanding and some wood sealant can go a long way in making your beds bright and inviting again, it also increases the longevity...

I have had strawberry beds in my backyard for three years now and every year my children love to help me care for them. The strawberry beds are by far their favorite part of the garden and I cherish the evenings I get to go with them and watch them explore and learn. This year Magnolia learned that strawberry leaves, though not the most pleasant, are edible! I created this garden to help my family live healthier lives and that doesn’t just mean eating, it means that my kids get to grow with the plants in my garden. 

I have two beds full of everbearing seascape strawberry plants. These plants will produce all through the season, from about May to October, and are by far one of the easiest fruits to grow! They do need full sun meaning a minimum of 6 hours of sun, but so do I! These two beds practically guarantee that my girls are out in the garden picking strawberries all spring and summer getting vitamin D from the sun and vitamin c and antioxidants from the berries. ...

Why Pollinator Gardens?

I had a friend once who wanted to try container gardening, but she was nervous, so she started with just one tomato plant in a pot. She grew a beautiful plant that reached up a trellis and produced perfect flowers, but no tomatoes grew, and she wanted to know why. The reason was she never put her tomato plant outside; she grew an indoor tomato plant, so it was never pollinated by insects!

Most of our veggies and fruits need pollination to produce fruits (think green beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, melons, strawberries etc.!). Think of it like birthing a baby… you need to fertilize the embryo to grow the baby! And unless you want to go out with a little brush or q-tip and pollinate them yourself (which some very particular growers do) I would recommend using nature as it was intended! That is why a pollinator garden is the perfect companion to your edible garden. 

So what is it exactly? A pollinator garden consists of flowering plants...

These four quick tips will improve your germination rates and you will become a better home gardener!

For local gardening services in the Louisville Kentucky area find us at https://www.guidanceforgrowers.com/shops

The more you are familiar with your soil, the better. Assuming that you realize what sort of soil you have, you can settle on better choices concerning how to keep your garden and lawn healthy.

You might be wondering why is soil so important? Soil is significant for the various functions it gives plants, trees, animals, and humans. Soil gives support, nutrients, filtration, and protection in its multi-functions.

Soil Provides Growing Medium For Plants And Trees

Soil upholds a wide range of plant life in more than one way. From water, nutrients, and anchoring trees and plants, soil serves nature as its nurturer.

Root System Support

The soil offers root systems support. The soil gives away to the plant or tree to moor itself upstanding and stay vertical.

Soil Gives Roots With Nutrients And Minerals

The soil likewise gives plant life of all forms the required minerals and nutrients to grow, produce blossoms, seeds, and sometimes vegetables or fruits. The kind of...

Right from old times, that is, centuries ago, people had no other option but to be self-dependent in terms of food, vegetation, medicinal commodities. Around the mid 17th century, the idea of potager gardens was presented. People seemed to be interested in knowing what a potager garden is, how it is different from other patterns of gardening and why it is so widely preferred.

The entire reading is dedicated to every creative nature lover who also likes to mix work with pleasure!

 What is a Potager Garden?

Potager is a formal way of presenting a garden, more like a vegetable plot, and the feature that differentiates it from all other styles and patterns of gardening is that it’s very idea lies at the intersection of cultivation of edibles and aesthetic, ornamental beauty. It conveniently accommodates weed management, waste management, herbs, vegetation, and flowers in its spectrum.

Interestingly, the concept of potagers was dwelled upon so much that there were books...

Beginning gardeners and experienced gardeners alike start off loving the idea of home gardens.  They value being engulfed in the sun, soil, seed, and plants. They love bringing the bounty to neighbors and to their own tables. Nurturing abundance in the garden and homegrown nutrition in their bodies.

Soon the weather gets hot, the bugs infest, and garden becomes like a jungle. The gardener becomes avoidant and soon abandons their work, and their desire to grow fresh produce. 

The 3 main reasons home gardens fail are these:

1) Overwhelm - when we feel confused we don't do anything. Questions like: When to amend soil, when to plant, when to water, and when to harvest, etc can cause many a mind to shut down. Our lives are full and other obligations take priority over our gardening desire. Having a local gardener to assist you is a rare treasure. Find one here!

2) Unmanageability - once the jungle sets in we are less likely inspired to tend to our gardens. Mowing...