As spring wears off and summer heat picks up, most gardeners find it rather tiring to work in the garden.

That’s why you need to look for flowering plants––both annuals and perennials––that bloom profusely throughout the season without much pampering from you.

Fortunately, you have a wide selection of summer bloomers to choose from.

Petunia

Petunias grown as annuals have one of the longest flowering seasons, right from mid-spring to late fall.

Hybrid petunias with the trailing habit, commonly known as Purple Wave petunias, are extremely floriferous and versatile. First introduced in purple color, they are now available in several shades of pink, purple, blue and red, and also in creamy white.

The tiny seeds of petunias are a bit difficult to start indoors, so buying young plants in nursery flats is your best bet.

Set them out in well-draining beds in a sunny location once all danger of frost has passed, or grow them in containers. They are excellent for hanging pots. Keep them happy with regular watering and feeding.

Zinnias

Zinnias love warmth, so they are reliable summer bloomers, filling the garden with long lasting flowers in jewel colors.

You have the choice of small, single-flowered daisy-type zinnias and large pom-pom types, with everything in between.

The hybrid variety Profusion Zinnias are a great choice since they keep blooming into fall. The dwarf types make good bedding plants and borders.

Grow these annuals in a sunny location. They flourish in hot weather but appreciate regular watering and feeding.

Gaillardia

Gaillardia is another summer flowering plant that never seems to get tired of blooming all through the season and beyond. These North American natives come in bright yellows, often embellished with deep maroon and rust-colored centers.

They are ideal for filling up less frequented areas in the garden because poor soil and neglect seem to make them flourish even more. They keep blooming whether you deadhead the spent flowers or not, but this exercise keeps them neat.

These short-lived perennials live longer if they are divided every 2-3 years. There are annual gaillardias too, which can be easily started from seeds.

Globe Amaranth

The compact mounds of globe amaranth are usually covered in globular flowerheads all through summer and fall since they continue to persist on the plants.

They serve as non-fading cut flowers in vases and bouquets. They retain most of their color when dry, so bunches are often dried in the shade for dry flower arrangements and potpourri.

Grow these deer resistant, drought tolerant annuals in beds or borders for a long display of bright colored pom-poms.

Purple is the most common and popular color, but you can find them in light pink, lilac, white and red too.

Hydrangeas

Nothing can beat these perennials when it comes to filling up your garden with a profusion of long-lasting blooms starting from spring. The large flower heads keep coming all through summer and continue to adorn the plants long after the blooming season is over.  

Take your pick from the different varieties––Bigleaf, Oakleaf, Panicle or Smooth––or have all of them in different spots.

Hydrangeas are propagated from cuttings, and they should be sited carefully taking into consideration the amount of sun and water they would receive.

They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade in places with very warm summers but can take full sun for most of the day in cooler regions.

Rose of Sharon/Hardy hibiscus

Rose of Sharon is a perennial hibiscus for USDA zones 5-8. It blooms in various shades of pink, peach, and red.

Individual flowers may not be as large as that of tropical hibiscus, but this hardy relative makes it up by the sheer profusion of the flowers they produce. They keep coming from late spring until the touch of frost kills all but the underground parts.

Grow hardy hibiscus in rich, well-draining soil in a sunny location. They appreciate some afternoon shade in areas with hot summers. Keep the soil moist with regular watering and mulching. Give it an occasional feeding to help the plant continue the flower production

Coreopsis

Commonly called Tickseed, the low growing coreopsis is an old-time favorite. It is actually a perennial in warmer regions but is more often grown as an annual elsewhere.

The yellow and gold flowers are borne on thin, long stems that hold them well above the foliage for good effect. Once they start appearing––towards the end of spring––they go non-stop until summer turns into fall. Deadheading ensures more flowers.

Grow coreopsis in a sunny area. They are great as ground covers and bedding plants.

Marigold (Tagetes)

Often grown in vegetable gardens to keep off pests, French Marigolds are well known to gardeners. They are compact in size, with a bushy, slightly spreading habit.

Their yellow-orange flowers, often having varying amounts of red-maroon, usually have a single or double layer of petals. Their African cousins are taller and grow upright, producing large pom-poms in yellow, orange and cream.

Both these types, as well as the petite ‘Signet’ marigolds, love warm weather and bloom continuously from spring until the first frost.

Marigolds are easily grown from seeds, but the seeds collected from hybrids may not give the expected results. Use them as bedding plants in sunny areas. Regular watering is a must.   

Yarrow

Common yarrows with off-white or yellow flowers and weed status have undergone a transformation with several new color choices in shades of pink, cream, peach and red.

They can add color and variety to your summer garden with their long blooming season. The fern-like leaves also are an asset, not to mention the medicinal value of the herb.

Grow yarrow in full sun, but make sure that it stays within limits. The flat-topped flower heads look good in flower arrangements, so keep cutting them off to reduce self-seeding.

Candytuft

These hardworking, ground hugging evergreen plants can brighten up any nook and corner in the garden with its clusters of tiny flowers that start appearing in spring.

There’s no stopping them after that; the green mounds expand as they get covered in white, purple or pink flowers, so they are great as fillers anywhere in the garden or in containers. An additional attraction is that they retain their leaves throughout winter in USDA zones 5-9.  

Candytuft can grow in full sun as well as partial shade. Keep the soil moist by regular watering.

Purple coneflower / Echinacea

No garden should be without this native flowering plant producing large, purplish pink flowers.

The common name obviously comes from the prominent cones in the center of a single layer of slightly reflexed petals. New hybrids offer more color and form choices now.

Purple coneflower is propagated by root or clump divisions. Plant this perennial carefully because it does not like being disturbed later.

Flowering all through summer and into fall, its flowers can be harvested for making an herbal tea. In fact, all parts of the plant have medicinal properties.

Eryngium (Sea holly)

Silvery blue and spiky, the flowers and foliage of sea holly are strikingly different from those of usual garden plants. Consider adding it to your summer garden.

Tolerant of neglect, drought, poor soil, and salt sprays, they are a great choice for xeriscapes. Flower spikes last long and look great in both fresh and dry flower arrangements. Grow as specimen plants or bedding plants in sunny areas. 

Aster

The delicate daisy-like flowers of asters in pinks, purples, lavender, and white bring cheer to your garden from early summer to fall. Their cut-and-come back nature keeps your vases full and flower beds bright.

Asters can be started from seeds, but purchasing young plants is the best option. Plant them out in spring for summer blooming that usually extends to fall.

Asters do well in both full sun and partial sun, but they can’t stand too much heat. Rich and moist soil with good drainage brings out the best in these beauties.

Daylilies

Daylilies bloom from spring to fall. Each flower lasts for just one day, but a succession of them open up day in and day out, ensuring that your garden looks cheerful throughout.

The flowers are borne on long stalks that rise above the mound of leaves, so daylilies attract attention wherever they are. That makes them the best plants to brighten any remote corner of the garden.

Grow daylilies from divisions. The shorter hybrid Stella de Oro is great for small gardens. It also has the longest flowering season, spanning 5 months.

Rudbeckia

This is a wildflower that earned a rightful place in our gardens by its large flowers and profuse flowering habit. The contrast between the bright yellow petals and the brownish black center disc makes these large, showy flowers all the more striking.

Rudbeckia is a perennial, but the smaller Rudbeckia hirta can be grown as an annual if started early enough.

In most zones they start flowering from early summer and continue on until fall. But flowering starts in fall and extends into winter in areas with hot summers.

Catmint

Whether you have cats or not, this aromatic plant makes a good addition to your summer garden.

The bluish-purple flowers are tiny, but they are borne in abundance on long, slender, terminal flower spikes that stand above the silver-gray leaves. The flowering period is quite long, starting from mid-spring to fall.

The plants are drought resistant and do well in both full sun and partial shade in USDA zones 4-8.

They make great borders, requiring little attention once established. When the flower spikes are nearly spent, a good shearing usually produces a second flush.   

Snapdragon

Another reliable annual with a long flowering season, snapdragons were an old favorite in summer gardens.

The pretty flowers, in almost all possible shades of pink, peach, yellow and red, open in succession on terminal spikes. Their throats usually have a darker or contrasting color that adds to the variety.  

Taller varieties are ideal as a neat backdrop for other summer bloomers, while dwarf and medium-sized types make great borders and do well in beds.

Start plants from seeds or cuttings, and plant them in spring. Pinch the young plants to induce branching. You get only as many spikes as the number of branches they have.

Bee balm/Monarda

This North American native blooms from early summer to fall, producing whorls of tubular flowers around the tip of each branch. Each spike may have two or more whorls arranged one above the other. Flower colors include red and various shades of pink.

Being a perennial in USDA zones 4 to 9, bee balm can be planted in fall as well as in early spring. Choose a location with rich, well-draining soil. It does well in full sun as well as in part shade and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers and leaves can be used to make an herbal tea.  

Dahlia

These old favorites are making a comeback in new avatars. You can now choose from large, dinner plate dahlias to small daisy-flowered bedding dahlias, with pom-poms and ruffled ones in between. There’s endless variety in solids, bi-colors, and variegation too.

Although dahlias are perennials in warmer areas, reliably coming up from the ground in spring, they have to be started afresh from tubers in most parts of the United States.

They can only go in the ground when the temperature rises above 60F, but starting them indoors a few weeks ahead of spring ensures early summer flowers.

Gaura

This wildflower is a North American native, forming large perennial stands, crowding out all the competitors. They are sometimes called bee blossoms, but the four-petalled flowers have more in common with butterflies. In a gentle breeze, the tall spikes carrying white blossoms appear to be covered in fluttering butterflies.

Gaura is easily propagated from seeds or division of rhizomes. Apart from the most common white gaura, you can find colors ranging from the lightest pink to the brightest, most shocking pink.  

Canna lilies

They are perennials with bold foliage and bolder flowers. They start blooming from late spring or early summer depending on the zone and continue through summer and fall.

Sunny location and ample moisture in the soil are ideal for lush growth and flowering.

