Millet

Did you know that you can grow your own birdseed?  Or that millet is something that people can eat and enjoy?

Millet is easy to grow.  It’s a grass that produces clusters of tiny seeds at the top of the plant.

You will need to grow a lot of it to get any amount of seed but it would be great to fill in the back of a garden.

Millet is a nutritious grain that has been around at least since ancient Egypt.  It has been found in the tombs of pharaohs.

Once you harvest the seed, you can feed it to the birds by putting out the entire seed heads.  You can also make seed cakes by mixing the seed with bacon fat, lard or even melted peanut butter.  The is so much better for them than the seed cakes purchased in your local pet shop and the birds will love you for it.

Landscaping and Lawn Projects You Should Certainly Leave to the Professionals

Maybe you are a proud homeowner who enjoys fixing and arranging little things to make your house more beautiful. While making all these changes is super exciting and creative, there are moments when you come to understand that it's better to leave specific tasks to professionals.

It is incredible what a beautiful garden can do to a house. If you have a green thumb and work on developing your talent, you can make a remarkable garden where everyone will want to spend those hot summer days. Gardening is one activity that is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners. It allows people to be connected to nature and express their emotions by arranging and taking care of the plants. It is also a good exercise that doesn't require a lot of effort. Because it brings so many benefits, people enjoy DIY  options rather than hiring someone. 

If you are one of those people, have in mind that there will be a time when you may want to reconsider this. As much you perfected your landscape skills, there are always things that professionals will do better and faster because they have the necessary knowledge and equipment like best gas weed eater. Maybe, you think that hiring someone to do the job will cost you a lot, but we want to point out that it's better to pay a little now than a lot later.

Irrigation

If you want to enjoy a beautiful lawn, you need to think about watering it, besides mowing. You might wonder why we are talking about this when it is a given. Well, the best way to provide fresh water to your lawn is to install an irrigation system. Now, if you are skilled, then maybe this can be a DIY project. But most folks don't have a necessary understanding of plumbing, electrical installations, and so on to undertake something like this by themselves. People often don't know how to choose backflow devices or better quality components and other things, and this results in causing more harm than good. 

The excellent and well-installed irrigation system should water your landscape efficiently. If you want the job done correctly, don't hesitate to hire a licensed pro. They have the tools and are trained to set up the watering system effortlessly. 

Aeration

Wait for a second, what is it? If you are confused, we want to tell you that you are surely not the only one. To explain first, we will say that it is a process in which the soil is perforated to allow air, water, and all other nutrients to reach the root of the grass. Now, some people believe that they can do it perfectly well, but there are things to consider. It can be done manually with a tool called manual core aerator. However, it would be challenging, take a lot of time, and still wouldn't give the best results.

Of course, you can rent a machine core aerator and learn how to operate it, but it doesn't solve all the problems even if you figure out how to use it. 

Aerating the lawn can be a tricky business, and that's why it is better to hire a pro. They know exactly when is the right time for the job, depending on the type of soil, the climate, and the grass. They are also aware of how to avoid causing expensive damage, and they will ask you about the location of your irrigation and septic systems, and so on. 

Also, it is essential to say that if you are renting a machine, you already have to pay. So, there is no reason not to pay a bit extra to someone who knows what they are doing and avoid causing any problems.

Applying Pesticides

Most of you here will think that this is a straightforward task and wonder why do we advise you to hire a professional for something so simple.  Well, you know that it is always better when you are not super sure about something to ask for support from someone who is. There are various kinds of chemicals, and they respond differently depending on how and when you apply them.  Most people randomly spray something on their plants, thinking that whatever they do will have a good effect. But those who decided to do this as a job know precisely whether they need something to destroy and repel insects, pests, or other parasites like fungi. They spent a lot of time studying and researching to understand the best periods for the greatest results. If you hire a certified professional to take care of this job, you can be sure that they will do it correctly. 

Cost

If you want to make DIY projects in your garden to save money, then it is good to calculate all of your expenses. Try to factor in also the expenses of potential damages you might cause by doing things yourself.  You may end up realizing that there is no significant difference, even if it is not always easy to predict all costs when it comes to a landscaping project. 

