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Gardening with Fewer Chemicals

Wednesday, June 12, 2024
by Tucker Robbins

When it comes to gardening, going organic can be difficult, especially when there are so many manufactured products to keep weeds and insects at bay. It’s not uncommon knowledge that the fewer chemicals we use in our lawns and gardens, the better it is for everyone.  Follow these tried-and-true tips to get you started on a more natural approach to a healthy garden. 

 

  • - Make sure your garden soil is enriched with natural compost, and one way to do that is with grass clippings!  According to Mother Earth News, a mulch of 1”-2” of cut grass can feed your garden for the season.   
     

  • - Another way to get free compost is saving vegetable scraps from your kitchen. When you’re prepping for dinner, keep the parts you would normally throw away in a small bucket or jar with a lid nearby, and throw it in your compost pile or worm bed. 
     

  • - Speaking of earthworms:  vermicomposting is one very beneficial thing you can do to improve your soil.  Learn how to have your own worm beds from gardeningknowhow.com.  Kids love this project! 
     

  • - The little tags in the cell packs of plants aren’t there for nothing.  They have important and necessary planting information on them.  Put your plants in the right place, in the right amount of sun, and it will reward you with good growth. 
     

  • - When and how you water your garden plays an important part in keeping diseases and pests at bay.  A morning shower with a water hose can rid your plants of nasty aphids.  - Watering your plants in the evenings can cause fungi and mildew to grow, and neither is easy to get rid of once they set in. 
     

  • - Learn the difference between detrimental and beneficial insects.  We don’t want to be bitten, but many stinging insects are taking care of the bad ones that are eating up our vegetables.  
     

  • - Row covers are a great and chemical-free way to keep not only insects away, but veggie-loving birds as well.  As long as they cover your plants completely as they grow, they will provide a barrier between your plants and the bad guys. 
     

  • - If your plants are being taken over by soft-bodied insects like aphids and whiteflies, make your own insecticidal soap--it’s easy with these instructions from Horticulture magazine. 

 

Whether you’re interested in going completely organic in your gardening, or just trying to cut back on man-made chemical use, it takes knowledge and a little extra work.  Growing a Greener World is an excellent television source for all things natural, and there are many books and magazines on the subject.  Look for sources that have been certified as an organic entity or is written or produced by someone who has been gardening the natural way and has lots of experience.  Reap the rewards of not only a great vegetable harvest, but the rewards of keeping chemicals out of the ground, and our water sources. 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

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Let the Kids Grow - in the Garden!

Wednesday, May 1, 2024
by Tucker Robbins


Taking time to work in the garden can be turned into family fun when you get the kids involved.  Children are usually fascinated with how things grow, and being a part of the process may even get them to try some new foods!  Try some of these projects to get them interested, and not to mention, free help in the garden! 

 

  • - A bean teepee is a fun and relatively easy project.  Assemble three 8-foot poles in a tepee shape, make sure you give them a good push several inches into the soil, and tie the poles together at the top with jute twine.  Continue using the twine to make a loose net so the vines will have support, just make sure you leave one section open for a doorway.  Plant pole bean seeds at the “base” of the poles and webbing, and watch them grow, and the kids will soon have a little hideaway with fresh beans close by for a snack. 
     

  • - Once your garden is planted, have the kids paint rocks as decorative row markers. 
     

  • - Hummingbird feeders are a common sight, but how about butterfly feeders?  Make this one from Garden Therapy with a clean plate, mason line or twine and a beads.
     

  • - If you don’t have room for a full garden, try a few plants that can be grown in clean five-gallon buckets.  Make sure there’s a drain hole in the bottom, add about an inch of gravel, broken old clay pots or old bricks, and add a good potting soil/compost mix.  Plant cherry tomatoes, bush beans, cucumbers, or zucchini, following the planting guidelines. 
     

  • - Plant recipe-specific plants:  have a spaghetti sauce or pizza row with tomatoes, oregano, basil and bell pepper; a salsa row can have tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, peppers and onions; plant chamomile, any type of mint, or lavender and make tea! 
     

  • - Sunflowers are always an amazement to children because they grow so tall.  These beautiful giants can be grown in many layouts using a garden hose to make the design, leaving room for a path if you’re planting a mini-maze, then planting the seeds along the way, and sunflowers can even be trained to make a little house.   
     

