Plant Gardens 101

Redcurrants, and their less well known cousins, whitecurrants are some of the most useful, and most easily grown fruit bushes available to the gardener. Not only do they produce tasty nutritious fruit, crammed with Vitamin C and anti-oxidants but they have good ornamental value and, being extremely hardy, they will grow in colder spots and on poorer ground than most other fruit. Every garden should have redcurrants, so here are some tips and tricks to help grow them successfully.

Varieties first. For redcurrants, Junifer is early and excellent while Rovada (which is one of the best tasting redcurrants there is) crops later. Whitecurrants are thinner on the ground but I like Blanka which yields better thanVersailles (don’t turn your nose up at whitecurrants – their jelly is sensational). All the varieties named have good disease resistance.

Redcurrants and whitecurrants are both completely self-fertile, so there is none of the poring over books needed to decide what goes with what. (more…)

If you think it’s difficult to grow beautiful and healthy roses, think again. Below are a few tips that will get you well on your way.

Prepare the soil
Roses require rich and loamy soil. When choosing a spot to plant new roses pick one that gets at least six hours of sunshine a day. Roses don’t like their feet wet so stay away from areas that don’t drain well. Dig a hole twice as deep and wide as your rose bush container. Backfill the hole with a mixture of 50% compost and 50% of the soil you’ve removed. Sprinkle in slow release fertilizer per the package directions. Please the rose in the prepared hole. Make sure the soil line on the rose is at the same level as the soil line in your garden. You may have to fill the hole a little more or remove a bit of soil. When you’re satisfied, place the bush in the hole and fill the hole half way and water well. When the water has drained completely fill in the hole.

If your roses are already established freshen up their soil by adding compost, well rotten manure, or top soil. Sprinkle with a slow release fertilizer and work this mixture into the soil around the rose bushes.

Bugs and other critters
Keep ahead of bugs by inspecting the roses on a daily basis or at least twice a week. If you catch problems early they won’t become serious. Aphids love roses. Wash them off with a hard spray from your garden hose. If that doesn’t work use a spray of 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water. The soap sticks to the aphids and kills them but it won’t hurt the roses.

If you find a grayish to white film on the leaves and rose buds it’s probably powdery mildew. It’s not serious but it will ruin the look of the flowers. Use a fungicide especially for roses. Neem is a good one.

Other problems are dark spots on the leaves, holes, skeletonized leaves and flower buds becoming brownish. Take a sample of the rose bush to your local plant nursery and they can tell you exactly what the problem is and how to solve it.

Dead Heading
One of the benefits of roses is having lots of beautiful bouquets in the house. That’s good for you and good for your roses. Flowers have only one purpose in life and that’s to produce seeds so the plant can reproduce itself. Once the seeds have set many flowers, including roses, stop blooming. Remove the flowers as they become old and the bush should keep producing new blossoms. It will help flower production if you pick blossoms in their prime as well.

Feeding and Watering
Feed your roses a slow release fertilizer per the package directions. Most roses will only need to be fed in early spring right after they’ve leafed out and late summer. Water well after feeding.

As we said roses don’t like their feet wet so water only when the top 2 inches feel dry. Roots go down about three feet so if the top of the soil feels moist the roses don’t need to be watered yet.

You can grow beautiful roses without a lot of effort.

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About Dee Power
Find more tips from Dee Power on growing roses, flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees at Easy Garden Care. Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. She and her daughter have created Party Ideas: Kids Read her Blog

Easy to understand tips for growing organic. Topics covered include toss and grow annuals, blooming biennials, easy to grow perennials, garden herbs, different types of gardens, and how to identify beneficial garden pests.
Enter The Garden Some people have natural green thumbs and seem to know just what to do to keep their plants healthy, how to transform their outdoor space into a canvas of colorful flowers and beautiful roses, or how to grow incredible vegetable and herb gardens.

This guide is designed for the beginning gardener who is not sure how to sprout a seedling or when to harvest the veggies. It includes basic information on which flowers are easy to grow and maintain, how to choose basil that thrives in your region, and tips for growing perfect tomatoes.

Primarily defined as the art of growing plants for flowers or foliage, and vegetables meant for human consumption, gardening is cousin to horticulture, the art and science of the cultivation of plants.

Gardening offers an array of benefits. Organic vegetables grown without sprays and pesticides, or tomatoes and peppers that carry no threat of salmonella poisoning are some primary health benefits.

There are therapeutic benefits that can be gained from gardening. Ranging from moderate to strenuous exercise, you will work up a nice sweat doing lifting, stretching and repetitive motions that burn calories and qualifies as your daily workout.

Gardening is productive, mentally relaxing, and relieves stress, but my personal favorite is having a legitimate reason to play in mud and water. The smell of damp, freshly cultivated soil alive with flowers, herbs and vegetables must be experienced to be appreciated.

The combination of sun, soil, and water provides an escape from conflicts or problems to the peace and tranquility of your garden. Gardening is the best way to become one with nature.

