Plant Gardens 101

You can start an organic vegetable garden in planter boxes. Tired of waiting for the price of commercially produced organic vegetables to drop to more reasonable levels? You don’t need a large garden plot to grow your own vegetables. A few planters outside your window or door can provide all the space you need to plant some varieties of the vegetables you consume most often. You can choose from roots, leafy vegetables, and fleshy vegetables as you plan the layout of your organic garden. Selecting a nutritious mix of soil and watering your plants often should boost the health of your vegetables.

Carrots, beets, turnips, and radishes are all root vegetables. Roots also include potatoes, rutabagas, and sweet potatoes. Some of these edible roots can grow well in planter boxes. Carrots or radishes would make a good start for your organic garden. Do not select shallow planters for these vegetables, however. (more…)

Let’s talk about lawn care. Turn away from pesticides that poison you, your pets, your kids, and the water supply. Instead try organic products. Not only do they work well, but you’ll notice a difference in how your lawn looks and feels.

Consider buying a “reel” mower versus a gas mower. Reel mowers are the old fashioned ones that you push yourself. Save money on gas and get some exercise in at the same time. When choosing plants for your yard or garden, purchase ones that are grown locally. Other plants may be beautiful, but not suited for your particular climate. Purchasing locally grown plants ensures that they will grow well in your yard or garden and help promote the local growers. When checking out your local nurseries, be sure to ask questions like which plants are eco-friendly, how much water they require, and whether they need shade or sun? You can also check with a local landscaper for advice.

Try keeping a portion of your yard for natural plantings. Native wild flowers or plants that attract butterflies or birds are beautiful and will attract helpful insects into your yard as well. (more…)

The term organic gardening means gardening without using any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Apart from that, everything else is the same. Not using synthetic materials does make controlling pests, insects, weeds and even some diseases different from the usual methods. Also, special care needs to be taken to keep the soil healthy and meet nutritional requirements.

The first aspect of organic gardening is the soil. Organic matter is added frequently to the soil to maintain its nutritional quality. Compost is largely used, because it keeps the plants quite healthy. Compost is prepared from organic remnants such as dead leaves and flowers, peels of the fruits, shorn grasses, etc. Soil that is healthy will have a deep color and a sweet odor. It will also be teeming with earthworms. Some other organically permitted additives for soil are greensand, rock phosphates and bone meal. These can be added after checking the pH of the soil. (more…)

Living in the city does have a lot of perks – perhaps even too many to mention. However, one of the downsides of living in the metropolitan is that yards or gardens are hard to come by. Unless one lives in a house located in a high-end neighborhood, chances are there isn’t any room in or around the house for a garden. Most folks end up renting an apartment and are not given the opportunity to unleash their artistic side through the creation and cultivation of a garden. Well, there’s no need to fret as container gardens have now become a very popular form of indoor gardening. Below are a few tips on how to come up with an indoor container garden that will surely put that green thumb to use.

Brighten Things Up

One of the main reasons why gardens are situated outdoors is because of the fact that they need sunlight to grow. This is why folks who intend to grow gardens inside their homes need to come up with ways to compensate for the lack of light exposure of their plants. Ideally, indoor gardens should be positioned in such a way that they are still exposed to sunlight. If one has a sunny windowsill that can provide direct sun exposure for around 4 or 5 hours a day, it would be best to place the container garden near it. However, it is still essential to install some sort of sheer curtain on the window to prevent the plants from getting sunburned. (more…)

We humans develop passions for classic cars, postage stamps and great art: and among the planet’s collectors are those who have a passion for a particular plant. Plant collections can be more or less broadly defined to include whole plant families or just the cultivars of a particular species. Such collections can spread over vast tracts of land, or be held in a single greenhouse or urban conservatory.