  • - Grow flowers whose blossoms open at different times of the day:  morning glories, daylilies, four o’clock, evening primrose and moonflowers. 
     

  • - A garden based on favorite storybooks is another good way to get them to dig in the dirt.  Plants based on The Tales of Peter Rabbit, Stone Soup, and Blueberries for Sal are just a few ways to engage children in growing and eating what they’ve grown. 
     

  • - Adding a water feature doesn’t have to mean a huge pond with waterfall--small pond containers are available at garden centers, as well as water plants.  Create a mini pond with this guide from Better Homes & GardensⓇ.  

 

There are so many benefits to your family while spending time together outside. Gardening encourages your children to try new things, and gives them a knowledge of where their food comes from, along with a little biology.  You may even be creating life-long gardeners.  Most importantly, you’re making memories. 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

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Selecting Plants and Flowers for Your Home Garden!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024
by Tucker Robbins


Many of us select plants for the garden at our New Castle County DE home based on their visual effect—color, height, size of blooms, etc. And so we should, as the sight of our plantings should be pleasing to our sense of sight. As we plan our garden, however, we should also be aware of the other four senses—and include plants which appeal to each of them.

SMELL: Aromatherapy is a powerful practice. With nothing more than a simple scent, the brain can be triggered to remember long forgotten memories, emotions, and feelings. With that being said, it is important to carefully select the flowers you want in the garden of your New Castle County DE home. With a few simple choices, you can create your own "memory lane' or relaxing oasis. In terms of fragrance, it’s hard to beat roses or lavender. Wisteria and jasmine are scented climbers which can really enhance the sensory pleasure of a garden, and amaryllis belladonna and spirea both add pleasant scents.

SOUND: Few of us associate the sense of sound with our garden, but the rustling of long grasses and the chirping of birds add a much-appreciated dimension. To attract songbirds, use fruit-bearing understory trees like dogwoods and service berries and shrubs such as viburnums and hollies and introduce low growing perennials and dwarf shrubs like creeping juniper and cotoneaster. You can also plant vines, ground covers, and sunflowers to increase chirping and tweeting.

TOUCH: Texture in garden design refers to the surface quality of the plant. Plant textures range from delicate and fine to coarse and bold. The feel of the foliage in your New Castle County DE home’s garden is not the only element of texture, however, as the texture can change with the play of light and shadow and even with viewing distance. Plants with thread-like leaves call out to be touched, so consider adding cosmos, baby's breath, asters, and grasses. In addition, iris and lamb’s ear will each provide softer tactile experiences.

TASTE: The world of herbs is nearly without limits. Think about basil, chives, rosemary, chamomile, cilantro, mint, and parsley, to name just a few tasty garden additions. Consider, too low bush blueberries or ligonberries. Lesser known, but equally valuable as salad additions are the flowers of the hibiscus shrub, columbine, and daylilies.

Some of the plants you have selected for your garden will serve more than one purpose and will appeal to more than one sense, so be sure to sniff, feel, taste, listen to, and view each of them!

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.   

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Green Indoor Gardening

Wednesday, July 29, 2020
by Tucker Robbins


Fresh produce, right in your own home, using what you have? Yes, it is possible! Gardening is just one way to boost your mental health, and when you are using what you have as planters, and even food scraps to get your plants, it is a win-win!  

 

So many of our food containers get tossed into the recycle bin these days, so why not use them for planting? Plastic is the easiest material to plant in because you will need to drill holes in the bottom for drainage. Add small gravel or shredded newspaper to the bottom to help the water drain away, and fill with potting soil made for indoor plants. Ideas are not limited to these types of containers: 

 

  • - Coffee containers 

  • - Milk jugs 

  • - Laundry detergent/bleach jugs 

  • - Disinfectant or baby wipe containers 

  • - Soft drink bottles 

  • - Cat litter jugs 

 

Metal cans and tins would work well, too, especially for plants with shallow roots. Add sturdy tape (like electrical tape) around the top edge, use a hammer and large nail to put in drainage holes, and you can have an indoor herb garden on your windowsill! Another--and surprising--idea is using cardboard boxes to grow a variety of plants, depending on the depth of the soil in the box. Why not give this unique approach to container gardening? Birds & Blooms tested out a few different methods and found the right way to use boxes.  

