Plant Gardens 101

A plant that lives for a number of years, generally flowering each year. Gardeners often use the term “perennial” to mean herbaceous perennial, but woody plants such as shrubs and trees are also perennial.

With the release of hard-hitting documentaries such as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour energy consumption and its relationship to global climate change has become a prominent issue. What people often fail to understand is that the best solutions are not great actions on the part of a few, but rather small actions taken by the many. For example, if everyone in the U.S. were to replace incandescent lights with fluorescent ones, it could eliminate the need for Middle East oil.

LED Grow lights are another example of a small thing that can make a great difference. If you are growing your own food hydroponically, you’re already taking a step toward saving the planet. The use of LED Grow Lights allows you to take the next step in reducing your footprint on the planet. Not only to they operate at a fraction of the voltage of conventional bulbs (less than 20 VAC as opposed to 120), but they are free of mercury – a highly toxic metal used in metallic vapor and fluorescent grow lights. (more…)

Summer’s just around the corner and you know what that means – barbeques, family gatherings, picnics, beach parties, and even more barbeques! This is the time of year that all your good dishware and silverware stay in their cupboards and drawers and you utilize nothing but disposable plates and cutlery. But did you ever consider how much waste that adds up at all the landfills? So many plastic utensils end up piling up landfills and aren’t being recycled, because who would even think to recycle that? A better alternative that does the job and is good for the environment that’s now catching on in the market is biodegradable cutlery.

Made from corn starch and other biodegradable “plastic” fillers, eco-friendly utensils are on the rise in popularity. Contrary to belief, they will not fall apart on you if you use them in hot items like soups, and they will not break if you use them in cold foods or desserts like ice cream. Biodegradable utensils work like their normal plastic counterparts; the only difference is that they won’t pile up in landfills and can even be used in your compost bins. (more…)

The chemical symbol for nitrogen. Used in the formula NPK of a complete fertilizer.

We all want to protect our grass from being spoiled. The easiest way to do this is to create a stepping stone walkway. A stepping stone walkway in the garden gives a natural and beautiful feel and makes your garden stand out. Decorating your garden with the stepping stones is like adding beauty in your garden.

Modus operandi

Creating a stepping stone walkway can be a tricky business if not done in the proper manner. In order to create a stepping stone walkway you have to follow a set of instructions that are discussed below.

Mark the area Marking the area is the first step which you need to perform while creating the stepping stone walkway. Mark the area in a curved or straight manner with the help of ropes. You can also mark the area with the help of limestone powder. (more…)

(plural: mycorrhizae)

The common association formed between the mycelium of a fungus and the roots of certain plants, notably oaks, beeches, nearly all the heath family, and most orchids. The association is a symbiotic one, of advantage to both organisms. Plants that rely on mycorrhizae should be transplanted with some of their native soil if possible.

The botanical name for larch.

Would you like to increase your yield by 25%? Well, we know how! Fertilizers are used to improve the yield from crops. It can be applied either from the root or through the leaves. Seaweed fertilizers have been known to improve the quality and produce of your plants. Did you know by using such fertilizers, you get rich fruits and vegetables high in nutrients. How? It starts at the foundation- the root. By expanding the root system and with improved seed germination, plants get healthier and stronger. Thus they are able to combat disease and pests such as red spider mite and aphids.

Common liquid seaweed fertilizer is normally used as a foliar spray. Extracted from seaweed, this fertilizer increases the produce when seeds are soaked in it for a while. Statistics has revealed that rice, black gram and green gram harvests increased significantly after using the substance. In order to use this brand, 100ml of MBP-liquid fertilizer has to be diluted in one liter of water. It can then be sprayed onto the plants. (more…)

A heated glasshouse, originally for growing citrus trees, that was a feature in grand 18th- and 19th-century English manor houses.

A term used to describe a flower that is radially symmetrical. Any cut through the center divides it into two equal parts. Two examples are crocus and lily.

