Hapeful Gardening Tips from Experts

The 'in word' is green. Paper (recycled), nonchemical pesticides, herbicides, and all those products that have the 'white arrow triangle' are considered GREEN and using them will reduce your carbon footprint on our planet. 

However, this GREEN movement comes at a high price, so I have decided to offer an alternative lower cost for organic pesticides that one can manufacture at home.

Numero Uno on the organic pesticides is garlic. Technically garlic is not a pesticide because it does not usually kill but repels many pests. These pests simply do not like the taste or smell. There are two methods for garlic application. One, you plant garlic around other plants, and this would keep many pests off. For example, planted around tomatoes, it can prevent red spider mites. Incidentally, salt water spray is also effective for red spider mites. Garlic around fruit trees can repel borer beetles whose larvae would bore into your tree trunk, damaging or even killing the tree.

Secondly, an organic pest control spray from garlic blended with water or oil, sprayed directly on growing vegetables or flowers prevents rabbits and other invaders from snacking on your plants. Using an oil mixture and sprayed onto ponds or any collection of stagnant water will form a film on the surface of the water that can kill mosquitoes.

A common product found in most households until recent years is boric acid. One can still purchase it at drugstores or online. It is a natural product mined in the Mojave Desert. Boric acid has antifungal properties that can be used to get rid of mildew and other molds and fungi. As a power, it is very effective against ants, termites, ticks, fleas, bedbugs, slugs, earwigs, beetles, roaches and even scorpions. Not to forget, it will terminate crickets and grasshoppers.

A side note, boric acid is mildly toxic to humans or pets. It is not more dangerous than table salt. A pet would have to eat a lot to suffer symptoms and humans much more. Remember, it is not for internal use by humans and should not be used excessively on plants that pets will lick or eat.

Liquid detergent and others can be effectively sprayed onto roses and other plants that are infested with aphids or small fly infestations. Quite effective against slugs. For the old one, two knockout punch add equal quantities of hot chili peppers, horseradish(roots and leaves), spearmint and green onion tops to your soap water.

I must state that most of the homemade organic pest control concoctions we use do not kill the insects or other pests; rather, prevent them from coming near your plants. The exception, boric acid which is truly a pesticide.

In keeping with the theme pest control, another aspect is companion planting where one plants certain vegetables and herbs the have protective qualities in the garden. Their proximity to each other appears to fend off harmful pests. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable with food crops. Vegetables can be protected from the most damaging pest threats by planting them close to specific types of vegetables or herbs.

The keyword here is allelopathy.

Source of Information on Organic Pesticides

TN Nurseries best selling perennial plants

Trilliums

Daisy

Daylilies

Daffodils

Geraniums

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Yellow Trillium - TN Nursery

Yellow Trillium

Yellow Trillium is a showy spring-blooming wildflower with golden, three-petaled flowers and mottled leaves, typically found in woodlands and forests. They are an excellent choice for landscaping due to their numerous positive attributes. These beautiful native North American wildflowers possess unique characteristics that can enhance any garden or outdoor space. From their striking appearance to their role in promoting biodiversity, they offer various benefits for landscape design. Yellow Trillium, also known as Trillium luteum, is a member of the lily family. They bloom between April and May and produce a faint scent of lemon. Due to their growing pattern, these gorgeous flowers can be planted next to other perennials that bloom in mid to late summer. The Stunning Leaves Of The Yellow Trillium Each of these plants has three leaves, and they range in appearance from dark green to light green. Additionally, they may have a few hints of silver, which gives them an extra pop of color. Over time, these herbaceous perennials can grow up to 16 inches tall. You'll see yours grow and expand, but you can divide them during the summer. One trimerous flower sticks up out of the trio of leaves surrounding it. In keeping with the pattern of its leaves, the flower has three petals, three carpels, three stamens, and three sepals. Interestingly, these flowers do not have stalks, but they do have erect petals. Once their flowering season ends, these plants will dormant in the summertime. However, they'll exit dormancy for the late winter season. One Yellow Trillium Gives You Many They are self-seeders, so once you've planted the first one, you'll typically see others rise. They rely on ants to help them spread their seeds. Each new flower will grow beautifully from the plant's center and stick straight into the air. Meanwhile, the leaves grow outward and may slightly swoop toward the ground. The mottled leaves can vary in intensity, with some being primarily green while a light gray shade almost entirely covers others. They provide the perfect backdrop for these stunning light gold flowers. Yellow Trillium Can Be Planted Anywhere Although Yellow Trillium can be planted anywhere, they have a unique natural habitat. They typically grow around the Great Smoky Mountains, where they help bring light and beauty to the area. What's truly unusual, though, is how many will naturally arise in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It's unknown why they flock to this specific city, but it certainly provides a bright point of interest for those living there.