 

Plants that will grow well indoors: 

  • - Root vegetables like carrots, onions, beets 

  • - Most herbs:  basil, parsley, sage, dill, rosemary, chives 

  • - Tomatoes can be grown inside, but that job is best for Winter, as a sunny window can get too hot inside. 

  • - Houseplants do not have to be only green in color! Add a burst of color to your interior with African violets, begonias, kalanchoe, jasmine, and geraniums. 

 

Another way to save waste--specifically food waste--is to regenerate food scraps instead of throwing them out or composting them! 

  • - Leafy veggies like lettuce, celery, or bok choy will sprout new plants from the base. Placed cut-side up in a dish with about ½” of water in a sunny window will soon produce new leaves, and eventually, a full-grown plant ready for the table! 

  • - Try the other side of root vegetables, the greens, by placing the cut-off top of a beet, turnip, or other root vegetable into a dish of water. Leaves can be sautéed or used in a salad. 

  • - Many have seen how to grow a pineapple plant from scraps, but other fruits may need more care and patience.   

  • - Seeds from peppers will produce plants, just be sure to use seeds from the red fruit; the green peppers, though delicious, are not ripe, and neither is the seeds inside. 

  • - Planting seed from fruits like apples and even citruses can be fun to watch grow into a small tree, but all take years before producing any yield. Avocado trees, for instance, can take up to thirteen years before producing. 

 

If you plan on creating a growing space inside, make sure the amount of sun, the temperature and humidity levels are right, and you can have a small garden at your fingertips. Not to mention that gardening is good for the soul, and we all can use some of that right now! 


Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.  

Photo credit: CountryLiving 

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Low-Maintenance Landscaping

Wednesday, June 24, 2020
by Tucker Robbins


The seed catalogs and plant nurseries seem to be calling our name! Unless you’re truly committed to gardening and the work and time involved, you probably need to consider using plants and grasses that don’t need a lot of TLC, as well as ways to get around certain time-consuming aspects of keeping everything alive. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

 

  • Growing a lawn is labor intensive:  keeping it green requires large amounts of water and regular mowing. Gardening Know How has a guide for creating a meadow, growing ground cover, or ornamental grasses, all perfect solutions for going lawn-free. 
     

  • Faux grass--it’s not just for indoor sports arenas anymore. The industry has come a long way in the production of synthetic grass, and it could be the perfect solution for those in drought-prone regions, or for someone who simply doesn’t want to mow their lawn every weekend.  Depending on the size of your property, it can be expensive, but HouseLogic just might change your mind about installing fake turf! 
     

  • Drought-tolerant plants will thrive without a lot of water, obviously. You can find twenty-one plants listed here, with their USDA hardiness zone included. 
     

  • Every yard has its problem areas:  rocky soil, drainage issues, shady areas--these can all be planted with a little effort, and don’t normally need a lot of care afterward.   
     

  • Mulch is a landscaper’s friend!  One tip from the Love Your Plants website is to add at least two inches of mulch for it to be effective. Check their website for more information about using mulch to benefit your plants and cut back on keeping up the flowerbeds.  
     

  • If you’ve ever seen a hedge of hydrangeas in full bloom, you know how beautiful shrubs can be!  Hydrangeas are one shrub that doesn’t require a lot from you, and This Old House lists many more according to plant zone to encourage you to plant a low-maintenance hedge. 
     

  • A traditional flower bed filled with annuals isn’t necessarily maintenance-free, but using drip irrigation or soaker hoses under the mulch will certainly cut back the amount of time it takes for you to water them yourself, and use the water more wisely than using sprinklers or hose attachments. 

 

Probably the most common type of low-maintenance landscaping is xeriscaping.  If you’re in a water-restricted area, a very hot climate or simply want to garden using as few resources as possible, xeriscaping is the way to go. With so many ideas to choose from, having beautiful landscaping without all the work is an easily attainable goal. 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

 

Photo credit: Pinterest

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Tips for the First-Time Gardener

Wednesday, May 13, 2020
by Tucker Robbins


Gardening--no matter if it’s a veggie garden or a landscape filled with flowering plants, it’s no small undertaking. Many first timers spend a great deal of money on plants, fertilizer, and tools, only to find that their plants die or simply don’t produce as they’d planned. There are a lot of factors to a successful garden or landscape, and the basics are covered here in these tips! 

