Have you ever looked at your yard after a good rain shower and thought the grass looked greener? I’m here to say your eyes are not playing tricks on you — it is greener.

We all have our routines when it comes to traveling away from home for a few days. Maybe you stop the mail and newspaper delivery, have the neighbors keep an eye on your place and arrange to have your pets looked after. But what about your container plants?

Bird feeders are a great way to attract some feathered friends. Here is a look at what to buy.

This garden exercise helps your flowering and budding plants keep and produce more blooms.

We’ve covered planting, watering and fertilizing your home garden. You’ve worked hard and might be seeing some blooms, possibly the fruits of your labor. Then BAM! Your prized tomato plant starts to wilt, droop or even die.

Starting a container garden can be a great spring activity or gift for Mother's Day.

Here’s a quote I found while researching raised bed gardens and it sums up why I enjoy spending time with the plants at Casa de Loco (or what I like to call the Nunn residence).

Keeping your soil moist can help protect plants from the cold as moist soil has an insulating effect, which radiates heat upward come nightfall. Remember, when watering plants before a cold snap, be sure to do it during the day when temperatures are still somewhat warm. Once the temperatures warm, you can remove the covering to let your plants grow. Much like us, plants can benefit from a warm blanket. A frost blanket will allow you to cover many plants at once.

Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved. (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) GreenSpACE of the Week Winners 2021If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.

Cordylines, or Ti plants, are colorful, hardy plants from the tropics and subtropics. No worries, though, as these hearty tropical plants are tough. To keep your cordylines in shape, be ruthless like the queen and chop the tops! Water well, but don’t overdo it because cordylines do not like saturated soil for long periods. Like most tropical foliage plants, cordylines benefit most from light watering or regular misting.

It’s time to put those plants in nutrient-rich soil and get ready for some fresh herbs and veggies. Leafy plants are ready to grow. Add to that Brussels sprouts, all the bitter greens and if you like your veggies sweet, beets can go in the soil too. They are great in salads if you want a fresh zing and they add flavor to your favorite dishes. Starting from rooted plants, add a little time-release fertilizer near the roots to ensure plenty of vitamins for the duration of growth.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies. Is your green space thriving? Upload a picture of your green space for a chance to win a $100 gift card to ACE Hardware. Enter to win below (view the complete contest rules here):

Contest rules for Everything 4 Spring 'Green Space of the Week' promotion

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You might not realize that fertilizer application, timing and nutritional formulas are key to keeping your lawn in top shape. This gives the herbicide time to prevent weeds before sprouting. LEARN MORE: Get gardening and weeding tips through Everything 4 SpringIf you already have weeds growing in your lawn, a pre-emergent herbicide won’t help. Avoid a second application of lawn fertilizer right after the weed-and-feed, which could damage the yard from over-fertilizing. A light watering helps pre-emergent herbicide into the root zone to start blocking weeds effectively.

Besides taking some of the aches out of gardening, raised beds offer other benefits too:Better nutrients to the roots. Since you don’t walk in raised beds, soil compaction is also reduced. Planting closer than a traditional garden, the plants can shade out much of the weed growth. Pest control is also easier with raised beds. It’s worth mentioning that you will be want to be careful building raised beds.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies. Upload an image of your green space, and we’d love to reward you for it. In the “Green SpACE of the Week” contest, in partnership with Ace Hardware, you’ll be eligible to win a $50 gift card. RULES: View the complete contest rules hereOne winner will be chosen each week, March 1 to May 30.

This is an important piece of information and the first step in preparing your soil for a lush lawn. While nitrogen is taken up by the lawn under cool conditions, early lawn growth is dependent on iron also being readily available. Lawns turn yellow due to a lack of iron, which is slow to absorb in cool soils. Locally, it is recommended to wait until your lawn has completely greened before applying any fertilizer with weed control. If your lawn needs more time under the sun, remember you will not hurt your yard by waiting to fertilize, but you can do damage by applying fertilizing too early.

All of this wet weather might be leading to growth you don’t want, namely fungus and mold. Here are some verified tips you can use to bring these lawn wreckers to heel or get rid of them once and for all. Here’s how to fix it | Now’s the time to prepare your lawn & garden for spring | Should you prune your dead leaves now or wait? Spray affected areas every three days until the mold or fungus is gone. Applying this once a month or every other month can act as a preventive measure to stop new insect or fungal growth.

Here is what I have done or will be doing to help keep water moving. The common theme here is an easy fix: Simply remove the thatch with a rake or by hand, and the same goes for blocked drains and grates. Undulations in your yard will allow water to collect and stand, causing prolonged puddles and eventually mold and fungus. Another simple fix: if the depression is due to a commonly walked path or pets, fill the hole. If you are having soggy-yard water problems, I hope the fix is as easy as clearing some leaves.

Preparing your plants and lawn now will not only help the curb appeal but will also help the fight against pests and disease. While the grass is dormant, a rake can help remove some of the thatch. This can help remove thatch while allowing water and nutrients to reach root level. These first steps can help cultivate and maintain a healthy soil environment for rapid trimming decomposition. Between cold snaps and showers or between beers and sun breaks, small steps now will bring big results this spring.

