Growing Indoor Plants Starts With the Perfect Garden Markers

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Garden Markers Are Perfect for Your Indoor Plants Too

garden markersIndoor potted plants were popular at one time. Then, for a number of years, silk plants became all the rage. Thankfully, living plants are making a comeback. Look for houseplants to become a “new” trend. Rooms feel more welcoming when something living is in them. So, start scouring your local nursery for some easy-to-grow greenery and stock up on garden markers and bring your home to life!

Placement

Rooms seem more inviting when there is a plant in them. However, you want to be smart about where you place your plants in a room. You don’t want to put plants right beside sources of hot or cold blowing air. Your houseplants won’t be able to withstand the blast.

Do place them either in sunny windows or in windows with a filmy curtain to filter the rays. Some plants will do well even in the center of the room. Put sun-lovers on windowsills and on plant stands by south facing windows. Place those that prefer dappled light by westerly windows, in the middle of a room or by semi-sheer curtained windows. Moisture-loving plants such as ferns will thrive in your steamy bathroom.

Feeding and Watering

Most indoor plants succumb to over-attentiveness. Yes, feed your houseplants but only once or twice per month. Similarly, your plants need water – but don’t kill them with kindness. Only water your plants when the soil is dry to the touch. To avoid over-watering you can place a saucer beneath pots with drainage holes. Simply fill the saucers with water and allow plants to draw up moisture as needed. Another idea is to place ice cubes atop the soil and allow them to melt slowly for watering.

Labeling

Your indoor garden is just as precious as the one you nurture outside, so give it the same respect with clearly labeled garden markers. Bakers use fancy frosting dollops to adorn their creations and artists sign their work. You can use legible name plates to finish off your green thumb efforts.

At Kincaid Plant Markers we celebrate the return to indoor gardening. We make top-notch garden markers that are appropriate for inside or outside plantings. Our garden markers look great and make your plants look great too. We hope you’ll order a set soon and enjoy a winter of greening up the rooms in your house.

Gardening Tips for Making Growing Your Own Food a Family Affair

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A Handful of Gardening Tips to Keep Kids Involved With the Growing Process

gardening tipsIf you’re like most parents, you care about feeding your family nutritious and healthful foods. You want to set your kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating. Stocking the kitchen pantry and fridge with the right foods is a great place to start, but you can also lay some literal groundwork outside – in the garden. Here are some of our favorite gardening tips for keeping kids digging in the dirt and learning about growing their own food.

1.  Start Early
Start early in the year, yes, but also start early in your children’s lives. Even small children can enjoy working their own small plot of ground. Don’t give them too much space to manage but children who have their “own” plot will often rise to the occasion. Of course, you can step in and help with weeding as needed. Find a bright, sunny spot in the yard and let them know that the section is under their management.

2.  Choose Wisely
Kids thrive on success so help them choose plants which will grow well in your area. Cucumbers and zucchini tend to grow well without too much attention and so make great starter plants. If your kids don’t LOVE tomatoes why not try a cherry tomato plant and see if they don’t get excited watching as the fruit ripens? Fall pumpkins are fun and keep the garden interesting to kids into autumn.

3.  Use What They Grow
Maybe you give your little ones just a couple of potted herb plants at the beginning. Then have them harvest them and see you use what they grow in the kitchen.

Chief among all gardening tips is to let the kids enjoy the fruits of their labors. If they grow cucumbers or zucchini, look for a variety of ways to prepare and serve them. If their plant produces abundantly they can share with a neighbor or family member.

4. Have Kids Label Each Plant

Kids do enjoy learning – especially when it’s a hands-on lesson. Talk about plants that grow above the soil and under the soil. Talk about how sunshine feeds plant growth. Discuss competition for food and water as you help little hands remove weeds. To help them pull weeds and not plants, have them label each plant as they put it into the ground. This will also give them a sense of pride when showing others their private patch.

At Kincaid Plant Markers we enjoy sharing gardening tips to promote “family gardening” because it’s something that we ourselves have enjoyed as a family. We think that getting kids involved will be a great opportunity to bond with your kids, to promote healthy eating and to teach many valuable lessons. Whether you have a lot of space or just a little, don’t miss the chance to share the wonders of gardening with children.

Identifying Flowers to Spruce up Your Garden in Fall and Winter

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Achieve Yearlong Garden Success by Identifying Flowers Perfect for Your Climate Zone

identifying flowersIt won’t be long before most gardens lose their main attractions and become a drab part of the end-of-year landscape. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can plan your garden areas so that you have color throughout the year. Of course, not all plants thrive in every climate zone so it is important that you are identifying flowers that can spruce up your garden in fall or winter wherever you call home.

