Plant Gardens 101

Those of you who live in Zone 9 planting areas will be happy to know that the high summer temperatures come with an unseen benefit – a long planting season. While most gardeners are tilling up their gardens before the first frost hits in October, most people in Zone 9 will be able to start a winter vegetable garden mid-month and have a harvest a few months later.

Winter Vegetable Garden Preparation
Winter vegetables require a little bit of forethought and extra attention. If you’ve never planted vegetables before it’s probably a good idea to start an easier spring/summer garden. Winter gardening is considered by some to be very advanced, but in the Zone 9 area it’s actually pretty easy because there is no snowfall and the winter temperatures are relatively mild.

The most important thing to do is to keep your plants safe from the cold weather. You can use a cold frame to protect your plants. It’s constructed out of a PVC pipe frame with greenhouse plastic spread over the top. The cold frame can be set out when you know there is going to be a frost overnight. (more…)

Succulents are perfect plants for xeriscape gardens or container gardens and are easy to root and grow. Once you learn how easy it is to propagate succulent plants, it’s a great way to expand your plant collection - and it’s free! You can use this planting technique with succulent plants from the Crassula family like Jade (C. ovata), Spoon Jade or Gollum Fingers (C. Portulacea, Rosary Plant (C. Rupestris), and Crassula tetragona. This propagation technique also works on other cactus and succulent plants like Aloe Vera, Echeveria, Aeonium and Baby Jade (Portulacaria afra).

Planting Succulent Cuttings: Start with a cutting about 4 - 6 inches long. Bury about half the stalk in soil. This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better. Trim off the last few leaves to make a bare stalk if you need to. The leaves can be planted too; bury about half the leaf, cut side down. Most succulent plants and shrubs will form roots on the joints in their stalks. I have great success rooting succulents without rooting hormone, and don’t recommend bothering with it for succulent plants or cacti. (more…)

Most home owners take lot of pride in caring for their homes both inside and out, and try to make their home the best that it can be. Nice landscaping makes a person feel welcomed to the home.

Having the correct tools and lawn care products is essential to getting your garden and lawn looking its very best. Far too many people believe that the way to achieve this is through the use of pesticides and other chemicals to eliminate weeds and keep bugs under control. People do not realize that they can have a really beautiful lawn and garden using organic gardening methods, and they won’t be harming the environment in the process.

Fertilizers used on today’s lawns are full of chemicals the worst of these being nitrates and phosphates. Since it takes several pounds of fertilizer to treat one lawn, you are exposing your family and pets to a great deal of toxic products. Fertilizers are known to trigger asthma, are a known carcinogen, and cause neurological problems in young children and pets. Worse yet these chemicals get into the soil and into our drinking water supply. (more…)

he concept of a roof garden is not a new one. In fact, it is centuries old!. If you live in an urban area, your dreams of having a garden may be difficult to achieve. Not so if you consider a roof garden!

More and more communities are encouraging their residents to plant roof gardens. The environmental and psychological benefits are numerous. Not only is gardening a calming and relaxing activity, which can reduce stress related illnesses, it also has great benefits for the environment. Building a rood garden on your home or apartment building decrease storm water runoff, reduce fire risks, help decrease heating and cooling costs and can protect your roof from the effects of ultra-violet light and frost.

There are three types of roof gardens and the three types related to the amount of maintenance they require, the depth of soil and the type of plants they will support. They are: (more…)

If you are considering whether it will be right for you to grow your own vegetables organically, here are a few of the most common asked questions.

Why should I consider organic gardening?
Organic gardening is for the individual that would like to control food quality. You should consider it if you are concerned about high food prices, low quality of commercially grown food, and if it is at all even healthy for you.

How hard is it to do?
Organic gardening is very simple. With the proper instructions and guidance, you will soon learn that it almost takes care of itself. Preparations are simple and will last for seasons with minimal care.