One area worth considering for a plant collection is the alpine zone, either of a particular area such as the Rocky Mountains or the European Alps, or more generally, to include specimens from various continents.
Botanically, the alpine zone is generally considered to be between the limit of tree growth and the area under permanent snow. It contains an abundance of plants, some found only on a single mountain, others in a particular ecological system, or in a certain hemisphere, while yet others are common to alpine zones in different continents. (more…)

The Houston climate makes it one of the best places to plant a garden in the United States. Houston experiences a warm climate much of the year, and even though it is exceptionally hot in the summer months, the humidity latent in the atmosphere serves plant life very well. Because of the richness of the soil, the moisture content of the atmosphere, and the relative infrequency of hard freezes in the winter, virtually any type of plant species can thrive here. Tropical flowering plants, a variety of shrubs, perennials of all colors, and a rainbow of seasonal flowers can all be grown successfully in this part of the world.

With such a diversity of plant life available, Houston gardens can follow both traditional and non-traditional forms depending on the needs of the client. Our philosophy is to always respect the architecture with a design that mirrors structural keynotes and adds an organic sensibility to the façade of the house. As such, we prefer to view a garden in the context of the surrounding residence and particular neighborhood. We have all seen hundreds of amateur gardens throughout the city that are basically flower beds clustered at the bases of trees. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it lacks the ability to significantly differentiate one residence from the other. (more…)

I think that ideas which China given to us, will be useful to those who want to reach high level in landscape gardening and designing. No one garden in China was not created without patience and sensation of harmony and you mast to like the Chinese philosophy.

The main idea – creation of the world of the nature in a miniature. Chineses speak: « The handful of the earth and water spoon are attract greatest thoughts ». The nature – is big source of inspiration. The garden should be« interosculation quiet and changeable, as moon reflexion on water». Listen attentively. Be adjusted.

« Look around, look in youself »– here a major guide principle. In a garden, as in any flower composition, all should be harmonious – plan and colour, form and volume, and lines. (more…)

A client in the Heights contracted Exterior Worlds to create an Italian garden with a number of complimentary, classical elements to the front and rear of their home. Their house had a classic Old World appearance to it. It was a two-story structure with a porch and an upstairs balcony. Steps led up to the porch, and shuttered windows with arched tops lined both the porch and the balcony. A stately, old, and very large oak tree grew just next to the house, reaching up and over the top of the house. The architecture and indigenous landscape were an ideal setting to further develop a European look and feel to the property.

We began by installing lights in the trees next to the home in order to illuminate the roof and balcony, and we placed lights under the eaves of the porch and patio to illuminate the surfaces, walls, and windows. We planted a small Italian garden in the front near the trees. In it, we placed a variety of ground cover plant species, shrubbery, and smaller, ornamental trees. This lent an organic sense to a very symmetrical and elegant structure, and helped develop the Classical theme we were asked to create. We completed the design in the front with urns placed on either side of the stairs that led up to the front door. This worked to create a sense of grand entryway that alluded to a sense of Roman antiquity and classical design. (more…)

In organic gardening the use of compost and other natural soil enhancers is a critical part of success. The old saying is: “Good soil, good products.”

When we talk of fertilization for your effective organic gardening, it is almost similarly attributed to mulching. But there are also other aspects such as the introduction of fertilizers that can be available naturally or commercially. Simply defined, it involves placing matter, whether organic or inorganic, around your plants.

Aside from providing fertilization, it also protects your soil. Whether your garden is subjected to heavy rains or at the risk of weed infestation, the mulches provide ample protection and strengthening needed to supplement the natural growth processes of your organic garden vegetables. Aside from this, it also regulates the temperature of the soil; it can also render aesthetic appeal to the garden because it will help improve the ground texture and overall appearance. (more…)

In 2003, we received a call from John and Jennifer Randall of West Houston. They had decided to build a French-style home just off of Piney Point near Memorial Drive. Jennifer wanted a modern French landscape design that reflected the symmetry, balance, and patterns of Old World estates. French landscapes like this are popular because of their uniquely proportioned partier gardens, formal garden and constructions, and tightly clipped hedges. John also wanted the French landscape design because of his passion for his heritage (he originally came to Houston from Louisiana), as well as the obvious aesthetic benefits of creating a natural complement to the architecture of the new house.

