RELATED ARTICLESHot Feeding Tips
Summer is the most enjoyable water gardening season and the time
to watch for potential problems caused by high water temperatures
during extreme or extended hot periods.
Fake Grass
The history of artificial or fake grass is to say the least an interesting one and arose out of the social desire to in-effect ward off what could be seen, as far back as the 1950s, as an increasingly unhealthy tendency by youngsters not to exercise.
Kirengeshoma palmata
Kirengeshoma palmata
Planting Bare Root Roses
Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions will help insure that your roses grow into healthy bushes, trees, etc.:
The Hosta ? A Shade Loving Perennial
My first introductions to Hostas were four small green and white clumps edging a small section of my mother- in- laws driveway.
Greenhouse Calamities ? Thoughts from a Novice Gardener
Greenhouses are a great addition to anyone's garden. They come in all different sizes and you can nestle them right where you want them and with smaller versions of greenhouses you can move them quite easily. That said, as great as they look and of course smell, there should be some type of manual to buy when you are first setting up shop in there. There are many things no one bothers to tell you and if you don't know, you don't ask. Here are five things I learned by plodding along on my own:
Teak Furniture - A Cut Above The Rest
As you shop around for outdoor furniture, you will notice that much of the higher quality pieces are made from teak wood, and for good reason. Teak furniture is not just sturdy and durable, but also very beautiful with rich warm tones. Manufacturers obtain their wood from different countries but the two that always produce top quality is Thailand and Indonesia.
Growing Orchids as House Plants
One of the long standing myths that I still hear is that orchid house plants are difficult and finicky to grow. Well, plain and simple, the answer is No. In fact, orchids as house plants are easy to grow and will continue to bloom for years. Some orchid plants have been around for centuries.
Composting the Easy Way
Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners dream.
It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn't qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms.
Beauty After life - Plants For Drying - Grasses
Dried plants and dried flowers are midway for people who cannot afford gardens or costly fresh flowers and artifical flowers or plants for decoration. The household woman will get immense satisfaction, if she can nurture the hobby of making these dried flowers and plants, and then decorate her home. But few are aware of the type of plants and flowers to select for drying and the methods of drying while retaining the original beauty without much loss of color or shape.
Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives
For best health, it is important to keep your environment as chemical free as possible. With better weather coming up, consider this:
Care of Dendrobium Orchids
Dendrobiums
All about Tulip Gardens
As the curtain of winter lifts, tulips are one of the first flowers to take the spring stage. As the last drifts of snow seep into the soil, these bright signs of spring dance in the sunlight. However, you don't have to wait for spring to grow tulips. Whether it lies in a bed, under a shrub, in the crevices of a rock garden or in a container, a tulip bulb is an underground flower factory just waiting to "spring up" from whatever soil it occupies.
Good Tools and Hard Work is What Creates EyeCatching and Functional Gardens
"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade." -Rudyard Kipling
Early Spring Garden Guide: What To Do In The Yard And Garden Now
Can't wait to get back to the garden? Use this handy spring garden guide to get started. Believe it or not, the key is avoid getting too impatient and doing certain jobs too soon.
Early spring jobs: in the yard
Start winter cleanup of the lawn when the grass is no longer sopping wet and planting beds stop being a sea of mud. Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris and let light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow.
Re-seed bare or damaged patches of lawn. Scratch up the soil with a rake first. Mix a shovel of soil with a couple of scoops of grass seed and spread in the patch you're fixing. Rake level and keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes.
Remove tree guards or burlap winter protection from any young trees or shrubs. Try not to leave tree guards in place over the summer. They keep rabbits and mice from nibbling on tender bark over the winter, but trees don't need them in summer. They don't allow enough air movement around the base of the trunk and that can promote rot of the bark.
Transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.
Weeds start growing vigorously early, so when you spot them, go to it. Getting on top of the weeding now means a lot less work later. Weeds are easier to pull out while their roots are still shallow in early spring.
Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymous to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven't opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F (4-21 degrees C).
Get your lawn mower checked and its blades sharpened if you didn't get the job done in late winter. Sharp blades cut better and leave your lawn grass healthier.
Early spring garden jobs: In the flower garden
Don't be in a rush to remove winter mulch or to cut back evergreen plants such as lavender until temperatures are reliably warm.
Freeze and thaw cycles over the winter may given some of your plants the heave-ho. Replant any perennials that the frost has heaved out of the ground as soon as you can.
Cut back any remaining dead perennial foliage from last season (trimmings can go into the compost).
Cut back ornamental grasses to about 10 inches from the ground.
Remove winter protection of mounded earth from roses. Prune rose bushes before they start to leaf out.
Resist the urge to start digging in your flower beds too early. You can damage the soil's structure. If you pick up a handful of soil, it should fall apart, not stick together like glue. When it's dry enough, you can start to dig beds and add compost or manure in preparation for planting.
Grass growth is vigorous in the early spring garden, so edge your flower beds with a sharp trench between them and the grass to keep it in bounds. Repeat this job a couple of times through the season, or installing permanent edging goes a long way towards having a lower maintenance flower garden.
Delavays Blueberry (Vaccinium delavayi)
Whether we know it or not, most of us are familiar with the genus Vaccinium as it has among its members several current or potential commercial crops, such as blueberry, cranberry, bilberry and huckleberry. Vaccinium delavayi, however, is strictly ornamental and very unlikely to be our next export success.
Pruning the Backyard Grapevine
Proper pruning of your backyard grapevines is essential to maintain vine size, shape, and yield of the grapes. If you don't prune your vines, they will become unruly, tangled messes. Fruit ripeness will suffer. Overproduction of the vine may lead to premature death. It is also one of the harder things to visualize but one of the easier things to accomplish for the home gardener.
Tomatoes: History, Origin, Facts... or Fiction?
A tomato importer, John Nix, decided to challenge the law after scrutinizing the Tariff Act. His case relied on the fact that tomatoes were a fruit and not vegetable, therefore, it should not be subjected to the Tariff Act. Nix's objections brought the case to the Supreme Court in 1893. Although Nix had a solid case, the Supreme Court rejected the botanical facts and continued to refer to tomatoes as a vegetable.
Teak Outdoor Furniture - Where Function Meets Beauty
The wonderful thing about choosing teak outdoor furniture is that you have such diversity. From chairs to benches to tables and more, teak is the perfect wood for outside entertaining.
Budget For Your Garden
Have you ever thought about how much it costs to maintain your garden? Most people never give it much thought - spending the odd day in the garden when they have time and impulse buying plants at the local nursery.