How much space is needed?
All you need is enough space for a pot and a plant to get started. Expand as you go. You will be amazed at the amount you can grow in very limited space with potted vegetables. (more…)

A Japanese Garden is full of mystery, nature and serenity. Just as landscape gardens of the West followed historic points of reference such as Classical Garden Design, Traditional Garden Design, English Garden Design on up threw Modern Garden Design, the Japanese garden tradition has a history that followed the trends and lifestyles of their location and times. It would be very pretentious to copy directly a Japanese Garden for Houston, although there was actually a style of Japanese Garden Design that did just that. We will highlight how you could build and apply the Japanese or Zen Garden style to your own home in Houston Texas.

Japanese Garden History

• Asuka period (538-710)-gardens were an expression of Buddhism and Taoism. Small gardens were reflections of spiritual themes or miniaturizations of the large mountainous regions of China and Japan.

• Heian period (794-1185)-the garden shifted from representing religious beliefs to becoming a place for ceremony, entertainment and passive contemplation. These became gardens for the wealthy of the time. (more…)

To produce a realistic illusion of a mature tree, look for plants with the following characteristics:

· Small leaves or needles.
· Short inter-nodes, or distances between leaves.
· Attractive bark or roots.
· Branching characteristics for good twig forms.

All parts of the ideal bonsai — trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits, buds, roots — should be in perfect scale with the size of the tree. Plants used for bonsai should have small leaves, or leaves that become small under bonsai culture. Plants with overly large leaves will look out of proportion if chosen for bonsai. Sycamores and avocados develop leaves that are too large. Certain species of both maple and oak trees usually respond well to bonsai culture and develop leaves that are in proportion.

Plants with small leaves and needles are spruce, pine, zelkova, pomegranate, and certain oaks and maples. Plants chosen for bonsai should have attractive bark, and the trunk must give the illusion of maturity. The trunk must remain in proportion to the entire tree. The trunk should taper gradually toward the top of the tree. Sometimes one or two of the main branches must be shortened to emphasize the vertical line of the trunk and give the trunk a balanced appearance. (more…)

In most books on rock gardening, a large part of the space is devoted to the description of plants, and of individual varieties. This is as it should be, and to those who are taking up seriously this fascinating form of gardening, the acquisition of at least one or two of these larger volumes is by all means recommended. Anyone planning a rock garden should conduct more research than simply what this article contains.

Bulbs for a Rock Garden:

To one who thinks of bulbs in terms of Darwin tulips with three-foot stems, and the modern Giant Trumpet daffodils, in the spring garden, or of gladiolus and dahlias throughout the summer months, the rock garden would seem to offer no suitable place of residence for this important group of flowers. Many “complete” catalogs of rock garden plants contain never a whisper concerning bulbs, though often including shrubs, evergreens, and garden fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=1071). (more…)

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…)

A kind of interesting symmetry of words. Why would anyone have the desire to build a garden made of knots? Of course if you have ever read,seen or heard aboutKnotGardens then this little introduction was lost on the informed ones.

Old things are sometimes good things. Sometimes they go away but quite often they come back stronger than the original time. This is certainly true in the case of what is called a knot garden. The idea of a knot garden came about in the Tudor reign ofEngland and progressed through the Elizabethan age with knot gardens constructed to copy the beautiful embroidery work associated with the English period. (more…)

Xeriscaping literally means “dry”-landscaping. This form of landscaping is designed to use plants that are not overly reliant on water. Also, conservation of water resources, these days, is of the utmost importance when one takes climate-change into consideration. Xeriscaping, being a more efficient use of water to take care of your garden, has become popular in areas that are naturally dry and areas that are prone to drought (Australia being one example). In America, much of the land west of the Rocky Mountains is considered semi-arid, prone to drought and therefore, a good area to consider applying xeriscape principles, rather than continuing to struggle with the the european design. By applying the principles of xeriscaping, it is possible to enjoy the benefits of a beautiful landscape without running up enormous water bills or spending a great deal of time, trying to prevent your garden from turning up its toes due to lack of water. Xeriscape systems generally use 50 to 75 percent less water than traditional european style gardens. (more…)

Autumn is the perfect time to start preparing the garden for winter. Indeed, the months of September and October present the ideal opportunity to get outside while it is still relatively warm, in order to tidy up the bedding and ensure everything is fully organised before the cold weather and frosts set in. Not only that, but laying down the right groundwork now will help the garden to reach its full springtime potential.