Although cannas are not true lilies, they are grown from their underground rhizomes. In USDA zones 8-11, they can be left in the ground all year. But they should be dug up and stored over winter elsewhere. Cannas do produce viable seeds, but getting them to sprout is a challenge.

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Read Next: 20 Drought Tolerant Plants That Will Survive All Summer Long

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It’s no secret that eggs, full of protein, vitamins, and minerals (enough to grow a baby chicken from just one cell) are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. 

Worldwide, an average person consumes about 150 to 200 eggs annually.  That’s over a trillion eggs per year! 

Now ask yourself this:

“What happens to all of those eggshells?”

The shell of a chicken egg is comprised of about 96% calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals which are bound together by proteins. 

Common commercial methods for disposing of eggshells include use as fertilizer or as a source of calcium in animal feed, but the average consumer typically drops them into the kitchen waste bin or down the garbage disposal. 

If you are among this group, please read on to discover six creative uses for eggshells that will benefit your garden.

How To Prepare Eggshells For Use In The Garden

It’s not simply a case of plopping the egg yolk and white into the dish you are preparing and then tossing the eggshell in the garden – but it’s not much more difficult than that.

Once you have your empty eggshell, give it a good wash with cool running water. Make sure it’s clean and free of any egg residue and place in an open container in your kitchen to dry. You could move it outside on sunny days to dry quicker.

Contrary to popular belief, the shells will not smell at all.

Once completely dry and you’ve built up a significant stockpile, pulverize into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or mallet.

If you prefer even smaller pieces, use a pestle and mortar to grind up into a fine powder.

Now you are ready to use your eggshells in the garden.

1. Fertilizer

Eggshells are a great way to add calcium to your soil. 

You can simply toss your eggshells onto your soil without problem, but eggshells can take a long time to break down so you may want to crush your shells first.

It may also be wise to wash out your shells first to remove any egg residue and reduce the risk of unwanted pests sniffing out your soil.

Alternately, you can incorporate crumbled eggshell directly into the bottoms of your planting holes in the spring.

While calcium is considered a secondary nutrient for plants, your garden will certainly appreciate the added minerals, especially if you grow tomatoes or peppers as these plants are the most easily affected by calcium-deficiency.

Eggshells in tomato planting holes can be a particularly effective way to reduce the risk of blossom end rot – a common tomato plant issue.

During the winter months, distribute your shells over the plot of land where you will plant come springtime.  Once the ground warms up, you can till the shells into the soil. 

If you are adverse to the idea of having eggshells on the ground all winter, you can also clean and store the shells until planting season rolls around.

While calcium is considered a secondary nutrient for plants, your garden will certainly appreciate the added minerals, especially if you grow tomatoes or peppers as these plants are the most easily affected by calcium-deficiency.

Eggshells in tomato planting holes can be a particularly effective way to reduce the risk of blossom end rot – a common tomato plant issue.

Related Reading: 10 Genius Ways To Use Epsom Salt In Your Garden

2. Pest-Deterrent

If you have problems with slugs and snails in your garden, try sprinkling coarsely-crumbled eggshells around the plants where these slimy little pests like to dine. 

The shells’ sharp edges deter snails and slugs by abrading the sensitive foot of any land mollusc that attempts to cross the barrier.  Most snails and slugs will quickly emigrate from your garden in search of easier pickings.

3. Seed-starter Pots

Because eggshells quickly biodegrade when introduced into soil in the garden, they also double as the perfect seed-starter pots. 

When you open your eggs to remove the contents, try to break just a small hole at the pointier end of the shell.  Clean the inside of the eggshells (boiling water works well for this) and puncture a small drainage hole in the bottom of each empty shell. 

You can then place them back into the carton, fill each shell with moist potting soil, and add your seeds. 

Once the seedlings outgrow their “pots” you can transplant them shell and all directly into bigger pots or out into the garden.

4. Feed the Birds

Both before and after laying eggs, mother birds need more calcium in their diets. 

Sterilize your eggshells by baking them at 250°F / 120°C for about ten minutes so the shells are dry, but not brown on the inside. Then crumble your eggshells well and place them outdoors (in a feeder or even just on the ground) during the spring and summer. 

You can also mix the eggshell crumbles with birdseed, suet, or mealworms in an existing bird feeder. 

Either way, your healthy mama birds just might thank you by also dining on insect pests that may otherwise damage your garden.

5. Repel Deer

If you have deer visiting your garden as if were their own personal buffet every night, scatter some eggshells around the plants they’re munching on the most. 

Deer hate the smell of albumin and tend to stay away from an area that smells like raw eggs. 

Just be careful using this method as the smell may actually attract smaller vermin like rodents who like to eat eggs.

6. Aesthetic Value

Finely-ground eggshells can also be quite pretty. 

If you have a large family or simply eat a lot of eggs, boil your shells to sterilize them, crumble, then drop them into a large glass jar for storage. 

Once you’ve collected enough shell crumbles, sprinkle them around and in between your plants.  Not only will the eggshells help control pests and eventually add calcium back to the soil, the white color can also be a beautiful accent to your garden. 

Add crumbled oyster shells for an even more interesting appearance with all of the same garden health benefits.

7. Compost

There is much debate about adding eggshells to compost, but eggshells are a perfectly safe and beneficial addition to your compost bin or heap.

Eggshells are very slow to break down and so should be washed (to remove any egg residue that may attract unwanted critters), dried and crushed into smaller pieces. The eggshells will likely still be visible in the final compost but will not harm the finished product.

If the other garden uses for eggshells aren’t for you, then composting them is a simple way to return nutrients to the soil.

With these seven garden uses for eggshells under your belt, now both you and your garden can enjoy the health benefits of nature’s perfect food – the egg.

Eat Your Eggshells?

And if you want to learn more about ways to re-use eggshells – including why you should start eating them, have a read of: 4 Reasons To Eat Eggshells & How To Do It

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Read Next: 10 Ways To Use Coffee Grounds In Your Garden

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When we hear the words ‘spring’ and ‘summer’, most people think about spending time outdoors, having picnics, or grilling out for family and friends.

Unfortunately, such outdoor activities attract one of life’s little irritations – flies.

While there are many sprays available for skin, clothes, and to treat your environment, the idea of coating ourselves and our surroundings with toxic chemicals is repulsive to many people.

Fortunately, there are several herbs and plants that not only repel flies, but are also attractive to look at and pleasantly fragrant to people.

1. Sweet Basil

Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is by far the most popular herb in gardens and in kitchens around the world.

Known for it’s pungent anise-like aroma, basil is a favorite in pots and flower beds near doors and windows.

Not only is basil great for cooking and for its wonderful aroma, O. basilicm is also a natural repellent against flies and mosquitoes.

Here’s a great guide for growing a huge basil bush for unlimited pesto and pungent fly repelling properties.

2. Bay Laurel

Leaves of the Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) are another great pest deterrent.

Not only does this popular herb repel flies, it can also be used to keep moths out of closets, mice and roaches out of your pantry, and bugs out of grains and cereals. 

L. nobilis can be grown in pots outdoors in summer to be brought in during the colder months.

Bay leaves can also be dried and bundled to hang near doors and windows or to be dropped into bags of grain.

3. Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula augustifoli) is often grown for its delightful fragrance and petite purple flowers.

It is traditionally used ground or in dried bunches to add its pleasant aroma to everything from baked goods to chests of drawers.

Lavender is perfect for ornamental planting around doors and under windows, not only for its appearance and scent but also for its insect-repelling qualities.

Lavender repels fleas, moths, and mosquitoes in addition to flies.

Read More: The Total Guide To Growing, Harvesting & Using Lavender

4. Tansy

Also known as Bitter Buttons, Cow Bitter, and Golden Button – Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) has been used since ancient times to treat everything from digestive ailments and intestinal parasites to bruises and joint pain.

While many of these uses have since been disproven, Tansy is highly effective at repelling insects and their larvae – so much so that the herb earned negative reputation in the 1800’s for being associated with death due to its prolific use in burial caskets to ward away worms from corpses.

Today, Common Tansy is widely used as a natural insect-repellent.

One word of caution: T. vulgare is considered an invasive species in certain parts of the world. Do your research before putting this herb in the garden and take care not to accidentally harm your local ecosystem.

5. Wormwood

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is perhaps best known for its role in the distillation of the spirit absinthe.

The foliage of the wormwood plant – like most species of Artemisia – is a gorgeous silver-green in color with a velvety appearance due to the trichomes which cover their leaves and stems.

Wormwood is fairly easy to grow, and the oils secreted by the plant are yet another natural repellant for a wide variety of pests including flies, mice, mosquitoes, moths, and ants!

6. Citronella Grass

The pungent oil of Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus) is probably the most well-known herbal insect-repellent on the market.

A type of Lemongrass, C. nardus is best grown in a controlled environment as it is also considered an invasive species.

Unlike the subtle Lemongrass herb used in many Asian cuisines, Citronella grass is too strong to be palatable and should not be used in cooking.

There are many natural options to choose from when adding insect-repelling plants to your garden.

Of course, all parts of the world are different and it may be necessary to experiment with different combinations of these herbs to figure out what works best for your climate and soil conditions, and against your indigenous fly population.

Before planting it is always a good idea to do some research. Test your soil, and add nutrients as needed to create the ideal environment for your new herbs.

With a little hard work and a small investment of time, your fly-repelling greenery will make your patio or yard the place to be in the coming summer months!

14 Foolproof Ways To Keep Flies Out Of Your Home & Garden

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A country staple, traditional mason jars have been around a long time – for over 150 years in fact!

The last few years, however, have seen a huge upsurge in the number of mason jars being sold and used, especially among the DIYers out there.

It’s not surprising that we’ve embraced the humble mason jar though, it’s an incredibly versatile vessel with a seemingly endless list of uses!

Proving that canning jars aren’t just valuable in the kitchen, here are 23 inspired ways to use mason jars in the garden.

1. Butterfly Feeder

Bring color and life to your garden by attracting beautiful butterflies – who also do some very important work by pollinating flowers!