Perhaps you love to garden but are frustrated because you live in one of the upper floors of a high-rise apartment building. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the fact that you have no soil in which to grow plants, and lugging bagged soil up to your apartment would be no easy task. There is, however, an easy way to garden in an apartment successfully, and that is through the use of hydroponic gardening. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. You can start with a small homemade automated hydroponic growing system that can fit on a windowsill, and move up to a larger system if space permits.

One of the best reasons to consider growing plants in your apartment hydroponically is that this type of system is much easier to get set up than hauling heavy containers and soil up several flights, and the end result is fresh food for your family. To get started with a hydroponic garden in an apartment, you will need to know that there are two basic systems you can choose from: water based and media based. Medium is not soil, but instead could include composted bark, gravel, peat moss, perlite or vermiculite. Also, if you select an active system it will need electronic timers and pumps to make it function well, whereas a passive system doesn’t rely on pumps and instead uses a wicking agent for the roots of the plants to access the nutrients. (more…)

The chemical symbol for potassium. Used in the formula NPK of a complete fertilizer.

When choosing a garden greenhouse there are several things to consider. What style will look best in your garden? What weather factors should you take into consideration? What kind of plants do you want to grow there? Do you want your garden greenhouse to be freestanding or do you want to join it onto another building?

A freestanding garden greenhouse has the advantage of getting light from all sides, but your garden might not have room for such a structure. Lean-to greenhouses have the advantage of better support if you live in a place with strong winds which usually come from the same direction, such as a coastal property. If you live in a generally windy area you should also consider selecting a garden greenhouse with sturdy twin-wall panels as opposed to poly-film greenhouse covering – popular on many designs.

When selecting a garden greenhouse for particular plants you’ll need to consider how much light those plants need and how tall they’ll grow. Some plants can be trained round across the roof of your garden greenhouse to give them extra growing space, but others will need a garden greenhouse with tall walls. (more…)

The botanical name for juniper.

Retreat to a garden and patio design that’s beautiful year-round, and takes minimum fuss. What makes this possible? Carefree plants with continuous blooms, and a well-planned garden structure.

You don’t need to be a lawn and garden expert or landscape designer to do this. Here are a few tips for creating a super yet simple garden and patio design that will be a knockout!

The first step is to take a birds-eye view of your garden and patio area. Make a rough sketch of your space, and play around with a few designs until you like what you see. As you’re doing this, get some great ideas from existing garden and patio decorations. Pay a visit to other people’s gardens, or public gardens. Look through home landscaping and gardening magazines, find what you like, and develop plans of your own. (more…)

The botanical name for candytuft.

As a group, flower bulbs are outstanding plants—colorful, showy, and generally easy to grow for container gardening. Many have evergreen foliage; with others, the leaves ripen after flowering and the bulbs are stored and started again, year after year. Some flower bulbs are hardy, others, tender, though what is, and is not hardy, in a particular area is a matter of winter temperature averages. In cold regions, tender types—tuberous begonias, gloxinias, and calla lilies—can be treated like summer in container gardens. This gives the gardener a wide variety to grow from earliest spring to late fall. (more…)

Often simply referred to as a perennial, a nonwoody plant that may last anywhere from a few years (short-lived perennial) to decades. Many herbaceous perennials are evergreen, especially where winters are mild, but others go dormant and die down to the ground for part of the year. Although their tops are dead, their roots live on below the ground; it is from these persistent rootstocks that the plants renew themselves every year.

For thousands and thousands of years we have turned to plants we call herbs for flavor, dye, perfume and cosmetics. We have believed that individual herbs held the power to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others attracted the perfect lover, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops. For some, the use of herbs can cure headaches and burns. And, of course, what would fine dining be without the culinary herbs?

Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.

Make sure you have a sunny windowsill that your herbs will love. Use a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. (more…)

Herbs have been around since time immemorial and served different kinds of purposes. They have been used to treat illness and flavour cooking; they were even believed to have magical powers. Do you want to have your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to establish an herb garden.

Plan your garden.

Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials?

How much space will they occupy in your garden? If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow. (more…)