Garden Chairs
Placing garden chairs in your back garden can increase the enjoyment that you, your family and friends will get from the garden. Having garden chairs will enable you to get more use from your back garden. Different styles of chairs can be used for relaxation, sunbathing and entertaining guests.
Recliners and relaxers are perfect for chilling out or sunbathing. Recliners can be used in an upright position or adjusted into a reclining position. Recliners and relaxers are nice for taking naps, daydreaming or reading. Lounge armchairs are nice for curling up and and having a catnap.
Sunbeds and steamers allow people to stretch out completely. Sunbathers will appreciate being able to stretch out full length in the warm sun.
Dining armchairs or dining chairs without arms are ideal for sitting at an outside table at a BBQ. Dining chairs can be purchased with or without cushions. Deck chairs or lounge chairs can be used for seating at a meal served buffet style. Rocking chairs are comfortable for just sitting around at a party.
There are many other styles of garden chairs. Stackable chairs and folding chairs can be easily stored. Ladderback chairs, tub chairs and director style chairs are some of the styles that will provide comfortable seating for your guests.
One of the benefits of garden chairs is their portability either due to being lightweight or even fold-away. They can be moved to a table for eating, then after the meal they can easily be moved to another location in the back garden such as a fire pit.
Having plenty of garden chairs means that you will always have enough seating for guests when you are entertaining outdoors. The wide variety of combinations of colors, styles and materials will enable you to find garden chairs that are perfect for your back garden.
I like to write about garden furniture including how to choose the perfect table, hammock or garden chairs
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Chairs, Garden
Indoor Gardening Through Those Cold Winter Months
Indoor gardening during those long cold months of winter can keep the excitement of your gardening experiences going. Having a garden in the home can really add to your decor and aid to your health at the same time. Indoor gardening helps to add moisture to the air as well as filter the air by exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen through plants.
This method of gardening is no more demanding than an outdoor garden and you don’t have to have a lot of room to do it. All you need is the basics to have a successful indoor garden, light, nutrients and water.
Depending on the types of indoor plants, the requirements for lighting can differ, most plants grow best with a good light source. This can be accomplished by placing your plants near windows or by the use of growing lights. When choosing the plants you want to grow in your indoor garden, keep in mind that your plants with dark leaves usually won’t need as much light as the other plants.
Over watering is the most common mistake that is made with growing an indoor garden.
Indoors you don’t have the sun, wind or the larger areas of soil to absorb the moisture or evaporate it. Your indoor garden will need water just as your outdoor garden does, just keep in mind that these plants are in containers and you can’t just keep watering them and have water standing in the container, this will only cause the root systems to rot. A good drainage system is very important with container gardening. Under watering is also just as important and needs to be monitored. Check the moisture daily at the beginning to see how the soil retains or drains moisture is very important. You want to keep the soil moist, not soaked.
Humidity can be a problem with indoor gardening, particularly in the winter months when air in your house can be very dry.
Simply misting your plants with a fine spray can help during these dry times.
Nutrition is another thing that is very important. Different plants have different requirements, keep this in mind when planning your indoor garden. There are many organic slow release nutrients that can be purchased at most local garden centers for this method of gardening. Also remember that a good healthy organic soilless potting mix that drains well, retains the moisture needed and retains nutrients needed for your plants to thrive is very important with indoor gardening.
A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.
Small Garden Landscaping Design | Landscapers Sydney
Small Yard Design Suggestions
Small garden and backyard design ideas are hard to find. The landscaping ideas for small garden vary from other garden designs. It is essential that you consider the area when making design ideas for small garden. It should not look very crowded and still give perfect ambience to the entire house.
It should work as part of the entire house and not as a separate unit or space. Garden design Sydney for limited space normally intends to spice up the house more than just planting trees. It should transform to a new quiet area where you can sleep in the nights.
Since area should be of great concern when making up small garden design ideas, you can use different shapes to make it look bigger. Shapes that are made of series of networks can change the area to look larger. All you have to do is to link the individual shape to each other. Parallel figures may also be used because they produce certain impact and turn the space in the garden look bigger than the actual size.
To connect tree planting regions, you can use Blue Salvia. Once you have created the garden, you can tone it form the main road. To achieve it, you can use different plants like the Yaupon Holly. It will certainly give solace and great ambience to your small yard.
Yet, simple trees and shrubs along with the size of the garden are not sufficient. Texture also plays major element to increase the size of your small garden. Although you can make your personal feel, you can also use brick for your outdoor patio area, organic stone for the walking space and smashed rock that will give distinct appearance with the whole surrounding.
How about the weeds? In order to overcome this, you need to use weed barrier for professionals. This will make sure that undesirable weeds won’t get closer again to your wonderful garden.
These are few of the handy garden design ideas. You can utilize them to produce perfect atmosphere for your little yard. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t try to do your own ideas. To help you along with the setting of your garden, you can also ask professional assistance for better and more vibrant contemporary garden design ideas.
http://www.landscaperssydney.net.au – Garden Design Sydney – Landscapers Sydney always provide the highest quality gardening and landscaping in Sydney. Enquire online for a FREE quote today.