Turn a mason jar into this functional yet pretty glass butterfly feeder by filling it with a sugary solution and suspending it from a tree or garden trellis. The butterflies can access the sweet nectar through a natural sponge protruding from the lid.

(Check out these 14 other DIY butterfly feeders too!)

2. Bird Feeder

Amateur ornithologists will relish the opportunity to fashion a bird feeder from a simple mason jar, allowing them to view these winged beauties up close every day.

Just ensure the feeder is positioned out of the reach of neighborhood cats and other predators! All you need is a jar, some twine and a small round chicken feeder.

3. Succulent Planters

Hardy little succulents are one of the most popular plants to grow, particularly as these desert natives are next to impossible to kill and seem to thrive on neglect!

Liven up your garden with varying sizes of mason jar planters filled with succulents – they make a perfect display for backyard entertaining.

4. Tea Light Holders

Night time summer dining will be a delight with these quaint outdoor tea light holders.

Formed from mason jars secured with wire handles and filled with tiny stones, shells or even sand, they bring a soft natural ambiance to tables and patios.

5. Citronella Candles

Don’t let pesky bugs or worse – blood-sucking mosquitoes – ruin your outdoor dinner party.

These cute yet effective DIY citronella candles will keep all manner of flying creatures at bay so you can soak up some summer sun, or enjoy balmy evenings on the porch.

Best of all, they’re made from just three items – mason jars, cotton rope and citronella oil.

6. Glow Stick Lanterns

Looking for a festive way to light up the tables or pathways at your Fourth of July celebrations?

This super easy craft is great for kids (and adults) and is sure to make for a memorable event.

7. Lid Plant Label

With so many crafts calling for mason jars, you might be left wondering what you can do with all the unused lids.

Well, never fear – those flat little discs can also be put to good use in the garden. They make for a durable and eco-friendly alternative to plastic plant markers – and they look much cuter to boot!

8. Vase

Cut flowers aren’t just for indoor décor – they are equally at home on outdoor dining tables. Add some beautiful color to your patio tables with a hand painted distressed mason jar, decorated with twine and filled with an array of freshly cut and lightly scented flowers.

9. Al Fresco Drinking Glass

How many times have you been sipping a fruity cocktail, delicious kombucha or some homemade lemonade in the backyard, only to discover your refreshing drink has been invaded by a struggling bug?

In future, you can save your drink (and the bugs!) with a charming DIY lidded mason jar glass and straw.

10. Welcome Sign

Greet guests to your home or garden with a customized welcome sign. You’ll need some reclaimed wood, a pipe clamp and a mason jar.

Decorate your sign with paint, stenciling and a plant or cut flowers – guaranteed to make yours the most inviting garden on the block!

11. Event Centerpiece

Your outdoor wedding or family barbecue will look like a million bucks with this handcrafted table centerpiece – which can be made for a few dollars! The contrast of the rustic branches and natural flowers with crystals and candles makes for a magical setting.

12. Outdoor Light

This easy little mason jar light is perfect to hang on the porch – it’s ideal for those who like to read or relax in the tranquility of the early morning outdoors.

By night, it looks like the yard is illuminated by a hundred tiny fireflies! To recreate this look, you’ll need wide mouth mason jars, wire, burlap ribbon, a string or two of lights and hooks for hanging.

13. Flower Chandelier

While most chandeliers are all about lights, this garden version is all about the flowers! It’s a fun way to bring color and charm to a garden party or barbecue without spending a dime. All you need are jars, string and a wire basket.

14. Herb Garden

One of the most eye-catching herb gardens we’ve seen, this one is made with reclaimed wood, painted mason jars and decorative hanging chalkboards.

Keep it outside the back door so you have easy access to all manner of tasty and healing herbs – from basil to rosemary and mint to lemongrass.

15. Solar Lights

With just three materials – mason jars, stake solar lights and glue – and a little bit of time, you can create these stylish lights to illuminate your walkway or backyard on late summer nights.

16. Mason Jar Fencing

Make a feature of your plain old garden fence by attaching mason jars filled with candles and adorned with charms. You could also use the jars to house plants or cut flowers instead – or vary it depending on your mood!

17. Soil Test

One of the more functional uses of mason jars in the garden, this soil test allows you to check the structure of your soil. Once you know the ratio of clay to silt to sand, you can decide what plants will grow best in that soil, or aim to make amendments to get the perfect ratio to support the plants already there.

Knowing the structure of your soil will also help you determine how much water and fertilizer your plants need.

18. Wind Chimes

Turn your mason jars into charming pieces of glass art with this wonderful wind chime tutorial. Not only will it bring soothing sounds to your garden, but it’s a great way to use up beads and charms that you have been hoarding.

19. Tiki Torches

For a different take on the traditional bamboo Tiki torch, why not transform your mason jars into party decorations and give your next backyard event an island feel? These are simple to make and look fantastic!

20. Planter Box

Place painted and distressed mason jars inside a rustic planter box, made from reclaimed wood, for a beautiful addition to a country themed backyard or porch. Fill the jars with cut flowers or low maintenance plants for thrifty but impressive outdoor décor.

21. Bug Repellent Luminaries

Another way to utilize mason jars to keep bugs at bay, this project sees the canning jars filled with water, a combination of insect repelling essential oils (like cedarwood, lavender and lemon), slices of citrus fruits and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Topped with a floating tea light candle, they serve multiple purposes – as an outdoor dining centerpiece, a natural air freshener, a bug repellent and a light source!

22. Root a Plant

Divide your plants to multiply them with this clever gardening hack.

Simply take a clipping of a plant that you’d like more of and put the stem into a mason jar of water. Leave it on a windowsill or porch – anywhere it will get some sun – until roots start shooting out of the stem.

Once these roots have developed, you can pot it in soil and watch your newly grown plant flourish.

23. Canning your Produce

With so many uses of the popular mason jar, it seems we’ve forgotten their original purpose – to preserve the garden bounty!

Go back to basics and use your mason jars to can all manner of fruits and vegetables from your edible garden so you can enjoy organic and homegrown produce all year round.

The post 23 Beautiful & Practical Ways To Upcycle Mason Jars In The Garden appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

As summer draws to a close and the spectacular blooms and colors of the vernal garden begin to fade, there are still plenty of opportunities to capture the unique beauty of the changing of the seasons.

In spring and summer, deciduous plants are rife with chlorophyll, which gives foliage its green color. As days grow shorter, less chlorophyll is produced to expose hidden hues that were present all the while, we just couldn’t see them.

These pigments include carotenoids (yellows and oranges) and anthocyanins (reds, blues, and purples) that reveal themselves when given less light and cooler temperatures.

The best gardens are those that have interesting colors, textures, and shapes no matter the time of year. And the fall garden can be a truly impressive showing of transition.

Here are some of the best foliage plants that explode with color, putting out a dazzling display from late summer and into early winter:

1. Sugar Maple

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a shade tree renowned for its spectacular foliage colors.

Starting out as emerald green in spring and summer, sugar maple leaves slowly transition to lime green, bright yellow, vibrant orange, and fire engine red, finishing its cycle in a deep burgundy.

In addition to its beauty, sugar maple is an excellent source of maple syrup.

When the diameter of the tree trunk is larger than 10 inches, it can be tapped for your own source of the sweet stuff.

Native to central and eastern parts of North America, sugar maple is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Although sugar maple prefers full sun, it can adapt to partial shade. In the forests, sugar maple can reach heights of up to 120 feet, but in residential settings it will usually only grow to 70 feet over its 200 year lifespan.

2. Quaking Aspen

A tall and slender tree, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is so named due its habit of shivering and trembling in the breeze.

Growing up to 80 feet at maturity, quaking aspen is notable for its smooth silvery trunk topped with a canopy of rounded, slightly serrate leaves that start out lime green and transition to golden yellow in autumn.

Hardy in zones 1 through 7, quaking aspen’s native range spans Alaska all the way down to the mountains of Central Mexico.

It’s a fast grower too, increasing its height by 24 inches each year. Plant quaking aspen in full or part sun in a spot with acidic, loamy soil.

3. Staghorn Sumac

Sumac (Rhus spp.) is a type of small tree or shrub found in temperate regions across the globe.

In North America, there are several species of native sumac that provide seasonal interest throughout the year.

Notable for its bright, eye-catching foliage in autumn, sumac also produce large floral spikes in spring that mature into colorful clusters of drupes that persist into winter.

These berry like fruits provide a good source of food for local wildlife too.

Staghorn sumac (R. typhina) has a fern-like appearance, with feathery leaves that are pinnately arranged along the stem.

Named for its forking branches that have a velvety texture, similar to antlers, staghorn sumac’s foliage turns eye catching colors in fall, ranging from bright red to orange to burgundy.

Staghorn sumac is hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Other good fall foliage varieties of sumac include fragrant sumac (R. aromatica), smooth sumac (R. glabra), prairie sumac (R. lanceolata), and shining sumac (R. copallinum).

4. Burning Bush

When you need a shock of red in your autumn landscape, burning bush (Euonymus atropurpureus) will certainly fit the bill.

Also known as eastern wahoo, burning bush is part of the bittersweet family and is indigenous to the Midwest, found as far south as Florida and Texas.

An upright shrub that can reach a height of 20 feet and 25 feet wide, it produces a clump of branches at its base that extend outwards to form an irregular crown of elliptical leaves.

Green in spring and summer, burning bush turns a dramatic scarlet red in fall with dangling fruit clusters – poisonous to us but much beloved by wild birds.

Requiring full sun to part shade, burning bush is hardy in zones 3 through 7.

5. American Smoke Tree

American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus) is so named for its floral clusters that, when spent in midsummer, turn into fluffy, billowy hairs that appear as puffs of pinkish smoke over its crown.

Often considered to be one of the best native trees for brilliant fall color, American smoke tree transitions from blue-green leaves to an array of autumnal hues, including yellow, red, orange, and purple.

Reaching a size of 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, American smoke tree requires full sun and medium moisture.

It adapts well to many soil types but prefers well-draining, somewhat infertile loamy soil.

