Outdoor Gardening

In our outdoor gardening category, I provide you with an array of resources designed to help cultivate a thriving garden under the open sky. From practical guides on soil preparation, plant selection, and maintenance to innovative gardening techniques, expect everything needed to enhance your gardening experience and create a bountiful outdoor oasis.

We will cover the following topics. Container, Garden Design, Garden Furniture, Garden Ponds, Health and Wellness, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Ornamental bulbs, Raised Beds, Shrubs, Trees, and Vines

How to Keep Bamboo in Check and Enjoy Its Beauty

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A lush garden with bamboo plants surrounded by colorful flowers and green foliage. How to Keep Bamboo in Check.

Bamboo is a highly aggressive, invasive exotic plant species. It owes its reputation to the fact that it is the fastest-growing class of grass on earth. Bamboo can choke natural vegetation in a brief period, effectively crowding out native flora. It is imperative to realize that it is challenging to get rid of bamboo once it has taken root.

Wiring Bonsai for Better Shape Outcomes

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Bonsai tree with carefully applied wiring to shape its branches.

Good wiring takes lots of practice to do effectively. Work towards using as little wire as possible to achieve your goal. Selecting the right wire balances cost and function, with the copper wire being stronger (but more expensive) than anodized aluminum wire.

6 Bonsai Styles or Forms For the Perfect Tree

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Different bonsai trees showcasing various bonsai styles or forms. Bonsai Styles or Forms.

Starting a tree in a raised bed and systematically reducing its container size, roots, and foliage is a common starting process for styling a bonsai tree. Combine this with growing a sacrificial branch to thicken the trunk girth while using a tourniquet to add taper.

How to Prune Bonsai for Shape & Structure

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A pair of bonsai pruning shears carefully trimming the branches of a bonsai tree, demonstrating how to prune bonsai for shape and structure. How to Prune Bonsai.

The development of a Bonsai tree is inextricably linked to pruning or pinching, the removal of roots and shoots to create a work of art. The objective of pruning is three-fold: shaping the stock, directing growth to underdeveloped areas, and boosting ramifications.

Where to Place Bonsai Trees For Optimal Growth?

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Bonsai tree placed near a window with filtered sunlight, highlighting the importance of proper placement for optimal growth. Where to place bonsai tree.

Bonsai trees manifest a plant’s survival ability in dramatically altered but managed environments. The tree, now removed from its natural environment, depends on the gardener’s skills to ensure its continued survival. That includes where it is placed.

How and When to Fertilize Bonsai Trees

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Hand sprinkling granular bonsai fertilizer onto the soil surface around a bonsai tree. How and When to Fertilize Bonsai Trees.

Nutritional regimens are one of the keys to growing Bonsai successfully. Simplify Gardening has made a special effort to answer it conclusively and specifically. We need to consider several variables to optimize fertilizer applications. Application timing must coincide with growth phases, soil temperatures, plant hardening needs, nutrient requirements, and local climates. Nutritional elements need to … Read more

What’s The Typical Cost Of Hiring A Gardener

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A graphic displaying the typical cost of hiring a gardener, outlining different factors influencing the expenses.

We hire a gardener when we are short on time and lack the necessary skills, equipment, and enthusiasm. It’s easy to see why gardeners charge what they do, whether for seasonal landscaping maintenance, one-off work like bond cleans, or regular lawn care service.

Should a Garden Pond Be In The Sun or Shade?

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A garden pond situated in both sun and shade, highlighting the question of whether it should be placed in direct sunlight or shade.

It’s best to build a pond in a sunny area. A pond, on the other hand, can be sited in an area that is shaded for part of the day or rests in dappled shade. It’s not a good idea to build a pond in a heavily forested area because it will become stagnant – the plants that provide oxygen to the water will require some sunlight.

15 Shrubs to Grow in Shady Areas

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A healthy shrub displaying vibrant growth despite being in a shaded area. Ideal for shrubs to grow in shady areas.

Your garden can still be colorful, even if it’s primarily shady. Many lovely plants will thrive in your garden under a giant shade tree or flower beds, hanging baskets, and containers.

15 Best Flowering Shrubs for A Colorful Garden

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A stunning pink flowering shrub, one of the best flowering shrubs for a colorful garden.

Whether you need an ornamental shrub (Roses) for enhanced privacy (Weigela) or to attract pollinators (Abelia), there is a shrub for everyone. Shrubs would not only offer sweet-smelling blossoms (Sweetshrub) or tasty berries (Beautyberry) but will also add upbeat accents to your garden.

15 Dwarf Conifers Ideal For Your Garden

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A vibrant photo showcasing a charming dwarf conifer in a garden, ideal for your garden's beauty and versatility.

Most dwarf conifers have a height that is between two to six feet at maturity. They often add three to six inches annually. Other dwarf conifers will reach six to fifteen feet at maturity, growing at a rate of six to twelve inches annually.

Is Lawn Paint Bad for Your Grass? Know The Facts!