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Design, Garden, Landscapers, Landscaping, Small, Sydney
Improving Your Lawn with Improved Lawn Care
Even the most worn out, roughest lawn can be improved with a little care and attention. A green carpet of lawn really makes an inviting garden and encourages the family to use it. First, the grass needs regular and careful mowing to maintain the grass at an even height. From spring time most lawns needs a weekly mow to keep the grass at a one to two inch height. Don’t mow in wet weather as typically the blade can jam and it may not be safe especially with an electric lawn mower. Secondly, add a good quality feed.
It may be general purpose soluble feed which can either be added by a watering can or added to the garden hose as the lawn is watered. It is best to feed every six weeks. Thirdly, get rid of those annoying weeds that spoil the look and feel of a good lawn. Specialist lawn care products can take care of the worst offenders such as moss, dandelions, hawkweed and plantains.
Watch out for pearlwort and parsley piert as these can be encouraged to grow from too much mowing. Fourthly, lawn care can patch a bare piece of ground and quickly make a difference to the overall appearance. A patch feed with added grass seed or cutting out the bare ground and using a piece of turf from another location can be used.
For edges that have become bare, an old trick is to cut out the offending area and turn it around so that the bare patch is away from the edge which is now lined by good quality grass. Trying to re-seed a bare edge is very difficult. The bare area can more easily be treated with grass seed and a fertilizer if it is surrounded by grass.
Make sure edges are generally kept neat to enhance the appearance. With heavy soils, aerate the roots in early spring with a garden fork. The holes will help with drainage and getting oxygen down to the roots to encourage growth. Finally, make sure that lawns are well watered in dry spells but abide by local rules on hosepipe bans.
The lawn is the heart of the garden.
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Care, Improved, Improving, Lawn
Garden Tools
Designing your garden is most likely a personal statement of style. What one person likes may not be what another likes. For instance, some people like their gardens to be neat and tidy, while others love the adventure of winding paths and exotic plants. Formal, semi-formal, and informal are the three variations on the style for a garden. To properly design your garden, however, you will need to have the basic Garden tools, and perhaps a few extras depending on the look you are going for. You can choose to design your garden to mimic the design of your home, or it does not have to be related to your home whatsoever. It is all about personal choice.
Some people are born with the innate ability to transform space into something that is very pleasing to the eyes; whereas others are not and may not have the first idea about how they should go about designing their outdoor space.
To create a great outdoor space, you must manage the space well and remember that people will be moving around in the space. In other words, creating great patterns and utilizing the space within the pattern is vital. By utilizing geometrical patterns, your garden will achieve a unified feel about it. Which way would you like your patron to move about in your garden? You can achieve your ground pattern by using bricks or paving material. To achieve this you will need to have the appropriate garden tools on hand before you begin so that you do not have to stop in the middle of your project.
If you are seeking to create a formal garden, you want to be sure to incorporate symmetry and geometry, such as repeating patterns with different plants on each side.
The environment is very controlled, overgrowth is clipped and shaped on a regular basis. You can add urns or balustrades to complete the formal look. In other words, formal means that there are no surprises. You always know just what to expect.
An informal design is just the opposite; in fact, the design should be asymmetrical and not regulated. Allow the plants to grow without clipping. Allow it to grow as it may and to self-feed. This design is much softer and thus there is a surprise effect to it creating a great ambiance.
And finally, a semi-formal garden style is a combination of the above garden styles. You will create fine lines with your paths that will be softened by the occasional overgrowth in spots of your alluring plants.
Along with these types, there are also several different garden styles that you can choose from, such as Chinese, contemporary, cottage, or secret garden.
Contemporary is a modernized style that uses your plants to help reflect the surroundings. The texture and form of your foliage is just as important as what flowers you choose. You will weave hard landscapes into geometric buildings, which will then flow into a more open space. You will then use your flowers and other plants to create focal points around your architecture.
Garden tools info offered on the web at the site http://www.egardentools.eu. Get detailed information about a range of gardening aspects and make gardening a fun experience.
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Garden, Tools
Three Tips to Making a Garden Pathway Design
Part of the splendor of any garden is a garden pathway designed specifically to show off all aspects of your garden. Whether you want your personal garden pathway design to curve around your yard or you just need a simple garden pathway design which shows the most redeeming features of your garden you’ve come to the right place. Here you will be given three of the most vital tips to help you find the most adequate garden pathway design to fit your needs.
Taking Measurements
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how grandiose your personal garden pathway design is if it doesn’t fit in your yard. You need to measure your yard. That includes any shrubs, trees, garden plots or any other obstacle you have in your yard that you don’t want your garden pathway to go through. Once you have your measurements you can either draw on graph paper or enter your information into a garden design program for an even more accurate layout.
Play around with your drawing or program. You’ll be able to create multiple garden pathway designs and really find the one that works for you and your garden. With a program you can even play around with textured paths like using brick instead of a path made entirely of concrete.
Scaling
Now that you know the size of your garden you can adequately scale the garden pathway design you have. Scaling is a very important tip you should follow when you’re working on a design because it will determine if your garden is too small for your plans (or even too large for your design). Using a design program will make it far easier to figure out the correct scaling, but it is possible to find when you’re just drawing—you just have to be far more careful.