Though American smoke tree’s native range is the southern United States, it is hardy in cooler climes from zones 4 to 8.

6. Virginia Creeper

When you love the look of an ivy-covered façade, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is an excellent choice.

Virginia creeper is a fast and vigorous woody vine, with palmately compound leaves composed of 5 serrate leaflets, each about six inches long.

In spring leaves are lime colored and slowly transition to hunter green in summer, finishing in autumn with dazzling shades of scarlet and magenta.

It also bears tiny blue-black berries, another valuable food source for birds over winter.

Although Virginia creeper is really easy going – it will grow in practically any sunlight condition and soil type – it should be planted in a spot where it has room to grow.

Virginia creeper helps keeps buildings cooler in summer by providing a bit of shade to the wall surface.

It attaches to brickwork and other vertical surfaces with little sucker disks, so it won’t harm your masonry like other vines that cling with penetrating roots.

Still, you’ll want to trim it back each year and keep it far away from wiring, shutters, and gutters.  

This clinger is native to central and eastern North America, and is hardy in zones 3 to 9.

7. American Beautyberry

While the fall garden should celebrate the amazing show of colors of the season, be sure to leave room in your garden beds for interesting shapes and textures.

The American beautyberry is one example where its foliage is fairly ordinary, but is cherished for its large clusters of violet drupes that persist through winter.  

The berries are edible, but are quite astringent and should only be consumed in small amounts. They can be used to make jellies and wines, or leave them on the branch for foraging animals.

Providing a lovely contrast for your foliage plants, beautyberry grows as a loose shrub, only 3 to 6 feet as tall and wide.

It bears its fruit most profusely in full sun and when several are planted together.

American beautyberry is hardy in zones 6 to 10.

8. Blue Star Amsonia

Found growing in the wilds of the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas, blue star amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii) is an upright, mounding plant that produces clusters of ghostly blue star-shaped flowers in spring.

Its airy and soft needle-like foliage is bright green throughout the summer, but turns a flashy golden yellow to burnt orange in autumn.

The feathery and bushy growth habit, reaching 3 feet high, makes a wonderful contrast when planted along walkways or as a backdrop for fall bloomers like autumn crocus and mums.

Blue star amsonia has a very easygoing nature, simply plant it in full sun in zones 5 to 8.

9. Switch Grass

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) is a perennial, warm season grass found in much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

An important plant in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, switch grass is also quite ornamental, adding both texture and color to the garden.

Growing in 3 foot high clumps, its stiff leaves stay upright throughout the season.

The foliage begins as bluish green with red highlights in summer, turning shades of purple, burgundy, and wine in fall. When in bloom, it bears reddish pink floral panicles that appear to hover over the leaves like a cloud.

Cultivate switch grass in full sun to part shade, in zones 5 to 9.

10. Virginia Sweetspire

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’) is a flowering shrub native to the southern United States.

Its rounded growth habit, more broad than tall, is composed of numerous arching stems dappled with simple oval leaves.

In May, it explodes in blooms – fragrant, small white flowers in drooping racemes cover the entire plant.

Come autumn, Virginia sweetspire slowly transitions from green to gold, orange, and finally, a rich crimson red. The specific cultivar, ‘Henry’s Garnet’ has the best fall color of the sweetspires.

Grown in zones 5 to 9, Virginia sweetspire prefers full sun but is adaptable to shade.

Plant it in a spot that has good drainage but is naturally wet, near streams or low lying areas.

The post 10 Gorgeous Plants For A Vibrant Display Of Autumn Colors appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

As far as green living goes, composting organic waste is about as earth-friendly as it gets.

If you’ve been composting for a while now, you’re likely aware of the long list of compostable items you can add to your pile, as well as a few materials that really don’t belong in a healthy compost heap.

While there are certain items that are more difficult to compost, pretty much anything of organic origin can be composted or otherwise recycled.

In the effort to encourage more composting – and not less – we’ve rounded up some of the top items we’re often told not to add to the compost heap, but have included methods to dispose of these materials that doesn’t involve the landfill.

If you shudder at the thought of tossing organics in the trash, read on!

1. Pet Waste

Animal manure sourced from cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, llamas, hamsters, and other herbivores are rich in nitrogen, beneficial aerobic bacteria, and are perfectly good additions to the compost. Using waste from dogs, cats, and other carnivores, however, is generally considered a no-no.

The concern is that dog and cat feces may carry harmful microorganisms and parasites that, when used to grow food, can contaminate your crops. For felines, the primary issue is toxoplasmosis and for dogs, roundworms.

That said, if you really want to take advantage of this free and renewable resource, there are ways you can compost dog and cat poop safely – provided you keep it in a separate pile and never use composted pet waste on food- bearing plants.

For step-by-step instructions, read these articles on dog waste composting and kitty litter composting.

2. Any Part of the Walnut Tree

All members of the walnut family (Juglandaceae) produce juglone, a compound that is toxic to many juglone-sensitive plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, and asparagus.

Found in the bark, leaves, roots, fruit, and branches of walnut trees, even keeping a walnut tree near your garden can cause yellowing, wilting, and the eventual demise of certain plants. Although all walnut species contain juglone, black walnut trees are the most concentrated with this substance.

Though there are a slew of plants that can’t handle this compound, there are many more that are tolerant of juglone.

Walnut tree waste can be made into compost, as evidenced by one brave gardener back in 2008, who used it as a soil amendment for his pawpaw trees.

So if you happen to have an abundance of walnut waste, it needn’t be trashed as long as you keep it in a separate compost heap and only use the finished humus on juglone-tolerant plants.

3. Tea Bags

Tea leaves make for an excellent addition to the compost since they contain nitrogen, tannic acid, and trace nutrients that boost the activity of beneficial microorganisms, increase oxygenation, improve soil quality and create stronger root systems.

Tea bags, on the other hand, are often made with polypropylene, a heat-resistant plastic mesh that is used to glue the sides of the bag together.

Like other plastics, polypropylene does not readily decompose and could leach chemicals, like BPA, into your compost pile.

Unless you only drink teas that come in cotton or hemp bags, it’s best to remove the tea leaves from the bag before placing them in the pile.

4. Meat & Bones

If you’ve been composting for a while, you’ve likely heard the drill about placing meat and bones in the pile: it will attract many unwanted scavengers and pests and it will make the entire heap stink.

Most other organic scraps don’t cause these issues because the type of organisms that thrive on breaking down vegetables, coffee grounds, yard waste, and the like, are aerobic and require plenty of oxygen to do the work of creating humus soil.

Whether raw or cooked, meat and animal carcasses decompose with the help of anaerobic organisms that reproduce in airless environments.

This lack of oxygen is what causes a compost pile to reek of rotten eggs or sour milk, creating an enticing aroma for rodents, raccoons, skunks, and flies.

While an open-air compost heap will provide no defense against pests and odors, there are other options for disposing of meat and bones in an earth-friendly way.

One is to use a trench composting system for meat scraps. Another is to use an enclosed anaerobic system, like Bokashi bins, to quickly break down meats in a way that won’t cause a stink and is completely inaccessible to insects and scavengers.

Read Next: 9 Reasons You Should Start Bokashi Composting

5. Cooking Oil

Putting cooking oil into your compost is widely discouraged and for good reason – not only is it alluring to vermin, it tends to coat your organic materials with a water-resistant barrier, which reduces air flow and slows down the decomposition process.

Though synthetic oils should never go into the compost, you can, however, pour very small quantities of plant oils and animal fats into the bin – such as sunflower oil, olive oil, suet, and lard.

You’ll also want to make sure your compost is nice and hot (between 120F and 150F), and aerated on the regular.

Before attempting to add cooking oils to your heap, try to reuse it first.

If you happen to have an ample supply of oil, search Craigslist, Earth911, or contact your local government to find facilities that will happily recycle it.

6. Dairy Products

As with meat, dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream added to the compost will usually generate a foul odor that will captivate the local fauna.

While a Bokashi system or trench composting are viable dairy disposing options, simply ensuring the compost pile is rich in “brown” carbon materials, increasing airflow by regularly aerating the heap, and making sure the dairy products are always buried deeply within the pile are ways to prevent the smell and thwart critters.

7. Weeds & Diseased Plants

Those new to composting are often advised to leave diseased plants and weeds out of the pile.

The reasoning is that introducing these types of contaminants to the compost poses the risk of spreading invasive weeds and plant pathogens to your garden when you add humus to the soil.

And indeed, cold composting will most certainly allow weeds and diseases to lie dormant for a time, only to crop up once you use the finished compost.

The good news is that you can use these materials as feedstock for your compost, as long as you sterilize them with heat.

Weed seeds and most pathogens will be destroyed when kept at a consistent temperature of 130F to 140F for three days.

If you already use the hot composting method, then feel free to add weeds and diseased plants to your pile.

If you’re a cold composter, you can still avoid chucking these organics in the garbage – just seal them up in a black plastic bag (ensuring the bag is free of holes) and place it in sunny spot for a month. Check the contents occasionally to ascertain whether they are sufficiently fried – they should be completely dried out and crunchy – and then toss them in the compost.

8. Old Clothes

Polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex, viscose, and acrylic yarns are man-made fibers and are not fit for the pit. Natural fibers derived from plants and animals, such as wool, cotton, hemp, silk, linen, down feathers, and leather will break down in the compost, though the process will be quite slow.

One way to speed things up is to chop them up into smaller pieces before adding them to the pile.

Before you toss clothes into your compost, however, really make sure they are made from natural sources – even items labeled as 100% cotton may have been manufactured with synthetic sewing thread, inks, and decals.

But before you start shredding up your old clothes, consider reusing them (as rags, drop cloths, etc.) first.

If it’s still wearable, donate old clothes to local charities. If it’s no longer suitable as clothing, you can also seek out textile recyclers in your region.

9. Grass Clippings

High in water content and rich in nitrogen, at first glance grass clippings would seem like the perfect “green” material to add to your compost.

And yet, dumping a payload of freshly-cut grass onto your pile has the tendency to smother the entire heap and render it anaerobic, which in turn causes a slimy and smelly compost that is very slow to degrade.