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A vibrant image of a painted lawn showcasing lush green grass covered in bright hues. The question "Is lawn paint bad for your grass?" arises.

Good quality lawn paint is made of non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients. And since it is natural pigment and not paint, it neither blocks sunlight nor seeps into the grass. So, it is safe for you, your grass, children, pets, and even the environment.

How to ensure good drainage in potted plants?

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A gardener carefully making drainage holes on his pots, ensuring good drainage for potted plants.

Good drainage is critical for the survival of potted plants. During watering, these openings ensure water flows through to the bottom and the excess water drains. Once the water flows down, it leaves room for air which is also essential for root development. When you have these holes in your container, the plant uses them … Read more

How to Mow Your Lawn (5 Different Patterns)

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visually pleasing, freshly mowed lawn displaying a diamond pattern, showcasing different patterns on how to mow your lawn.

Creating patterns in your lawn is your best bet to make things more interesting and achieve more beautiful lawns. The first step in attaining great lawn patterns is getting your tools ready. You will need a lawnmower with blades that are sharp enough.

Can Perennial Plants Spread and Become Invasive?

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A lush green ostrich fern thrives in the garden, demonstrating how perennial plants can spread and become invasive.

Perennials are usually more difficult to control than annuals or biennials because they spread both vegetatively and by dispersing seeds. While some are invasive, others take a lot of space. However, perennials considered invasive in one area may not necessarily be invasive in other areas.

Do Raised Beds Attract Termites? Avoid this!

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Close-up photo of crawling termites in a garden raised bed.

Raised beds do attracts termites and cause termite infestation. However, said infestation is heavily dependent on several conditions, such as the wood you used, the moisture levels of the raised bed itself as well as the general area of your garden, and the placement of the gardening bed.

How to Use Boiling Water to Kill Weeds

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A close-up photo of a kettle releasing steam as boiling water pours out, demonstrating the use of boiling water on killing weeds.

If you want to use a natural alternative to get rid of weeds, boiling water can be used. The easiest method is to pour the boiling water over the weeds and ensure it penetrates the ground where the weeds are growing. Then cover your hands and carry the pot over to the designated area and pour over the weeds.

How to Rotate Crops in Raised Beds

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A photo of several garden raised beds in a lush garden. Each bed is filled with different crops, demonstrating the practice of rotating crops on garden beds.

Rotating your crops in a raised bed involves organization and refraining from planting a given family of plants in the same area each year. Soil is rested as different nutrients are utilized depending on the plants being grown. It also helps microbe diversity.

How To Stake a Raised Garden Bed in 11 Steps

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A photo of raised garden beds with a sturdy stake placed in one of them, ready for supporting plants. The raised garden bed stake ensures proper plant growth and stability.

Staking a raised garden bed involves driving stakes into the corners of the bed to keep the box secure.  The stakes support the raised garden bedsides and help keep the garden bed from slipping, which is important if you install it with an incline.

Why Do Weeds Grow Faster Than Grass? (Solved)

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A person in a garden, pulling out weeds. The photo illustrates the question of why weeds grow faster than grass.

Weeds tend to grow faster than grass in your lawn or garden because:

Most weeds have a short life cycle ranging between 5-6 weeks. Thus, they cover their life cycle from seedling to flowering in a short time.

Weeds sprout from existing seeds or root systems in the soil. Dormant root systems store a lot of energy which enhances the fast growth of weeds in spring.

Weeds are often native plants in the ecosystem they thrive in, which further facilitates their growth compared to grass and other desirable plants which may not be native.

What Happens To Grass If We Don’t Cut It?

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A photo depicting a field of tall, uncut grass swaying gently in the wind, with sunlight filtering through. The grass reaches waist-height and showcases the natural beauty of untrimmed vegetation. This image illustrates what happens to grass if we don't cut it.

Grass grows taller and forms clumps, The stems turn woody, and the grass pushes out a seed head. This creates patchy areas within the lawn. Nutrients are used and not replaced, and this provides the appropriate conditions for weeds to germinate. Eventually, the lawn will be overrun by weeds and return to a natural state.

How to Kill Japanese Knotweed?

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A vibrant image of a lush Japanese knotweed plant in full bloom, standing tall and robust. Its vibrant green leaves are heart-shaped and its stem is reddish-brown. The plant grows aggressively, requiring immediate action to kill Japanese knotweed.

Japanese Knotweed can be killed by using a multi pronged approach of the following 5 methods.

Digging out the rhizomes. This removes the food source for the plant to continue to grow.
Smother The Plant. Laying tarps over the plant removes the light. The plant cannot photosynthesize.
Cut the plant regularly. Each time you cut the plant, it has to use energy to produce top growth. This weakens the root system.
Inject herbicide directly into the rhizome. This will help destroy the plant’s root system; a licensed company should perform it.
Burn all clippings of Japanese Knotweed. The smallest piece of this plant has the ability to infest new locations.

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