Part of scaling is using the correct materials for your garden path. A shorter path requires you use a material that’s more unified like a cobblestone path or a slab of decorated cement. For a more convenient garden pathway design which literally goes through your garden you could have stepping stones rather than a full path. Whichever you choose you need to have a pathway that is scaled to your garden.
Adding a Personal Touch
The garden pathway design you choose can be extravagant or simple as long as it has a personal touch that pleases you. Your personal touch can be the flowers that line the pathway, lights that guide the walker, a texture that pleases the eye, etc. Anything you add to your personal garden pathway design can make your pathway unique and yours.
After careful consideration and calculations you can have the most amazing garden mostly because you added your own personal touches. Making your own garden pathway design is a great way to add appeal to your house. Keep your garden pathway in great shape and every time you come home you’ll have something to be proud of.
Written by ja_schmidt
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Garden Design Software Will Help With Gardening
I have always loved gardening. I usually spend a lot of my free time in the garden. I find gardening enjoyable and relaxing. Each day, I always see to it that I water my plants. I have planted some flowers and vegetables several weeks ago. The spring season is my favorite season in a year. It signals me to plant more new vegetables. Every year, I want to do something that I’ve never done before. Today I have decided to buy garden design software.
Buying garden design software was not really planned. I thought I could not use it always. Now I can see that the garden design software is one of the things I really wanted to have. I suddenly liked the idea of checking out in other stores for other garden design software. When I started using the garden design software, I was really amazed. There were many designs and gardening tools just like the real ones. It was totally adorable. I could not help myself but appreciate all the contents in the garden design software. I’m sure many gardeners would love to see this.
There are many garden design software programs available in any computer shops. The garden design software really helped me and gave me ideas on how gardens could look like. I have never seen such wonderful gardens in town. My neighbors are not really into gardening. The garden design software I recently bought featured only some basic designs. When I went in the store, I found out that there are many other great buys for garden design software. There are even software programs that feature famous gardens from different places. I used my newly purchased garden design software and started designing my own virtual garden.
I also bought another garden design software program on the internet. The website offers a program to be downloaded. When I finished downloading, I immediately tried it. Now I am hooked on staying in front of the computer making my own garden design. Several days later, I received a mail containing a CD-ROM of the garden design software that I purchased online. The online store had included in its package the CD-ROM. It would be useful in case you encounter any problems to your downloaded garden design software.
I am now excited for the coming spring season. It would be the best time for me to implement the garden design that I have created. I am happy to see my own garden design on the computer. I can’t wait to see my own design in my own garden. I have learned many things from the garden design software. There were even tips on how to keep your garden beautiful. It also teaches what correct tools to use during gardening. Several tips are given for gardeners to apply it on real gardens. Flowers and vegetables should be planted separately. Each should have its specific area for planting. It provides plants to grow healthily. Cleaning your garden is one important task everyone must not take for granted.
Written by ja_schmidt
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Six Steps to Lawn Maintenance.
When looking at lawn maintenance there are six key steps to take. These steps will help to make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.
Step 1:When mowing grass one should remember that the grass should be no longer than 7.62 cm high. During certain seasons you may be required to be more active in your lawn maintenance then in other seasons. For example spring time your grass may grow more quickly than in the summer time.
Step 2:It is important to aerate your lawn during the fall and spring seasons. When you aerate the soil you are making it a better quality of soil. This will also help to reduce soil compaction. Lawn maintenance can be hard but when thinking of skipping a step you may see the bad effect it can have on your lawn. Aerate the lawn helps the grass to absorb water and nutrients better as well as helps to eliminate thatch build up.
Step 3: The best time to fertilize grass to keep it healthy would be in the spring and in the fall. When trying to achieve the highest lawn maintenance you want to use a fertilizer that has a slow release to it. This will allow your lawn to stay greener for longer.
Step 4: During the summer months you will want to test your soil. The way to test your soil for grubs is to take a 0.09 square meter section of grass and lift it up with a spade or shovel and count the number of insects that are underneath. When counting the insects five or more would indicate that you should treat your lawn with a grub treatment. Remember with any lawn maintenance product read and follow instructions carefully.
Step 5: The next important step one needs to remember in lawn maintenance is stay on top of weeds. There are many products out there that work to kill and prevent the growth of weeds. Read the instructions carefully and make sure that you do not over or under use product.
Step 6: Make sure that your lawn receives at least 2.5 cm of water every week to keep the healthy look you have worked so hard for. Over watering can cause as many problems as under watering can.
These six steps in lawn maintenance should keep your lawn healthy and gorgeous. For those out there that always wanted to work on lawns full time there are still a few franchise opportunities available at lowered lawns. For more tips or information about franchising please visit us at http://bestfranchise.net.au/lawnslowered/.
Written by Lawnslowered
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Lawn, Maintenance, Steps
Taking Care of Your Garden Lawn
A well taken care of garden adds warmth to your home. You can have a perfect garden through good garden lawn care. There are a number of garden lawn care tools that will help you maintain your lawn. You will need a lawn mower to trim down the grass in your backyard and garden. Mowing should be done on a regular basis and you must choose best plants for your home garden. This will leave your lawn looking neat and presentable. You can also use an edge trimmer to trim the edges of the lawn. Shears can also work quite well in the absence of an edge trimmer.
