5 Uncommon Ways To Use Common Salt In The Garden

5 Uncommon Ways To Use Common Salt In The Garden

Salt is a must have in the kitchen but do you know it can be used in the garden, too! Here are the 5 best common salt uses for you to look at.

1. Kill Poison Ivy

Poison ivy can cause itchy rashes and painful blisters. Use salt water to kill the poison ivy. Dissolve 1 cup of salt in 1 gallon of hot water. Spray this mixture onto the leaves and stems of poison ivy.

2. Kill Weeds

Common salt can be used for killing weeds. To make this salt weed killer, boil 1 quart of water, dissolve 5 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt. After mixing, pour this solution over the weeds between the cracks on sidewalks and driveways.

3. Deter Ants

Ants can be destructive in the garden and kill many beneficial insects including earthworms. Just sprinkle common salt in areas near ant trails to help deter them.

4. Kill Slugs

Sprinkle a heavy dose of salt on slugs to kill them.

5. Remove Rust

If rust is taking over your garden tools, metal furniture, and other iron things, use salt. Rust is always a pain to remove, but if you have got a little bit of lemon juice and some salt, you can create a paste that pulls it out pretty well.

7 Excellent Ideas for Using Eggshells in the Garden

7 Excellent Ideas for Using Eggshells in the Garden

Eggs are an inexpensive and most effective source of protein you eat, but do you know eggshells are useful too? Using eggshells in the garden is possible.

Egg shells are composed of more than 95% of minerals. Mainly calcium carbonate (37%), which is an essential element required for plant’s growth. For your surprise, eggshells also consists magnesium, potassium, iron and phosphorus in good quantity. To this, these are added with 3.3% protein and a trace element manganese. If all these reasons are not enough to satiate you from not throwing your egg shells, you should know that egg shells also deter some pests like slugs and snails away.

1. Composting

Whether raw shells resulting from omelet or the preparation of a delicious cake, or even shells cooked for boiled eggs, they can join your compost bin. But before dropping them off to your compost bin, finely crumble the shells. All their minerals then be find in your soil. In addition, the eggshells neutralize the pH level of the compost you made from them. One thing you should remember that eggshells do not make the soil alkaline but neutralize it.

2. Barrier against the pesky crawlersslug

Coarsely crumbled, egg shells form an effective barrier against soft bodied garden pests like snails and slugs that eat your plants. They do not risk through this sharp and uncomfortable jagged shells.

To do this, encircle roughly crushed layer of eggshells around the plants that are sensitive to such pests.

3. Seedlings Germination

This is one of the most popular ideas on eggshells you should try out immediately, using them to germinate seedlings. At the bottom of each half shell, do a small hole, for drainage. Fill it with meager amount of soil and sow seeds.

When the seedlings are big enough and require transplanting, simply crack the shells from beneath and plant them.

4. Disease Free Healthy Tomatoes

While planting tomatoes, place a handful of coarsely crumbled eggshells in the bottom. This will provide a good amount of minerals and trace elements to a tomato plant in all of its growing season slowly and steadily.

This will also help in healthy growth of tomato plant and develop its resistance to diseases, especially against blossom end rot occurs due to lack of calcium.

5. Natural Fertilizer

You can also use eggshells as mineral fertilizer directly. For this you will need to crumble or grind shells as thinly as possible, then spread this powder at the surface of your crop or ornamental plants and incorporate the soil by a light scratching.

Your plants will thank you for this natural mineral intake and it’ll also help them in recovering calcium deficiency. This fertilizer is also suitable for indoor plants. Eggshell fertilizer is good for olives, oleander, zucchini and tomatoes.

6. In Chives

This one is certainly recommendable, especially if you are growing chives in a pot. Drop handful of crushed eggshells around the roots, these will decompose gradually and provide calcium, which chives likes so much.

7. Eggshells for Mulching

Use eggshells for mulching, inexpensive and effective way to mulch the plants. One more advantage is that eggshells look like pebbles from far and add decorative element if you spread them on pots.

Pond in a Pot: Create a Container Water Garden

Pond in a Pot: Create a Container Water Garden

Do you want to add a water feature in your small garden? If yes, then create a pond in a pot. Learn how to make a container water garden full of water lilies and irises blooming, fountains bubbling and fishes swimming.

Pond in a pot is a combination of potted plants. It is easy to maintain and needs less care. You can arrange plants whenever and wherever you like.

Choose a container

Take as large as you can, a tub, bowl or container, whichever you can use. Ceramic and Plastic containers of 15-25 gallons are best or use your old wash tub, porcelain container, old wine box or whiskey barrel (check out its leakage). Choose Container painted with dark color from inside by this your pond will look more spacious and deep. If possible take container more than 16 inches wide and 10 inches deep.