Zone 4: The Northernmost States

Here temperatures can plunge to -20 or -30 which makes it hard for flowers in the winter. All fall and winter gardens are helped by planting some evergreens to maintain color and vivid contrast but, here especially, evergreens will save the day. Those with winter berries are even better.

For added zip during the browning of fall, you might consider adding something such as Johnny Jump Ups which are violas that bloom in shades of purple, yellow, white and blue. Helleborus make another fabulous choice since they are available in an array of colors including one called The Christmas Rose. Finally, Liriope will provide you with attractive mounds of green leaves all summer long before displaying delicate lavender blossoms during autumn.

Zone 5-6:  The Middle States

In the middle of the country fall and winter can range as low as 0 to -20. That’s still pretty cold yet gardeners in this part of the nation can still enjoy colorful displays after the trees have shed their painted leaves. Try Winter Heath for example. This plant is low-growing but puts out fantastically pinkish-purple blooms right into winter. Candytuft is another perennial you might want to give a home. It also is low-growing but has terrific deep green leaves and tiny blossoms that aren’t afraid of frost. A final suggestion for the nation’s middle states is Cheddar Pink which boasts silver-colored leaves and pretty flowers that will remain until the first hard frost.

Zone 7-8: The Southern States

In this region the temperature is unlikely to dip below 20, so options abound. Lily of China provides mounds of deep green with bright Christmas-red berries. Italian Arum’s chief attraction are its wonderfully broad and variegated leaves. Rugosa Rose offers rounded rose hips long after the blossoms have fallen.

Zone 9: Some Parts of CA and FL

Lastly, zone 9 will enjoy tender temperatures when other parts of the country are white with snow. Still, it is nice to enjoy seasonal flowers and grasses so we recommend Autumn Joy, Sweet Flag, and Black Mondo Grass for this zone.

No matter what your address or climate zone, you can dress up your garden with autumnal perennials and some sharp looking plant markers. Identifying flowers with Kincaid Plant Markers means that even when spring showers are followed by winter blasts your plants will be clearly labeled and a point of year-round interest.

Three Types of Plant Markers to Suit Any Garden or Gardener

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Plant Markers Keep Your Garden Orderly and Looking Great

plant markers

Whether you are a veteran gardener or just getting your hands dirty for the very first time, there are some tricks that will serve you well. One of the best tips for every gardener is the use of clearly labeled plant markers to identify each plant variety. Plant markers will not only help you remember the names of all your plants, but they will keep your garden organized and looking its best. Kincaid Plant Markers offers three distinct marker lines so that there is one to suit just about any garden or gardener.

Plant Identification

No matter who you are, it is likely you will have trouble remembering the names of all the plants in your garden. With a flower garden where spring annuals jumpstart the season ahead of summer perennials, plant markers can be especially helpful. And what if you want to move plants from one area of the yard or garden to another? It can be tricky to keep track of what was where. A simple metal nameplate can make this task so much simpler. In fact, pretty soon you’ll be convinced that your permanent shrubbery and trees deserve this kind of plant identification.

Organization

You’ll want to use markers even if you aren’t growing a large variety of flowers. Herb gardens, vegetable gardens, succulent gardens – they all become better organized when you use markers to identify them. Plant markers will also keep you from

pulling up plants when you think you’re pulling up weeds. Organization is the key to a smart and well-kept garden.

Choose a Plant Marker That Fits Your Needs

At Kincaid Plant Markers we offer three distinct lines of markers: Signature Series, Collector Series and the Garden Series. The Signature Series line is made with 100 percent stainless steel and boasts solid #10 gauge steel posts. The nameplate faces can be ordered tilted up or down and the posts can be ordered in the front or the back according to your preference. A post in the back with a downward angled plate is the P Style, while a post in the front with an upward angled plate is the M Style in this series.

The Collector Series markers all come with #13 gauge posts. The A Style has posts in the back and a downward tilted nameplate. The L Style comes with front posts and an upward angled plate. They are 100 percent stainless steel and will hold up to any kind of weather conditions. Like all Kincaid markers, they resist twisting or bending even in the windiest climes and will still be looking tall and crisp for years to come.

The Garden Series markers offer #13 gauge galvanized steel posts in the two styles described above: front post/upward plate is the E Style; back post/downward plate is the F Style. Every Kincaid Marker is designed to hold your nameplate in place, but plates can be removed and exchanged when you desire. So, no matter what kind of gardener you are Kincaid has a plate to match your need.

