Gardening

Miracle-Gro product helps gardens grow

Miracle-Gro's Expand 'n Gro planting mix takes some of the heavy lifting out of planting container gardens.

Expand 'n Gro is a blend of plant food and coconut coir, so it's lighter than traditional potting soil. It's also concentrated, so the compact package is easier to carry and store.

The planting mix expands as much as three times its size when mixed with water.

CLINTON — Gardening expert Joy Bossi will answer your gardening questions at the Clinton Recreation Building, 1651 W. 2300 North, at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Help little sprouts grow big plants

Little sprouts can be introduced to gardening through the new Miracle-Gro Kids gardening kits from Peachtree Playthings.

The kits contain the supplies children need to grow plants from seed in specially formulated Miracle-Gro Gro-Mix, a nontoxic growing medium that changes color when it's time to water.

Kits are available for growing flowers or vegetables in various containers, including planters, miniature greenhouses and a terrarium.

A companion website, www.miraclegrokidsgardening.com, has activities, re

NORTH OGDEN — A town meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the North Ogden Community Services Building, 2750 N. 550 East, regarding the North Ogden Community Garden.

The garden’s grand opening is set for 10 a.m. May 7.

For more information or to rent a box, call Lorrie Frazier, special events coordinator, at 801-737-0587, or email lfrazier@northogdencity.com.

Kim Hunter, owner of Country Gardens Nursery in West Haven, has noticed a trend.

"The last two years, we've definitely had more people buying seeds," he said, estimating the increase at about 20 percent from 2009 to 2010.

And it's not just experienced gardeners increasing their crops.

"We've had a lot more interest in people starting gardens for the first time," said Dori Jones, manager at Ogden Botanical Gardens.

OGDEN -- Did you save seeds from the best heirloom pumpkins, tomatoes or onions you grew last year?

If you have spare seeds, you can take them to the Ogden Seed Exchange and trade with your neighbors to try new varieties of heirloom vegetables. (Heirloom seeds are open pollinated, rather than hybrid or genetically engineered varieties.)