Tia Pinney is a Teacher Naturalist and Adult Program Coordinator at Mass Audubons Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

garden, gardening, compost, how to, compost pile

When planting in pots make sure there is plenty of drainage.  In the ground, there is plenty of drainage.  In a pot, you risk your plants sitting in water which will cause root to suffocate or rot.  Make sure there are several drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, and place a layer of small pebbles or rock at the bottom of the container to further facilitate drainage.

Plants in containers need more frequent watering than garden plants. Containers in full sun on a stone, brick or concrete patio can be like little ovens, thus they will require frequent watering.  I have found that as long as the containers are not sitting in standing water, you can water every other day.

When I first started gardening, the New Englander in me demanded order.  OK, I was a little uptight – neat, orderly rows with very little variation. YAWN!  I have since moved to California and gotten a little less stringent – I love to mix textures.  I have agaves next to roses.  Jades next to dwarf lemon trees.  It’s a mish mosh, but it makes me happy.  And isn’t that the point.  Your garden shouldn’t be a chore; it should be your oasis from the craziness called life.  Have fun, mix it up a bit.

I have also worked in a few herbs, a cherry tomato plant and even eggplant – while not exactly a Victory Garden – it is pretty cool to make pesto from basil grown on the back porch!

Or the really cool thing about a potted garden – when you get the urge to move things around, you don’t have to dig up the yard! 

Happy Gardening!

water collector green sustainable gardening barrel

Are you looking for a source for a special plant? Are you looking for an expert gardening Web site for information on growing plants in your area?

Want to learn  more?

Expert Advice

• Plant Finder
• Weed Library
• Gardening Articles
  • Flowers
    • Annuals
    • Bulbs
    • Perennials
    • Roses
  • Edibles
    • Small Fruits & Berries
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    • Vegetables
  • Landscaping
    • Container Gardening & Ponds
    • Lawns, Ground Cover, & Wildflowers
    • Yard & Garden Planning
    • Trees, Shrubs, & Vines
  • Garden Care
    • Pests & Problems
    • Soil, Water, & Fertilizer
    • Plant Care Techniques
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Seeds & Propagation

When I can find a quiet, free moment – I like to slip away to my favorite leather chair and browse these guides.  My first love is the garden, so Sunset has been an inspiration to many a weekend project.  Secondly, well I do love to eat.  I not exactly the watercress type – so give me a good steak, corn on the cob and mom’s potato salad and I am a happy camper.  Finally, whenever I can – it’s off to explore brave, new worlds.

• Lonely Planet Travel Guides – I never leave home without one.  A much worn copy accompanied me to China providing great back stories to my many travels.

• Sunset Western Garden Book – The ultimate garden reference book.   What plants to grow, how to nurture them and what seems to be eating them.  For more than 70 years, Sunset has been the source for no-nonsense gardening advice, easy-to-follow diagrams, and encyclopedic knowledge of plant varieties.

• Weber’s Art of the Grill – Does anything say rustic living more than a great outdoor feast.  America’s preeminent grill maker offers tips, techniques and 100+ stylish, really varied recipes for contemporary outdoor entertaining. America’s preeminent grill maker offers tips, techniques and 100+ stylish, really varied recipes for contemporary outdoor entertaining.

I hope you enjoy these resources, as much as I do. 

A never ending list of domestic chores – I have become the housekeeper, the cook, and now the gardener.  Of all my domestic duties, I actually like the garden.  It doesn’t hurt that in San Francisco everything grows regardless of my lack of a green thumb. 

So, I have launched 400 or so of my new friends off to work. 

Need a little green right about now?  How about a repotting party?  A little get together with your fellow garden enthusiasts.    The party is a chance to learn about and receive new plants with some personal history.

This is also a great opportunity to encourage your little gardeners.  They can leave with their very own plant and their first taste of the earth.  Some easy to grow plants include Spider Plants, Devil’s Ivy or Pothos and most succulents like Aloe.

