Here in the shadow of the mountains of Zone 4, the snow is piled up and frost is shaking off the trees most mornings. Despite the current weather, as a gardener, we need to keep our sights on Spring. We need to have things lined up so that when the sun is higher in the sky and the temperatures moderate, we are standing there with our Hori Hori in one hand, and a young plant in the other so that we are ready to get growing. Let’s take a look at what we can do in the dead of winter to jumpstart our growing season.
The Faith Behind Practicing Bonsai
I started on a bonsai journey this year. It’s a journey of faith, learning, and patience.
What Is Bonsai?
Bonsai is about trees. It’s about growing them in containers, nurturing them so that they look mature. It’s an artform using a living tree to tell a story. But it is so much more than that.
Is It Possible to Rebloom Your Poinsettia?
Don’t Toss Out Your Poinsettia!
I’ve saved a few poinsettias from the garbage can. Especially if you are in the zone 5 growing regions and colder, it doesn’t take much effort to bring your poinsettia back into color the following year. If you have a variety of houseplants that you keep alive all year, you really shouldn’t shy away from holding onto your poinsettia until next holiday season. I have faith in you!
Continue reading “Is It Possible to Rebloom Your Poinsettia?”
Introducing The Negligent Gardener Shop!
About a year ago, someone asked me if I sell any of the products I recommend on NegligentGardener.com. I had to tell them no, and that they could follow the links in the articles to Amazon. The idea of direct selling some products started me wondering, though.
Indoor Gardening Tasks for the Dead of Winter
It’s zero degrees outside my office window and the indoor garden is thriving. Geraniums and petunias that I’m holding over until next year are still only a few inches tall after I cut them back hard. The amaryllis are still blooming one by one, the aloe continues to grow toward the ceiling, the desert roses are thinking of blooming (again), the lemons and limes are ripening, and the Christmas cactus is blooming. What is there to do except keep them watered and let them search for the brightest light from the window? Well, there are a multitude of indoor gardening projects you could be doing this time of year.
Continue reading “Indoor Gardening Tasks for the Dead of Winter”
Amaryllis: Another Look at Reblooming
You’ve heard me go on and on about how easy amaryllis are to rebloom (Rebloom Your Holiday Amaryllis). Well, I’ve gone to even another level of negligence this year that I need to tell you about.
Growing Aloe Vera Indoors
Aloe vera is one of the most popular house plants around. The gel inside the leaves can be used for many remedies, including being used as a popular salve for burns. As a result, it is a perfect, low maintenance succulent for the indoor garden.
Rebloom Your Holiday Amaryllis
Why You Should save Your Amaryllis Bulbs for Years to Come
In the depths of winter, amaryllis are known for their breathtaking shows of large trumpet-shaped flowers. The stalks stand tall above the straps of leaves like a proud peacock. How many people toss these bulbs after they bloom around Christmas time? Stop! Don’t do it! I’ll show you how easy it is to get blooms nearly every year from these tropical bulbs, and it doesn’t really matter what growing zone you live in.
Gifts For Gardeners
Don’t forget your gardening friends and family during the holiday giving season. The gift ideas are almost endless and it can be hard to decide on that ONE thing. That one item that will make their eyes pop with surprise and appreciation. Maybe it’s time to take a look at a few ideas at a time. And good luck choosing just the right one for the gardeners in your life.
When are Cuttings Ready to Prune?
You’ve taken cuttings in the late summer or early fall. Fuchsias, petunias, geraniums, whatever it is that you chose to do this year. Some cuttings have started to grow and you’ve tossed out the ones that chose to wither and die. It’s the middle of winter now and the survivors are taking over the house. What do you do now?