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Starting Your Own Vegetable Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

There is something very satisfying about growing your own vegetables. Picking ripe tomatoes for a salad or steaming fresh broccoli from your garden not only gives you fantastic-tasting food but provides a sense of accomplishment from consuming something you took time and care to cultivate. If you are new to the experience, you can assemble a thriving garden quickly. All you need is a little knowledge, and here are the steps to get you started.

Select a Spot for Your Garden

There are only a few requirements when choosing an ideal location for your garden. The primary goal is to pick a location with full sun where all the plants can have optimal growing conditions. It is also essential to have convenient access so that you can give your garden the regular attention it needs. Additionally, try to choose a spot that is level. It will make the garden easier to maintain and allow you to create a healthy environment for growing vegetables.

Plan Your Layout

The design you choose for your garden is as important as the location. The layout should be designed for both aesthetics and functionality. The primary concern is creating optimal conditions for the vegetables you grow. A simple and casual garden can have wide rows that make fertilizing, watering and harvesting a snap. If you plan on growing a more significant crop, reduce the spacing between rows to allow full use of the area.

Decide What To Grow

Deciding what you want to grow is a satisfying aspect of creating your new garden. You may be inclined to try to grow every vegetable you love, but limiting what you cultivate is essential. Select veggies that are challenging to purchase or concentrate on your favorites. For instance, if you are a tomato lover, expand with multiple varieties. This will ensure you are getting the most personal reward for your efforts.

Choose Seeds or Seedlings

When in the first stages of making a garden, know that using seeds for each plant you grow is only sometimes necessary. Although you may have particular hopes about what you choose to grow, starting your garden solely from seeds can take time and effort. Instead of nurturing tiny plants indoors until they are ready to cultivate outside, you can easily visit a garden center and select young plants already ready to incorporate into your garden.

Pick the Right Soil

A soil rich in nutrients and full of life is ideal for your garden to give the plants you are growing the energy they need to thrive. Inspect the earth and identify its characteristics. Check to see if it is dense, gritty, or dry. You may need to augment it by incorporating organic matter to ensure you provide a healthy environment for your vegetables. The ideal soil should have a rich, dark, moist and crumbly texture.

Prepare for Pests

Of course, you knew this would be a subject to address. Controlling pests is part of the package when you have a garden, but it does not need to be daunting. The last thing you want to do is spray your beautiful vegetables with pesticides. Instead, there are natural methods you can use to help mitigate pests. The first step is to control the weeds. Keep them in check by adding clean straw or mulch around larger plants. Keep pets and other animals out of your garden. Consult your local garden center for pertinent information about dealing with local insects and wildlife.

Get Inspiration to Start Your Amazing Garden Today!

Now that you have a plentiful bounty outside your door, you may be unable to consume everything. Freeze or can some veggies for winter and have fun sharing your efforts with people you know with a fresh basket or casserole. At Red's Home and Garden, we have all the supplies to inspire you and make your garden dreams come true. Contact us today to get in touch with our team of professionals to help you achieve your vision. Grab some tools and get started!

10 Indoor Plants to Boost Your Mood in the Cold Weather

Cold winter weather can make us feel down and out, but incorporating some greenery into our indoor spaces can help boost our moods and bring a touch of nature into our homes. Indoor plants not only improve air quality and add aesthetic appeal, but they can also positively impact our mental health. Here are ten indoor plants that can help improve your mood during the cold winter.

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

Snake plants are known for their air-purifying abilities and are also believed to reduce stress and anxiety. The Snake Plant, also known as Sansevieria, is an extremely versatile and low-maintenance indoor plant. Not only is it known for its air-purifying abilities and helping to remove toxins from the air, but it also thrives in a wide range of light conditions, from low light to bright indirect light, which makes it perfect for any spot in your home. Additionally, it has been known to survive for weeks (if not months!) on end with little water, making it a great option for those who may forget to water their plants regularly.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)

Spider Plant, also known as Chlorophytum comosum, is an easy-to-grow indoor plant known for its air-purifying abilities and ability to improve humidity levels in a room. They are also known for their unique and fascinating appearance, with long, arching leaves and small white flowers. They are especially known for the small "spiderettes" that grow on the end of long stems and can easily be propagated to create new plants.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a popular succulent plant that is known for its medicinal properties, as well as its ability to improve air quality. Aloe vera gel, found inside the leaves, is used to treat many skin conditions and can be taken orally as a dietary supplement. In addition, Aloe vera is a great air purifier; it helps remove formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. With little maintenance required, Aloe vera plants are a great addition to any household- they only need to be watered every two weeks or so!

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

English Ivy, also known as Hedera helix, is a popular indoor plant known for its ability to improve air quality by reducing pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Additionally, it reduces fatigue, headaches, and dry skin by increasing humidity in the air. As a climbing vine, it can be trained to grow on trellises, walls, or in hanging baskets, providing a natural, green way to add a decorative touch to any room. A very "traditional-looking" plant!

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Boston Fern, also known as Nephrolepis exaltata, is a beautiful and popular indoor or outdoor plant known for its delicate fronds and lush green foliage. It's particularly known for improving air quality by increasing humidity and removing pollutants. Additionally, it is believed to have natural mood-boosting properties and a calming effect, and also to be able to reduce stress levels. They typically prefer moist and shaded environments and require regular misting to thrive. Great for sunrooms!

Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)

Chinese money plants are believed to bring good luck and positive energy to a space and are known for improving air quality. The Chinese Money Plant, also known as Pilea Peperomioides, is a popular indoor plant known for its round, coin-shaped leaves. They prefer moderate to bright indirect light, so it's best to keep them in areas with filtered light (like a kitchen window). They are also known to be relatively low maintenance and easy to care for.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Peace Lily, also known as Spathiphyllum, is a beautiful indoor plant known for its large, glossy green leaves and delicate white flowers. It's believed to have natural calming and soothing properties and to improve air quality by removing pollutants such as ammonia and formaldehyde. They prefer low to moderate light and consistent moisture levels, so they thrive in shady or dimly lit rooms. They are also known to be low maintenance and easy to care for, making them a great option for people new to plant care.

Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)

The Weeping Fig, also known as Ficus Benjamina, is a popular indoor tree known for its elegant, drooping branches and glossy green leaves. They prefer bright, indirect light and consistent moisture levels and can grow quite large, up to 8-10 feet tall. It's important to find the right spot for your weeping fig. Choose a place that has bright but indirect light – a position a few feet from a window is ideal. Make sure the plant is not in a drafty spot or close to the heat of a radiator or heater in winter.

Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

Gerbera Daisy, also known as Gerbera jamesonii, is a popular indoor plant known for its large, brightly-colored flowers in various hues, such as pink, red, yellow, orange, and white. They are believed to improve mood and reduce stress levels by providing a pop of color and cheer to any room. They prefer bright light and consistent moisture, making them a great option for sunny windowsills or well-lit rooms such as the kitchen. They have a moderate watering need and must be kept in well-drained soil to thrive.

Philodendron

Philodendron plants are known to improve air quality and are also believed to reduce stress and anxiety and promote feelings of calm and well-being. Philodendron is a popular indoor plant known for its large, glossy leaves and climbing or trailing habits. They are easy to care for and thrive in a wide range of light conditions, making them a great option for any room in the house. Some of the popular cultivars are Heart leaf, Cordatum, and Selloum. Some are climbing, and others are trailing, which can be great for hanging baskets and other containers. Incorporating indoor plants into our homes can positively impact our moods during the cold winter. These are all great options for improving air quality and reducing stress and anxiety and adding a little life to your home overwinter. Of course, it is important to research the care requirements for each species before making a choice, but many of them are low-maintenance plants that can add a touch of nature and color to any room in your home. Different plants work differently for different people, so it's always good to research the plants and choose the one you feel connected to. Stop into Red's Home & Garden this winter where you'll find a wide variety of indoor plants in our temperature-controlled greenhouse!   

6 Tips To Keep Your Indoor Plants Happy All Winter Long

During the cold, dry months of winter, you've probably noticed that your houseplants struggle. Thanks to low-light conditions and a lack of humidity, it can be a challenge to keep your leafy friends looking their best. However, the following indoor plant tips can ensure that your plants look green and healthy throughout the winter season.

Increase Humidity

When the temperatures drop, you turn your home's heater on, which is good for keeping you warm and toasty but bad for the health of your plants. Your heating system dries out the air in your home, and most houseplants are tropical and prefer humidity. If you notice droopy or limp leaves, you need to find a way to increase the humidity in your home or at least in the vicinity of your plants.   There are a couple of ways you can do this. You can run the heat less often and utilize a humidifier, or you can place your plants' pots on a tray of pebbles covered in a shallow layer of water. As the water evaporates, it creates humidity that your plants will love.

Avoid Repotting

During the winter, your plants are working hard just to survive, so they become stressed and stop growing. This is normal and not a cause for concern, but you should avoid repotting your plants until the spring. Repotting in the winter adds even more stress and can be too much for even the hardiest of houseplants to handle. If you find a new pot at the store that you just have to have, either slide the plant, existing pot and all, into the new one or simply wait until conditions are better to repot.

Wait To Fertilize

In a similar vein, houseplants do not need fertilizer during the winter, since they are not pushing any new growth. Most plants that are kept in homes are native to other parts of the world and have adapted to conditions in which they do not have access to nutrients during a portion of the year. It can be tempting to want to feed your plants in the winter, especially if they start looking a little sad. However, be sure to hold off until spring when they're ready to take off again.

Check for Drafts

If you have plants on a windowsill or shelves near a window or door, be sure to check for drafts. The cold air can damage the plants and cause them to lose leaves or even die altogether. Remember that glass gets very cold in the winter as well, so make sure that no leaves are touching a window.

Cut Back on Watering

Overwatering your plants is just as bad, if not worse, than not watering enough. Excess water can lead to root rot and a mushy, dead houseplant. During the winter, your plants do not need nearly as much water as they did during the rest of the year. A good rule of thumb is to water your plant thoroughly and then wait until the top inch or so of soil is completely dry.

Find the Light

Because the days are shorter and your plants will have less light during the winter, you may need to move things around to give them as much light as possible. If you normally have them near a north-facing window, move them to a south or west-facing window so that they can soak up the sunlight and stay happy. These indoor plant tips should be enough to keep your collection of houseplants happy all winter long, whether you have one plant or 50. You'll be glad that you have something green to look at when it's cold and gray outside, so take good care of them! If you need a new plant, check out the selection at Red's Home & Garden.
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