Welcome! I'm Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada). I've got creative and frugal ideas for your home and garden. New to this site? Start here.
Yes, you can grow vegetables indoors. I have grown a variety of vegetables and herbs including lettuces, arugula, spinach, kale, carrots, radishes, beet greens, tomatoes and more. Best of all, I grow ... [Read More...]
These short garden quotes, jokes, and puns range from funny to heartfelt. Browse the list and see which ones become your new favorites. ... [Read More...]
If your brick patio or path has weeds in the gaps, these practical tips will help revive the space and stop regrowth with resorting to herbicides. ... [Read More...]
Use this traditional method to collect seeds from ripe tomatoes for future sowing. Heirloom and open-pollinated types are most reliable, but the process works for any tomato, including … [Read more...]
Want to grow ginger root from the grocery store? Follow this step-by-step guide to propagate rhizomes at home and successfully grow your own ginger plant. You can also grow your own avocado plant … [Read more...]
There's still time to grow flowers this season. Sow fast-growing annuals like marigolds, calendula, and zinnias for blooms before frost. There are also lots of edible crops to start now. See 20 … [Read more...]
Powdery mildew can damage garden plants, but catching the gray-white powder early helps. Learn how a milk solution may discourage the fungus from spreading. If you start plants from seeds indoors, … [Read more...]
In cold climates, July is peak garden season with flowers blooming, food crops thriving, and pollinators busy. Here are some garden tasks to do this month. For more, see garden task lists for … [Read more...]
Sow vegetable seeds in midsummer for fall and winter harvests. Fast crops ripen in 4–8 weeks, while hardy varieties thrive all winter with basic protection. New gardeners are surprised to learn … [Read more...]
Clean your pond water naturally and fast without chemicals or draining. This proven method works for fish ponds, clearing murky water in just hours. For more also see Advice for Starting a Backyard … [Read more...]