The easiest way to recycle lawn trimmings is to simply “grasscycle” and leave the clippings on the lawn as fertilizer.

But if you’d rather collect clippings for compost, allow the grass to dry out for a couple days before adding it to the pile.

Also be sure to turn the pile every few days to foster an aerobic compost environment and to only add it to the compost in small amounts, layered with generous amounts of brown materials.

The post 9 Things Everyone Thinks You Can’t Compost, But You Can! appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

While most Americans have never heard of cucamelons, this fruit is definitely one you’ll want to know a lot more about.

Also referred to as “Mexican sour gherkin,” or its most common name in Spanish, “sandiita” (little watermelon). It actually has a slew of other monikers in local dialects and Native American languages, most of which translate to “mouse melon.”

This cute fruit is the size of a grape, looks like a mini-watermelon and taste like cucumbers and lime.

The sour fruit grows on a thin vine and is surrounded by ivy-like leaves.

While they’re a bit bizarre looking, cucamelons aren’t some strange genetically-modified hybrid, but a delicacy from Central America that’s been eaten since pre-Columbian times and are a staple in Mexican diets.

Health Benefits of Cucamelons

Just because cucamelons are small doesn’t mean their nutritional value is low.

In fact, they’re said to be on their way to becoming the next trendy superfood, abundant in vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber, while also being low in calories.

Their rich nutrients are said to help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer as well as to guard against premature aging by helping to protect and rejuvenate the body’s cells, tissues, and organs.

Melons like these contain a high level of lycopene, a carotenoid known to improve cardiac functioning, as well as beta-carotene, known for its remarkable antioxidant and anti-aging properties that help prevent age-related cardiac conditions and much more.

The combination of nutrients like vitamin C, potassium and carotenoids, help to lower bad cholesterol levels, providing further protection to your heart and cardiovascular system. Its phytonutrients also support proper functioning of the eyes and just about every internal organ.

Why You Really Need To Grow Cucamelons

In addition to their powerful nutritional benefits, this adorable, tasty fruit is just something you’ve got to try.

Unfortunately, your local grocery store or farmers market likely stocks things like watermelons and maybe even round, yellowish lemon cucumbers, but the odds of it offering cucamelons is pretty slim.

That’s why growing them in your garden is the best way to go. You can enjoy them anytime you like and have fun experimenting with them in all sorts of recipes too.

This exotic plant can be a great part of your garden – they’re one of the easiest plants to grow as they suffer from very few pests, don’t require fancy pruning or need the cover of a greenhouse.

Cucamelons are very drought resistant, even more so than cucumbers. While they’re well-known in Mexico and throughout Central America, they can be found growing wild in some Southern U.S. locations, though you can grow them pretty much anywhere, just like its relative, the cucumber.

11 Steps To Growing Perfect Cucamelons

1. Purchase the seeds

As cucamelon seeds aren’t exactly easy to find, you’re unlikely to be able to buy them at places like your local co-op or home improvement store. Your best bet is online – you shouldn’t have to pay much more than you would for any other type of seed.

Amazon have a number of sellers of cucamelon seeds, but the best reviewed is Seeds Needs Cucamelon Seeds available from here.   

Keep in mind that the crops that will do best in your garden are those grown with high-quality seeds that have been carefully maintained and that match your growing conditions. Where organic or chemical-free is offered, buy it. In most cases, you’ll get what you pay for.

Since the seeds are not easy to come by, when you have established plants and fruits, be sure to save some of the seeds.

All you have to do is pick up a ripe fruit that’s fallen to the ground and place it somewhere cool. In about two weeks, you can slice it open and scoop out the seeds. Keep your seeds in a jar filled with water for a week, and then rinse them and allow them to dry on paper towels in a cool spot. Once dry, store them in a paper envelope.

2. Climate considerations

Cucamelons are grown as annual vegetables in most areas, although they are technically perennials.

They require a long growing season with at least 65 to 75 days of warm, frost-free weather and soil temperatures that are between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit to bear fruit.

If you live in a cooler area, you can grow them in pots and move them indoors to a bright, warm room when nighttime temperatures drop below 50 degrees.

3. Start cucamelons indoors

Cucamelons are best started indoors, about 6-8 weeks before any risk of frost is gone.

While they can be planted directly into the ground after danger of frost has passed, it’s best to start them indoors and then transplant them outside after all danger is gone.

Another option is to plant one seed in each pot, about a half-inch deep, and place them in a greenhouse at temperatures around 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Have patience, cucamelons are slow starters, especially when compared to growing cucumbers.

They need more time to germinate, and it can take as long as three or four weeks before you start to see those little green shoots appear.

4. Choose your planting location

Cucamelons like full sun and rich, fast-draining soil. Choose a growing site that gets full southern exposure, and allow at least 12-square-inches of space for every plant.  

At least six hours of direct sunlight are required on a daily basis to keep your plants healthy and productive. The more sunlight, the better off they’ll be.

5. Install a wire cage or trellis

As vining plants that can climb as high as 10 feet , these Mexican miniature watermelons need a support structure to keep their stems and fruit off the ground, so install a small trellis or tomato cage for them to grow on.

It will also help you to get beautiful thin vines that are surrounded by leaves and have an attractive, ivy-like appearance.

6. The right soil

Like the majority of other fruiting garden crops, cucamelons need lots of nutrition and very good soil drainage to produce at their maximum.

The soil that they will be grown in should be amended with compost or aged manure in order to provide nutrition that will last all season.

You can amend lean or porous soil with a 2-inch layer of compost worked into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil prior to planting. By placing a tablespoon of 6-10-10 analysis fertilizer into each hole you plant, it can provide an added nutrient boost to the soil, while adding small porous lava rocks or perlite can help improve soil drainage.

Once established, cucamelons need no supplemental feeding, other than a light, 3-inch side-dressing of compost every month, beginning about two months after planting.

7. Water needs

A steady supply of moisture is necessary for good fruiting in cucamelons.

You should provide an inch of water every five to seven days during the summer months, wetting the top 6 to 15 inches of soil every time. When the weather is very hot and dry, increasing water to twice a week.

If you’re in an area subject to fog and cool weather, be sure to monitor the soil during prolonged periods that lack sun – only water if the soil dries out in the top once inch.

In warm, inland areas, it’s best to spread about a 3- to 4-inch layer of lightweight mulch around each plant, keeping it from the base of the stems.

Mulch can also help by regulating moisture loss while keeping weeds from invading.

8. Pest issues and re-seeding

Incredibly, cucamelons are not only extremely tolerant to rough conditions, they’re virtually ignored by all pests and are resistant to disease too. Even the birds won’t mess with them. That means pest control is not really an issue you need to be concerned about when growing these plants.

Much like arugula, cucamelons reseed famously on their own, which makes them an excellent addition to a permaculture garden or food forest.

9. Training the growing vines

As the growing vines of the cucamelon won’t exactly fill up your trellis by themselves, and those long tendrils tend to grasp onto just about anything they can, pulling the vines in all sorts of directions.

You can train them by gently wrapping the vines throughout the trellis in anyway you’d like.

10. Harvesting your cucamelons

Once flowering has begun, those little cucamelon fruits won’t be far behind.

Harvest the fruit when they have reached a nice plump size, about the size of a grape, nice and firm, and about one to one and half inches in length.

Pick the first few at a somewhat earlier stage to force more fruit production.

After pollination, it takes about 2-3 weeks for the cucamelon fruit to reach a harvestable size.

Harvest your cucamelons by simply picking them off without ripping the plant apart. If in doubt use a pair of small scissors.

If you harvest carefully, they should keep growing for quite a while, and you should have a bountiful crop from July to about mid-November.

If you are new to this and grow them from seed, don’t expect a very large plant in the first year. A plant grown from a tuber will grow at a much higher pace than a seedling, but you should still expect several handfuls of fruit from one plant in its first year.

Be sure to avoid disturbing the tubers when cutting out foliage during the fall. They’ll stay underground and wait for the heat of next spring.

11. Pruning

As we mentioned, there is no fancy pruning needed, but you will need to do some pruning because as the season progresses, the vines eventually create a thick mass of foliage on the trellis.

When that starts to happen, some of the leaves will become choked off from sunlight and will begin to yellow. Trim off any dying leaves.

How To Use Cucamelons

Cucamelons can be used in a variety of dishes.

They’re great in stir-fries, salsas and salads, speared and placed into a martini glass, or simply eaten raw or sprinkled with dried herbs.

You can also toss them with sliced peppers and olives, along with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

They can be pickled too – just like you would pickle cucumbers. Preparing pickled cucamelons is so easy – they’re best when pre-salting them, as you’ll get a more crisp result and the pickling process will be a lot faster too.

Ready to start growing cucamelons?

Purchase these Seed Needs Cucamelon (Sour Gherkin) Seeds and follow the eleven steps above to get started!

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Read Next: How To Grow Pineberries – The Strawberry That Tastes Like Bubblegum & Pineapple

The post How To Grow Cucamelons – The Most Exciting Fruit You Can Grow This Year appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

A garden should be a private, secure and peaceful place.

In this article, we will examine how you can use fast growing shrubs and bushes for creating privacy.

Successful garden design takes into account how an outside space operates as an ecosystem but also how well it works for human inhabitants.

Creating privacy can be an important consideration, especially in more built-up urban environments. High walls and high fences, however, are not the only option. Choosing the right planting plan is also important.

Sensible, sustainable garden design takes the future into account as well as the present. But there are times when you want to create a mature look and feel as quickly as possible.

Fast growing shrubs and bushes are ideal for this purpose. These plants can create this feel of privacy and maturity far more speedily than slower-growing varieties.

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Sourcing Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes for Privacy

Before we take a closer look at which shrubs and bushes to choose, it will be helpful to consider how and where we can source the new plants.

Grow From Seed or Buy Mature Plants?

One of the first decisions that you will have to take is whether you will grow your plants from seed.

You may also choose to invest in bare root or pot grown plants. These are more common options for growing shrubs and bushes. If time is a consideration, then of course you are likely to choose pot grown, as this is the faster option.

