RELATED ARTICLESOrchids Plus More Newsletter - December, 2004
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Letting Nature Grow Your Garden
It is wisest to let Nature have Her way. Nature has her own agenda, and your life as a gardener will be easier if you bow to Her desires. Better to dance with the fairies than struggle with eliminating "weeds". What herbs already grow around you that you can use as teas and seasonings? Most areas are rich in such plants, both native and introduced. Many of them will be happy to grace your garden with very little effort on your part. Some will appear; others may want to be transplanted. Still others are simply there, waiting for you to notice.
The Zoo-Doo Man - Or How to Make the Best Compost in the World!
Is your garden soil great? Does it produce an abundant crop for you without any great effort on your part? We were once told "By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread . . ", and with several thousand years' rain, snow, wind, and crops removing the minerals from the land, we very rarely see fertile ground anymore.
The Design Principle of Unity in Gardening and Landscaping
A principle of all art is unity. This means that each piece of art has one meaning. Creating landscaping or a flower garden should also incorporate this principle of unity. Your landscaping or flower garden is truly a work of art as much as any painting or sculpture.
How To Mow A Lawn
Although push lawn mowers are wonderful machines that do a great job in keeping the lawn looking lush and well groomed, sometimes you need something with a bit more power to get the job done.
y, Fun Garden Plants
I have a love for funky, fun and unique garden plants. Here's one to try. It's called Sea Holly, and it's actually in the thistle family.
The Many Types of Palm Trees
There are thousands of species of Palm Trees. They are considered to be tropical in nature, but most people are not aware that cold hardy palms may be planted outside without any visible damage from temperatures as cold as -20°F. You can see this as far north as Canada and Switzerland
How to Grow Cooking Herbs
Grow your own cooking herbs to add fresh zest and flavor to your menus year-round!
Easter Lilies, and the Number One Gardening Question Right Now
Everybody asks about Easter lilies! Can they go outside; can I plant them in my garden? And to this I reply, "Why not?" Like other bulbs, there are two options if you plant your leftover Easter lily bulbs - either they will live and flower for many years (it is perfectly hardy into zone 4) or they will immediately die. If you don't plant the bulb, it will definitely die. So you have nothing to lose by planting.
Store Your Outdoor Furnishings to Make Them Last
In many parts of North America, the end of "porch season" has arrived. Whether you're clearing out for some oncoming bad weather, closing up the cottage for the season, beating the vandals on devil's night, or just retreating to your nest for the winter, you'll want to store away all of your outdoor items with maximum care.
Are My Grapes Ready to Harvest?
This is the time of the year that I keep hearing the question "When do I harvest my grapes?" Or sometimes the question is phrased "Are my grapes ripe yet?" And then there's the "Are they ready yet?"
Hand Feeding your Koi
One of the most rewarding and entertaining things about having a
Koi pond is when your fish finally start eating out of your hand.
There is no better way to learn each fishes' personality and
temprament than to have them nuzzle your fingers when they are
hungry.
Garden Room Boundaries...
The areas of your landscape can be divided into several sections and areas, which are also known as garden rooms. Garden rooms are spaces where you plant, grow, and display different ideas in gardening in various creative methods. One garden room could be a rose garden, while another could include the use of a water garden, while still another garden room in your landscape could include the use of just purple flowers. Garden rooms are your creation, and only limited to your imagination.
To create the rooms in your landscape where you can be both different and creative you need to actually create some type of walls in your gardens. The walls in your gardens are going to be grown from other larger types of plants. Living fences are one 'way' that you can create garden rooms.
10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Ceramics
To care for your antique ceramics you need a gentle touch and they'll last you a long time. This month we'll give you some useful tips to help you care for them.
How to Attract Birds to Your Backyard Paradise For Less Than $100
Like many Americans, you may find bird watching to be a fascinating hobby. At the same time, perhaps you wonder how you can attract regular visitors to your yard without busting the bank by purchasing expensive foliage, feeders, and food. Here are some tips toward helping you establish a backyard paradise that is certain to welcome birds without draining your wallet.
Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance
You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, tend to your backyard
pond, and who could blame you? After all, she does a pretty good
job of taking care of really big ponds, so why would your
backyard ecosystem pose much of a challenge to her?
Layer Your Plantings
Part three in a series
Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design?
Do pests 'gopher' your lawn? Chances are, if you have a lawn, you risk the chance of having pests, such as the gopher and his cousin the mole. And, perhaps even those pesky six-legged creatures- ants and other insects- call your grass patches home. Why are these animals and insects attracted to your lawn? And, what can you do to stop them from burrowing and nesting? Those answers and more will follow in this article.
Bedding Plants and Plugs (small plants)
It is not difficult to grow bedding plants from seeds, and you may be surprised to know you do not need to have a greenhouse or some hot room to grow them in. I have managed to grow my plants by placing them in an old carton/pot covered in a polythene bag. However, please remember to leave the pot where sunlight can get to it, i.e., a window ledge or a balcony.
How To Build A Waterfall
The number one, most asked question that I receive about water features is "How do I build a waterfall?"