Plant Gardens 101

Getting out into the garden is increasingly popular once more, many people find that it helps them to relax and there is a sense of satisfaction as you see your plants grow and your garden develop into something special. In this series of articles I will introduce new gardeners to the art of gardening. It is not something that can be learnt overnight, but that is part of the appeal. There is always something new to learn, no matter how old, young or experienced you are!

Clearly, you are going to need some tools to get started. When you go to the Garden Centre or the hardware shop to buy your first set of garden tools, you will be faced with a bewildering array. So what do you really need? The first question to ask is “am I a vegetable gardener, an ornamental gardener or both?” For most people, the answer will probably be both, a lot depends on the size of your garden and why you want to garden. So this set of tools should cover both needs and assumes that you are starting a garden from scratch – just a bare patch of ground, no hedges, shrubs, lawn etc. (more…)

Typically, people new to organic gardening are excited by the whole concept of “organic,” but don’t know where to start. I remember when I first got the organic “fever”; I was so excited to “discover” many things—not realizing immediately that organic gardening has been around since creation. I was reading everything I could find on the subject. Some articles were very entertaining but gave little practical information. Other articles seemed to focus on a particular product as being the miraculous answer to all gardening problems. I remember early on in my learning curve, reading an extremely interesting article about liquid organic fertilizer. It made a lot of sense and I was sold on the product, ready to run out and buy it. Problem was, I hadn’t even planted anything yet!

I put on the brakes and backed up a bit, but still eagerly absorbed the guiding principles for organic growing that enabled me to be successful. In retrospect, I always recommend to anyone who is just discovering organic gardening to start on a small scale. Container gardening, for example, is a perfect place to start. You can move your container easily to protect it from the elements, even indoors! (more…)

Like so many other problems in gardening, this one will go away if you make a slight adjustment of attitude and decide to embrace the shade rather than be daunted by it. A visit to any of the big gardens will show shady areas that have been successfully planted, and there is no reason why you should not do the same on a smaller scale.

So, how do we cope with shade? For some reason, many people simply ignore the fact that an area is shady and attempt to grow annuals and other sun loving plants in it. These inevitably languish and frequently die, and the gardeners get very despondent.

There is really no excuse for these problems as a large number of plants are available that actually like shady conditions. Perhaps the colors of these plants might not be so dazzling as the sun lovers because there are not many bright reds, for example, but they are still colorful enough to put on a good display. Many plants that like shade are yellow, and so stand out well in the gloomy light. (more…)

Preparing your garden for winter will minimize cold damage and ensure much healthier plants in the spring. The following guidelines will help you in preparing your landscape for the cold winter months.

Tropical potted plants need to be brought indoors before the first frost. Place them near a window with strong sunlight – preferably on the south side of your home. Hardier potted plants need some winter protection, especially in colder climates. It is a good idea to place them in a protected area like a garage and bring them out into shaded areas on warm days. Another alternative is to place the plants on the south side of your home against a wall. For best results mulch heavily around the containers. The sunlight will last longer on this side of your home, heating the wall which will radiate heat out through the night. It will also give the plants protection from northerly winds. (more…)

To start, you will need the proper tools to complete your project. For building a garden bed, you will need a digging spade and probably a digging fork (or spading fork). D-handled tools are best for this. If the cutting edge of the spade is blunt and burred, sharpen it. Also, smaller tools will be needed for the actual planting, weeding and upkeep.

Start with a garden bed. Try not to over do it and go big, smaller is always wiser when it comes to beginning any project. A good size for a beginner would be approximately 6 ft X 10 ft. If you plan to plant pumpkins, squash or zucchini, be prepared to go much bigger. These vegetables tend to need a lot of room, and often will spread out into the rest of you vegetables. Because of this, either start a bed specifically for these, or do not attempt at all if you have only a smaller garden. A raised bed can be advantageous to both you and the garden. It will allow the garden more warmth in the spring as well as keeping weeds at bay. It is best to create a framing for the bed; it will allow you to stand outside your garden without upsetting the plants and their root systems. Your garden should be able to get up to 6 hours of sunlight a day, so plan your location appropriately. If you do not have a yard big enough, container vegetable gardens are an option. Many plants including lettuce, tomatoes and peppers are just as good and hearty if planted in a large enough vessels. There should be at least 1-2 feet of soil to properly handle the root system. (more…)

Having a garden is a great idea that is greatly advised to everyone. It provides a fun – filled way of spending one’s time. Not only that but it also a good method of helping the environment. Plants help in renewing the oxygen supply of the world as well as reduce the pollution in the air. They not only provide beauty to our surroundings but they are also a good source of food and other important materials. All of these things are reasons why starting a home garden is recommended to all of us.