Shrubs and bushes will often mature and increase in size very quickly. However, choosing to purchase bare root plants or pot grown specimens is usually a more expensive option than growing from seed. Larger pot grown plants are, generally speaking, the most costly of all.

Remember that younger, smaller specimens will be cheaper than fully-mature shrubs and bushes. Sometimes, it may be sensible to settle for partial privacy in the short term in order to achieve the best result longer term.

How To Source Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes for Free

If you want to quickly establish a mature garden for privacy, budget is often likely to be a concern. It is worthwhile remembering that it is often possible to source plants for free – especially if you think outside the box.

Sometimes, friends or neighbours with mature gardens will be willing to gift you plants from an overcrowded bed or border.

Cuttings can also often provide a free way to propagate plants without losing the parent.

It is also worth looking out for plants and cuttings online. In the gift economy, you can often find plenty of options to fill out the fringes of your garden.

While you want for cuttings to establish, or for plants to grow and fill in the gaps, you can take interim steps to ensure your privacy.

For example, you can create fences or walls, create garden structures such as arbors for secluded seating areas, or plant single, mature trees to block a seating area from the sight of a neighbour’s windows.

Remember, though, that while speed may seem to be of the essence, thinking long-term is always the best policy.

Layering Different Plants to Create Privacy in the Garden

Privacy might be the primary concern, but it is a good idea to think holistically about your garden.

This involves thinking about how all the elements in the space work together. While you may be tempted to pop in a quick hedge of one variety of plant for privacy, choosing a variety of different fast growing shrubs and bushes is the best option for the long-term health of your garden.

The more biodiversity there is in the space, the more productive, healthy and resilient your backyard can be.

The more plant species you are able to include, the more beneficial wildlife you can attract. What is more, greater biodiversity can also make it easier to make the most of the space – to grow your own food and provide for other needs.

Biodiversity is also attractive – it can help make sure that your backyard looks wonderful all year round.

Layering different plants (stacking plants, with lower-growing varieties below taller ones) on a garden border will ensure a good coverage of foliage to protect you from prying eyes.

It can also help to make sure that you are truly making he most of the space you have available – thinking vertically as well as horizontally.

Tips for Choosing Plants for Privacy

When choosing any plants, it is important to consider:

• The patterns and strength of sunlight on your site throughout each day and throughout the year.
• Levels and patterns of rainfall and moisture retention in your backyard.
• The type, condition and fertility of the soil where you live.
• Whether the site is sheltered or exposed.
• General temperatures and the conditions of climate and microclimate.

Bearing these things in mind will help you in choosing the right plants for the right places.

When choosing fast-growing shrubs and bushes for privacy, other considerations will also come into play. These will include:

• How tall you need your privacy barrier to be. (And how tall the plants you choose will ultimately grow.)
• Your personal preferences with regard to shape, style and colour.
• What other problems the planting scheme should solve.

Remember, in good design, each element in your garden should fulfil as many functions as possible. Privacy might be the foremost thing on your mind, but a privacy hedge, barrier or border might also:

• Serve as a wind break to provide shelter for other parts of the garden.
• Stabilise the soil on a sloping or waterlogged site.
• Create areas of shade for other plants, or to increase the comfort of a seating area.
• Provide biomass, or a source of fuel or timber for a range of projects.
• Enhance the visual appearance of your backyard, year round.
• Generate extra food for you and your family.

The most important functions of your privacy planting will, of course, determine the best plants to grow.

Fast Growing Evergreen Shrubs & Bushes For Year-Round Privacy

When considering plants for privacy, it is important to think about the whole year.

Since evergreens keep their foliage all year round, they can keep a garden free from peeping Toms at all times.

For this reason, evergreens are likely to be the bones of your privacy barrier. Fast growing evergreens that can be useful for privacy include:

1. Cypresses

The Leyland cypress,sometimes referred to as Leylandii, is one of the fastest growing and best known conifers.

It is a sterile cross between the Monterrey cypress and the Nootka cypress and is commonly used for privacy.

Be warned, however, it can quickly get out of control!

It may not be the best long-term choice in smaller residential gardens. It can grow up to 40m tall. Natural, native cypresses may be better choices in the right settings.

2. Arborvitae

Abrorvitae ‘Green Giant’ is another popular hedging or border plant for privacy.

This is another hybrid and can grow up to 3 feet per year in the right conditions.

Again, while this plant can be a good choice for privacy in certain situations, it should be used with caution and could easily get out of control in smaller spaces.

3. Pines

Some pines are fast growing while others are considerably slower to grow to maturity. Pines are often a great option for a mixed privacy border or windbreak.

Fast growing pines include the Aleppo pine, the white pine and the loblolly pine.

However, as with the evergreens mentioned above, these fast-growing pines should only be planted in appropriate situations, as they can grow to very large size.

4. Privet

Privet was, in years gone by, a very popular hedging choice. It has somewhat decreased in popularity in recent years, but could still be a good option for privacy.

It is relatively easy to keep in check, and can be a good choice for situations where a neat and orderly hedge is required for privacy.

5. Laurels

The cherry laurel is another popular hedging choice, and is another fast growing option. It can create a hedge 1.5 -5m high.

There are also a number of other laurels that you could consider for hedging. Other fast growing options include Laurel Etna and Laurel Caucasica.

6. Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Elaeagnus x ebbingei, also known as oleaster, or silverberry, is a tough evergreen that can make a great choice for adding privacy to your garden.

It can be left wild for a more natural border, or clipped into a more formal hedging.

In some environments, it can also provide edible fruits, and also has the added benefit that it works with bacteria in its roots to fix nitrogen from the air. Once established, these plants can add up to 75cm of growth each year.

7. Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster also provides excellent options for informal privacy borders or formal hedging.

Dense and good looking, these grow quickly to provide a screen and provide interest with blossom and red berries.

Some varieties work well as hedging or in a mixed planting scheme as stand-alone plants, while others spread over walls or fences to provide additional privacy cover.

8. Holly

There are also a wide range of hollies which work well to provide a greater level of privacy in a backyard.

Some traditional hollies provide spiky leaves which can also enhance garden security, and red berries in winter. However, not all hollies are spiky and some create neater hedging or planting.

It could be worthwhile looking at the range of different holly plants. For example, Nellie Stevens Holly is one popular option for privacy hedging or screens.

9. Mahonia

Japanese mahonia, also sometimes referred to as Oregon grape, is another evergreen option that could be ideal either in mixed hedging or a garden border designed to deliver a good level of privacy cover.

Attractive yellow flowers are followed by clusters of purple berries.

10. Photinia

This is fast growing ornamental, flowering evergreen shrub that can be another great choice for privacy in a range of gardens.

Red Robin is one popular variety for evergreen hedges and privacy screens and when trimmed regularly, can create a dense level of cover.

11. Pyracantha

Pyracantha is another evergreen option to consider.

Like many of the options on this list, it can work well as a stand alone specimen or in hedging or an informal border.

Also known as firethorn, pyracantha is great for wildlife too. Birds will love the red or orange berries that appear in the fall.

12. Berberis

A range of berberis (barberry) varieties are also ideal for a mixed planting scheme to add year-round privacy to your garden.

These plants can vary in size, from 1m-5m tall, and many have attractive spring blooms followed by berries that are also popular with garden wildlife.

13. Bamboo

If you want to create a privacy screen but do not have the space for a wider shrub border, you could consider a bamboo.

Bamboos can be incredibly versatile and fast growing plants.

Be wary, however, as while bamboos can be useful additions to many gardens, some can have a tendency to take over.

Evergreens, however, are not the only options for a privacy hedge or barrier. In addition to picking evergreen options for year round privacy, you should also consider creating a mixed planting scheme which also incorporates a range of deciduous shrubs and bushes.

Let’s take a look at some fast growing deciduous options which can enhance the level of privacy in your garden while also providing interest throughout the year.

Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Spring Interest

First off, here are five options that can add spring interest to your garden:

14. Lilac

Lilac bushes provide one of the most delightful scents in a spring garden.

These fast-growing shrubs are a wonderful choice for a mixed privacy border and since they send out suckers, can easily be propagated to fill out any gaps.

Beautiful purple or white blooms burst forth in the spring, filling your backyard with heavenly scent.

15. Ribes Sanguineum

The flowering currant is grown primarily for its beautiful pink spring flowers, which are an important nectar source for pollinators early in the year.

While it will lose its leaves in winter like the other deciduous species on this list, it can still help to create a feeling of privacy in a mixed border.

16. Forsythia

The woody branches of forsythia can also help to add structure and cover for a privacy border, but it is the sunshine yellow flowers of the spring that truly make this a delightful choice.

These are one of the plants that herald the arrival of the season, and provide another source of nectar for pollinators early in the year.

17. Viburnum

There are a number of viburnum varieties which work well to increase the privacy levels in a garden.

There is viburnum tinus, a well known evergreen variety for hedging. But there are also deciduous options, many of which offer outstanding displays of white or pinkish flowers in the spring.

18. Spirea japonica

This unfussy, deciduous shrub can work well to add structure to a privacy border. It has delicate pink flowers which appear in late spring or early summer.

One variety excellent for spring interest is ‘Firelight’, which has red and bronze tinged leaves in spring, which then turn green in summer and a deep reddish-purple in the fall.

Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Summer Interest

Summer is the time of peak interest for a wide range of fast growing shrubs and bushes.

Here are five options that could be great for adding privacy in your backyard:

19. Rambling Roses

If you have an open fence, growing rambling roses over the structure is one great way to increase privacy levels.

There are a wide range of rambling roses that grow quickly and create a privacy barrier in your backyard.

Of course, in addition to providing privacy, roses also have magnificent summer blooms, which can look lovely and can also often be highly scented.

Plus you can harvest the petals to use in many brilliant ways.

20. Elder

Elder is a resilient and fast-growing tree that can be pruned into a shrub structure or form part of a mixed,wildlife-friendly hedge.