 

  • Start talking to gardening friends and family now. They have been where you are and know it’s not easy to have a magazine-worthy garden the first year. Find out what grows best in your area and choose a few vegetables to try. 
     

  • Your first plot needs to be small and in a part of your yard that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. Shade in the evening is great to help cool plants on those hot Summer days, but full sun is best during the day. 
     

  • A soil test is important and is most easily done through your local cooperative extension service. The results normally include recommendations for improving your soil quality. 
     

  • Consider using a raised bed for your first attempt! It will make soil-amending easier and gives you more control of water retention/drainage.   
     

  • Purchase seedlings from your garden center instead of starting everything from seed. You’ll have a head start on the harvest!  
     

  • Don’t forget to add some flowering plants to your vegetable garden! Planting a few companion plants will bring pollinators and beneficial insects that help keep the bad bug population down. 

 

    Flower Gardening 

  • Once again, talk to your neighbors; look at what they are growing in their landscapes and flower beds, and ask them what is the easiest to grow and care for. 
     

  • Soil prep is just as important for blooms as it is for the vegetable garden; test the soil from the areas you’re planning on planting. 
     

  • Flowering plants have different needs when it comes to sunlight. While geraniums thrive in full sun, impatiens need mostly-to-full shade. Take care to note the sunlight recommendation on plant tags when you’re making your purchases. 
     

  • If you don’t have time to lug the water hose or sprinkling can all over the yard, you might want to plant in one main area, or purchase a soaker hose that will stay put so you only have to turn the water on. 
     

  • Planning is important, and you’ll save time in the nursery if you decide what you’d like to grow before you go. Check out this list of easy-to-grow flowers from HGTV. 

 

Virtually all gardeners have learned by trial and error, and it’s likely you will, too. Don’t let a few failures keep you from falling in love with growing plants and vegetables. It’s such a rewarding undertaking, and recent studies are even looking at how digging in the dirt can improve your mental health as well! 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

 

Photo credit: miracle gro

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Controlling Common Weeds

Wednesday, September 11, 2019
by Tucker Robbins


Having a beautiful lawn or productive veggie garden is not for the faint at heart.  You’ve put plenty of time and effort into your landscaping, so when weeds start sprouting, some of them can take over quickly.  They are, after all, wild plants that have adapted to their natural surroundings, and don’t need you to help them grow, so you’ll need to get a handle on them quickly! Let’s look at seven common weeds, and how you can keep them from sabotaging your hard work! 

 

  • - Your garden will benefit from a Fall-planting of clover, as it provides nitrogen to the soil. but most homeowners don’t want it in their landscaped lawn.  Mowing high over the plant will help it from reseeding but pulling them while they’re young is the best preventive. 
     

  • - Crabgrass is a bane to many lawns, and it grows quickly once the rain hits the seeds.  Pulling the roots is the easiest way to remove the plant, and even easier if the soil around it is damp. 
     

  • - If you don’t care to add dandelions to your diet (yes, they are edible!), you’ll need to get them at the roots. Spray them with undiluted white vinegar until they’re thoroughly wet, and they will die within a few hours. 
     

  • - Ground ivy, or creeping Charlie, is another weed that can be pulled effectively from wet soil.  If you allow it to flower, make sure it doesn’t go to seed, or you’ll spend more time pulling new plants. 
     

  • - Oxalis, or wood sorrel, has leaves that are almost clover-like, and purple or yellow blooms.  Catch it early, and it can be pulled up by the roots, or use a soap-based herbicide to kill larger plants. 
     

  • - A plant that has been cultivated in many hybrids, portulaca, can also be an aggressive weed.  - Once you’ve dug them up, allow them to dry before you dispose them in a compost pile or other yard waste.  They easily regenerate from any part of the plant. 
     

  • - The thin, strong-scented single leaves that shoot up in our lawns are wild garlic. Mowing won’t stop them, as they’re sprouting from corms in the soil. Pull or dig them up, and make sure you have the whole corm to avoid new growth. 

 

To avoid a lot of back-breaking weeding, mulch heavily in flower beds, and consider putting new plantings close together.  Some weeds are so well-adapted that it doesn’t matter what you do.  Garden.org has an extensive list of weeds with photos and ideas for controlling them without a lot of chemical intervention. 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.  

