Plant Gardens 101

You’ve started to plan your next garden in terms of needs and desires, your budget, and amount of time you have to devote, and created a preliminary garden design. What comes next?

- Analyzing Your Garden Sites -
Once you have an idea of how you are going to use your garden, consider it as it is during the different seasons. What plants are indigenous? What times or the day does each area get sunlight and for how long? How much shade do your gardening spots receive over the course of each season? How does your soil measure up in terms of content, texture, aeration, pH? Are there tree roots, wet areas, or other issues that may need to be worked with or around? Consider your plant ‘recipes’; which combinations of plants will work best with your particular garden spot conditions.

- Plant Selection -
Though plant selection should actually be fine-tuned towards the later stages of your planning, it definitely helps you to avoid breaking the bank and prevents disappointment down the road. What should you consider when selecting your plants, shrubs, and trees? (more…)

If you follow these 5 tips for successful container gardening you will not only save time, but money, frustration and possibly embarrassment. As this is an increasingly popular venue for gardening, container gardening is making a fashion statement. Container gardens are already very popular for entries, patios and decks. Maybe you’ve thought about incorporating them into your office or home, but haven’t. If by chance you feel a little overwhelmed on the basics, here are 5 tips for successful container gardening, even if it’s your first.

Before you run off in all directions as if you had 2 hours to create a masterpiece, pause to do some planning. First think about what type of feeling you want to have, when you look at your container. For me, I want to feel like I’ve walked into my own “secret garden” and have a sense of calm. I think about how it will smell, and feel among other things. Is it going to be a focal point in a room, or mixed in as part of a theme? Will it be the centerpiece on a table, or placed in a semi-lit hallway? (more…)

The botanical name for spruce.

Hemp family
Cannabinaceae
Hew’mew-lus. Three species of rough-stemmed vines, called hops, natives of the north temperate zone.

Description
Leaves opposite, more or less lobed. Male and female flowers green, on separate plants. Male flowers in catkinlike racemes, with a 5-parted calyx, no petals, 5 stamens. Female flowers in pairs beneath large bracts, which at maturity form a conelike body that contains lupulin, used in beer-making.

How to Grow    (more…)

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The roof garden is the type of the garden on roof of the building. Humans have also grown the plants atop of the structures because antiquity. In addition the attractive advantage, the roof plantings might give food, temperature manage, architectural improvement, as well as leisure opportunities. Obtainable gardening regions in the cities are time and again seriously missing that is to be expected the key momentum for lots of the roof grounds. The backyard might be also on the roof of the self-directed building that takes care of all its personal water as well as waste. The hydroponics as well as the other alternative techniques can get bigger the potential of the roof top gardening by just reducing, for instance, the require for the soil or else its marvelous weight. Also plantings in the containers are also used very widely in the roof top gardens. One of the high-profile instances of the building with the roof garden is the City Hall Of Chicago.

For the one who live in the small apartments with very little space to reside in, the square foot gardening, or else when less space is also accessible living walls perpendicular gardening is also the wonderful solutions. These also use much of very fewer space than the conventional gardening the square foot gardening also uses around 20% of space then of the conventional rows; the ten times extra produce can also be produce from the perpendicular gardens. These as well encourage the environmentally accountable practices, get rid of tilling, dropping or else eliminating the pesticides, as well as weeding, also encouraging recycling of the wastes all through the compost. In the very small apartments, the Bokashi compost is more sensible than the conventional composting. (more…)

With the increased new trend in outdoor living, which has undoubtedly been by TV Gardening DIY programs, we are all spending more money on our garden and patio areas. Creating an inspirational outdoor living space is something we can all do with a wide range of hard and soft landscaping products, lighting, decorations and garden accessories available widely on the market.

Some of the latest innovations are in garden heating which allows us to spend more of our precious leisure time enjoying our garden or patio area, be it for entertaining family and guests or simply for relaxing.

Fire pits and fire baskets are now widely available and not only bring the real flame, cosy atmosphere to your garden or patio but also create a great amount of heat, light and ambience. (more…)

Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn’t necessarily true. You can design a breathtaking garden and be the envy of the neighborhood by following some of the following tips.

