General Gardening

English Ivy and Other Invasive Plants

Ivy desert WashingtonIn the Pacific Northwest of the United States, there is a problem with invasive English ivy taking over local wildlife (it is native to Europe and western Asia). It's gotten so bad that the plant is actually banned in Oregon. In order to combat the ivy plant that has taken over local parks, volunteers rip it out. If you have a problem with ivy in your area, or any other invasive plant for that matter, you can volunteer to remove and destroy non-native plant species.

Read more...

5 Easy Steps to Homegrown Chamomile Tea

Chamomile teaChamomile is a beautiful little white-petaled flower that can be dried and made into a fruity-tasting herbal tea. If you are growing chamomile in your balcony garden to make tea, get the German chamomile variety and not Roman chamomile.

Read more...

No Hose? No Problem!

Garden HoseMany balconies don’t have a hose hookup, which can make it difficult for balcony container gardeners to water their plants. Here’s a free and easy solution to water your plants.

Read more...

Help Your Plants Beat the Heat

Avocado tree leaf heatHeat takes a toll on plants, especially those kept in plant containers. And when heat is combined with sun and wind, it can cause extreme damage to container plants. After just one day in the hot sun and triple-digit temperatures, the leaves of the young avocado tree pictured here crumbled to the touch. The sun and heat literally cooked and burned the leaves.

Read more...

Additional information