After mowing your lawn, you often leave behind leaves and other debris. You can use a rake to clearing up these unwanted leaves. Garden care also involves airing the soil and you can do this using hollow tine fork. It also a good idea to sprinkle water on the lawn garden during the dry spells. To reduce evaporation, you should water your garden lawn during early morning or late evening hours as these are best timings for lawn gardening.
This will prevent whatever you have planted on the lawn from wilting and drying up. If you want to make the edge of your lawn looking neat you can use an edging iron or a spade to do it.
Garden lawn care leaves your outdoors looking alive and welcoming. Effective garden lawn care shows that you are a neat person in other aspects of your life. Take good care of your garden to make it look inviting and luxurious.
For reading this article on my blog, visit Taking care of your garden and for more articles related to Home improvement visit Homeimprovement Blog
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Care, Garden, Lawn, taking
Fall and Winter Lawn Mowing And Maintenance
A successful (green) lawn usually starts in the fall and winter months, getting ahead of weeds and getting the right mix of nutrients in the soil. Starting in November, reduce your mower height about a half inch to an inch shorter than you normally do. Be sure to bag any clippings to reduce the amount of weed seeds that get left behind. Getting all the thatch picked up will help it stay healthier during the cold winter months. When spring returns, you will be rewarded with less weeds and a healthier lawn right from the start.
A winter fertilizer will put potassium back into the soil, making it more resistant and healthy during the dormant winter months. It is important to get it fertilized before it stops growing in mid to late November, so make this a fall routine. When spring returns, you want to start with a higher nitrogen mix.
Aim to do your spring fertilizing in mid to late march or whenever temps return to the mid 60?s. Then follow up with another application every 8 weeks or so (every two months). This will keep the nutrients in the soil, and keep your lawn extra healthy and green. Try to do any weed reducing mixes along with the fall/winter fertilizer or with the first round of fertilizer in the spring.
Over the course of a year, your lawns soil can get packed down pretty good. The more dense the soil is packed, the more difficult it is for water and nutrients to penetrate to the roots. Aerating a lawn is simply using a tool to create small holes in the soil to allow the much needed water and nutrients to get back down to the root systems. Grasses can’t survive long in compacted soil.
If you notice your lawns soil becoming compacted, it is time to call someone to aerate. You can tell by taking something like a match or toothpick and pushing it into the soil. If it is difficult to push in, then you have compacted soil and should have it aerated to keep your lawn from thinning out and eventually dying.
Overseeing is an often overlooked maintenance service. It is a good idea to over-seed your lawn at least every couple of years. Your lawn will begin to slow down in its reproduction. Lawns can get thinner over time, and over-seeding will keep new grasses growing which will keep the lawn thicker. A thicker lawn is more tolerant to disease, more weed resistant, and will stay greener longer. If it has been a few years since you have over-seeded your lawn (or if you can’t remember when), then now is a good time to schedule it. The best time to over-seed is in September, so think ahead and remember to get it done this year.
As we mentioned above, the winter fertilizer application should include a weed reducing component. Weeds usually take their toll over the winter months due to leaves blocking sunlight and reduce air flow in the lawn, and from thatch containing weed seeds left to sit and cultivate over the winter months. When the spring time rolls around, this combination can create a free for all for weeds. The process to keep your lawn weed free begins by keeping it thatch free, keeping the leaves cleared, and adding the winterized fertilizing with weed control to your lawn maintenance routines.
Vision-Landscaping provides Atlanta landscaping and lawn maintenance services, including fertilizing, mowing, overseeding, and monthly lawn and landscape maintenance.
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Fall, Lawn, Maintenance, Mowing, Winter
Considerations for Lawn Care Maintenance
It is important that you care for the exteriors of your home just like the home interiors. The exteriors of the property include your lawn or garden, landscapes, hardscapes and so on. As these form a part of your property, these will also be noticed by outsiders. Lawn care is a very important factor that decides the beauty of your lawn. There are a number of websites on the internet that will provide you information on lawn care.
There are a plethora of factors that need to be considered during lawn care. Climatic conditions, the type of grass and plants that grow in the lawn, soil condition etc are some of them. Depending on the climatic conditions, the lawn care will vary and one needs to adopt the right methods. As the weather changes, lawn owners need to cultivate and sow the grass and other plants. When the climate is dry, there are greater chances of the grass and flowers wilting away, hence it becomes important to take extra care. Windy climate, extreme snow and rainfall are other challenges which may have to be faced by the lawn owners.
The location of your lawn or garden also plays an important role and you may have to plant trees or flowering plants, taking this into consideration. There are specific plants that can be planted in shady weather. Some plants may require very less sunlight, so try planting them in lawn areas that provides shade to your plants. Try rating the various factors depending on the traffic of pets, humans on your lawn. Try identifying the type of climatic condition which persists through the year and do the needful. Some trees may require a lot of sunlight and you need to ensure that you plant the trees in areas that have bountiful sunshine.