Decide place for it

Your container water garden will provide a serene ambiance to garden so place it wisely after deciding, whether the source of water is near to it or not and it will receive sunshine of about six hours but shade in afternoon or not, then you will need to check its how it’s looking from different angles. It can become a beautiful focal point of your garden.

Plants you need

Choose three to five plants according to the size of your container, take different types of aquatic plants: Erect plants like ‘yellow flag iris’ and cattail, floating plants like water hyacinth and broad leaf plants like giant arrowhead or calla lily.

If your container’s size is more than the diameter of 16 inches and 10 inches deep (ideal size), then you can grow deep water plants like lotus and water-lily, too. These aquatic plants need at least 10 inches of water over their roots and some space to spread their foliage.

Setting up your water garden

Once you’re done with choosing container, placing it in suitable spot and picking plants, you’re ready to set up your pond in a pot. Just fill up the container with general tap water and dip the potted plants you’ve bought. All you need is to place them up in certain depths of container, for this use bricks to vary height to make a picturesque arrangement, see the diagram below for better insight. You can also install fountain and add fish in pond.

Maintenance

It is easier than planting in grounds: no need to worry about soil, over watering and weeds. Partial shade and moderate temperature is optimum for the growth of water plants. Restore water after every couple of days. Algae is the problem and to prevent this, paint dark color inside your container and occasionally drain the water when decomposed matter populate on the bottom.

Mosquitoes can be a problem too; to avoid their larvae to thrive install bubbler or fountain or add gold fishes.

Additional Tips

In colder parts to overwinter it, you have to keep it indoor.

Use plants in diversity but don’t overcrowd.

For fishes, you need to de-chlorinate water using chlorine removal tablets.

24 Best Vines for Containers | Climbing Plants For Pots

24 Best Vines for Containers | Climbing Plants For Pots

Add a vertical touch in your container garden by growing climbing plants for containers. Must see these 24 best vines for pots.

The climbing plants in pots can bring a real touch of nature to any place, and they are a good way to add some privacy, too. These plants will create a nest of greenery where you can relax and rejuvenate and harbor in the mild soothing fragrance and lively colors.

1. Ivy

Ivy is one of the best climbers for containers. Its ability to adapt to all types of position makes it a great choice for beginners. It can grow up to 80 feet high and its evergreen foliage remains green even in winters. Plant it in a container that is wide and shallow rather than narrow and deep.

2. Morning Glory

Morning glories are a good option and one of the best creepers or vines for containers. This old-fashioned plant is easy to grow.

3. Clematis

Clematis is the perfect plant to add vertical height and interest to any container garden. Plant clematis in a large container. Fertilize this plant regularly and make sure to always water it thoroughly and deeply.

4. Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper’s foliage turn into a beautiful red in the autumn. You can also grow it in a pot, even on a balcony. It improves privacy! To grow this, find a really big container and provide sturdy support of a trellis.

5. Climbing Hydrangea

Climbing hydrangea is a great option. It is shade tolerant and thrives best in semi-shaded positions. This plant needs a large pot of about of the size of the half of a barrel.

6. Trumpet vine

This big (up to 40 ft.) and a fast growing vine is considered as a weed in some parts due to its invasiveness. Despite the fact, this plant is famous for its trumpet-shaped flowers that come in shades of yellow to red and attract hummingbirds. Trumpet vine is more suitable for warm temperates, still it can acclimatize and grow in cooler regions if the protection from cold is provided in winter.

7. Bougainvillea

The bougainvillea is not a vine but a climbing shrub, it is easy to grow, colorful and controllable. You can grow it to give a tropical touch to your container garden. As bougainvillea is a tropical plant, the protection in winter is required in temperate zones.

8. Honeysuckle

There are about 180 different varieties of honeysuckle available as vines and creepers and can be grown diversely in a variety of climates. Most of the honeysuckle varieties are evergreen in warmer climates. When growing honeysuckle, place the plant in full sun and do a regular watering. Occasional feeding with balanced fertilizer is enough.

9. Wisteria

Wisteria is one the most popular vines and it grows best in moderately cool climate. It can become huge, however, by providing solid support to the wisteria vine and some space you can grow it in a container, too. Also, it is required that you transplant this plant time to time into one size bigger pot. 

10. Common Jasmine

Truly the most fragrant flower. Even its heady fragrance is sometimes too much for some people. The Jasminum Officinalis is easy to grow in containers and requires well-draining soil and warmth to thrive. The plant usually blooms in summer but in tropics, jasmines are evergreen and in flower most of the year.

11. Confederate Jasmine

Confederate jasmine is a robust plant. It has moderate watering needs and doesn’t mind the hot and humid weather. Similar to other jasmines, it also likes warm climate and exposure to the sun. The beautiful star-shaped flowers appear in clusters. This vine is suitable for containers as it only grows up to 20 ft. long.