Another freeze/frost event is on the way and if plants are not protected, you could see leaf damage with areas of brown and wilted leaves. Instead, pick up the leaves on the ground and wait until our temperatures begin to warm. But what if your plants aren’t looking their best, what with the dead and brown leaves? But trimming those poor cordylines with wilted leaves and drooping stems now could cause bigger problems as the next cold front moves in. AdJust wait out a couple more weeks of cold fronts before you start pruning and trimming.

At Casa de Loco, that means more time to knock out the honey-do list. During the winter months we have been working inside, but with spring around the corner it’s time to get outside. It’s the last month to plant a second crop of your fall/winter vegetables or to plant cool-weather vegetables that have time to fruit before it gets too hot. If you are looking for some curb appeal or to add a pop of color, think about planting or potting pansies and violas as they look beautiful growing together. I’ll keep you posted with the progress and maybe a picture of our first true, “Casa Garden Ensalada.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As March arrives so does the milder temperatures and you will want to trim your plants before new growth. Typically, most areas in Northeast Florida are safe toward the last couple of weeks in March. Using the proper trimming tools will help remove unwanted branches with ease. Use shears or loppers to remove any dead, weak, or diseased branches and be sure to cut away suckers at the bottom of the plant. Afterwards use denatured alcohol to clean the blades to avoid cross-transmission of any possible diseases between plants.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every week of through May our weather team will feature some aspect of improving or living in the outdoor spaces where you live as part of our Everything 4 Spring campaign. Subject to change, here’s our plan:Week of Feb 16: Rebecca Barry on when to apply weed and feed and some caution about doing it before a freeze. Week of March 1: Common landscape problems. Week of March 8: Mark Collins on pruning tools and chainsaw safety, highlighting protective gear to use. Week of March 15: Growing lawns and flowers worthy of The Players ChampionshipWeek of March 22: Tip for starting, improving vegetable and herb gardensWeek of March 29: Controlling insects in your lawn and gardenWeek of April 5: Getting your pool ready for the seasonWeek of April 12: Pressure washing and sidewalk/driveway careWeek of April 19: Mark Collins on how to properly plant a tree so that it thrivesWeek of April 26: High-end soils and plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirdsWeek of May 3: Planting container gardens for Mother’s Day giftsWeek of May 10: Planning ahead for Memorial Day grillingWeek of May 17: Proper American flag etiquetteWeek of May 24: Sprucing up with paint

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s only the second week of January and we’re preparing for a stretch of warm weather to thaw us out. With the arrival of warm weather, you may have noticed a few of your plants blooming around the garden. “This warm weather has triggered those blooms to set,” Hertz said. “The first thing and most important thing is that everyone’s getting a little over-anxious because we’re hitting a little warm spell," Hertz said. “You can plan out your cool weather vegetables, a lot of cool weather flowers,” Hertz said.

Donna's chicken yard is our week 10 GreenspACE winner. If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.

If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. Copyright © 2020 News4Jax.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ace Hardware locations across the First Coast have teamed up to donate a yard makeover to five deserving locations. News4Jax meteorologists Rebecca Barry and Jonathan Stacey were at two different Angelwood group homes along with teams from local Ace hardware stores to help with the yard makeovers. River City Live's Eden Kendall and Mark Payton and News4Jax meteorologist Mark Collins were each at different homes of families being helped by the Children's Miracle Network to help with yard maintenance and makeovers. One of their roundup campaigns just ended, and for the month of April, local Ace Hardware stores raised over $40,000 for the Children's Miracle Network. Jacob Hagan of Hagan Ace Hardware says that last year the group raised over $200,000 through various campaigns for the CMN.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mother's Day typically prompts a rush to call the florist, pick out a card, and make diner reservations. Our partners in our Everything For Spring promotion, Ace Hardware, suggest flowers that will stick around at least through the end of the season this year instead. The experts at Ace Hardware showed us where to start in building a container garden for Mother's Day. According to the Proven Winners website, optimal components for a container garden include plants that are filler, spillers, and thrillers. The gardening expert at Hagan Ace Hardware in Orange Park recommend using a good base soil with fertilizer mixed in.

Starting in March, viewers are encouraged to submit photos of your beautiful plant arrangement, garden, lawn or any type of foliage to our GreenspACE of the Week contest. Every week from March 1 to the last week of May, one weekly winner will earn a $100 gift card from ACE Hardware and have their photo featured on The Morning Show that Saturday.

Selecting native plants is critical when choosing varieties for your location. Native plants typically be more hardy for your local area, which in the long run should save you money by minimizing replacement costs. Many plants specialized for growing in north Florida attract birds, butterflies and beneficial pollinators to help your garden burst into flowering color. Native Florida wildflowers grow well in our sandy dry soils. Some native plants may not be a good choice if you have pets or live in wildfire prone regions.