Lawn care also means thatching, removing of weeds, supplying the requisite fertilizers and pest control measure for your lawn. Fungal growth can prove to be really dangerous for your lawn. It makes sense devoting time and efforts towards the upkeep of your lawn, if you want to maintain it in the right condition. It may not be possible for each of us to spend time in lawn care. This has been cashed in by many lawn care companies who offer regular lawn care services to lawn owners. With the increasing demand, there are so many lawn care companies who provide professional services. Professionals are hired by the lawn care companies. The prices may vary depending on the size of the lawn, location and so on. The company will send their executive to assess your lawn and send you a quote for lawn care.
When the executive calls on you, write down all your doubts and get things clarified before signing them for a contract.
The author is in touch with some of the Dallas lawn moving and Dallas lawn care agencies on a regular basis .
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Care, Considerations, Lawn, Maintenance
How to garden and grow plants indoors
How to garden and grow plants indoors
Whether it’s because of space or weather, growing your plants inside is an option for any gardener. With the proper tools and care, you can transform your home into a lush gardening spot.
Benefits of indoor gardening
Aside from space and weather issues, gardening indoors allows you to control your plants’ environment. You determine how much light, water, shade and food they receive. Thus plants grow in special environments that will last longer than one season.
When figuring out where to place your plants, you should look for an open space that receives indirect sunlight, as many plants will burn from direct light. Position your plants where you will be able to install growing lights overhead if there is no space in your house that is naturally lit. In addition, put your garden in a low traffic area, as too much commotion can disturb the plants’ environment. The best places in your home for indoor gardens are unused closets and basements, as you can easily control their temperatures and humidly.
If you have a naturally lit area, you won’t have to do much garden prepping; however, if you need to boost the light quotient, then you should:
Cover walls with reflective Mylar or white paint in order to allow light to reflect onto your plants so they can absorb more energy.
Turn on an oscillating fan to create air and humidly flow around your plants because if an air supply fixes directly on your plants for too long, it can dry them out.
Protect your household surfaces by putting drop cloths or plastic trays underneath your plants in order to prevent water damage.
Watering your plants
As all plants are different, you should research your selections to figure out their particular needs. However, basic water rules state that you should:
Ensure your plant has an adequate drainage system.
Fully hydrate the soil, but be careful to not over-water it.
Use room temperature water so as not to shock the plant with scalding or freezing water.
To start your indoor garden, you will need a few simple supplies. Head out to your local gardening or home improvement store and pick up some good quality, loose potting soil containing the nutrients your plants need such as containers big enough for the particular plants you have chosen and ones that will drain well, and distilled water, as tap water may contain mineral deposits or harmful pH levels that can damage your plants’ natural pesticides. Keep your family safe while preventing pests from destroying your garden. Once you have these supplies, you are ready to start your year-round indoor garden.
Keep your plants in temperatures consisting of 65 – 75 degrees.
Rapid temperature changes can damage your plants.
Hotter temps can cause plants to be smaller and weaker. Colder temps will make leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Written by roxanam
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Garden, grow, indoors, Plants
How to Start a Garden
Planting a garden, whether it is a vegetable plot or a flower bed, is an adventure where your creativity and patience are put to the test! You are directly responsible for the beautiful rose blooms or the delicious tomatoes that develop in this section of the land. Therefore to have the most success you need to determine where you plant!
The location of the garden should be determined by several factors: sunlight, soil conditions, water and wind exposure. Take notes on when this area of the yard is exposed to sunshine. This can determine which plants will thrive there. Test your soil to see if conditioners are needed to bring it up to optimum growing conditions. Pay attention to whether water collects in this section of the lawn. Some plants do well in soggy locations, but most need well-drained soil. Strong winds can dry out soil and plants, so try to locate the plot out of direct winds. Once you have determined where you will create your garden masterpiece you are ready to select plants!
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Choose plants that will grow in your zone. Although you might have your heart set on a certain flower or vegetable, if your climate or garden location won’t support this choice, you will inevitably be disappointed. To avoid this, choose plants that are meant for your growing zone (ideally native plants), and disease-resistant and drought tolerant plants. Ask the employee at the nursery for assistance in selecting these. Be aware of the future size of each plant. A tree planted near a house will eventually provide shade, but it could also be a hazard during storms.
Plan out what flowering plants you would like for the seasons. Most perennials only bloom for a short time, so by mixing in some annuals there will be constant color in your garden. By having seasonal color you can change the look of your garden and create excitement and personality!
Now that you have your garden location selected and your plants purchased, you are ready to start digging! What tools are required to get things started? These include:
for seasonal cleanups and spreading/leveling soil
for transplanting and weeding
for digging, scooping, spreading compost and planting
: for chopping weeds and tilling soils
for clipping flowers and pruning trees
for protecting your hands from blisters and dirt
invest in a top-of-the-line hose that will resist kinking, is flexible and coils easily. Invest in high quality tools. They will last longer and are more durable than their cheaper counterparts.