Know What You Like and What Works Drive around your neighborhood and see what’s out there that grows well in your zone. You can jot down what you see on index cards, so they are organized and handy. Start gathering page clippings from magazines and collect some pictures of the designs that interest you. This can help you decide what garden style you like. You’ll have an easy reference for plants and placement too.

Select Location and Color Next, look at your notes and clippings and choose the color scheme you‘d like to have in your garden. Don’t forget to keep in mind if you’re designing and planting in shade, sun, or partial shade or partial sun. Are you looking for something bright and vibrant or something more calming and soothing? Consider starting with a foundation of shrubs and accenting with some perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, and annuals for more seasonal color. Perhaps, you want all flowers. Decide on a shape that compliments your house style. Straight styles give a more formal appearance while curves give a more informal feel. If you don’t feel confident selecting colors, you can use a color wheel to help pick contrasting and complimenting colors. (more…)

The loss of nutrients when rain or irrigation carries them down through the soil and out of the root zone.

Gentian family
Gentianaceae
Sen-tor’ree-um. A genus made up of about 30 herbs, most of them annual or biennial, widely distributed, mostly throughout the northern hemisphere.

Description
Leaves opposite, simple. Flowers pale pink to rose or red, in clusters.

How to Grow    (more…)

http://www.adsence-dollar-factory.com http://www.100earningtips.com “>Give the same plants to several people, you will see several arrangements. Each one distinct and different, yet, using the same plants.

This is the ultimate reward of gardening- a means to express, to create with the help and inspiration from the gifts of Nature.

Gardening is not just physically and aesthetically rewarding. It enriches the spirit. It awakens one’s creativity that lies dormant from neglect, or lack of motivation, or a popular excuse, not enough time.

Gardening is fast becoming a popular hobby of the times. From the tropics , to the frigid climes, gardening centers are offering more choices to tantalize even the most conservative taste. (more…)

You do not have to be a plant lover to have a home garden. If you do not have the aptitude for gardening for reasons best known to yourself, you may opt to keep butterflies instead by planting a butterfly garden. It is the most natural way to add color and movement to your garden without having to use a lot of labor. Another plus to having a butterfly garden is the knowledge that you will be helping in saving these beautiful creatures from extinction.
First things first, you need to attract them. Butterflies love flowers. However big you want your garden to be is entirely up to you. It will look better though if you put it in a corner. They need to have water otherwise they will not stay in your garden long enough for you to call it a butterfly garden. Provide clean water in the butterfly garden. You may put the water in a container or better yet; a tiny pond on the ground will do.

The garden environment should be as natural as possible. If you live close to pollution of any kind then you will not be able to attract these cute creatures. Noise pollution, air pollution by insecticides, water pollution etc are some of the turn offs for the butterflies. (more…)

You’ve struggled, you’ve toiled and, at last, you are satisfied with your garden. It just couldn’t be better. But what’s this? Pests! Now you’ve got to prevent the invasion of destructive bugs in your garden. Here’s the best kind of gardening advice you can find for that purpose: Try growing companion plants.

Companion plants are very useful to gardeners or farmers. They have natural substances in them that will repel or attract insects. In specific cases, they can even increase the growth rate of plants, even improve the flavors these plants produce. Not only that but they help to bring a balanced ecosystem to the landscape. Overall then, growing companion plants will result in much healthier and productive plants and better crop production.

There are many kinds of companion plants available. If this is the first you’ve heard of them, you’ll probably be very surprised by what you’ll find. These are some examples of companion plants: (more…)

If we could garden without any interference from the pests which attack plants, then indeed gardening would be a simple matter. But all the time we must watch out for these little foes little in size, but tremendous in the havoc they make.

As human illness may often be prevented by healthful conditions, so pests may be kept away by strict garden cleanliness. Heaps of waste are lodging places for the breeding of insects. I do not think a compost pile will do the harm, but unkempt, uncared-for spots seem to invite trouble.