Some signs that your plants needs to be repotted are wilting between watering, lower leaves are yellow, roots appear at the soils surface or grow thru the drainage holes.  Early spring, just as new growth begins, is an ideal time to repot, but a plant that needs repotting should be done anytime of the year, except when actively flowering. 

Many plants in our garden started out as either cuttings or samples from a family member of friend.  There are Mom’s roses along the back fence; a jasmine from a college roommate climbs the arbor and plum tree shades the deck is left over from the previous owner.  Each invokes the memory of the giver.

Need a little pick me up? Check local garden centers and newspapers for info on your regional flower shows. Most are held in midwinter. Flower shows help chase away the winter doldrums and provide inspiration.

And if you brave enough to venture out -

During the winter, I like to scale back the maintenance of the garden.  I live in California with year round growth and maintenance.  But many of the fruit trees have gone bare, and I don’t do any planting from November through March.  I’ve pruned the roses, so pretty much its weed control and dreaming of warmer days.

It is also the time when I can plan for the next growing season.  Out come the gardening books, the seed catalogs and old Sunset magazines.  It’s the time to dream.  And with numerous online garden design programs the process has never been easier.

The National Gardening Association recommends GrowVeg.com.

"One of the latest is geared towards vegetable gardeners.  GrowVeg.com is an England-based garden design tool that helps you plan your vegetable and fruit gardens. Using animated vegetables and fruits, the program helps you map out your garden and select, place, and rotate crops. Vegetables are color-coded by family, making it easier to plan crop rotation. The program can even remember past designs and warn you about planting the same family of vegetables in the same spot two years in a row."

How cool is that?

Butterflies are amongst the most beautiful creatures in the world. So bright of hue, so beautiful and such a delight to watch. But today a wide variety or species of butterflies has become extinct because there is a threat to their living space and their food supply by human beings.

Making a butterfly garden is one way to protect and increase their numbers. Butterfly garden landscaping is a method by which plants are grown to attract butterflies. These are those plants that attract different varieties of butterflies. If the landscaping is done properly it can prove to be a paradise for butterflies and insect wildlife.

In order to start with butterfly garden landscaping one must first find a sunny spot present in the garden. Butterflies require the heat of the sun to strengthen their wing muscles to fly efficiently. Usually one can see butterflies stretching their wings out on a sunny day, warming up to fly.

It is very essential to put the garden up in an area where strong winds do not blow. Butterflies avoid areas with strong winds because they can’t fly too well.

The other thing to be kept in mind while landscaping a butterfly garden is to choose the right plants. There are four very important factors that need to be given heed to. The first thing is that the plants and the flowers that they bear must be scented and brightly colored. Butterflies get attracted to fragrances and bright colors.

The second important thing is that the plants must produce enough nectar since a butterfly’s staple food is nectar. Plants that produce nectar are easy to grow nowadays. Plant as many varieties of nectar producing flowers as possible as this helps attract butterflies belonging to a variety of species and certain species are very particular about the nectar that they consume.

The third thing to be kept in mind is to choose plants that flower and bloom during different seasons, as this will help in keeping the garden colorful throughout the year and help to attract butterflies. This also ensures a constant supply of nectar for the various species of butterflies.

Lastly, the garden must also have a lot of host plants that will help the butterflies to lay eggs on. Leafy plants are considered to be the best host plants as they produce shelter and ample food and nourishment for the larvae and the caterpillars.

Providing an area that has a rocky ledge is a very good idea and is very effective in the landscaping of a butterfly garden. Butterflies usually rest on rocks to laze in the sun.

It is not advisable to use pesticides or insecticides in the garden, as these chemicals will prove toxic for the butterflies and this will hamper the ideal environment for them.

Plant plants that are native to the place as these plants will naturally develop a resistance to disease and pests that are common, there by reducing the need to use pesticides. Introduce creatures like ants, earthworms or beetles. These insects will help in eating up other insects that live on flowers. Allow nature to take its own course.

If the landscaping of a butterfly garden is done effectively, the gardener will be rewarded with the view of these beautiful and lovely creatures. But the most important fact is that these creatures will be given a chance to grow and survive and enjoy their own life.