Working in your garden allows you to spend time outside every day and make your outdoor space come alive with vibrant colors. The act of spreading mulch, weeding, or planting and digging with your hands provides a spiritual kinship with life and nature.

Harvesting the flowers, herbs and vegetables that you have grown in your garden will bring a sense of satisfaction, pride and accomplishment for your dedicated efforts, and friends and neighbors will be impressed by the improvements you have made to your outdoor space.

Next: Types of Gardens
http://organicharvesting.blogspot.com

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If you have a bonsai plant, it’s important to remember that caring for them is akin to caring for a baby. Loving and caring is required but it’s not sufficient; you also have to show certain “parenting” skills to ensure that your bonsai plant will enjoy a long and healthy life.

Tip #1 Water is the source of life for all creatures but it’s especially so for bonsai plants. Although they need to be watered more frequently than other types of plants, they also need a precise amount of watering. Anything that’s less or beyond the ideal amount of water can lead to your bonsai plant’s death so it’s important that you ask for professional advice.

Factors that affect the amount of water required by a bonsai plant include but aren’t limited to the type of tree you’re taking care of, what season it is at present, if the tree’s grown outdoors or indoors, and so forth. (more…)

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things - determination and know-how. Here are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer. Many perennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops. Certain plants - especially foliage plants like Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and so more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.

4. Fertilize lightly. A minimal amount of fertilizer will further boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water your yard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly because of nutrient depletion. A fortnightly application of liquid fertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it is more readily absorbed by the leaves. Container plants will be considerably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer applied regularly.

5. Weed out. This is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your garden by the yard. Remember, weeds compete with your plants for both nutrients and moisture. If the weeds are not close to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch. If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator, rather than a spray. This will protect you plants from spray-drift.

6. Water them well One good tip when it comes to watering your garden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week, making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion. Deep watering will encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able to withstand dry spells weatherwise

7. Say no to chemicals Chemicals are dangerous to humans and often kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, so avoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives that work almost as well.
With these simple tips, your garden by the yard will soon be the envy of your neighbors.

Visit the Cherry Facts website to learn about wild cherry tree and cherry bush.

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Do you love roses? Luscious rose gardens add a beautiful atmosphere to any home and garden. Even beginners can grow roses with little trouble when learn the basics of maintenance. There are some gorgeous ideas for backyard rose gardening. Although there are many steps to growing a beautiful rose garden, even a beginner can do it. Here you will find some rose gardening tips for the beginner.

- First, choose your spot. Roses love sunlight; therefore, they grow best when getting at least 8 hours of sunshine daily. A full day of sunlight is best; however, morning sun is preferable to afternoon sun.

- Prepare the soil for your roses well. Although, roses are not fragile flowers, they thrive in good draining soil, with a pH level about 6 or 7. Roses flourish in soils rich in organic materials.

- Keep in mind that soil that does not drain well, leave plants open to the vulnerability of disease and roots rot.

- Add organic materials such as compost, peat moss and manure.

- Fertilizers come in various choices between organic and chemical fertilizers.

- Allow the soil to rest a few days as it settles. (more…)

The very attractive garden is the wild flower garden. But someone say they have a bad luck with the gardening. You should know that it is not the good luck or bad luck, but it is the understanding and the attention. Each wild flower has the individual personality and characteristic. The plants always desire the environment that they have been accustomed to in the nature. If you take the plants out of their condition, they will sick and die. This is the reason why we should set up the suitable condition for them. You should notice the soil, the place, the condition, the surrounding, the neighbors and the other environments before you choose the wild flower from the nature.

These are the examples:

- If you find the A flower and the B flower are living together, you should put them together in your garden.
- If you find the A flower is living in the open situation, you should growing them in the same place. So if your flowers feel like they are living in their home, they will show the beautiful flower for you.

After the blossoming time is over is the best time for transplant the flowers. Just go to the forest and seek the favorite flowers. You should get the flower plants with the root and soil. They will be package in the closed bag or basket.

You will prepare the bed before you get the plants. It is not the good idea if your plants wait have wait to planting for a long time. The mixture of the soil in the bed is the wood’s soil and the leaf mold. The drainage system should be set up carefully. The plants do not like the closed water system. Some of the wood plants like the soil with the saturated water but not at all. You should put the stone in the bottom of your garden for the good water system. On the top soil of your garden, you should put some leaf mold and wood’s soil for the moisture system.

The early spring to late fall is the good time for you to create your wild flower garden. About March to April is the good time.

The spring beauty, saxifrage and hepatica should be start off in March. Everyone loves the hepatica. Before the spring, this plant will start to show the flower. The ray of warm sunshine is the best thing which the flowers are waiting for. The fuzzy covering protects the flower’s embryo. The hepatica plants will getting the leaf in the spring. It like the open place, rich and loose soil.

The spring beauty is the competition of the hepatica. The characteristic of the spring beauty is white flower with the little pink, thin and wiry stem, narrow and grass-like leaf. It grows in the great patches. You should plant the roots of them in the place where the sun light is not too much. Remember that the spring beauty loves the sun.