Planning the garden is the first thing that must be done by anyone who plans of having one. The type of garden must be considered as this is the basis of all the things that will be done with it. The gardener can choose between flowers, vegetables and fruits or he can make use of a combination of them. After choosing the type, he must now know the things that he will plant. For starters, plants that are easy to grow and nourish is the best thing to have. Other thing that must be considered in this area is the method of planning; when to start; and the location of the garden.

The next thing that must be done in when starting a garden is the familiarization of the different gardening tools and equipment. These highly – specialized tools are needed for all the processes that will be done in the garden. There are garden tools each for digging, cutting, watering and measuring. By knowing and having these tools, the aspiring gardener could make his work easier and faster. (more…)

Bonsai trees are diminutive and exquisite examples of larger trees. To keep them small, they spend their lives in shallow containers. Just about any type of tree can be a bonsai. Nurseries and some stores carry beginner bonsai trees, which are just waiting for you to train them into a lovely design. Prior to training a bonsai, it is essential that you understand what is about to take place.

Pointers on Beginner Bonsai Trees

To further develop beginner bonsai trees, some parts of the plants will need to be removed in order to create fine-looking presentations. Beginner bonsai trees have no planned shape when you first get them. Therefore, their future motifs will be entirely up to the whims of their new owners. (more…)

Many factors affect how often you must water your plants. Some of these factors are heat, humidity, wind, season, soil, and type of plant. The following guidelines pertain to plants recently transplanted into the garden. Remember, when transplanting, always be sure the plants were recently watered and are well hydrated before you put them in the ground. Water should be applied around the base of the plant and outwards a distance that is at least one and a half times the distance of the farthest reaching branch.

Water enough so that the soil will become wet throughout the entire root area. This will require a slow, soaking irrigation. Water should be applied only as quickly as it can be absorbed by the soil. Keep in mind your deepest roots will be located below the trunk and limbs of the plant. This area will require more water than the shallower roots located near the end of your farthest watering area. Root depths are commonly 6-12 inches for annuals, vegetables, and lawns: 12 – 24 inches for perennials and shrubs; and 28 – 36 inches or more for trees. (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…)

Our contemporary lifestyle, crammed schedules and crushing workloads tend to make gardening a threatened pastime. Especially if you have a long commute to and from work, you’ll start whining if your precious time is consumed by running around trying to maintain your garden. Pruning land mowers, pulling out weeds, tilling and fertilizing, trimming grass and sweating away can really sound nightmarish, if you don’t have a proper gardening plan. Done right, gardening isn’t really such a strenuous work and the results you get are worth the efforts. A few restful hours soaking in the beauty of a lovely garden can really lift your spirits and rejuvenate you when you’re stressed out. Not mentioning the joy you get when folks compliment you on its possession. So how do you get about creating your corner of sanctuary in a low maintenance manner? Here are some tips to get you going:

Analysis: The first thing you should do is to logically analyze your existing property. Which area catches your fancy and also requires less care? Which area has a higher weeding problem? Which area is more difficult to mow? You don’t want to run out of breath mowing uphill! Is there any area that requires too much care already? You may need to compromise a bit if your favorite areas require more maintenance than expected. So take notes on your examination and write down the garden activities that you prefer the least, and the ones you enjoy doing the most. We all have our own choices. (more…)

It’s easy to imagine a garden that is full of tall, brightly-colored sunflowers. They’re easy to grow, simple to maintain and can add a dazzling splash of color to any landscape. However, though sunflowers are easy to grow and maintain, there are several potential pitfalls. Small critters can steal the seeds before they have a chance to sprout. High winds can decimate a sunflower garden if stakes aren’t used for structural support. Wild birds can swoop down to pillage the seeds before they can be stolen by other animals.

By taking a few preventative measures, you can help ensure that your sunflowers grow to be a vibrant, stunning component of your garden. Below, we’ll explain how to grow sunflowers and provide a few useful tips for cultivating a gorgeous end-of-summer garden. (more…)

Due to seasonal changes in weather, many plants have adapted to survive harsh conditions through a process called dormancy. Seasonal environmental changes, such as day length, temperature, and drought, stimulate the transition of a plant from active growth to dormancy in the fall and then reverse the process in the spring. This natural process is essential to the health and survival of our garden plants. We do not want to use gardening practices that interfere with this cycle.

Gardeners should not fertilize in late summer or fall. Fertilizing can stimulate new growth that will not survive the cold winter months. It is okay to fertilize plants in more temperate areas where they will grow throughout the fall and winter.

Gardeners should not water in the fall, unless they are is suffering through a severe drought. Mother Nature will usually take care of herself at this time of the year. If you are having an extremely dry fall, moderate irrigation is appropriate. Excessive watering in the fall can promote new growth and delay dormancy. (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…)

As hydroponic gardening is becoming more popular, the sell of hydroponic kits has become a booming business. You can purchase a kit to make a small garden or one to build an entire hydroponic room. The items that are included in these hydroponic kits will depend on the type of system that you wish to use.