Gardening Tips For Tropical Plants in Colder Climates

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A Few Gardening Tips to Help You Protect Warmth-Loving Plants During Winter

gardening tipsIf you live in a northern region, your love of growing tropical island beauty could be more challenging than your southern neighbors’ who are surrounded by crepe myrtle, hibiscus and bougainvillea nearly year-round. The reality of long, dark winters may have made you assume that lush tropicals were impossible to enjoy where you live, outside of occasional visits to the official botanical gardens in your area. Not so. While northerners can’t safeguard all tropicals through the winter, there are ways to help protect warmth-loving plants during winter. If you’d like to give it a try here are a few gardening tips to follow.

Location, Location, Location

One of the most important aspects of real estate is likewise true for your garden plants. It’s all about location. If you want to grow a sun-soaking tropical you need to be sure that you have that kind of spot in your garden. Your plant’s home away from home should be able to replicate bright unabated sunshine at least for several months of the year.

Another location fact you need to consider is what that spot is like during winter. If your sunniest spot is out in the middle of your yard, unprotected from the elements, then surviving the winter will be dodgy. On the other hand, if you have a sunny spot that is also sheltered either by your home or by dense shrubbery, your tropical will benefit. Gardening tips from those who’ve successfully nurtured tropicals in non-tropical conditions always include the need for shelter.

Inside or Outside That is the Question

One of the simplest solution to growing jungle or island plants is to do it in large pots which can be moved indoors during winter. Several pots of lush tropicals can provide a great effect in the garden and doesn’t leave plants at the mercy of Jack Frost during the winter as they can be moved indoors. If you do plant outdoors, be prepared to do all you can to bundle up your beauty. Deep layers of mulch will blanket the roots while swaths of burlap will be needed to wrap the plant itself. Outdoor plantings will benefit greatly from ultra-rich soil. The healthier the plant at the outset, the greater its chances of surviving extreme conditions.

A final tip for lovers of hot climate plants is to always identify them with legible garden markers. Your plants are foreigners and they deserve polite introduction to visitors. Give it to them with Kincaid Plant Markers. Kincaid offers markers in a variety of price points – but all are high-quality markers that will stand up to many years of bright sun, blistering wind and freezing cold while still looking great. Northern gardeners don’t have to forego southern lovelies, they just need to follow a few sound gardening tips from those who’ve gone before.

Prepare Your Garden to Welcome Early Spring Seedlings

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How to Prepare Your Garden to Extend Your Growing Season

prepare your gardenThe summer garden is winding down and if you prepare you will be able to make use of ready tools to keep gardening through the fall and right up to the edge of winter. You can also start now so that you’ll be ready to get an early jump next Spring. Here are some inexpensive but proven ideas to prepare your garden to withstand cold weather outside of the normal spring/summer growing seasons.

Tunnel-making

Professional nursery tunnels can be large, but yours at home should be low and tight. The supports can be easily constructed with recycled wire, slender green tree branches or even narrow pvc pipe. Cover your tunnel supports with plastic leaving around two feet of extra plastic on either side. Wrap the extra plastic around something that can act as a weight. If the temperature drops drastically, these tunnels can be draped with a blanket for added warmth.

Cloches

Cloches were once delicate glass domes placed over individual plants to allow in sun and keep out wind and snow. You probably will want to make your own out of opaque gallon milk containers. Cut them in half to place over new-sprouting plants and fix them in place by inserting a stake or dowel through the opening at the top. Some gardeners suggest painting these black since a black container will absorb heat during the day and release it during the nighttime. In fact, you can add black-painted bottles filled with water to the inside of a tunnel or cold frame to achieve the same goal.

Cold frames

Cold frames can be stationary or portable depending upon your site and needs. An easy way to make a fixed location cold frame is to construct the four walls with hay bales and then cover the top with a hinged window or glass door. Plastic spread over the top can work too. Plants in a cold frame receive the benefit of sun but are sheltered from wind and snow. Portable cold frames may be built from wood and given a hinged glass top.

Tunnels, cloches and cold frames allow you to start your plants in the ground well before the weather is conducive to regular spring planting. You can also use these tools to grow cool weather crops in late autumn and early winter. If you have them handy, you can prepare your garden to continue yielding into late November. Providing protection from the elements will add up to five degrees of warmth. Layering a blanket over them will help even more.

