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Showing posts from February, 2026

Cheap and Easy-to-Use Planters

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 A Cheapskate’s Way to Use Things You Normally Throw Away ๐ŸŒฟ Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | February 27, 2026 Being the cheapskate that I am, I try to repurpose as many things as possible instead of throwing them away.

February Is In the Bag

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 March Madness Coming Up ๐ŸŒฟ Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | February 25, 2026 Earlier this month I posted about Why I Don’t Start Seeds in February . I spent the month getting everything cleaned up and prepped for spring.

Pallet Wood-Is It Safe?

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 The Answer Might Surprise You ๐ŸŒฟ Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | February 24, 2026 You just finished watching some DIY video on YouTube. There are 5 pallets rotting away in your backyard, and you're just itching to build a raised bed for your strawberries. 

The Beat Goes On

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But It Doesn’t Have to Be a War Drum ๐Ÿ“ Opinion | by Guy Saldiveri | February 23, 2026 Sonny Bono was definitely onto something when he wrote the lyrics to that song. While some of the meaning has shifted, I can still see it applying to the garden forums we have today.

Dealing With Fire Ants

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 The Myths, the Facts, and the Legends They Inspire ๐Ÿœ Garden Pests | by Guy Saldiveri | Updated: 03/01/2026 Fire ants are the bane of every garden south of the Mason‑Dixon—from the Atlantic to the Pacific and everywhere in between. What's worse is they’re adapting to colder climates and creeping steadily northward.

Nightshades—The Toxic Plants That Taste Great!

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 Delicious, Dangerous, and Completely Misunderstood ๐Ÿ… Plant Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | 02/18/2026 Yep, that title probably got your attention. Is it accurate? Actually, it is—well, mostly.

Random late night/early morning thoughts

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When Your Brain is in Hyper-drive ๐Ÿ˜„ Humor | by Guy Saldiveri | 02/16/2026 Lying in bed, awake at hours that birds are still huddled together—and me just thinking. Yeah, that's probably not the best thing to be doing at that time. Wide awake, brain in high gear, throttle wide open, thoughts come streaming through.

Roly‑Poly Pill Bugs — Garden Helpers or Garden Pests?

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 Good, Bad, or Who Cares? ๐Ÿชฒ Garden Pests| by Guy Saldiveri | 02/15/2026 We’ve all seen them. We’ve all played with them. But what exactly are they? Well, they’re actually land-based crustaceans.  Believe it or not, they belong to the same extended family—well, they’re more like cousins to shrimp, crabs, and lobsters—although I don’t think I would want to host a boil for them.

Rejuvenation Pruning - The Hard Reset That Gives Your Plants a Jumpstart

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How to Cut Back Drastically Without Killing the Plant  ๐Ÿ”จ How‑To Garden Guide | by Guy Saldiveri | 02/13/2026 I remember the first time someone recommended this for one of my plants—I looked at them like they had completely lost their mind.

Glassy-winged sharpshooters

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 The Nuisance That Should Provide a Raincoat ๐Ÿชฒ Garden Pests| by Guy Saldiveri | 02/12/2026 Glassy winged sharpshooter Glassy-winged sharpshooters are a pest that I for one place in the nuisance category. They are sucking insects that feed on sap. They show up in abundant numbers in the latter part of the season, and have a nasty habit of—let’s call it “spitting” at you.

A Universal Guide to Fertilizer Math

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 How Much N P K Your Garden Really Needs ๐Ÿ”จ How‑To Garden Guide | By Guy Saldiveri | Updated: February 25, 2026 Gardeners run into the same problem every spring: fertilizer labels are confusing, recommendations vary wildly, and every product has a different density. One bag says “apply 1 cup per plant,” another says “3 pounds per 100 square feet,” and your soil test tells you something else entirely.

Overwintering Rose Cuttings — Can They Take the Cold

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What Really Happens When Temperatures Drop  ๐ŸŒฟ Plant Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | February 05, 2026 I love to propagate my plants—especially my roses. I do it as much as I can. Sometimes I wonder why, since I give most of them away. 

Why I Don’t Start Seeds in February

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This Southern Gardener’s Take on Seed Starting ๐Ÿ“ Opinion | by Guy Saldiveri | February 04, 2026 So you got your new seed catalog in December or January and all your seeds have been ordered. All your gardening friends are champing at the bit, wanting to get started. YouTube channels are pushing you to get it in gear.

If Plants Could Talk

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And Would We Want to Know What They Said? ๐Ÿ˜„ Garden Humor | by Guy Saldiveri | February 02, 2026 I have to say, if they talked to me the way I talk to them, there’d probably be several armored tank divisions ready to roll across my property!

Propagating Plants — How to Get Many From a Few

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Multiply Your Plants Through Division, Layering, and Cuttings ๐Ÿ”จ How‑To Garden Guide | by Guy Saldiveri | February 01, 2026 Propagation is one of the more interesting and enjoyable things I do in the garden. It allows me to purchase one or two plants and then make as many as I want.