While it could have been included in the section on edible yield below, elder is also valuable for its attractive froth of white blooms in the summer months (as well as for its berries in the fall).

21. Buddleia

Buddleia, also known as butterfly bush, is another great choice for a mixed privacy border.

The plants can grow almost anywhere and grow very tall. In the summer, their long stalks bloom beautifully. As the name suggests, they attract a range of butterflies (as well as other wildlife) to your garden.

22. Ninebark

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) comes in a variety of different forms, leaf types, blooms and berry colours.

Many varieties are ideal for privacy landscaping. This low-maintenance shrub can look good throughout the year, but many varieties look most beautiful in summer, when they bloom abundantly.

23. Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtle can be another excellent choice for summer interest. These shrubs can quickly branch out to become a useful privacy barrier, working well in an informal hedge or as individual specimens in a mixed border.

White, pink or red blooms will appear all over the plants and fill your garden with colour during the summer months.

Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Fall Interest

As the summer sun begins to weaken,and the nights begin to grow longer, these border shrubs and bushes will still have a lot to offer:

24. Hydrangea

Hydrangeas can be evergreen or deciduous, stand alone plants for a privacy border or self-clinging climbers for a wall or fence.

Their showy flowers will bring fall interest to your backyard even as summer begins to fade.

In addition to the showy blooms, some hydrangea, such as ‘Enziandom’ will also have attractive red-brown foliage in the fall.

25. Sea Buckthorn

Some plants can not only provide privacy and seasonal interest but also fulfil additional functions.

Sea buckthorn is a nitrogen fixing plant,and great for wildlife. The beautiful orange-red berries in fall are not only ornamental but also edible too.

26. Autumn Olive

Elaeagnus umbellata, the autumn olive, is another good nitrogen fixing plant for a mixed privacy border.

It is related to the other Elaeagnus mentioned above. The attractive red berries add interest to a fall garden and are also edible for people as well as wildlife.

27. Beautyberry

This sturdy, hardy deciduous shrub may lack in interest for the rest of the year, but in the late autumn and early winter this plant really comes into its own, putting on a display of astonishing purple (or sometimes ivory) berries.

This is another option that can look great and perform well in a mixed privacy border.

28. Serviceberry

These small trees or large shrubs can be great for adding height and structure to a mixed privacy border.

Unobtrusive for much of the year, the serviceberry adds interest in the fall, when they look wonderful with their red, wildlife-friendly berries and orange-red fall foliage.

Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Winter Interest

Evergreens will, of course, provide privacy even during the winter months. But a privacy hedge or barrier could also be enhanced by the addition of these deciduous shrubs and bushes:

29. Willows

A wide range of willows and willow hybrids are wonderful for a privacy screen or border. Almost all are very fast growing.

Most species are deciduous, with a few, rare semi-evergreen varieties.

However, even though they lose their leaves, their attractive stems can still add interest to a privacy border in your winter garden.

30. Dogwood

Dogwood, cornus alba, is known for its red,orange and yellow stems which are wonderful for adding interest to a winter border.

It also looks pleasant and adds structure to a mixed privacy border throughout the year – though it is during the coldest months that it really comes into its own.

31. Wintersweet

The aptly named wintersweet is another great shrub for adding interest to a winter garden.

It has strange but attractive flowers which bloom during the winter months,with a pleasing scent. Its bushy, branching habit means that it could also be a great choice for adding structure and creating a dense cover from prying eyes on an edge of your garden.

32. Edgeworthia

The fragrant, yellow flowers of paperbush also bloom in the late winter or early spring. Year round interest is also provided by the beautiful bark.

This is another branching shrub than add structure as well as winter interest to a mixed privacy border.

33. Witch Hazel

In a mixed privacy border, witch hazel can add structure and height with its vase-shaped, branching form, without the need for pruning.

After the leaves have dropped, the bright yellow blossoms of these shrubs or trees add interest to the winter garden.

Witch hazel is also interesting as it has a range of medicinal and cosmetic uses.

Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Edible Yield

By now, you should have a much clearer picture of how you can build up a mixed hedge or border to provide privacy for your backyard while also having an attractive garden all year round.

Yet before we call it a day, let’s take a look at some other options for your privacy border.

These options show how border bushes can also be used to provide food for you and your family:

34. Hazel

Hazel is a fast growing tree which can grow 45 cm a year, but which can be kept pruned to create mixed hedging or in shrub form.

Hazels produce nuts, and in certain environments, these can be amongst the easiest nuts to grow.

35. Beech

Beech is another tree often used in hedging. What you may not know is that the beech tree also provides a useful food source. The young leaves,in spring, are delicious in a salad.

Other parts of the beech also have a range of uses. This is true of both American and European beeches, though only the youngest leaves are palatable.

36. Hawthorn

Hawthorn is another useful option for a mixed privacy hedge. Young leaves and flower buds can be eaten and are also tender enough to use in salads.

The haws (sometimes called mayhaws in the US) are also edible and can be made into a jelly or home-made wine.

37. Goumi

Related to the other Elaeagnus species mentioned above, goumi or Elaeagnus multiflora provides, perhaps, the tastiest edible berries of all such varieties.

When fully ripe, the berries are delicious eaten raw or cooked. Goumi can also be a great choice for a mixed privacy border because, as a nitrogen fixer, it can help to feed your garden as well as feeding you.

38. Raspberries

Of course, you could also consider making a privacy border using more traditional soft fruits.

Raspberry canes, for example, can make an excellent privacy screen, and are relatively fast growing and tall.

You could also consider growing related or similar plants, such as Tayberries, boysenberries or wineberries.

39. Blackberries

A blackberry, or bramble thicket could also help to create a privacy barrier on the edge of your backyard.

If you want something a little tidier, you could tie-in and train brambles along a fence. To avoid scratches, there are also thornless varieties that you could choose.

40. Gooseberries

Gooseberry bushes, like thorned brambles, could be used to provide a little added security for your premises, as well as privacy as the bushes grow.

Gooseberries can be left to create a thicket, or trained onto a fence or other barrier.

While not as fast growing as many other species on this list, buying mature plants could be a quick way to add extra food (and extra privacy) and fill in gaps in your garden border.

Of course, the list of fast growing shrubs and bushes for creating privacy given above is by no means comprehensive.

There are plenty more plants you could choose. However, the list above should be a good place to begin when thinking about a planting scheme to increase privacy levels in your backyard.

The post 40 Fast Growing Shrubs and Bushes For Creating Privacy appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

While grass is nice and ordinary for front lawns, have you ever considered how amazing it would be to turn that grassy spot into a delicious food paradise?

Yes, it is a bit unconventional but imagine how much food you could produce even in the smallest of front yards. Often we reserve our front yards for presenting “curb appeal.”

However, it can be seriously wasted space especially if you have a shady backyard and can’t grow much behind your house. Why not utilize your property as productively as possible?

There are many advantages to growing your own food including saving money, improving your health and creating a fun family project or hobby.

When done correctly, a food oasis can be beautiful as well as bountiful. How sweet it would be to take a stroll out to get the morning newspaper and pluck an apple and some berries for breakfast on the way.

There are actually several organizations whose sole purpose it is to help people transform their lawns into an edible oasis. The company Edible Estates was created to transform lawns that guzzle water and eat up pesticides into functional and fruitful gardens.

According to the brainchild behind Edible Estates, Fritz Haeg,

“The lawn devours resources while it pollutes. It is maniacally groomed with mowers and trimmers powered by the 2-stroke motors responsible for much of our greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrocarbons from mowers react with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone. To eradicate invading plants, it is drugged with pesticides which are then washed into our water supply with sprinklers and hoses, dumping our increasingly rare fresh drinking resource down the gutter. Of the 30 commonly used lawn pesticides, 17 are detected in groundwater and 23 have the ability to leach into groundwater sources. The lawn divides and isolates us. It is the buffer of anti-social no-man’s-land that we wrap ourselves with, reinforcing the suburban alienation of our sprawling communities. The mono-culture of one plant species covering our neighborhoods from coast to coast celebrates puritanical homogeneity and mindless conformity.”

First Things First…. The Edible Front Lawn Journey Begins

If you aren’t up for hiring someone to transform your yard, there are numerous websites and books available for guidance. One very good book is Food Not Lawns and Paradise Lot is also a great reference guide for those living in urban settings.

A Few Things To Consider When Planning For Your Edible Yard:

• Do the covenants in your neighborhood have rules against planting an edible yard?
• Is your front yard sunny? If so, how much sun does it get?
• Have there been extensive chemicals applied to your lawn?
• What types of food are you interested in growing?
• Are you going to include any sitting areas or leave a patch of grass?
• Will you use mostly raised beds and containers or will you plant directly into the soil or a combination of both?
• How much time and money do you want to put into your garden?
• Will you install a fence to keep critters out? If so, do you know where your easements are?

How To Get Started Creating Your Front Yard Food Paradise

• Get permission from any regulating groups to create a food landscape. Homeowners associations may require that you submit drawings and specific plans for your garden.
• Measure your front lawn and create a scale drawing of your food paradise. Include pathways, sitting areas, and places where you are going to use containers for growing, etc…
• The more detailed you can be with your plans the easier it will be when you get ready to purchase and plant your paradise.
• Mark all utilities and lines in your lawn.
• Conduct a soil test to determine your soil type and to see if there are any lawn chemicals in the soil.
• Use marking chalk, stakes, and strings to mark out your garden boundaries, walkways, and any themed areas according to your written plan.
• Use a sod cutter to clear away grass. If you can, roll it up or save it to transplant elsewhere. Alternatively, you can just cover the lawn with raised beds.
• Install a drip irrigation system – preferably attached to rain barrels.
• If you are planting directly into the soil, be sure to add a generous amount of rich compost, manure, mushroom soil, earthworm castings or any other rich, organic soil amendments you may have.
• Purchase and plant per your plan, using edibles that are suitable for your growing zone.  
• Keep in mind that the first season should be a trial only to see how things go and grow. There will be some trial and error until you discover the best plants to grow.

Tips & Tricks & Principles For Success

Here are a few trick and tips to create an eye-catching and delicious front yard food paradise.

