"before" yards, pictures, and ideas...
What Is Integrated Pest Management?
Integrated pest management – sometimes called IPM or integrated gardening – is not nearly as complicated as it sounds. Simply put, it is an environmentally friendly approach to pest management that uses minimal amounts of chemical pesticides....
Little Yard of Horrors
We see quite a few yards in need of a makeover here at YardShare, and this one is probably in the top 10. Owner George Graf describes his yard as downright “scary”. It’s littered with rotting wood and broken stone....
Old Roses: The Ultimate Antique
The old rose is a living testament to history and to man’s quest for beauty. The term, “old rose” means a rose with ancient ancestors, one that has not been hybridized but has been vegetatively propagated—passed down through history by obtaining “cuttings” from the plant....
The Art (or Science?) of Good Soil
To have a sturdy building, you’ve got to have a good foundation. The same could be said of plants – having good soil can make or break your garden. Before you can improve the quality of your soil, you first need to know what good soil is....
Five More Tips for Terrific Tomatoes
Okay, so now you know to heat your soil, pluck suckers, prune, bury deep, and fan your stems. What else could there be? Here are five more tips. ...
Five Foolproof Tomato Growing Tips
Growing tomatoes is easy, but growing the picture-perfect tomatoes we all want isn’t. I remember when I began growing vegetables; I had visions of big, shiny, juicy, red tomatoes. Unfortunately, the tomatoes I grew didn’t measure up to this ideal....
Barbecue Time! South American Stuffed Beef Roll (Matambre)
There are times when burgers and dogs off the grill just won’t cut it. Maybe it’s a special occasion, maybe it’s a party, or maybe you want to kick off Memorial Day Weekend with a surprise your guests will never expect. This dish from Uruguay is called a matambre, which apparently means “hunger killer.”...
Gardening and Cooking with Lemon-Scented and Lemon-Flavored Herbs
You don’t have to live in a tropical or semi-tropical climate or pay big bucks at the grocery store to enjoy the freshness of lemons. Grow your own lemons this season—lemon-scented and lemon-flavored herbs, that is!...
Birds, Butterflies and Bats: Welcome Them to Your Garden
With the continued growth in population throughout our country, many wildlife species face increasing pressure from lack of natural habitat—the number one threat to wildlife today. So creating welcoming places for these wonderful creatures in your yard—no matter how small—will help......
Give Your Flowers Some Companions, Part 2
There are just too many flowers that help other plants – companion plants, we call them. Either that, or these columns are too short. In any case, I find myself compelled to write about some more helpful flowers that are wonderful companions to their friends....