Since weeds as well as plants will be able to grow in your closed environments you will need to easily discern between seedling and intruder. Using a solid garden marker will help you here. Kincaid Plant Markers are well-constructed, easy-to-read and made to last through even the toughest weather. Check out our line of markers and prepare your garden to welcome early spring plantings.

Don’t Add Missing Garden Markers to Your List of Gardening Mistakes

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Garden Markers in Your Vegetable Garden and Other Important Gardening Tips

To err is human. Gardeners know this as well as anyone. Trial and error is part of the gardener’s journey. On the other hand, it’garden markerss always best if you can learn from other people’s errors and so avoid making some of the same mistakes, like not using garden markers to identify your plants. Here are a handful of common gardening missteps for you to avoid yourself:

Don’t Take on Too Much

Just about now, you may be feeling the exhaustion that comes at the close of a heavy growing season. But by next Spring, when you’ve had your long winter’s rest, you’ll have to fight the urge to over-plant. It’s hard to remember in the fresh flush of Spring, how much time it takes to water, weed, prune, protect and harvest. It’s easy to over-estimate how much you can reasonably manage in the garden. To avoid the common gardening mistake of over-planting, decide instead to be judicious about the number of plants you set out during each growing season. Some experts suggest only nurturing three vegetables per growing season (spring, summer, fall) so that you don’t over-extend.

Another reason to limit your garden is the need to keep things well-spaced. An overcrowded garden is one that is a jungle not only in appearance but in a struggle for sunlight. Each vegetable plant relies on sunshine to produce food and energy for growth and yield. When plants overshadow one another someone is the winner and someone is the loser. Make sure every plant has enough space for all its leaves to bask in the life-giving power of the sun.

Resist Uprooting Weeds

If there is one thing gardeners detest, it is weeds. Weeds will suck nutrition from the soil, steal water and compete for sunlight with the plants you really want. They are determined enemies. However, there is a proper time for uprooting weeds and there is a time for dealing with them in other ways. Early on (six weeks from planting) there is no danger in uprooting weeds. Garden markers can help you tell the difference between seedlings and pesky weeds. But once your vegetable plants begin to flower, pulling up weeds by the root can actually damage the root system of nearby vegetable plants. Rather than yanking them up, try clipping them to ground level or smothering them with mulch.

Using Garden Markers

Taking the time to plant garden markers as you plant seeds is a lesson many gardeners have had to learn the hard way. During the time when it’s most useful to pull weeds, it can be hard to tell them from young vegetable plants. Proper spacing and clear garden markers can help you avoid this problem. This is especially true if you plant more than just a few vegetables per season.

At Kincaid Plant Markers we make only the best garden markers. We supply professional gardeners and the beginner alike with markers that look great, work great and help make the garden a great success. Trial and error has shown that using garden markers just makes good sense.

Gardening Tips for Low Sun Areas

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Expert Gardening Tips for how to Grow Vegetables Even in Shady Spots

gardening tipsIf you have a yard that is largely shaded, you may think that you cannot enjoy growing your own summer vegetables. It’s true that sun-soaked spaces can offer home to all kinds of delicious bounty. However, it’s also true, that gardens with a substantial amount of shade can still produce fabulous fruits and vegetables. Here are some expert gardening tips for those whose garden is showered with just three to four hours of daily sunshine.

Making the Most of the Light you Have

If your garden only gets a few hours of direct sunlight, you’ll want to make the most of what you get. There are gardening tips to maximize garden light. You can paint walls around the garden white and that will help reflect light and warmth back onto your plants. You can also intensify available sun by placing aluminum foil at ground level. Mirrors have the same effect. If you grow fruit along walls, be sure to spread out limbs so that all parts of the plant benefit from the hours of light.

Creating a Warm Environment

Cool weather gardeners employ tricks to warm up the soil like using cloches and cold frames to help hold in much needed warmth for growing plants. Row covers placed over tiny seedlings can also work. Since sunlight and warmth are particularly necessary when sprouting plants, you might consider starting your vegetables in pots indoors under a grow light. Once they are a healthy size, transplant them into the low-light garden.

Which Vegetables Tolerate Shade

You’ll want to select plants with minimal light requirements in order to have the best chance of success. Greens like lettuce, kale, chard and arugula do just fine with only a few hours of sunshine. If your garden receives gentle morning sun, try planting celery, bush beans or carrots. By contrast, if your space gets sun in the afternoon hours, try plants which can climb to bask in rays – cucumbers, peas and beans can do well in this environment. Fruits that tolerate shade well include sour cherries, gooseberries and currants.