The saxifrage is growing in the dry and rocky places. We can find it in the chinks of rock. It is the rock garden plant. It loves the sandy place especially the big rock’s border. It has the white flower and the hairy stem.

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About Kirk Halmanica

Copyright @ 2007 Kirk Halmanica. Please visit my website at NEWS and Society Data , Online Legal Information and Online Travel Guide.

When many people think of rose beauty, they think of tea roses. They usually come with fragrant large blooms that are simply elegant, vibrant in color, and with velvet petals. If you want to add tea roses to your rose garden, you’ll probably be overwhelmed with all the different varieties to choose from. In fact, there are actually hundreds of tea roses to choose from. You’ll find them in various colors, sizes, and shapes. So, here are a few tips that will help make your choice a bit simpler for you as you pick the perfect tea rose for your garden.

Tip #1 – Make Sure it Will Do Well in Your Climate – One of the most important things to keep in mind when picking out tea roses is to make sure the one you pick will do well in the climate that you live in. If you live in an area that is quite warm, make sure that your tea rose can stand the heat. Live in a humid area? Then make sure the tea rose can resist various fungal diseases. Also, make sure that your rose is hardy during the cold as well.

Tip #2 – Read the Labels – Usually you’ll find that the tea roses come with a description or label. Even if you look at it and love it, make sure that you read the label information on it. The last thing you want is a rose that won’t thrive well for you, so read it first, even if you love it right away. (more…)

Imagine providing your family with food that you know is healthy, because you grew it yourself without the help of chemicals. With organic gardening this is possible. Organic gardening involves using natural pest control and fertilizers to grow flowers, vegetables, and fruits, rather than commercially produced and environmentally hazardous pesticides and fertilizers. If you are interested in organic gardening, consider these ten tips.

Tip 1 - Use Natural Pest Control

Your garden is going to have pests. Once you have identified them, research natural controllers you could add to the garden. These natural controllers could be other insects, such as ladybugs to control an aphid population, or plants, such as garlic to prevent armyworms or apple maggots. (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…)

In a small garden, where the patio or decking occupies a significant proportion, or if you have only a yard or roof garden available, container gardening is a good solution to the planting problem. In addition, it can give you a garden that is easily rearranged, which adds an extra dimension of interest to what you have. As with your overall garden plan, a little forethought can pay dividends.

For example, the size of pots needs consideration. A whole host of small pots will add flexibility and are easy to move around but they will take more frequent watering, whereas larger pots require less watering as they contain more soil or compost but moving them is not so easy. A compromise is to have a mixture of container sizes, with larger, more architectural plants in a few large containers that will be moved infrequently some medium sized ones that can be moved around more frequently and then some smaller, easy to move pots containing the smaller plants that can be moved round easily whenever you want. If you want a pot that will contain several different plants, a strawberry planter is ideal. (more…)

For your garden to work, it needs a degree of planning. Some people do seem to have an instinct for setting out a garden but for the rest of us (the majority) some thought is necessary or it can take a long time of trial and error to get it right.

The minimum is to at least consider the purpose, for some it is an outdoor room where they will entertain friends, work colleagues and family. Others will need a family friendly garden in which their toddlers can play safely. To some, the garden will be a peaceful refuge or a source of organic vegetables.

Clearly your garden will not need to stand the high levels of traffic that a public garden where the lawned areas need to be resistant to thousands of feet each day. Nor will your garden need to incorporate unusual plants and complex or intriguing water features and sculptures because you are not looking to attract visitors. Public gardens also have a team of gardeners to look after them, not just because they are large, but because keeping complex gardens looking good takes a lot of effort. (more…)

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…)

Don’t be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looked terrible.
If you make a mistake pruning, don’t worry about it. It’s like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I’ve written on pruning.

Along with summertime comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don’t water just before dark. For more details visit to www.sales-letter-secret.com Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down on the chance of fungus being a problem. (more…)

Choosing the correct type of pot to house your bonsai is critical. There are various things you need to consider when choosing bonsai pots. Two of the most important considerations are size and drainage. This article will discuss some things you need to consider when choosing a pot for your bonsai.

Size
Size should be one of the first things you think about when getting a pot. You will need to know how wide your tree’s branches are before you go shopping. The pot you choose should be just as wide as the branches. It should also be large enough to give the roots space to grow for up to two years.

Drainage
Drainage is also important when choosing bonsai pots. Proper drainage is essential for the health of your tree. Therefore, you should only look at designs that have at least one large drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Some designs have multiple holes to provide extra drainage. While you’re getting the pot, make sure you get something to cover the holes. This is necessary so that air can get in, water can get out, and the soil can stay right where it’s at.

Color
One of the lesser important considerations is color. You want your tree to look good on display. So, you’ll want to choose a pot that complements the look of your tree. You should be aware that some species have foliage that change color in different seasons. So, make sure you take this into account with your specific type of tree.

These are a few tips for choosing bonsai pots. While you’re thinking about pots, you should know that there are many things you’ll need to learn about proper bonsai tree care. So, click here now to learn everything you need to know about growing bonsai trees.

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