12. Climbing Rose

Climbing roses bloom prolifically, many varieties have a pleasant rosy scent. Consider the overall mature size of the variety that you are going to grow and the time you can devote to it, as roses require care and maintenance. Prune the plant on time and regularly remove the faded flowers to keep it in an attractive appearance.

13. Mandevilla

Mandevilla is an eye catcher. With proper care and an optimal location to enjoy the graceful, funnel-shaped flowers of this plant appear all summer. However, Mandevilla requires warm climate to thrive but you can still grow it as an annual in cooler zones.

14. Cup and Saucer Vine

Cup and saucer vine is a fast growing abundant flowering plant that is native to Mexico. It blooms prolifically but to do this the plant needs an optimal bright location. In temperates, you can grow it either as an annual or protect the plant from winter by keeping it indoors.

15. Passion Flower

One of the most beautiful privacy protection plant for a container garden. If you prefer an exotic flair and extraordinary flowers, the passion flower is a right choice for you. It is important that you provide it sufficient sun. The passion flower is slightly frost resistant, but it should spend its time in a really favorable spot in the winters.

16. Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan is a perennial vine that requires a sunny place and a trellis to climb on. This period flowering climbing plant can reach a height of over two meters with good care! Thus, the Black-eyed Susan is ideal if you want color and privacy in your container garden.

17. Dutchman’s Pipe

If you are looking for an unusual plant for your container garden, plant the dutchman’s pipe. The lush, large and heart-shaped foliage also provide interest apart from flowers that have a mildly unpleasant odor. Growing this unique plant as a perennial is only possible in warm subtropical or tropical climates. Everywhere else (as the plant is not frost tolerant) it must be grown in a greenhouse or indoors.

18. Butterfly Pea

Butterfly pea is a tropical vine and grows best in a cold temperate zone, grow this perennial as an annual. Plant it in a medium to a large sized container with a trellis to climb on from the initial stage.

19. Moonflower

Moonflower is an amazing night blooming plant with large trumpet-shaped fragrant flowers. Place the pot near your patio or bedroom window to enjoy its fragrance in the night but make sure the place receives morning sun and light afternoon shade. Deadhead or remove the spent blooms to encourage more flowers.

20. Asarina Scandens

Asarina, which is also known as climbing snapdragon is perfect for growing in containers as it seldom exceeds the height of 8-10 feet. Many hybrid cultivars available in the shade of different colors. You can also use this vine in hanging baskets or as a groundcover. Asarina is more a warm climate plant and often grown as an annual in temperates.

21. Canary Creeper

Let this annual vine ramble up on a trellis and it will award you with its showy yellow flowers that look unmatchable. The canary creeper has long blooming period from summer to fall and even more in subtropical warm regions where it is perennial.

22. Sweet Pea

Grow sweet peas in warm zones in fall and winter. In temperates, plant this fragrant vine in spring or summer. When growing in containers choose bush type varieties.

23. Sweet Autumn Clematis

Sweet autumn clematis vine forms masses of amazingly fragrant flowers from late summer to fall (autumn). You can grow this vine diversely in both the cold and warm climates. Also, in subtropical and tropical climates if shade from afternoon sun is provided.

24. Snail Vine

This beautiful tropical vine has rare snail-like fragrant flowers that are white in the beginning and later unfurl to lavender pink. However, it’s easy to grow snail vine in non-tropical zones but the plant dies in winter and returns again in the spring.

24 Best Drought Tolerant Plants That Grow In Lack Of Water

24 Best Drought Tolerant Plants That Grow In Lack Of Water


All plants need water to survive. However, like plants that require more water, there are plants that grow in a lack of water. They are the best drought tolerant plants and can live without water for a long time.


1. Agave

Agaves store water in their thick foliage and send their roots deep below the soil surface to collect the water available. The Leaf has sharp edges. Landscapers often use agave due to the interesting shape of their foliage and of course, they are low care and drought tolerant plants.


2. Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a champion in tolerating the drought. It seems to be one of the toughest shrubs that thrive on neglect in extreme and intense conditions. This colorful plant is easy to grow too.


3. Portulaca

Moss rose or “Portulaca” is a drought-tolerant flowering plant that thrives in dry, poor soil. Due to its thick succulent leaves, it can survive for a long time without water. It comes in a variety of colors and requires warmth to thrive.


4. Lithops

Lithops are unique stone like succulent plants due to the reason they are also known as “Living stones”. Lithops are suitable houseplants, with very low watering requirements they are easy to keep.


5. Blanket Flower “Gaillardia”

The blanket flower has no special needs. Anyone without a green thumb can make it bloom prolifically. All it really want is a sunny spot and occasional watering spells. It blooms all summer long and also in the fall. It is possible to grow this plant in both cold and warm tropical climates.