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Oxeye Daisy - TN Nursery

Oxeye Daisy

Oxeye Daisy is a perennial wildflower with white, daisy-like flowers featuring yellow centers and deeply lobed leaves, often found in meadows and fields, adding charm to natural landscapes. It's known for its radiant white petals and sunny yellow center. It is a charming perennial with numerous landscaping benefits. Its innate qualities make it a popular choice among gardeners and landscapers alike. Oxeye Daisy, which blooms single or in clusters from May through September, can reach a height of three feet on their tall, thick individual stems. The flowers they produce are multiple flowers in one. 15 to 35 white (ray flower) petals surround the flower head, which consists of 400 to 500 yellow disk flowers. This flower's distinctive feature is its enormous, spherical blossom head. Each bloom can reach up to three inches in diameter. When full-grown, these plants can get up to two feet wide. Once established, you'll likely always have daisies since they are so good at self-seeding. Oxeye Daisy Has Unique Foliage  This plant has dark green, spoon-shaped leaves that taper into narrow, serrated ones as they grow up the stem. The enormous leaves appear around the plant's base; they are about six inches long and two inches wide and have as many as 15 lobed edges. The top leaves are thin, alternately placed, and sometimes clasp against the stem. These clasping leaves, which are one to four inches long, also have lobed edges. Typically, a leaf's number of teeth or lobed edges increases as it grows higher on the stalk. Save The Pollinators With Oxeye Daisy The oxeye daisy is the most significant type. Pollen and nectar found in these flowers are essential for the survival of several pollinating insects, such as moths, beetles, butterflies, hoverflies, and beetles. The male disk flowers emit a ring of yellow pollen around the periphery, while the many tiny flowers that compose the flower's yellow center contain nectar. Adding these flowers to your yard or garden is a perfect way to lure pollinators and increase their biodiversity. Oxeye Daisy Attracts Good Bugs These plants are magnets for good bugs, such as pollen-feeding beetles, which eat nasty bugs like aphids. Animals like cattle stay away from areas with these flowers because they irritate the wildlife's lips, nostrils, and legs. These characteristics make the plant an excellent form of pest and wildlife control.

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Orange Daylily - TN Nursery

Orange Daylily

Orange Daylily has trumpet-shaped orange flowers that form dense clusters atop slender stems. It is a vibrant and versatile flowering plant with numerous landscaping benefits. Its striking appearance, adaptability, and low-maintenance qualities make it famous for various garden designs. These benefits contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal and functionality of outdoor spaces. The plant provides a vertical element that adds dimension and depth to garden compositions. The vibrant blooms add color to landscapes, creating eye-catching focal points instantly attracting attention. They are flowering perennial bulbs that are named for the day-long lifespan of their blossoms. Europeans brought this carefree ornamental daily to North America in the 1800s, which has remained popular ever since. Orange Daylily Native Habitat Native to China and Japan, Hemerocallis fulva is naturalized in Europe and throughout much of North America. It grows naturally in thickets, along woodland borders, and in fields, meadows, and floodplains. When left unchecked, the plants tend to spread. They typically bloom in July and August and come back year after year. Appearance Of Orange Daylily Hemerocallis fulva has showy, bright-orange flowers that bloom in clusters at the top of two-to-three-foot-tall branched stalks. The four-to-six-inch-diameter blossoms open individually, revealing three flared petals and three slightly smaller sepals shaded with red or gold. The plants grow in clumps, with straplike foliage that emerges from just above the soil. These narrow, bright green leaves grow up to three feet long and arch toward the ground, creating a mounded look. If you want to add bold, breezy color to your lawn during the height of summer, planting Hemerocallis fulva in clumps or along the edges of your property border can do the trick. This flower looks brilliant when planted in mass over larger areas and is wonderfully suited to informal meadows and hillside landscapes. It's also well-suited to smaller butterfly and pollinator gardens. After the blooming season, the plant's pretty green leaves will continue to add texture to your yard and can even make a serviceable ground cover. You can quickly propagate daylilies by dividing and replanting them in the spring or fall. Ecology Of Orange Daylily In North America, Orange Daylily can be a food source for pollinators. The flowers provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, and small bees may collect pollen from their anthers. In springtime, white-tailed deer and rabbits may enjoy eating the plant's leaves when they are young and tender. When you want to celebrate the summer sunshine, planting Hemerocallis fulva is a great way to draw the eye and brighten your day.