Ground Issues in the Shade

There are certain issues on the ground which tend to be more problematic in the shade. The soil may be damp and clumpy. To compensate, simply mix in healthy amounts of compost to keep things draining well. Slugs may be more bothersome to shade plants. Beer traps are an easy way to keep them away from your produce. Lastly, you can wait a bit longer before putting down mulch in less sunny garden areas.

Whether you have a garden with full day sun or one coping with shade, there are gardening tips to help you get the most from the ground you cultivate. One of the gardening tips that works equally well in sun or shade is the use of plant markers. Plant markers help you keep vegetables and fruits identified. And Kincaid Plant Markers offers superior plates for every kind of gardener or garden. Contact us and order yours today.

Kincaid Plant Markers Offer the Quality Look That Gardeners Appreciate

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One Satisfied Master Gardener Explains Why She Chooses Kincaid Plant Markers

Kincaid Plant MarkersThe great thing about gardening is that it is a lifelong learning exercise. In fact, it can be hard to keep track of all the things you’ve learned along the way. That’s one reason why even Master Gardeners like to use plant markers. Markers help them identify plants at a glance along with the Latin names. Visiting gardeners appreciate clear identification too. And one Master Gardener in Wisconsin found that Kincaid Plant Markers were so great, she wanted to share the news with fellow gardeners.

If you think about your collection of plants as books in a library you’ll start to see how identification helps. After all, you appreciate labels on your books. Extensive gardens are like wonderful plant libraries. You enjoy wandering through and looking at them and you enjoy sharing them with others. How frustrating would it be if you couldn’t readily identify a plant? And, the fact is, that the same plant in one section of your garden can look a bit different in another part of the garden. Enough so, that it can take you a while to figure out what you are looking at. Gardening has enough challenges without plant identification being one of them.

If you watch this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeBoTrrqWXg&feature=youtu.be, you can see how the Master Gardeners in Wisconsin searched for well-made, professional-looking plant markers before discovering Kincaid Plant Markers. You’ll hear why they are fans of plant identification and why they believe that Kincaid Plant Markers are the right choice.  No matter what your current level of gardening expertise, it’s good to know that you are on a learning curve along with every other gardener…and every one of them appreciates the help that plant markers provide. We hope you’ll watch and then order your own set of Kincaid Plant Markers.

Urban Gardening Puts Beauty and Flavor Within Reach for City Dwellers

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Creative Options for Urban Gardening

urban gardeningFor gardeners it is great to have a large yard space in which to grow lovely blooms and healthful herbs and vegetables. Lack of a yard though doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some of the same pleasure and benefit. With a little ingenuity city dwellers can grow great plants and urban gardening can become a reality.

Creative Options

No matter how tiny your available space, there is a way for you to grow pretty flowers, lush plants or delicious foods. What you need are some creative ways to make the most of the space and sunshine that you do have. So here are a few ideas:

1.  Hanging Gardens
Hanging baskets make beautiful displays of riotous floral blossoms, but they can also be put to work as a home for herbs or tender greens. A hanging basket loaded with moss is the perfect place to thread in tiny lettuce seedlings. With regular watering, your basket can become a lettuce salad bar. Plastic soda pop bottles can be hung upside down to house many kinds of trailing vegetables.

2.  Potting Around
On a small concrete slab, a narrow balcony or even the fire escape pots can provide the ideal environment for growing garden plants or herbs. Tomato plants are a given in larger pots. But smaller pots can work well to grow kitchen herbs. Basil, cilantro, parsley, summer savory, thyme or rosemary will produce tasty leaves all season long. Mint and dill also do well in pots, but since they tend to take over, they do best living alone. If you want some leaves for home-brewed tea, why not try growing lemon balm, chamomile or peppermint.

3. Window Gardens
Another trick of urban gardening is to reclaim every space – even window boxes. Herbs, lettuces and flowers can all thrive in this sunny spot where you can easily take care of watering. Since some flowers (squash blossoms, nasturtiums, lavender) can be eaten you can enjoy color and good food in your limited space.

The Tools of Urban Gardening

As you can see space isn’t a huge requirement when it comes to gardening ‘in town’. A bit of creative use of the space that is available, water and quality plant markers are really all that you need to enjoy health, pleasure and beauty. At Kincaid Plant Markers we can offer you name plates that will make every growing space a serious endeavor. Best of all, they’ll look great this year, next year and years after that. Choose a way to make your own urban garden a reality and then choose the plant markers to make it professional.