There are certain helps to keeping pests down. The constant stirring up of the soil by earthworms is an aid in keeping the soil open to air and water. Many of our common birds feed upon insects. The sparrows, robins, chickadees, meadow larks and orioles are all examples of birds who help in this way. Some insects feed on other and harmful insects. Some kinds of ladybugs do this good deed. The ichneumon-fly helps too. And toads are wonders in the number of insects they can consume at one meal. The toad deserves very kind treatment from all of us. (more…)

Carpetweed family
Aizoaceae
Dor-o-thee-an’thus. A small genus of succulent herbs native to South Africa and formerly included in Mesembryanthemum .

Description
Leaves opposite or alternate, forming rosettes. Flowers solitary, petals few to many, calyx 5-lobed.

How to Grow   (more…)

Composting with Worms in the Winter Times

Composting worms in the winter is not quite the same as composting worms during the summer times. There are no white flakes falling to make a 3-foot thick layer of snow during the summer time. There is no howling wind bringing chills to your bones in the summer time. There is no freezing temperature threatening to freeze you to death in the summer time. And there is no need for that thick jacket that you have been hiding in the closet just for that occasion. Overall, the living conditions during winter are not the same as the living conditions during the summer time. This applies to humans as well as red wiggler worms. That is why we need to understand one very basic and important note in worm composting during the winter.

What do you need during winter? (more…)

As a species name, means “covered with stiff bristly hairs” (not soft and fuzzy). For example, the annual black-eyed Susan or gloriosa daisy, Rudbeckia hirta, bears leaves and stems that have a rough texture because they are covered with short stiff hairs.

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in a solution of nutrient enriched water. Since hydroponic plants have access to unlimited nutrition and water, they are able to grow up to ten times faster and healthier than soil grown plants. The rapid growth and incredible quality of hydroponically grown plants and produce is resulting in many commercial growers to use hydroponic systems in their indoor gardens and greenhouses. Plants grown in soil-free gardens have the perfect balance of nutrients and water delivered directly to their roots. Crops are not forced to expand their limited energy searching for water and food. They are able to grow faster, larger, and healthier and able to deliver the highest level of vitamin content, flavor, yield, and color possible.

Hydroponic crops do not have to fight the fungi, diseases, and pests typically found in soil and plants mature unhampered by competing organisms. Healthy plants are also less prone to insect infestation, so the use of toxic pesticides can be decreased or even eliminated. The crop’s water and nutrient needs are simpler and more effective which helps allow greater control over the crop’s life cycle. Instead of the need to guess what the plants need, it will be evident. Without the unnecessary complexity of working in soil, a few simple measurements will quickly determine the plants water and nutrient requirements. (more…)

When you first look at a set of garden shed building plans, there’s an excitement and often a temptation to rush in and get started. If you can curb your enthusiasm for a short while, you’ll find the shed building process easier, faster and much smooth.

To follow a garden shed plan, you need a plan!

The first step is to look over the plans. All good shed plans will come with step-by-step instructions. Work your way through these mentally, slowly, following the steps on the printed plans so you know what’s required in each phase of the construction. See how each section is built and how the sections connect to each other.

This ‘dry run’ will make the actual construction process easier as you’ll already have a mental picture of what needs to be done. Make a note on the plans if there are any steps require special care or may be problematic.

Pay particular attention to any details on the shed plan such as door and window jambs, the gable overhang, eave details and so on. Make sure you understand which parts are required and how they fit together. (more…)

Sometimes I get calls from people who have purchased a new home with an old pond that has a big problem. The number one complaint is that it won’t hold water; second is the water is green; third is that the rock work is ugly – an eyesore! At that point I ask if they have a pond liner pond and waterfall and they are surprised that I knew that, however eighty percent of all these type calls pertain to a liner pond and waterfall. We have replaced over $40,000 worth of defective liner ponds. One customer in Rancho Bernardo, California had spent $14,000 to have a koi pond and waterfall built by a large and well respected local pond liner supply company. They complained of needing to add water daily since the liner pond was constructed over a year ago. The pond liner installer’s response was that the loss of water was from evaporation. The liner pond was fitted with a manual auto fill system and they discovered the solenoid was turning on every 15 minutes to replenish the loss. In addition to the annoying water loss, they could not enjoy their fish for half the year because of murky green foul-smelling water. They reported the pond liner company came out dozens of times dumping various concoctions in the pond with a promise of startling results. The results were startling all right – our client sued the pond liner store and contracted with us.

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