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Daffodil Plant - TN Nursery

Daffodil Plant

The Daffodil Plant is a Spring-blooming, trumpet-shaped flower characterized by its vibrant yellow or white petals and central trumpet-like corona. It adds a burst of color to gardens and landscapes. The plant's vibrant colors, from sunny yellows to pastel lemon, create striking visual displays that brighten any outdoor area. Daffodils are famous for being yellow, but there are all kinds of other colors, as well, including white, orange, and even pink. They also feature varieties with more than one of these colors. Therefore, they can form a splendid and colorful swash throughout any garden. They have adorned gardens for thousands of years. Indeed, the Greek name is Narcissus. Currently, it's the national flower of Wales. They've been harbingers of the coming of spring throughout their existence, and because they're perennials, each plant does the same for many years throughout its life cycle. They'll anchor your garden through spring and summer as long-lasting blooms, drawing people's gaze to their grace and beauty. The Blooming Trumpet The Daffodil Plant Before they bloom, the trumpet of the mature bloom is covered in a waxy shell called a spathe. The spathe is delicate and reflects the entire light spectrum when covered in morning dew. Not every daffodil forms a trumpet, however. They form two kinds of cups: charming double blooms and what's known as the jonquil, which is a beautiful two-toned bloom. Generally, there are two kinds of jonquils: one with primarily white petals and yellow accents and one that's the opposite. Such flowers that sport two exquisite colors can act as a transition between sections of the garden. The Daffodil Plant Can Reach 3 Feet Tall They can grow almost to 3 feet tall and a foot wide. Their mature leaves are tall and straight and only sag toward the end of the growing season at the beginning of August. They last more than a month through the heart of the summer, lending their multicolored cheek to any garden. Because they thrive in containers as much as in the open, they're a terrific accent for window sills, porches, patios, and decks, bringing their polychromatic cheeriness to every part of the garden and the whole property. Partners for Daffodil Plant The bright yellow of the plant pairs very well with other garden residents, including the Northern Blue Star with its deep blue and indigo blooms and the vibrant red of roses or dahlias. The color palette is nearly endless when considering them fresh, with fabulous flexibility.

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wild geranium - TN Nursery

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium is a native perennial plant with deeply lobed, palmate leaves and delicate, pink to lavender flowers that resemble small crane's bills. It is often found in woodlands and meadows and offers several positive landscaping uses. Its natural beauty, adaptability, and ecological benefits make it a valuable addition to gardens and naturalistic landscapes. Wild geranium is proof that great things can come in small packages. Its flowers may only be about an inch, but their delightful display always wins smiles. Interestingly, this plant offers showy leaves and blooms. Characteristics Of Wild Geranium Formally known as the geranium maculatum, these woodland perennials produce hairy, unbranched stems that can stretch up to 24 inches in height. They are generally either green or reddish. The visually compelling leaves are vibrant green, toothed, and deeply palmately lobed. Most feature five lobes, but some have seven. These leaves measure between three and six inches in length and width. The leaves at the bottom are larger and have coarse hairs. Those at the top of the plant are more delicate and have finer hair. What Do the Flowers of Wild Geranium Look Like They bloom in late spring or early summer. Each upright stem produces a cluster of two to five blooms. The saucer-shaped flowers generally measure one inch in size but can reach up to three inches. They are composed of five petals. In addition, they have ten yellow stamens and five green sepals that encircle their pistils. What Color Blooms Does Wild Geranium Produce They are in shades of pink or lavender. However, whites, blues, reds, and burgundies are also possible. While the flowers may appear solid at first glance, a closer look will often reveal that darker lines run from the bloom's center to the edge of the petal. Many popular flowers have multiple names, and these gorgeous gems are no exception. Why are they called cranesbills? The explanation may seem hard to spot, but a look at their picturesque seed pods can be revealing. After Wild Geraniums bloom, they produce a charming fruit capsule. It has a long, central column, which imaginative people say resembles a crane's bill. Five basal cells with seeds form the rest of the crane's head. Colorful and full of cheer, wild geraniums are fantastic additions to any garden. They work well in mass plantings and borders and attract pollinators, butterflies, and songbirds.

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