Keep It Simple

–Replace existing shrubs with an edible hedge. A great option is currant bushes.

Lines

Curved borders and walkways create an appealing line to any garden space. Rocks or bricks make great border options.

Unity

A well-designed garden will unify the space using eye-catching blocks of color and texture. This principle applies equally to creating any type of garden, even a food oasis. To accomplish unity use beautiful flowers as well as fruit, veggies, and herbs in your landscape.

Focal Points

Plant specimen trees to create focal points in your edible landscape. Good options include dwarf cherry, draft apple or dwarf peach. Keep your focal points in the dwarf size so that they don’t overpower your front lawn.

Existing Structures

Fruit trees and vines can be trained to grow along an existing fence or wall.

Best Plants For An Edible Landscape

Here are some of the best plants to consider when creating your front yard food paradise. Many of them are unattractive to critters who might also be thrilled that you are planting a delicious grocery store of goodies in your front yard!

Artichokes: These imposing plants are prickly so there are not many animals that are interested in eating them.  

Beans: Trellising beans can create attractive living ornaments in your landscape. Both the leaves and flowers are very pretty. A simple bamboo teepee creates height as well. Most animals find the leaves more attractive than the beans themselves so your harvest will usually be unharmed.

Herbs: Perennial herbs add texture, color, and fragrance to any garden. As an added bonus, animals generally prefer annual herbs over perennial herbs. Woodier herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and lavender are excellent choices.

Edible flowers: Edible flowers are especially attractive in containers dribbled throughout your garden. Nastursiums, pansies, roses, violets and sage flowers are easy to grow and will reward you with beautiful blooms and make a tasty addition to any salad.

Eggplants: Eggplants are beautiful vegetables that add a delicious touch of interest to any food paradise.

Onions, garlic, and chives: You may find these alliums delicious but animals won’t touch them. To keep your food paradise safe, plant garlic, chives, and onions in between other plants. Chives can spread quickly so don’t let them go to seed. Since garlic and onions need to be dug up when harvested, they are best planted around garden bed borders.

Fruit, nuts, and berries: With a little netting for protection you can plant a wide variety of fruit, nuts, and berries. One of the best things about planting fruit, nuts, and berries is that they are fairly low maintenance. Fruit shrubs especially are quite beautiful with pretty flowers and beautiful berries. Blueberries are also beautiful in the fall showcasing radiant red leaves.

What Not To Grow In Your Edible Landscape

Just as there are plants that work well in an edible landscape, there are others that flash a sign for a free animal buffet. If you don’t want your food paradise trampled stay clear of these:

Greens –  Deer and groundhogs especially love to feast on greens. Unless you have a good fence to keep them out – avoid greens like lettuce, kale, chard, etc.

Corn –  Squirrels are especially attracted to corn and love to bend the stalks and munch on cobs.

Peas –  Planting delicious and sweet peas is like ringing the dinner bell for local deer, rabbits, groundhogs and more. If you really desire peas, you might have to fence them in.

Happy planting!

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Weeding is one of the most dreaded garden tasks.

It is backbreaking, time-consuming, and often simply discouraging to spend hours in the garden pulling up stubborn weeds only to have them spring back up the next day. However, though it may not be as fun as planting or harvesting, weeding is an essential step in keeping any garden happy and healthy.

The options for weeding tools can become overwhelming though and it can be difficult to know what you need to make weeding as easy as possible.

We’ve done the research for you and gathered some of the best tools on the web to help you get your weeding done quickly and efficiently.

Why You Need To Weed

Aside from the obvious fact that weeds make your garden look unkempt and distract from the natural beauty of your plants, they can also cause serious damage.

Weeds inhibit plant growth by sucking vital nutrients and moisture from the soil and hampering the health of the plants you actually want.

Plus, once they are left to roam wild, the invasive weeds will soon entangle your garden and be incredibly hard to eradicate without damaging your plants.

Staying on top of weeds throughout the spring and summer seasons is absolutely essential…even if it is a little frustrating.

Best Weed-Prevention Methods

As with many things in the garden, and with your health, prevention is always the best medicine.

Think about it, taking a few extra steps and putting in a little effort and time early in the year can save you hours hunched over unwanted grass and weeds in the future.

Plant Densely

Weeds love to spring up anywhere they can but will usually choose the easiest route.

Areas of bare soil are prime real estate for the invasive varieties so you’ll want to avoid leaving any empty spot in your garden. Plant closely and fill in bare spots that you notice as plants mature.

Mulching

Mulch is your best friend when it comes to weed prevention. Cover the soil with a thick layer of organic mulch, such as shredded bark, pine straw, or compost. These types of mulches will also have the added benefits of enriching your soil and providing nutrients for your plants.

Though they are generally more expensive, you can also use inorganic materials such as gravel, rubber mulch, or a weed-suppressing layer like fabric or plastic.

Catch Them Early

Pay close attention to your garden and as soon as you notice weeds sprouting, get out there and remove them. Catching weeds before they go to seed can help reduce the spread and prevent a full-blown invasion.

Of course, no matter how diligent you are in your weed prevention techniques, keep in mind that weeds are equally as determined.

It is inevitable that at least a few will find their way into your garden and when that happens, it’s essential that you are prepared with the proper tools.

What About Hand Pulling?

Though hand pulling is effective for smaller, young weeds, it can often create more problems by simply getting the top of the weed and allowing the roots to stay in the garden and prepare for a second wave.

Plus, remaining on your knees to weed a large garden can create serious back and neck problems and make it difficult for you to do the things in your yard that you actually enjoy.

These tools can turn your dreaded weeding day from a stressful, painful hassle into something you may even look forward to.

Besides, who doesn’t love trying out new garden tools?

Best Overall

It is difficult to name an official winner in the weeding tools ranking, as it usually comes down to personal preference, weeding style, and the type of weeds you are dealing with. However, with over 3,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, this tool takes the top spot.

Fiskars 4-Claw Weeding Tool

This durable, sharp tool totally eliminates the need to crouch down in your garden and saves your back from excess strain. The lightweight, aluminum shaft is comfortable and ergonomic and provides excellent maneuverability which makes it the number one pick of all garden tools.

It is affordable and intuitive and it may even cause you to look forward to weeding.

Best Long-Handled Tools

Long-handled tools help you avoid the type of backbreaking gardening that comes with hand-pulling weeds and makes you more likely to spend time perusing your garden for any intruders since you don’t have to change into full work clothes to pluck up a few weeds.

Grampa’s Weeder

Sometimes new isn’t always best. This tool has been used for over 90 years for a reason. It boasts thousands of satisfied customers and a lifetime guarantee that will replace the tool if it breaks from normal use.

Its simple grasping concept is so easy to use and it is a wonderful tool for lawn weed removal.

Hula-Ho Weeder Cultivator

This fabulous tool falls somewhere between a rake and a hoe and makes weeding easier than ever. It is excellent for clearing large patches of weeds rather than precision work since the sharp blade slices through clumps of grasses and invasive plants.

The blades are self-sharpening and replaceable which means that you’ll get years of use out of this powerful tool.

This stirrup hoe serves the same purpose but has a fiberglass handle and a comfort grip if you don’t enjoy using wood tools.

Best Short Handled Tools

Though short handled tools require you to get a little more up close and personal with your garden, they also allow you to be precise in your weed removal and ensure that every irritating foe is eradicated from your well-tended beds.

CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator

The CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator is a one of a kind tool. It is specifically designed to puncture deep into the soil and lets you use the curved shape as leverage to cut the tap-root which will prevent the weed from returning.

This doesn’t require hacking at the soil and will allow you to save your strength if you have a large area to cover by pinpointing the weed and removing it.

It is also an incredibly versatile tool and can be used to loosen the soil or dig holes for bulbs.

Fiskars Softouch Hand Weeder

This hand tool is excellent for removing tough weeds such as dandelions and grasses without harming the other vegetation in your garden.

The curved head and comfortable handle make eradicating weeds from your garden as simple as a flick of the wrist. The tines are incredibly sturdy and the tool can be easily maneuvered into tight spots such as against the edge of a raised bed.

Best Knife

Garden knives are excellent multi-purpose tools for the garden and are an absolute essential for any gardeners arsenal.

Hori Hori Knife

This tool has a 7-inch blade with a smooth edge for slicing that is useful for opening bags of mulch or cutting twine. The other edge is serrated and can be used to saw through stubborn roots or sod.

It is extremely useful for digging and prying difficult weeds out of the ground but can also be used in planting as the blade has measurement marks that allow you to plant seeds at the appropriate depth.

This stainless steel blade will keep a sharp edge and won’t rust as fast as a carbon steel blade.

Best Garden Torch

Weed Dragon Garden Torch

Yes, you heard that correctly. A garden torch. Forget spending hours pulling out individual weeds or hacking away at clumps of crabgrass only to have them return a few days later, this torch will truly change the way you weed forever.

This can be attached to a portable propane tank and uses a flame to cook weeds. While it doesn’t kill them immediately, check out the weeds a few days later and all you will see is their dried up remains.

The Weed Dragon essentially destroys the weeds ability to take up nutrients and water and the flame can be targeted at specific vegetation without harming your plants.

Best Patio & Walkway Weeder

Gardena Hand Patio Weeder System

While weeds in your garden can be annoying, they can also blend in with your plants, which means that they don’t necessarily detract from the beauty of your garden until they’ve had time to spread.

You can’t enjoy that same luxury with patios, sidewalks, and other pathways, unfortunately. When weeds grow in these areas, they are an immediate eyesore and pulling them can be brutal.

Instead of scraping your knucks trying to remove every minuscule piece of grass from your patio, invest in this handy tool with a long thin blade that is specifically designed to eliminate weeds from every crack and crevice in your yard.

Best Dandelion Weeder

Flexrake Classic Dandelion Weeder

Some gardeners love dandelions, others hate them. While dandelions have a number of brilliant uses, we know they’re not for everyone. This tool is incredibly sturdy and is specifically designed to target the deep roots of dandelions and eliminate them for good.

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