Gardening tips
cucumbers are sweeter when
1. planted near sunflowers
2. given lots of water
Both require similar soil and the cucumbers can use the sunflower stalk as a natural trellis.
Beneficial Garden Companions
Grow companion plants as a border around other plants, or mixed within rows or throughout a bed.
Basil: enhances growth, repels flying insects; plant with lettuce, peppers, tomatoes.
Beans: deters potato beetles, fixes nitrogen; plant with cabbage family, corn, eggplant, lettuce, marigolds, petunias, potatoes.
Carrots: keep away from dill; plant with lettuce, marigolds, onions, parsley, tomatoes.
Cabbage family: keep away from strawberries and tomatoes; plant with aromatic herbs, chamomile, marigolds, onions, nasturtiums, potatoes.
Cucumbers: keep away from sunflowers and potatoes; plant with lettuce, nasturtiums, onions, peas, petunias, radishes.
Geraniums: repels cabbage worms, Japanese beetles; plant with cabbage family, grapes.
Lettuce: compatible with most garden plants; plant with beans, cabbage family, calendula, carrots, onions, peas, pansies, radishes.
Marigolds: repels aphids, potato and squash bugs; mass plantings kill nematodes; OK to plant with all garden plants.
Onions: deters many pests, masks plant odors; plant with most garden plants, except peas and beans.
Peas: fixes nitrogen; plant with carrots, corn, cucumbers, potatoes.
Peppers: keep away from fennel; plant with basil, carrots, onions, parsley.
Radishes: repels cucumber bettles; plant with carrots, cucumbers, squash.
Tomatoes: keep away from fennel and potatoes; plant with basil, carrots, chamomile, marigolds.
Top Tips
Plant a lavender hedge around the onion patch to protect them from onion maggot and lavender bushes around fruit trees to deter codling moth.
Rosemary planted near carrots deters carrot fly and bean beetle. Sprigs of rosemary placed with clothes will repel moths and silverfish.
Put sage bushes near doorways to keep ants away. Planted in the vegetable garden, sage is believed to keep mice away.
Plant fennel near doorways and windows to repel flies and mosquitoes. Place fresh leaves in your pet’s bedding and rub through its coat to ward off fleas.
Use both annual and perennial chamomile flowers to make an anti-fungal spray by pouring one liter of boiling water over two firmly-packed cupfuls of fresh flowers, steep then strain.
Protect cabbages, beans and tomatoes by planting basil nearby.
Fence
Make a quick, emergency and cheap fence
– from pallets with this simple DIY project.
Portable solar lights for camping
– also great idea if your ground is too hard to pierce OR to use on a patio!
Regrow Roses
Have you tried this?
DIY Perennial Herb Basket
An easy handmade moss-lined basket stuffed full of fresh perennial herbs! Great gift OR decoration for your backyard.
Container Gardening Tip
Container Gardening
Gardening in pots and containers is a great way to experiment with garden design. Keep this rules in mind to ensure that your potted plants survive.
Disinfecting
To avoid bugs and plant diseases make sure all plant containers are clean. Wash containers with soap and water, rinse and let air dry.
Soil mix
A good potting soil contains organic nutrients and should be able to drain well and keep the soil at optimum moisture levels.
Container Filler
Using filler materials in the bottom of pots require less soil and your plants will still flourish. Materials such as packing peanuts, pop bottles,plastic containers,aluminum cans and other recycled items can be used.
Cover drain holes
Place a screen over holes to prevent soil and filler material from draining out.
Start your seeds in eggshells
– and plant them directly in your garden when ready. The shells will biodegradable and provide the soil with calcium.