Have fun starting a garden. Don’t try to create a masterpiece your first year-build up to it. Select a few choice plants that are more expensive. The rest can be less expensive, smaller complementary plants to round out your garden. Gardening is our nation’s number one leisure activity so go out and have a good time in your own piece of earth!
I am a gardener who enjoys growing vegetables, herbs and flowers. I believe in using organic methods and products when gardening.
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Garden, Start
The Basics of Winter Vegetable Gardening
When it comes to winter vegetable gardening, remember that it involves more harvesting than growing. Basically you should be looking to grow vegetables in late summer so that you can harvest them in winter. Make sure that you protect the vegetables from the cold and do not water them. The water in the plant cells freezes during winter and ends up killing the plants. That is why stop watering your plants the moment the first frost falls.
However, the vegetables that you can harvest in winter should be hardy ones. That is why you should be looking to harvest kohlrabi, broccoli or cabbage. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and squash cannot grow in winter as they are summer vegetables.
Some hardy vegetables that can tolerate cold are leek, kale and vit, which is a salad green. Asian greens like Bok Choy can also tolerate the cold well. Other vegetables that can tolerate cold are lettuce, radishes, turnips, peas, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
In fact, lettuce can survive even at temperatures below freezing point.
When thinking about winter vegetable gardening, make sure that you protect your vegetables. What you require are row covers, unheated greenhouses, cloches and garden tunnels. Of course, if the winter is mild, you do not need them. However, if the winter is particularly severe, just double the covering. You can also use a cold frame with an extra plastic covering. But if you ware looking to work in your vegetable garden, you should opt for a greenhouse or hoop house.
The plastic covers that you use will not only protect the plants from the winter winds but will also help to capture sunlight to heat the area. Raised beds are not ideal for winter vegetable gardening as the heat from the beds will dissipate very easily and quickly into the surroundings.
Your aim in winter gardening should be to capture the natural heat from the ground and keep it trapped around the growing area using layers of clear plastic.
That is why root vegetables or those that grow close to the ground are ideal vegetables to grow in winter.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the gardening. She also offers top quality articles like:
Weeds in Flower Garden, Growing Organic Vegetables
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Basics, gardening, vegetable, Winter
How to Get Rid of Ticks in Your Yard
Ticks generally live in tall grass where they sit at the tip of a blade of grass waiting for a host – such as a person or animal – to come by. Some people think ticks will jump onto a body. However, you must actually brush up against the tick in order for it to attach itself.
Make your yard undesirable to ticks
Make sure your yard is unattractive to ticks. Ticks are sensitive to dry conditions and do not thrive in short vegetation, they need a humid environment to flourish. Ticks are usually not a problem in well-maintained lawns. Cutting your grass regularly and keeping it at a maximum height of 3 inches can help keep ticks out of your yard. Naturally, keeping your grass trimmed short will decrease the amount of moisture in your lawn, which makes it undesirable to ticks.
Clear away any debris, such as piles of leaves, lumber or other things that may attract ticks. If you have firewood, keep it stacked neatly and in a dry area. Clean up anything that may attract rodents, which can carry ticks, such as spilled birdseed.
Deer are a major carrier for Lyme disease carrying-ticks. Deterring deer is extremely helpful in keeping deer ticks from your yard. Cutting back shrubs to open up your yard space is a good way to deter deer. If necessary, put up fencing or plant vegetation that deer do not like to discourage them from entering your yard.
If ticks are present in areas where weeds cannot be mowed, using safe products labeled for control of ticks can be applied to those areas. Follow product label directions. A single treatment in late May or early June can cut the tick population by over 50%. Practice safety precautions when handling pesticides and only use in areas where children or pets do not have access.
Let chickens to do the work for you
If permitted in your area, and you do not want to use pesticides, consider purchasing a few chickens to clean the ticks from your yard. If free-range chickens do not interest you, you may want to look into buying or building a chicken mobile, also known as a chicken tractor. You move the chicken “tractor” to different areas of your yard every few days and let the chickens eat the insects. Using a chicken tractor should not attract predators since the tractor moves every few days. In addition to helping rid your yard of insects, your family can enjoy some eggs from your chickens as well. That’s a win-win situation!
Written by Rhonda_Buffington
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Ticks, Yard
Use Herbs to Create a Garden For Birds And Butterflies
Attracting birds to your garden attracts living bug catchers. Birds can help rid your garden of a great many harmful insects – naturally. Butterflies add beauty, color, and movement to your garden. I have found that many of my herbs are great for attracting both birds and butterflies. These herbs are either high in nectar content, which will attract butterflies and hummingbirds in particular, and/or have seed pods at the end of the season, which supply additional food for many birds. Following are a few of my favorite herbs to grow in the garden to attract both butterflies and birds:
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum): This perennial herb, which can grow to be 3-feet tall, has anise-scented leaves. The flowers are also high in nectar, which attracts both butterflies and birds, especially hummingbirds. It also repels the cabbage moth, which vegetable gardeners will appreciate.
Basil (Ocimum): Basil is an annual herb that also has a high nectar content. Sweet basil is a popular culinary herb, as well. I have noticed in my own garden, however, that cinnamon basil in particular seems to attract the most butterflies and even hummingbirds. It is also quite fragrant, and its purple foliage offers a nice contrast to many of your other lighter foliage plants.
