Tomato Basics for Beginner Gardeners

Last updated: June 21, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

I will never forget the time I took a bite of my first ever homegrown tomato. I grew up not liking tomatoes, but when I tasted that tomato, I realized I must not have ever tired a real tomato.

It was amazing. The color was so red. The flavor was sweet, juicy, and incredible. The tomato had been cut into slices with a bit of salt and pepper added. From that moment on, I knew I needed to grow my own tomatoes and find out everything I could.

Tomatoes are a staple for most home gardens. There are so many ways to use tomatoes such as: salads, sauces, salsas, and just straight out of your hand. With the right knowledge and care, growing tomatoes can be fun, easy, and extremely rewarding.

in Beginner Gardener / Organic Gardening

Erosion: 5 Effective Ways to Control and Prevent It

Last updated: May 25, 2021 by Rootwell Products Inc.

Erosion: Definition, Causes, and How to Prevent it
Erosion

People and businesses all around America have hills and slopes in their yards. These added dimensions can be helpful to separate a home form a busy street, add extra privacy.

However, these hills can also be susceptible to erosion and runoff that is hard to control and the damage that soil washing away can cause is devastating.

in Beginner Gardener / Drought / Lawn Care

How to Remove Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

Last updated: May 24, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

When we moved into our home, we were aware that the homeowners before us didn’t have a passion for gardening. The yard had been overtaken by weeds, and there was a lot of work to be done. What surprised us the most, was when we discovered 15-foot-tall shrubs of poison ivy running the length of our entire backyard.

in Beginner Gardener

10 Favorite Colorful Shrubs for Any Yard

Last updated: October 14, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

Are you looking to add some color to your landscape and not quite sure what to add? Consider adding a few colorful shrubs.

in Beginner Gardener / Gardening Tips

4 Tips for Creating Stunning Window Boxes

Last updated: October 19, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

It is said that “flowers are our greatest silent friends.” Finding ways to plant flowers around your home or business can be an amazing way to uplift all souls and spirits and liven up just about any space.

One great way to plant flowers is by using window boxes. A window box is typically a rectangular shaped container that can be placed in small spaces or large spaces, and are typically placed outside a window. However, they can be placed on anything from a fence or a deck. They can turn a house into a stunning home with the aid of some vibrant colors and sweet smelling flowers.

in Beginner Gardener

6 of the Most Fragrant Trees and Shrubs in Spring

Last updated: March 29, 2021 by Rootwell Products Inc.

As I was taking a walk with my family this weekend, we strolled through the neighborhood. It’s such a great time of year to see how other people landscape their yards. We love looking for new and creative ideas to do in our own home.

We walked past one yard and what was so striking had nothing to do with how great they manicured their yard, while it did look great. What kept me standing there, closed eye, and looking completely insane was the amazing fragrance of one of the trees in the yard. It was breathtaking. I wanted to bottle up that smell and take it home with me. The scent was so powerful and strong that it demanded all of my attention. I didn’t want to move, I wanted to breathe that in for as long as possible. It was then that I decided I had to have one of those amazing trees in my own yard.

in Beginner Gardener / Gardening Tips

How to Create a Stunning Layering Bulb Garden

Last updated: October 19, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

Have you every tried a layering bulb garden?

Can you imagine planting your flowers in such a way that you get to enjoy a new flower pop up every few weeks all summer long? Think of it as each part of summer as singing a new note and a new flower comes dancing up from the ground with perfect timing.

This can happen when you choose to layer your perennial flower bulbs. While daffodils and tulips might be the first flowers that come to mind when you think spring flowers, there is so much more that can be done.

in Beginner Gardener / Perennials

Tips for Buying and Growing Easter Lilies

Last updated: May 25, 2021 by Rootwell Products Inc.

What flower comes to your mind when you think of the Easter holiday? If you are like most people, you might have mentioned the Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum). Chances are, you might be looking at buying this beautiful, white flowered plant with Easter around the corner.

Easter lilies have an amazing fragrance that might and bring back some sweet memories. In this post, we have pulled together some fun information about the history of Easter lilies, some helpful tips for buying Easter lilies, as well as tips for planting them in your own garden.

in Beginner Gardener / Gardening Tips

9 Gardening Tasks for the Month of January

Last updated: January 11, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

If you live in a part of the country anything like mine right now, you might be sitting inside watching a white blanket of snow cover everything in sight. Gardening can feel like it has to sit on the back burner in months like this one.

While a January in Austin, Texas is going to be much different than in Seattle, Washington, or Detroit Michigan, there are some great ways to keep your gardening spirit alive even in these low key months. Here are 9 of our favorite gardening tasks that any climate zone can accomplish in the month of January.

in Beginner Gardener / Gardening Tips

Secrets to 7 Winter Squashes You May Not Know

Last updated: October 25, 2016 by Rootwell Products Inc.

We have a fall tradition in our family to hunt for the most colorful, strangest, and ugliest gourds and squash that we can find. The shapes, sizes, and colors that each one comes in fascinates, humors, and connects us.

We will visit grocery stores and farms and on each trip we bring them home, add our homegrown pumpkins, and butternut squashes to the mix and create a beautiful fall décor display filled with shades of green, yellows, and oranges.

in Beginner Gardener / Money Saving Tips