#plant-repotting

#plant-repotting

Crushed clean, dry eggshells, when scattered over the soil, are intended to stop adult gnats from laying eggs and potentially add natural fertilizer. However, they merely sit on the surface, collecting dust, while the gnats remain attracted to the damp compost.

Bergs Potter takes the cake for me, closely followed by the majolica-like planters at Williams-Sonoma and a few stylish designs from Ferm Living and Pottery Barn. These planters lean home decor over plastic planters, making them weather-resistant, durable pieces even on a wind-whipped balcony or hurricane-sacked home garden.

"Why should tubs be relegated to bathrooms?" Poe questions, showcasing his innovative approach to interior design by placing a bathtub in the main living area.

Research consistently shows that access to green space can significantly boost wellbeing, with studies linking time spent in gardens and parks to lower cortisol levels, improved mood, and sharper cognitive function.

Southern California, especially Los Angeles, has many breathtaking botanical gardens and wildflower-lined hiking trails. But it's also exciting to visit private home gardens that are rarely open to the public and find inspiration even if you don't have space for a garden at home.

The Eckling is designed specifically for balcony corners, addressing a gap that rectangular window boxes and round hanging pots have never managed to fill. Most railing planters sit along a straight stretch of rail, so corners get skipped entirely. An L-shaped recess cut into the base of the hemispherical bowl allows it to rest squarely on two railing legs at a corner junction, no extra hardware required.

Hanging baskets brimming with multicolored blooms make attractive additions to your patio or terrace, creating a lush environment even in a small balcony.

Raised beds provide access to fresh food, even organic veggies and fruits if you choose, for a fraction of grocery store prices.

You are not alone: social media is full of claims that soaking banana skins in water makes a fertiliser that will give you bigger leaves and better blooms. The hack Put banana peels in a jar of water, leave them to sit, then pour the liquid on your plants. Bananas do contain potassium and small amounts of other nutrients. The snag is you have no idea how strong it is or what's missing.

Rice water doesn't have any additional nutrients that plants need to grow - for example, the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus found in conventional fertilizers - and the starchy residue doesn't necessarily "fertilize" your plant. However, it is still water that would otherwise just be dumped down the sink, so if you're not saving your rice water for cooking, you might as well use it to hydrate your plants.

I killed seven houseplants before I discovered the secret: I was literally loving them to death. Every morning, I'd check on them with my watering can in hand, convinced that more water meant more love. Turns out, some plants thrive when you basically ignore them. In fact, there's one particular plant that actually prefers when you forget it exists for weeks at a time.

Garden angelica, Angelica archangelica, belongs to the Apiaceae family, the same botanical group as carrots, celery, fennel, and parsley. Like its relatives, it produces a large, distinctively umbrella-shaped inflorescence, or flower cluster, called umbels. In its first year, the plant forms a lower mound of bright green leaves. In the second, a thick, hollow stem shoots upward and unfurls the broad green flower heads that resemble wild carrot or Queen Anne's Lace.

Instead of running to the store every time you need a handful of fresh basil (and inevitably letting the rest go to waste in your fridge), having an herb garden of your own allows you to only take what you need. While this in itself is a great sustainable practice, try taking it a step further by starting an herb garden in old plastic fruit containers.

Enter the LeafyPod, a self-watering smart planter that utilizes AI to understand your leafy companions, and keep them well cared for. The system is simple: a connected app monitors hydration and nutrient levels, noting what's best for that specific type of plant. Recently named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025, the hydroponic system allows users to grow herbs, greens, or flowers all year long. LeafyPod is adaptive, responding to plant health and to changes in environment.

The method Moisture meters measure electrical conductivity in the soil, which roughly correlates with moisture. Push the probe into the pot, around the root ball, read the dial and water only if it dips into the dry zone. Cross-check with the old tests: feel the soil, lift the pot to gauge the weight, and look at the plant itself. If the meter says dry but the soil feels cool and damp, trust your senses.

The idea is that oats break down and enrich the soil, while Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) top up magnesium to keep leaves green and glossy. Social media says a spoonful of each will pep up tired plants without the need for proper feed. The method The hack says unpot your plant and mix the old soil with 12 tablespoons of dry oats, a sprinkle of Epsom salts and a bit of fresh compost. Then pop the plant back in the pot, firm it around the roots and water it in.

To an unimaginable eye, a seed looks inert. Yet they are packed with genetic information and biological processes poised to unfold. All it takes is the right configuration of signals and stimuli from the environment to let them know it's time to dare to grow.

Lots of pressure at this time of year, isn't there? All those pink cheeks and sweaty brows puffing their way around the park in dusted-down trainers; all those Botivo mocktails (delicious, for what it's worth) as we strive to self-improve during one of the most grisly months of the year. I've never really been one for resolutions, nor time-measured sobriety (amazing how having small children deflates one's desire to drink enough to conjure a hangover).

People grow asparagus from crowns because it shortens the long wait times for harvesting. From seed, you'll need to wait three years before harvesting asparagus. Some people consider that a waste of time. The tradeoff is that you can keep harvesting every spring for up to 15 years or more. If you plant crowns, you get a one-year jump on things. However, those crowns may have soil-borne diseases you don't know about, so there is a risk involved. Seeds remove that problem.

Growing your own vegetables is a fun and rewarding activity. Not only will you ensure they are at their freshest when you eat them, but you will also know how they are grown, especially if you care about pesticides and other harmful chemicals found in commercially grown produce. If you don't have an outdoor garden space, you can still grow some tasty veggies indoors - and some of the simplest (and fastest-growing) are radishes.

If you're cold, your outdoor plants probably are too - and it's time to bring those tender leafy greens indoors. Wintertime container gardening can be a satisfying, cost-effective way to incorporate more leafy green veggies into your daily diet, and few fast-growing veggies are as suited to the task as arugula. These seeds grow happily in your kitchen, thriving in countertop gardens and shallow pots even when the annual chill sets in.