One of the first autumn tasks any gardener should tackle is the weeds, particularly if they have been left to run riot throughout the summer months. In addition to helping the soil prepare itself for spring, regularly removing weeds should weaken their persistence, thus encouraging them to stay away. What’s more, by pulling up any weeds now, there is less opportunity for them to spread their seeds and further infiltrate the garden. (more…)

What is organic gardening? It is gardening using materials and or matter that comes from compost, manure and other living matter. It is also a way to garden without using pesticides, insecticides and other harmful ingredients.

Organic gardening is an excellent way to grow your trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and plants. Start Spring color for your garden Organic composting comes from worms, food waste, grass clippings and old leaves. If left alone in some type of tumbler or rotating container it will eventually be consumed by bacteria. You can then use this type of “Compost” to amend your soil for your gardening needs. Humus comes from composted vegetable matter. You can make your own organic compost using a Compost Tumbler. Mulching is another form of organic gardening. Mulch is added to the top layer of any gardening bed, tree, or plant thus keeping moisture in and suppressing weeds from growing. This helps in eliminating harmful herbicides and or insecticides into the environment. Organic fertilizers are cottonseed meal, blood meal, Fish Emulsion, manure and sewage sludge. Many of these type of fertilizers are high or low on the three types of nutrients needed for your plants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potash.

You can try organic gardening for Spring color

Be sure to read labels before purchasing. In my opinion fish emulsion is the best and easiest to apply. You should also be aware that some organic fertilizers may burn the roots of plants.

Manure the fresher the better over time this type of fertilizer will weaken, but do not overuse as it can burn plants. Yea I know it stinks but it works. Cottonseed oil is the safest but is normally used for acid loving plants. Blood meal comes from cattle blood after they have been slaughtered. Be careful not to overuse blood meal as it can also burn plants. It is high in nitrogen and good for green foliage. If you are concerned about the environment then “Organic Gardening” is the

Paul Guzman is the author of this article and webmaster of Guzmansgreenhouse.com

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Birds, birds, birds. They come in all shapes and sizes. They range in type from carnivores to herbivores. Birds have been the stars of their own movies. Birds have taught children the importance of personality over looks. Some are even the leaders of nations. Is it any wonder that bird watching is one of the world’s most practiced hobbies.

People from all walks of life enjoy bird watching. Anyone can do it. All it requires is patience, a pair of binoculars and most importantly, a bird feeder. And there are many types. Depending what birds you want to attract will determine what kind of feeder to get.

Hummingbird feeders are the most popular and come in two styles; inverted and basin style. The feeder usually has a small receptacle in which a sugar solution is placed. It has an opening just big enough for the hummingbird to put its long beak. But the solution is really just an energy boost for the hummingbird. A hummingbird’s main diet is gnats and other small bugs. Here’s a hint when choosing a hummingbird feeder. Choose one that can be taken apart easily. Your feeder needs to be cleaned every three-to-four days due to the unfortunate clotting habit of the sugar and water solution. (more…)

Many people think that the first criteria when picking the “best spot” for a home vegetable garden is good soil; however, although good soil is important, good soil is made, not found. You can rebuild the soil once the spot has been chosen. When you are choosing where you want your home vegetable garden patch to be, you must focus on its convenience and exposure.

Convenience means your home vegetable garden should be “close by” or as close to your house as possible. You may think that a difference of only a few hundred yards cannot be that significant; however, if you have to largely depend upon spare moments for working in and for watching the home vegetable garden, convenience will be much more important than you think.

Don’t wait till you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass to gather those “vegetables of the day” to realize that “close access to your home vegetable garden” is important. (more…)