Bergamot (Monarda didyma): Also known as beebalm, bergamot is yet another herb whose flowers have a high nectar content. This North American native will also attract bumblebees.
Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia): The most common variety of this beloved perennial is the purple coneflower (E. purpurea); however, you can now find numerous colors and varieties. Be sure not to cut the flowers back at the end of the season. The birds will enjoy the seed pods, plus these pods can add interest to the winter garden.
Goldenrod (Solidago): This much-maligned herb is one of my favorite plants for fall color. It is also a seed-bearing herb, which will draw the birds into your garden. You can find varieties, such as ‘Fireworks,’ which are not as invasive as the wild goldenrod. (Remember, too, goldenrod is not the plant that will aggravate your sinus and stir up your hayfever. That would be ragweed.)
Mint (Mentha): I am of the opinion that you can never have enough mint. My mint garden attracts a wide variety of butterflies, including monarchs. It is also not unusual to see hummingbirds flitting through the garden once the mints begin to bloom. If you are not inclined to stick this herb into the ground, you can pot it up in attractive containers. (Your mint will come back the next year in these containers. Just cut them back at the end of the season. No special care is really necessary, since mint is so hardy.)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare): While you are using this perennial herb to season your spaghetti sauce, remember to let some of it bloom. The butterflies will love you for it.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): This evergreen perennial herb can turn into quite a bush in your garden and can even be used as a specimen plant. However, for attracting butterflies, you will want to allow it to show off its rather small, insignificant blooms from time to time. These tiny blossoms have a lot of nectar and will lure in quite a few butterflies.
Sage (Salvia): Sage is another herb that is high in nectar content. It is also a seed-bearing plant, which will attract the birds, especially later in the season. You can choose to plant many of the perennial sages, such ‘Berggarten’ and ‘Clary,’ which can be hardy as far north as Zone 4. One of my favorite varieties of sage, however, is an annual in my Zone 6 region. It is ‘Pineapple’ sage, which is one of my favorite herbs with which to cook. The red blooms on the plant also attracts a lot of hummingbirds.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Yarrow, which is a perennial herb, attracts butterflies to my garden as soon as the first little bloom appears. Butterflies just seem to love this plant. You can buy different varieties, rather than just the common yellow. I have ‘Oretal Petals,’ which has blooms of pink, white, and lilac. I also have ‘Pastels’ and – my favorite – ‘Paprika,’ which has brilliant red blooms and does not seem to be as invasive as some other varieties of yarrow.
These are just a few examples of herbs you can plant to encourage birds and butterflies to visit your garden. You will also need to remember to include some type of water source, such as a birdbath. It also helps if there are trees or shrubs nearby, where birds can roost, hide from predators, and/or nest. In addition, butterflies come from caterpillars, which feed on foliage. You will want to plant enough herbs for both you and the caterpillars. Also, do not use any type of chemical pesticides, which can harm the caterpillars, the butterflies, and the birds. (Herbs tend to attract beneficial insects and repel harmful ones anyway; therefore, I have never had to use chemicals in my garden.) You will find that by including herbs in your landscape, you have created an environment that is quite appealing to numerous types of butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as other species of birds.
References:
Kowalchik, Claire and Hylton, William H., eds. Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998.
Oster, Maggie. All About Herbs. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books, 1999.
Written by Dena Bolton
Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: birds, Butterflies, Create, Garden, Herbs
Grass Cut
Grass cut: Mowing the lawn – it can be the unkindest cut of all. The by no means-ending circle of slice grass – mowing, mowing, mowing — could be around-analyzed, but also below-analyzed. 1 often requested issue with regards to lower grass is: “Just how much of the grass blade needs to be taken out in the course of mowing? Based on leading horticulturists, an optimal height for minimize grass in summer is about 2 one/two inches. At every mowing, it is best to only slice about the high a single-third from the grass blade. As a result, a fantastic time to mow lawns is once the blades are about a few one/two inches excessive for that ideally suited reduce grass. Nonetheless, warm-season grass may possibly typically be slice shorter. One more issue concerns the slice grass clippings: Abandon them inside lawn as mulch, or carry them towards the dump? Clippings of minimize grass are problematic only once they get very thick, choking away mineral water and air supplies.
Grass slice. In case you reduce grass before it gets overly tall, the mass of clippings is not going to be adequate to warrant raking. To obviate having to rake cut grass clippings, use a mulching lawn mower. Leaving minimize grass clippings on lawns will do no harm … and actually could be good in your grass, your health and your pocketbook! Nutrients supplied from the lower grass clippings reduce your dependence on chemical lawn fertilizers.
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Grass
How to Mow Your Lawn Less Often
It’s nice to have a beautiful lawn, but that usually means having to spend a lot of time mowing the lawn and doing all kinds of other lawn maintenance work.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you can reduce the amount of mowing required?
Well, short of using a robotic lawn mower, there are some simple ways to help you reduce your workload. Below are just some of the tricks you can use to help you achieve this aim…
The most obvious trick is to let your lawn grow just that little bit taller. Instead of mowing it when it grows an inch taller, try letting the grass grow 2 inches first before you take the mower out. This trick alone will cut down your mowing by 50%, and you will probably not see any significant difference in the height.
