Plant Gardens 101

A nonflowering plant that reproduces by spores, not seeds, and that has fronds, not leaves.

A tropical shrub or tree of the family Palmaceae.

1. The closing over of a tree wound by formation of callus.
2. The plugging of the xylem by fungi such as verticillium, causing the plant to wilt.

Spotlighting is used to project a beam of light to the interesting objects such as statuaries, trees, buildings or shrubberies. Spotlights are an effective way of turning an entrance way, statue or walkway into the focal point of your home. The effect is particularly compelling if used to highlight features that have natural movement, such as fountains. This technique uses focused and typically more intense light sources.

Spotlighting is perfect for seed starting, cuttings, transplants or helping for special houseplants in the winter. A low-voltage pin spotlight is used to illuminate a garden pond and waterfall under an exterior wall. Spotlights can be bet into the ground or mounted to standard outdoor fixture boxes for installations on walls, trees or posts.

Spotlights are well suited for applications requiring a high degree of contrast on non-reflective objects. The lighting should not be overpowering but rather subtle and used in conjunction with other lighting. This light has been painted green to help it blend in during daylight hours. Position the beam of light for a long distance from the subject you want it to illuminate and arrange it so that it lights up just a part of your subject, such as a statue, which will make it more atmospheric. (more…)

Particular kinds of bacteria that live in nodules on the roots of many plants in the legume family (Leguminosae) such as beans and clover, and some unrelated plants such as alder trees, and “fix” nitrogen from the air into a form that can be utilized by the host plants and, after these die, by plants that subsequently grow in that soil. See also nodule.

The naturally occurring channelled flow formed by streams and rivers which removes water from the land surface.

So what are aphids?

Although other aphids exist, the main two types of aphid are black fly and greenfly, these are small soft bodied insects anywhere from 1mm – 5mm long and are very destructive to many plans in gardens and forests alike. These small fast breeding creatures survive by feeding on the sap from plants and get this sap by piercing the phloem, where the sap flows through the plant. In doing this, aphids can carry many different diseases that are harmful and can kill your plants.

When growing peppers aphids can be a big problem and as aphids prefer heat much like your peppers and chilli’s do, the problem is worsened. Greenhouses are a common place that aphids will survive well and can feed of many plants and reproduce at a rapid rate in a close area to each other. (more…)

Starting a new plant by fastening a stem down to the ground and partially covering it with soil to induce roots to develop. The rooted stem can later be removed and planted separately. See also air layering.

When creating a butterfly garden, the possibilities of what to include in your butterfly garden design are endless. Below are some suggestions to help get you started. They are designed to spark the creative process of your mind and get you started on your way to creating a lovely butterfly garden.

Before you even begin your butterfly garden, find out which species of butterflies are in your area. Consider taking an exploratory hike around your location with a butterfly identification book. This may take a little extra time and effort, but the results will be worth it. After you have compiled your list of local butterfly species, be sure to write down in your butterfly garden plan what these particular species of butterflies use for nectar and food plants. (more…)

The botanical name for hollyhock.

The botanical name for fringe tree.

A shady resting place in a garden or park, often made of rustic materials or latticework on which plants such as climbing shrubs or vines are grown.

The Internet is a great place to buy books, clothes, music or just about anything you can think of, but what if you are looking for gardening hand tools or Japanese gardening tools? Where is the best place to find those sorts of things? Well, just like everything else you want, you can find just about anything you are looking for online, and the same goes for gardening hand tools.

If you are stuck searching online for some great gardening hand tools but not exactly sure where to look, here are a few of the best online companies out there.

Gardening-Reviews.com

Gardening Reviews is a site that provides reviews for gardening products and tools. They offer special deals on Mantis gardening products through links on their site. You can also read reviews of the Mantis Tiller, a great lightweight tiller, that is becoming very popular for the home and organic gardeners. There is a review of the Mantis Compost Tumbler that provides a step-by-step guide to compost and a video of the Mantis Compost Twin at work. This is a great site to find new products and information and is being updated daily. The site is somewhat new but is growing everyday. I reviewed the Mantis Tiller product on this site and bought mine through the link here. I got free shipping and absolutely love the product.  (more…)

Funnel shaped, like the flower of the morning glory.

A method of limiting the height of tall, floppy perennials and encouraging them to branch out. When they reach one-third of their usual mature size, they may be cut back by about one-third. Also, a method of severely pruning fruit trees by cutting back all the branches.

Bonsai trees naturally don’t have flora. One deviation that does is called the Bougainvillea. This is regularly found in many parts of Asia and South America.

This belong with the Nyctaginaceae family that is part ranking and creeper. Although this has never been practiced by the Japanese or the Chinese, the in America have discovered that also possesses admirable qualities of being a bonsai ranking.

For one, the hobbyists doesn’t have to give it a lot of water. Fertilizers can also be worn to help it grow especially those that have nitrogen concentrates. It requests immediate sunlight so those who influence to keep it inside should take it out at least for four hours everyday.

The Bougainvillea Bonsai can be located each indoors or slight. It blooms all year curved even during the frost. When the weather gets cold outside, it should be located indoors and in a melt place to make steady it survives. (more…)

A garden laid out in regular geometric patterns with defined paths and pruned hedges.

A beneficial insect of the genus Encarsia that preys on the larvae of the whitefly.

Sowing seeds directly in the soil where they are to grow, rather than transplanting seedlings.

Raised gardens are becoming quite popular as more and more people are renting property or find themselves in high rise apartment buildings with little to no lawn space and even less access to actual soil in which to plant the flowers and vegetables they desire to have with them. There are actually quite a few pros for using raised gardens as opposed to tilling the soil for those who wish to have smaller gardens and are limited on space in which to do so. At the same time, those who desire bigger yields are often dissatisfied with the limits of raised gardens. The choice is ultimately yours but I will try to point out some of the pros and cons of this type of garden so that you may decide for yourself.

Soil compaction. Pants love to breath and that is often difficult when placed in garden rows as we have quite a bit of difficulty avoiding all together the possibility of stepping onto the tilled rows in which we have planted our fruits, vegetables, or plants in a traditional garden situation. By using a raised garden, which is designed to be worked from without rather than within, there is little fear of compacting the soil around the plants. At the same time many lifelong gardeners feel the inability to walk around in their gardens is a disadvantage in itself and prefer to be able to do so. This is often a matter of preference rather than practicality but a valid opposition just the same. (more…)