Eight Herbs that Busy People Can Plant in Containers

Herbs are a great addition for every house and for every cook. Fresh herbs are fragrant, tasty and healthy. Fresh herbs hold many more essential nutrients than many vegetables and are also easy to grow. If you think that you might not have the time to grow herbs, think again. Read more..

Easy Vegetable Garden Growing for Condo or Apartment Living

Are you living the city life, but sometimes wish you had room for a good old-fashioned vegetable garden? Take heart – there are many city dweller who appreciate the work and bounty of vegetable gardening. Who said that apartment living should automatically exclude you from the pleasures of vegetable gardening? Here are a few ideas for successful and easy vegetable garden growing for condo or apartment living. Read more..

Your Simple Guide to a Successful Tomato Container Garden

Even if you do not have a big back yard and space for a big vegetable garden you can still grow vegetables such as tomatoes. Tomatoes are a great first vegetable to try in a container garden. Container gardens can be cultivated on balconies, patios, outdoor window sills, along the driveway or even on a roof top. There are a few essential tips to container gardening that you should keep in mind. Read more..

The Ultimate Garden with Gardens in a Bag

For a flower and garden lover, a garden in a bag might sound kind of funny. But have you ever been really busy and not been able to tend to the things you like? Gardening can take up enormous amounts of time. From taking care of the ground, tilling, removing weeds, buying plants and seedlings to actual planting and watering, great amounts of time can be spent in the garden to achieve the perfect look. Read more..

Simple Window Box Gardening Tips for Busy People

Gardening is usually one of those things that people like in theory but don’t really have either the time or resources for in reality. If you are one of those people who would love to have some fresh flowers and plants around your home, but you either don’t have time to tend a real garden, or you don’t have the space to plant one, then window box gardening could be for you. Window box gardening has all of the benefits of traditional gardening, but window boxes are easier to maintain and can be used by anyone. Window boxes also have the added benefit of making the flowers and the plants easier to see from inside the house, which means you don’t have to sit outside to enjoy your handiwork. Read more..

Pretty Container Tips for your Patio or Balcony Area

Container gardens on patios and balconies are a great way of displaying lush greens and great colors. Container gardens also add fragrance and style to your patio. To achieve a great container garden there are a few important tips that can make for a gorgeous container garden on your patio or balcony. Read more..

Frugal Planter Idea – Recycle Old Tires

Are you looking for an easy and fun way to liven up your garden? You can choose colorful and decorative planters to create a dazzling display of blooms, but this will probably cost you hundreds of dollars just in planter costs alone. But there are many ways to make your garden distinct and unique without having to spend so much money. If you have access to old tires, why not recycle them by creating original planter displays? Here are some steps so that you can turn those old eyesores in the backyard into oddly beautiful planter displays. These directions are designed to give you a beautiful flower-shaped tire planter.

Step 1: Locate old, worn tires. The process of converting old tires into feasible planters is much easier with well-worn tires. You will only want to choose flexible old tires. Use your foot to test the tire. If the inside area, near the rim, ‘gives’ a little, that means you have a viable old tire to work with.

Step 2: Clean off the tire before you get started. You will be making chalk marks on the tire, so you want to make sure that your marks will remain clear. Use chalk to draw petal shapes along the outer face of the tire. You can use large plastic cups to make round flower petals. Let your creativity and imagination grow as you use your chalk to draw patterns along the tire.

Step 3: Use a sharp knife to carefully cut along the pattern lines that you have drawn on the tire. You will get the best results by using a very sharp, non-serrated knife. This process can be difficult and trying, especially if you are stuck using a dull knife. Be extremely careful when cutting through rubber with a sharp knife. It can be difficult to get a firm grip and to exercise complete control in this difficult medium, so take care where you cut. Once you have carved out your flower design from the tire, put this section aside.

Step 4: Get ready to turn your tire inside out. Now that you have cut out a flower pattern, whatever is left of the tire should be an artful and unique starburst design. This is the most difficult part of creating a flower-shaped tire planter, but the results are well worth the effort. Begin by pulling on one of the petal-shaped sections of the tire. Use your foot to hold down the tire as you begin to pull the tire inside out. Ideally, you will want to make sure that you are working with an old, worn-out tire that is flexible enough to be turned inside out.

Step 5: Here comes the fun part. Hopefully you have succeeded in turning the tire inside out. Now it’s time to decorate. The easiest way to add color to your new creation is to use spray paint. Let your imagination go wild as you add color and decorative flourishes.

Step 6: Add potting soil. You can use your rubber tire planter with or without soil. Of course, you will want to choose the location of your tire planter before you add soil. Once you have placed the tire planter in the location of your choice, add potting soil and plant away.

Tips for Slicing Through Rubber

The hardest part of designing a tire planter can be slicing through the rubber. The best way to get started is to cut a few inches by sawing through with your knife. Then pull up the rubber as you cut, holding the rubber away from your body as you cut. If you find that it is still too hard to cut through the tire rubber, you would probably be better off with a sharper knife.

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