The Aggregate Hydroponic Kit Hydroponic kits for an aggregate system will usually begin with a container that is not transparent in which to place your plants. The company will also include a separate nutrient tank with the nutrient solution included in the kit. There will be some type of hookup system that will allow you to run the solution from the nutrient tank to the plant reservoir in order to perform the flooding process that is necessary to keep the plants fed. A built in drainage system is also a necessity with these hydroponic kits.

Aggregate hydroponic kits will naturally include a type of aggregate (the substance that you will place your plants in to give them the support that they will need). A pH tester might also be included to ensure that your nutrient solution is at the proper pH level. (more…)

If you are new to gardening, this article will give you a few tips to help you make your first garden as good as any seasoned gardener. The first thing you should consider for many reasons are what you are going to plant, and where are you going to plant? For obvious reasons, location is important when growing plants that need sun, as is shade when it is required for survival. Try not to plant to close to trees, as trees will compete for water. However, if your plants require little water, than planting around a tree is encouraged. (more…)

How do you start gardening is quite a common question.
The answer is simply to have a go. It is like most things, if you don’t try you will never succeed.

1. But you have to be born with green fingers?
It is inevitable that some people will be better than others. That goes for most things in life. You can have enjoyment picking out a tune on a piano without having to play a Beethoven concerto. The same is true of gardening.

2. I like to plant and create but all I seem to do is weed and deadhead.
This is a common complaint but the weeding and deadheading, in other words maintenance can be so relaxing. Once planted, a garden needs time to mature and it needs some tender loving care to attain the best results. Don’t make it hard work and tackle large areas all at one go and mix up the jobs. Working like a Trojan weeding the whole garden in a day can be very tiring and although you will see the fruits of your labour it can produce a mental barrier for the next time. Take it slowly and it might surprise you how your mind drifts off onto other things. It is called relaxing your mind. You begin to work out many things that are subconsciously worrying you. (more…)

Roses are one of most poplar flowering shrubs in the world. They are found growing in almost every country in the Northern hemisphere, evenIceland! If you have ever wondered if growing roses for beginners was complicated then you should read just how easy it can be to get started growing roses.

Growing Roses Needn’t be Hard

Growing roses for beginners doesn’t have to be overly complex or difficult. By following these tips below you can soon have a wonderful rose garden of your own.

Buy Good Plants – The key to a successful rose garden is in the stock. Buy the best rose bushes or shrubs that you can afford. Miniature roses and old garden varieties are grown on their roots but other hybrid teas are grafted onto root stock so be careful when choosing them. Look for plants with at least three good canes from the bud union (the large bulb at the base of rose) and should be 8 to 12 inches long and are at least a 1/4 inch in diameter. (more…)

Gardening shows and magazines have long encouraged us to cultivate flower beds and vegetable patches, but one of the easiest and most sustainable additions to any garden is a bed of fresh herbs. To this end, AVS Fencing, a leading supplier of decking, railway sleepers and wooden fencing are offering a range of products which are perfect for creating a raised bed in which to house a herb garden.

It is almost impossible to grow a bed or pot of herbs that doesn’t look fantastic and they are also very easy to grow. Like ornamental plants, there are annuals such as basil, coriander, and marjoram; perennials such as mint, fennel and thyme; woody perennials such as rosemary, lavender and sage; or even bulbs such as chives. The popularity of herb gardens has increased in recent years as more and more people are cooking at home and want to source fresh herbs without having to pay expensive supermarket prices. (more…)

In my outlook bonsai farming is the one hobby you can take up and design something which can only be described as a stunning art form, even if, like me, you were crude with as much natural gift for painting and portrayal as Andre Agassi has for understated retirement speeches.

There is now suspicion that a well reserved Bonsai ranking is a thing of beauty; a baby side of a satisfied amount ranking that replicates the full sized ranking but is small enough to fit in a pot on a slab. Genuine living art at its best.

So, how calm is it to grow one of these magnificent, tiny plants? Evidently it takes some skill, patience and a little accident but it is not in actuality as grim as it seems. Let’s find out a little more about the fascinating hobby of bonsai farming. (more…)

Gardening is an enjoyable leisure time activity for many and it can be extremely easy to see the fruits of your struggle bloom all summer long. Although farming can be simple and pleasing, that doesn’t mean that you won’t have to put some hard work into it. There are epoch when farming can be a lot of hard work!

In this section, you will learn about how you can get upfront of your farming tasks. Keeping up with the tasks and being sensible and prepared can make you’re the unbroken thing much easier.

Start feeding your soil. You necessary to begin a wholesome soil before you can grow healthful plants. You should also ponder that vigorous plants have excluding possibilities to submit to disease. You should make surely your soil is seamless at the creation of the term and then fertilize all summer as desired for each style of flower you have. (more…)