Photo credit: gardeningknowhow.com

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Late Winter Gardening Maintenance for New Castle County, DE

Wednesday, March 7, 2018
by Tucker Robbins

Birds are singing, the days are noticeably longer, and your yard is looking as drab as Winter. Here are some guidelines for late winter outdoor maintenance so you can take advantage of warmer days to get a jump start on the growing season.   

 

  • - Now is a great time to prune dead wood and suckers out of flowering trees and shrubbery.  If you have plants that bloom in spring or bloom off old wood, wait to cut it back until after it flowers. Cutting them back now will take off the new flower bud.  
     

  • - After pruning fruit trees, spray with neem oil to help prevent any pests that have overwintered and can destroy your Summer harvest. 
     

  • - Rake leaves and other debris so your lawn can absorb as much sun as possible to look its best. Place debris in the compost pile. 
     

  • - Don’t wait to start mowing the lawn in a few months to find a mechanical problem.  Home Depot offers some tips for getting your lawn mower ready for the busy season. 
     

  • - Check your irrigation system for any cracks if the cold weather has been brutal this year. 
     

  • - Have your garden soil tested through your local cooperative extension service.  
     

  • - If you haven’t already, get your seeds ordered and started as soon as possible. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has some great advice for indoor seed-starting. 
     

  • If you see daffodils blooming, that means it’s time to get cold weather veggies in the ground:  onions, garlic, sweet peas, salads, carrots and potatoes are cold-hardy and will be ready for harvest first! 
     

  • - Cut back ornamental grasses and mow any natural wildflower landscaping you may have. 
     

  • - Don’t put away the bird feeders just yet--keep them full, because winter fruit is fading, and their favorite insects haven’t ventured out yet.  Clean your hummingbird feeders with a bottlebrush dipped in warm water with white vinegar, rinse, and allow to sir dry.  If you’re not sure when to fill them and have them ready, read this hummingbird Spring migration information from The Spruce. 
     

  • -Mulching now is a good idea, unless there has been a lot of snow and rain in your area.  Before you put down new mulch, make sure the ground has had some time to dry out. 

 

Maintaining plants and plant beds in late Winter will give you great results when the growing and harvest seasons begin.  Your outdoor space is a year-round job and getting an early start may save you some time and energy when the temperatures are soaring.   

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

 

Photo credit: getholistichealth.com

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Home Maintenance Tasks & Shortcuts

Wednesday, June 7, 2017
by Tucker Robbins

Let’s face it, there isn’t a better time of year to get some home maintenance taken care of in and around your house than now.  The days are a little bit longer than they were and the temperatures are almost perfect, not too hot and not too cold, unless it’s raining of course.  Below is a list of a few home maintenance tasks you might want to tackle along with a few shortcuts to help you get them done more quickly. 

  1.  The task of planting flower beds and adding mulch can sometimes be an overwhelming one but if you take the shortcut of planning a day just for flowers and mulch it won’t be as bad.  Have mulch delivered to your house on a particular day making sure to have it put in a spot that will be easily accessible.  This is better than not having things planned out then ending up with a pile of mulch at the tip top of your driveway where you have to go back and forth to retrieve it as you work on your landscaping.
  2. Window washing is no one’s favorite home maintenance task but if you take the shortcut of having someone wash the inside of the window while you’re washing the outside of it, your time will be cut completely in half!  Have a little fun with it and be silly with your window washing partner.  Make sure to look out for streaks on both sides as you go taking care of them before you move on to the next window.
  3. Repairing your old wooden deck or fence can many times be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be.  Take the shortcut of using a cordless nail gun to get those loose boards back into place quickly. 
  4. Brick or stone patios and walkways can many times become damaged during the winter months.  A quick shortcut to fixing this problem is to push around a wheelbarrow filled with sand to help smooth out any unevenness that has occurred. 

These few home maintenance shortcuts should help you get things done around your house a bit quicker this year than they may have taken you in years past.  Sometimes by simply thinking a bit outside the box you can come up with ideas to get tasks done in a more efficient manner than you previously have.  These shortcut ideas will get you started in the right direction.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

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Tucker Robbins
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
3838 Kennett Pike
Wilmington DE 19807
(302) 777-7744 (direct)
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