The first thing we designed was a motor court driveway/parking area in the front of the home. While you may not think that a paved element would have anything at all do with landscape design, in reality it is truly apropos to the theme. French homes almost always have paving that extends all the way to the house. In the case of the Randall home, we used interlocking concrete pavers to create a surface that looks much older than it really is. This prevented the property from looking too much like a new construction and better lent itself to the elegance and stateliness characteristic of French landscape designs in general. (more…)

The only thing that distinguishes a kitchen vegetable garden from any other sort is that the garden plants are specifically selected to be eaten. Given that, the primary consideration in choosing your plants is what you will use, either for your own consumption or as trade items at a local farmer’s market. (Of course the climate in your area and the length of the growing season are also major factors.)

Your primary goals are to save money, to provide yourself with a healthy source of fresh food, and to have some fun in the process. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing something you’ve grown with your own hands on your dinner table. But how to start?

Where to Plant Your Garden

Obviously you can only use the land available to you, if there is any, or you can augment what space you have with containers. Figure out how much room your plug plants will need and plan accordingly. Tomatoes and peppers grow to a large size and do quite well in containers with cages for stabilization. Carrots and lettuce, on the other hand, do well planted in rows. (more…)

We were contacted by the owner of a Houston, Texas home who asked us to design a series of gardens and landscaping features that would compliment and expand the Mediterranean theme of his house into the surrounding landscape. This house sat on a very large lot of several acres in a secluded Memorial Drive neighborhood located near the 610 Loop. The home featured a symmetrical, linear appearance in spite of its two-story build, and our client wanted a landscape and garden design that would follow these same principles of self-contained regularity and subtle linear motion.

Creating a Mediterranean theme in a Houston, Texas garden and landscape is a bit more complex that it might appear at face value. The southern coast of Europe—particularly in Italy and Greece—is a mountanous area where homes and gardens are built on steep angles and sharp vertical rises. Gardens and fields are often built in terraces that climb the mountains due to the limited planting area and rough, rocky terrain. Limestone is the predominant rock type in Italy and Greece and has become iconic of this part of the world in our collective consciousness. Mediterranean homes and gardens are historically famous for their white stucco walls, olive groves, and carefully sculptured greenery embedded in a rugged limestone backdrop. (more…)

A Mediterranean garden is one of the eye catching gardens that have the look and feel of a European get away even when the garden is located in Southern California. This is a tasteful and colorful type of garden that is found in places like Italy, Spain or Greece with a maraud of colors and old world charm.

The Mediterranean garden also includes things made of stone, concrete or ceramics and can include fountains or ponds that lend a cooling and relaxing atmosphere to the garden. In a true Mediterranean garden there are plants and trees that are of olives, citrus, and vines of grapes, along with Pomegranates. Plants that are found in these gardens are Lavender, Rosemary, Oleanders and even the common Geranium. This garden is usually built upon a mixture of edible herbs and fruits among the color and beauty of flowers to make it an appealing and aromatic place to relax. Relaxation is one of the key features in the Mediterranean garden; this can be from a simple stone bench, a swinging seat or the table located on the stone or brick patio. One thing that is out of place in this garden is wood and metal, this is a garden built on old world charm and not the modern conveniences of today, like the wood that is placed to hold some beds in place or help to raise them. (more…)

A well-known resident of River Oaks contacted us and asked us if we could harmoniously blend the organic and inorganic components of her landscape into a design that would complement the classical architecture of her house and exterior masonry. We immediately noticed that the symmetry of her three-story house, and the fine linear designs of the yard and surrounding stonework, were also two very key elements used in Italian gardening. We shared this insight with the homeowner, who agreed that such a design would work very well for what she had in mind.

We began by working on the walkway that ran from the sidewalk up to the front of the house. This walkway curved in from the sidewalk between two small stone walls and converged in a series of very small, ascending steps reminiscent of those in a staircase. This gave us an opportunity to establish an immediate sense of formal entryway by framing the front of the walkway with Agapanthus and a number of other perennial and flowering plant species that bloom in seasonal cycles throughout the spring and summer. We framed the flowering plants with boxwoods to create an organic enclosure whose angular symmetry and self-containment speak to essence of an Italian garden. (more…)

Before you get started with either your balcony garden or gardening on your rooftop, there are some very important factors to consider.