Conclusion

If you are wondering whether to DIY all these necessary tasks for your landscape or to hire professionals, we have to tell you it is something you need to decide on your own. The best thing is to figure out all the investments you have to make and the risks and see what works best for you. By investment, we don't just mean money, but also the time and effort you will need to put in to adequately do the job. Have you already thought about this? What would make you hire a professional? What kind of DIY projects do you like to do in your garden?

Author’s bio

Archie was a builder for more than 40 years. Mainly after his retirement the enthusiastic electrical works in garden and writes for a blog Homemakerguide.com to keep himself occupied. His many years of experience can get you the right tool reviews whether it is a drill, welding machine or so. An impressive fact to note about him is that almost everything in his house is a representation of his skills made by his hands.

Winter Squash

There are two types of squash – “winter” and “summer.”

We’ve already talked about pumpkins which are included in winter squash but there are plenty of other varieties for you to grow and enjoy eating over the cold winter months.

Winter squash tend to have a thicker skin and will store well over the winter as opposed to summer squash which are more tender and don’t have a long shelf life.

They are also loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Many of you may already be familiar with butternut squash which makes a great substitute for pumpkin.  Another common one is spaghetti squash which shreds like a plant-based spaghetti.  Acorn squash is also commonly eaten during the fall.

But it’s time to try some new varieties in your garden next year.

There are just too many to list here so start researching it for next growing season.  Let us know how you do – send us some photos.

Gourds

It’s time to start thinking about decorating for the Thanksgiving season.

What better than gourds – and even better – home-grown gourds!

These relatives of the pumpkin come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes.  With over 700 varieties, you have a lot to choose from.  Plus if you dry them properly, they can last for years.

Gourds are in the same family as pumpkins except that their fruit is considered non-edible and they have hard shells.  Traditionally they have been used for food as water bottles, bowls and spoons.

Even a Loofah is a type of gourd.

Do your research and have fun!

November‘s Flower – the Chrysanthemum

During November, the weather is getting colder and there are fewer bright colors once the leaves have fallen off of the trees.  The Chrysanthemum is one plant that will bloom well into the cold weather with lovely fall colors on the multitude of blossoms.

The various colors have different meanings:

• Pink: longevity

• White: loyalty and honesty.

• Red : love and deep passion.

• Violet : get-well wishes

• Yellow : neglected love or sorrow.

“Mums” are hardy and are considered perennials here in USDA zone 6 so plant them and look for bright colors again next fall

Pumpkins

It’s pumpkin season!

Everywhere you look there are pumpkin beverages, desserts and anything else you can make with pumpkin.  Plus it’s Halloween and where would we be without our jack-o-lanterns?

Have you ever thought of growing your own?

Pumpkins are fairly easy to grow and can actually be very prolific if you can protect them from deer, woodchucks and other creatures that share our love of pumpkins.

First, decide what you will use them for.  There are small “sugar” pumpkins that you use for cooking.  These are simple to bake for your favorite foods and you get a bonus of the pumpkin seeds which are delicious roasted.

Add these to next year’s garden.  Just leave plenty of room as they are big vines.

Asters

If you’re looking for a fall flower that’s a bit more simple than the massive chrysanthemums that you see all over, try thinking about Asters.

These small daisy-like flowers come in many colors and are very hardy.  Once they’re established, they don’t require much care at all aside from deadheading..

There are more than 600 varieties of aster.  Most bloom from summer through fall but Alpine Asters will bloom in the spring giving you the ability to have asters blooming in your garden for the entire growing season. 

You can find them in pink, blue, purple and even white.

This is a great plant for pollinators and will support many butterflies and bees. Some types are even rumored to repel ticks.

They can be compact or mounding and grown from about 12” up to 4’ tall.

The Sugar Maple Tree

Most people think of the Sugar Maple tree in the spring when the sap starts running and people make maple syrup.

But the fall is really the time to go looking for these beauties. 

The sugar maple has a gorgeous shape – much like a rounded tear drop.   It makes a great shade tree and doesn’t kill plants growing under its branches like the black walnut.

There are two reasons to look for them now.  First, if you do make maple syrup, you’ll want to be able to find and identify the trees when they have no leaves.   Look for a typical maple leaf but with rounded curves between the points.

But the real reason to look for them in the fall is because the leaves turn the prettiest pinkish orange and are one of the most beautiful trees when it comes to viewing fall foliage.  There’s nothing else like it.