6. Verbena

Verbena is an excellent ground cover that spreads rapidly and thrives in high heat and a little water. It comes in many colors and blooms in clusters from spring to fall (year round in warm climates). It needs full sun and well-drained soil. Verbena grows diversely in both temperate and tropical climates.


7. Lantana

Lantana is a hardy tropical plant grown for its fragrant colorful flowers. Although it blooms throughout the spring and summer, in warmer areas it has year round flowers. The lantana loves heat and drought, a less demanding plant and can be grown in any soil type. Its flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. This plant is also easy to grow in pots.


8. Wallflower

Known for the beautiful colors and sweet aroma, the wallflowers are short-lived perennials in warmer regions, others are annuals (in colder regions) or biennials that resist drought well and require occasional watering. Flowers appear in spring and summer in clusters. Put your wallflower plant in a sunny or partially shaded place and remember not to water it much.


9. Oleander

Oleander is a tropical shrub that blooms prolifically. It produces beautiful fragrant flowers of different colors, like yellow, pink, red, white and purple. Oleander is known to adapt well to hot and dry climates and grows very well in coastal areas. It prefers full sun but doesn’t mind a few hours of shade too.


10. Rock Soapwort

Also known as “Tumbling ted“, a good semi-evergreen ground cover that blooms in summer. It is native to the mountainous regions, it is relatively cold hardy and doesn’t grow well in hot climates. Grow this plant if you’re searching for the one that thrives on neglect, requires no fertilizers and perform well in poor soil in the drought-like conditions.


11. Sage

This perennial, drought-resistant herb is famous for its aromatic flavor. The best time to grow is when the weather starts to warm up after the frost (and when there is abundant sunshine). Sage has low watering requirements and overwatering can kill the plant quickly.


12. Poppy

Thanks to the vibrant colors, poppies are the biggest attraction in any garden or in a patio. To grow poppies all you need is a sufficient exposure to sun and low to moderate watering.


13. Lavender Cotton

This mound forming shrub has grey-green foliage and pretty button like flower heads that appear in summer. Grow this plant in a well-draining, loamy soil in full sun.


14. Sedum

Known for its resistance to drought, it is sufficient to water it once a week in the spring and summer and, if require, once a month in winter. This plant grows well in all soil types and prefers plenty of light and sunshine.


There are many sedum varieties available and almost all of them are low maintenance. You can choose the flowering ones or those with variegated foliage.


15. Adenium

Also known as “Desert rose”, adenium is a tropical succulent plant that requires occasional watering. Adenium requires full sun and heat to thrive, however, it can also be grown as a houseplant in colder climates.


16. Lavender

This unmistakable flowering herb is a beautiful perennial and needs no introduction. It is easy to grow and tolerant of heat and drought and offers the perfect combination of color and aroma. You can also plant it in the pot, just be sure the pot has good drainage because the plant can not tolerate excess water. Learn more about growing lavender here.


17. Rock Daisy

There are several genera of plants in the daisy family that are called “Rock daisy“. They are most suitable for the rock gardens, these flowering plants thrive well in neglect and in the lack of water.


18. Globe Thistle

Once established, globe thistles tolerate drought and are probably one of the easiest perennial you can have in your garden and once in bloom, they are one of the most exciting (prickly though) plants you can see. The flowers appear in blue or violet colors (depending on the variety) from summer to early fall.


19. Rose Campion

Rose campion is one of the drought tolerant plants that are easy to grow. This plant is also admired for its silvery green foliage. A rose campion requires only supplemental watering during prolong dry periods.


20. Red Valerian

This drought tolerant plant has fragrant round clusters of flowers that appear from late spring the plant is also complemented by the fleshy blue-green foliage. Once established, the plant needs occasional watering and is relatively low care.


21. Euphorbia

Most of the plants from the euphorbia genus tolerates the scarcity of water easily and don’t require special attention. The plants from this genus are found in almost every part of the world, from short living annuals to tall perennials.


22. Russian Sage

Russian sage is truly an admirable plant due to its silvery foliage and beautiful plumes of lavender color flowers. This tough and drought resistant plant must be planted in a position that is sunny and well-drained.


23. Yarrow

Yarrow has small, tightly packed showy flowers. This hardy perennial also has fern-like decorative foliage. Yarrows are low maintenance plant and suitable for borders, wildflower meadows, and rock gardens. Growing yarrow requires position that is sunny, and well-draining loamy soil.


24. Cactuses and Succulents

Not only the cactuses and succulents need less water, they are also low-maintenance and easy to grow. During the period of drought, these tough plants shrink and use the reserved water. There are many cacti and succulent varieties that you can choose to grow.