By the way, letting the grass grow taller is also better for the lawn as this means the roots can grow deeper into the ground.
Healthier grass means less maintenance, so this will also reduce your workload in the long run.
And before you start mowing, make sure you sharpen the cutting blades first. Sharp blades enable the mower to cut the grass cleanly and properly on the first pass, instead of “pulling” the grass out. Again, cut grass is better for the health of the lawn grass as compared to having them “pulled” out. Thus, you will have a nicer-looking and greener grass.
Even the choice of the species of grass affects how much maintenance it requires. Choose a species that is native to your area, and it will be easier to grow and maintain. If the grass species is not suitable for your geographical location, then it will not adapt well and will need more attention if you want it to grow properly.
And talking about taking care of the grass, you may be better off not using chemicals on the grass.
Using chemicals may seem like a short cut, but in the long run, chemically-treated grass may need even more mowing. So in the end, you may just be adding more work for yourself.
Another tip is to control the amount of watering of your lawn. Do not over-water the lawn, as this prevents the proper growth of roots. Water the lawn about twice a week and the roots will be able to grow deeper into the soil, and you will have healthier lawn grass as a result.
Lastly, make sure you invest the time to aerate your soil. Many people forget to do this and end up having to spend extra time doing lawn maintenance. If you aerate the soil properly to improve the circulation, it will help the soil to maintain moisture better, thus reducing the need to water the lawn so often. The grass roots will also grow deeper too, resulting in a healthier lawn overall.
Like I said, these few tricks can help to reduce the amount of time spent on mowing or lawn maintenance. So please remember to use them!
If you want more time-saving tips, or if you want to know how to find good replacement parts for your lawn mower, please go to: used mower parts
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Categories: Garden Care Articles Tags: Lawn, Less, Often
Mowing Stripes – Your Lawn Like The Ballpark
For many of us, a green healthy lawn should be enough. However, there are those of us who are looking for the ultimate in lawn looks. That means getting the same look as we have seen at the baseball parks. Here are a few tips on getting that spectacular green lawn and getting the stripes mowed on it correctly.
1. Prepping Your Lawn for Mowing Stripes: To create a masterpiece you have to have a great canvas to start with. If your looking to get those great looking stripes mowed, you will need to start with healthy, green lawn. Make sure that you have fertilized your lawn well and have over seeded it to promote extra grass growth. This is usually how many professionals will do it for the ballparks. However, one reason to mow stripes in your lawn other than it looks cool, is that stripes cover up a bad lawn. The stripes hide any damage or imperfections in your lawn, so if you don’t have a great canvas to work with, don’t sweat it.
2. Cutting Height of the Lawn for Mowing Stripes: A short cut lawn will not allow the stripes to be seen very well. It is best to allow your lawn to grow out to about four inches before mowing. Only mow the lawn down to about three inches long. Every time you mow, use the one-third rule that you never cut more than a third of the length down on your lawn. Cutting more than that and the stripes will not show well.
3. The Lawn Mower for Mowing Stripes: Because all mowers have wheels and cutting blades, the pattern will not appear unless you use a roller. Professional ballparks use mowers that have rollers attached to the front to smooth out the cut grass. Specialty stores for lawn care will carry them as an add-on accessory to your mower.
4. How to Cut the Mowing Stripes: The simple principle is that the dark stripe is mowed towards you and the light stripe is mowed away from you. For those who are obsessed with precision, use a tape measure before starting and chalk out the lines before you begin to mow the stripes.
Written by MikeBurnside
Creator and writer for Unravelingmysteries.com a lifestyles website.
Easy Bonsai Garden – Caring For Bonsai Tree
The term Bonsai refers to a plant in a pot. It is indeed a very satisfying and fulfilling hobby wherein you are creating an art of miniature landscape, garden or a tree. With this hobby you would want to create the appearance of great size, age and proportional beauty. For this reason, you need to grow a bonsai with strong roots that generates a sense of stability, a large trunk and well formed and placed branches. Here’s some more helpful information you need to know with regards to caring for bonsai tree.
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As a beginner, you need to know that there is no single wrong or correct style. The key is to for you to strive to make your bonsai trees look as natural as possible. Take a close look at your tree and let it tell you how it wants to grow, so for example, if the trunk bend to the right then let it bend that way.
One can start training a bonsai from a seedling, however, be warned that you will have to be very patient to see the results; this is the reason why it really takes time and dedication when it comes to caring a bonsai tree.
It may surprise a novice but contrary to what they think, bonsai trees are not special in any way. They are just exactly like the trees you see around every day.
The most popular bonsai trees are cotoneasters, juniperus and lonicera varieties. The dwarf garden juniper can be considered as the perfect choice for beginners since they are readily available, take pruning well and are generally not costly.
In caring for bonsai tree, the key factor is to make sure that the tree will grow well in your own garden. Make it a point that it will receive adequate sunlight, good soil conditions and the climate.
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This author writes about Easy Bonsai Garden and How To Grow Bonsai Weed.