Firstly, and of course the most obvious, make sure that the structure can withstand the weight and the rooftop will not be comprised with anyone walking on it, let alone creating extra weight or watering difficulties. (more…)

Because of the toxins associated with fertilizers and pesticides, many people are turning to organic gardening. The Bonsai is one plant that people are adding to their organic gardens. Originating in Asia, bonsai gardening has become very popular throughout the world. Bonsai plants require a lot of loving care. Growing them is often considered an art form.

Organic Soil and Fertilization

The proper soil mixtures and fertilizers are essential for healthy bonsai growth. Research shows that the best bonsai soils are soils that have organic matters. Bonsai soil tends to be a loose, quick-draining mix of natural and non-chemically treated soil. The foundation is a mixture of sand or gravel, fired clay pellets, or shale, which is mixed with an organic compound such as peat or bark. Volcanic clay soils are a preferred selection in Japan. Kadama and Kanuma are two popular choices. (more…)

Instead of chemicals in your soil and on your food, why not try organic gardening? You can start with just a few plants in pots or a small patch, or you can go whole hog and dig up half your yard!

Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small. Gardeners have a tendency to plant more than they can reasonably care for – everything looks so great in the catalogs! But even though gardening is a lot of fun and a satisfying pastime, it’s also a lot of work. Half way through the growing season you may wish you’d been a little more moderate in your planting. It’s better to work your way up to that huge garden!

On Location… (more…)

French garden gardens use the same of geometry and symmetry that André Le Nôtre established in the 17th Century. The Lodge at Versailles had originally been a quite retreat used for royal hunts, but Le Nôtre turned it into a palace that became the envy of the European Elite. Based on a pattern of parterres gardens divided by radiating walkways, reflecting pools, and ornate stone coping, the Versailles Gardens reflected an awareness of order and system that brought intricately sculpted individual elements into a complex, interconnected unity visible only from a balcony or palace room. This style was rapidly adopted as the standard landscaping design of all the French aristocracy.

French gardens used in landscapes today are much smaller than their historical predecessors built around 17th Century chateaus. However, the same emphasis on parterres and radiating pathways is used today both on larger estates. Scaled-down or modified versions of this pattern are used throughout local residential neighborhoods. Even though the typical Houston home resides on far less land than even a modest Old World Estate, the topography of the Gulf Coast highly favors a variety of French garden designs. Just like much of France, Houston resides on a very level plane that naturally lends itself to the type of formal bedding used in French parterre gardens and knot gardens. (more…)

The north side of a house or as known as south in the southern hemisphere, is often considered a problem area because of its lack of direct sunlight. Again, it is quite possible to create an effective border there simply by choosing plants that like the shade.

Most woodland plants, for example, will grow there.

So, why do we need dry shade for shady gardens? An area that is both dry and shady is one of the worst problems to cope with because most shade loving plants are woodland plants, which thrive in a moist, fiber rich soil. Soils can be improved by adding plenty of well rotted organic material to them because leaf mould is a natural material to use. (more…)

By using only organic gardening supplies; your gardening tasks will be easier and more enjoyable.

Compost, an all natural soil amendment is made through the use of composters. Composters break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps to make a 100% organic, all natural soil additive. Composters come in varying shapes, sizes and designs. Research composters and choose one that meets your needs. Making your own natural compost is a great alternative to other organic gardening supplies you would ordinarily have to buy, and it’s free!

Rain barrels collect water from your roof and store it until needed. Rain water is softer and chemical free. Rain Barrels are great for keeping your plants healthy and saving water. Many rain barrels are made from reused food drums and recycled plastic, keeping with the commitment to sustainable living. You can collect approximately 675 gallons of rain off your roof from a single rain storm. Stored rain water supplies much needed moisture to your gardens during extreme dry spells where rationing is necessary.

All Natural and organic fertilizer supplies much needed nutrients to plantings. Natural and organic fertilizers generally have a slow release so nutrients last over time. Natural and organic fertilizers such as liquefied worm poop and tea from composters, are among the top natural and organic fertilizers and an essential ingredient to your organic gardening supplies. (more…)