RELATED ARTICLESThink Vintage for Your Garden
Container gardeners take note. Tired of clay pots? Think vintage, because when you do, there'll be lots to choose from. Most likely vintage items will be worn and chipped which will only add charm to your garden.
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?
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.
Protecting your Garden Pond from Pesky Predators
Notice any fish disappearing lately? While herons are present
year-round, water gardeners notice the challenges they bring to
the pond in spring and early summer when herons feed their young.
Gardeners: Contain Yourselves!
Whether you live in a tiny city apartment or on a large country estate, gardening in containers is a way to add colour and the beauty of nature to your surroundings. The three main elements of creating successful containers gardens are:
About Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them to Your Garden
Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving from flower to flower in search of the tasty nectar within. These beautiful and tiny birds weigh about 2 to 20 grams and are found in a wide variety of environments from the high Andes to lowlands, and from dry desert areas to rainforests. They have slender beaks, extensible tongues, ten primary feathers, and tiny feet suitable for perching but not walking.
Here is Why You Should Use Gypsum in Gardening
Do you have clay or layer of hard subsoil problems in your garden?
Then gypsum may be the answer to help loosen the soil structure. It is not considered a miracle substance and you will find that it doesn't work right away, but a 3 year program of applications should help improve the poor soil conditions. It is not expensive and is easy to spread where needed.
Cyclamen
Think of cyclamen and the chances are that Mothers Day immediately comes to mind, which is something of a pity. Now don't misinterpret me, there's nothing wrong with mothers or with having a day for them, but it does seem a little unfortunate when such beautiful, adaptable and useful plants become so commercialised that there's difficulty escaping that association.
Why Teak Furniture is the Better Choice
For centuries, it has been known that teak has qualities unlike any other wood. With an average lifespan of 75 years, teak wood has long been commended as the ideal choice for outdoor furniture.
Grow Herbs in your Garden for Pleasure and Profit
Herbs can add a touch of magic to your garden with their supernatural associations and practical uses.
Aluminium And Wooden Greenhouses
An important addition to any British back garden, greenhouses are firmly established in the British way of life. It's probably the inclement weather that drives the british gardener 'inside'. If you are visiting this site then you are probably thinking about obtaining a new greenhouse. It is possible you don't know the type of greenhouse you need or even how to decide on the type of greenhouse. Greenhouse design was revolutionised with the arrival of aluminium frames and the scarcity of pine. This article takes a brief look at the differences between metal and wooden greenhouses.
Plant A Simple Tea Garden
Materials Needed
1 decorative clay or metal planter
1 package of clay pellets (approx. 30 pellets)
3 packets of organic tea leaves seeds (YOUR CHOICE)
Grow-rich or nutrient-rich potting soil (ASK YOUR NURSERY FOR THE BEST RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR AREA)
Directions
1. Spread the clay pellets evenly along bottom of planter. These will absorb water and promote healthy root development of the tea plants.
2. Moisten potting soil in a large plastic bag and then spread mix over clay pellets in planter, leaving 1/2 inch at top of planter.
3. Sprinkle seeds on soil, leaving about 2 or so inches between different varieties.
4. Lightly cover the seeds with dry soil, and then moisten slightly with a spray bottle or a few drops of water.
5. Label the varieties of tea on the bottom or side of planter, or create popsicle-stick signs to place in the soil.
6. Move planter to a warm place in indirect sunlight until germination takes place. After germination, relocate planter to a warm area with natural sunlight.
7. When tea leaves reach a height of about two inches, thin out seedlings across the total planter surface to provide adequate space for future growth.
8. Water periodically, only when the soil is moderately dry.DO NOT OVERWATER!!)
Wind Chimes Soothe The Soul
They can be pretty to look at and soothing to hear, but did you know that that wind chimes also have healing effects? Just listening to the tones of the chimes can help calm your mind and release stress. Calming your mind, the tones of the chimes help to release all that stored up stress. This soothing effect helps open our spiritual awareness and has been used by many cultures for centuries.
Avoiding Unsightly Algae
Excessive organic matter in the pond provides nutrients for
algae, contributing to its growth. Algae can obscure the view of
colorful fish, and more dangerously, it robs the water of
valuable oxygen and releases harmful pollutants.
Trust Your Plants - They Know How To Grow!
I've done a lot of container gardening over the years, and one thing is a given for potted plants: it's a life of constant change. Moving around from one part of the garden, patio or sunroom to another, moving indoors and back outdoors again, and of course the inevitable periodic re-potting. It's a wonder that plants do so well given this life of constant upheaval, but the key seems to be to just tend to their basic needs and let them do what comes naturally.
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.
Decorative Garden Accents
Think of your garden like you would a room in your home. After planning the shape, tilling the soil, choosing the right plants the last step is to add those personal touches. And just like indoors this is accomplished with accessories.
Plants To Grow Old With or The Constant Battle
Following are a few paragraphs about the on going battle I had with some of my plants!
Spice up Your Garden with Rare Flowering Bulbs
Any experienced gardener knows the secret to a beautiful garden is in the bulbs. Flowering bulbs are usually quite hardy and undemanding and can provide the most amazing shower of spring and summertime colors. Bulbs naturally package all the essentials they need to flourish and grow. All that's required is warming temperatures to bring the bulbs out of dormancy. The great thing about bulbs is the wide variety of colors and shapes you can produce.
Growing Tomatoes Organically
Tomato Seeds Vs. Tomato Seedlings?
