Entries Tagged 'Gardening' ↓

gardening Tips

You are starting your own garden. But do you know how? Here are some tips which worked well with me. If you want to know about the resources for great gardening tips, try the internet, gardening clubs, books, magazines and of course your local nursery. You would obviously like to be familiar with the amount of sunshine your plot is likely to receive, how to use mulch and fertilizers and the type of soil you have to deal with. The tools necessary along with the type of tiller and watering system that would make your gardening job more convenient are things which you ought to know.

Tip #1: If you write down what you plan to do with your garden you can save a lot of time. Take the help of a friend if needed. Keep the plan in front of you and let the brainstorming begin. You have to ensure its appearance and calculate the distance of the hose from it. Also if there are any sprinklers needed. This is over and above other points you may think of.

Gardening Tip #2: How well you prepare your soil can be a deciding factor whether your garden would be a success or not. Take into consideration that soil quality varies according to plants. For the natural flavor to remain in your food, use organic fertilizers in your vegetable or herb garden. Wooden chip mulch or any good compost is better than ordinary fertilizer.

You could easily have a backyard compost heap. It is a blessing when it starts to provide you with the returns. Though fresh home brew compost is an excellent source of nutrition for your vegetable and herb garden, it can well be completely unrealistic. Though mulch is a good substitute to home compost, you have to be sure that they are either pine or redwood, as it breaks faster since they are softer woods. Ensure that you mix the ingredients well whether you prefer to use mulch, compost or fertilizer.

Gardening Tip 3: when you have the soil all prepared it is very smart to lay out the plants on top of the soil before planting them to get a good look at how it’s going to turn out just in case you need to make any last minute changes. I believe that the best option is to plant together all plants which have same individualities. Large plants with a big radius for instance should all be grouped together. Then, if you arrange the plants in such a way that the taller ones are at the back with the shorter ones in front, then you can see all the plants together.

Gardening Tip #4: Never forget to water your garden. For a big house, keeping your garden in ship shape is a tough task. An automatic watering system is best since it works on its own. These auto systems can be anything from big sprinkler systems to a timer on a hose sprinkler. One of the most rewarding hobbies, a garden provides you with beauty, shade and sometimes food also!
Gardening Fountainsand more here on Gardening Ponds.

Living in Colorado and being a keen gardener has been somewhat stressful in recent
years, as this state has been suffering drought conditions. In my home city the authorities are imposing watering restrictions which are not giving enough water to lawns and plants. I’ve had to reorganize my garden to make it more water efficient. Now, because of the techniques I’ve used, I’m the only one in my neighborhood with a garden that isn’t completely brown.

So,if you live in an area that is going through a drought or if you just want to save water, I suggest you use some of these techniques too.

For starters, I carefully removed all my plants. The soil I was using didn’t retain water
very well, so I had to water about twice as much as necessary in order to get it to actually absorb into the roots. If you have this same problem, you can fix it by loading the soil up with lots of compost. This not only prevents water from escaping, but encourages the plant’s roots to be healthy and able to survive more.

Having optimized the soil for my new low water consumption plan, I was ready to replace all my plants. I decided that the placement of all my plants would reflect the amount of water necessary to keep them alive. All the plants that don’t require much water I placed in on one side of mygarden, and then just progressed in the amount of required water to the other side of the garden. As a result of my new arrangement, I don’t have to waste water on plants that don’t need it as much.

The fitting of a drip irrigation system was another move on my part that cut down the amount of water I needed to fully water my garden. The great thing about these systems is that they constantly drip into your plants, so that every single drop is absorbed. With traditional watering systems, usually the roots get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of water in the soil. Lots just seeps right through. This is all taken care of with the drip system.

If you still seem to need more water than you can supply to your garden, you might think about which plants you could replace with less water dependent plants. If you want a good shrub that doesn’t use up too much water, look for Heavenly Bamboo. It is not only tolerant of droughts, but looks rather decorative in any garden. Herbs such as rosemary are useful in preparing meals, and are rarely thirsty.

If you’re trying to find flowers that will still be lush and beautiful despite the lower amounts of water, look for penstemon varieties like Garnet, Apple Blossom, Moonbeam, and Midnight. You can attract hummingbirds and butterflies with varieties like Cosmos and Yarrow. The best thing about all these plants is that they don’t look rugged and withstanding, but they certainly are.

One of my favorite drought resistant plants is the Lavender plant. I could go on for hours about it. A large group of Lavender plants looks unbelievably gorgeous in your garden, and hardly requires any water to flourish. Pineapple sage is another personal favorite. It is a 2+ foot shrub that smells strangely of pineapple. It’s another major attracter of hummingbirds, and the leaves are also useful to add taste to drinks.

So if you are in the position I was, and you’re dealing with a drought and perhaps watering regulations, I suggest you try some of the things I’ve mentioned. Even if you’re just trying to conserve water or be generally more efficient with it, I think you’ll still be able to benefit.

And, of course, your garden should be a place to relax. So why not build a pergola. It can work out quite inexpensive if you buy a pergola plan and either build it yourself or get a local handyman to do it for you. You’ll save hundreds of dollars compared with buying a pergola kit. Find out more
How to build a pergola
Pergola design
How to build a pergola

The productivity and efficiency of operating a greenhouse is primarily dependent on the kind of growing materials used. So, How to Build a GreenHouse

Kinds of Greenhouses – How to Build a GreenHouse
Detached greenhouses generally independently stand from each other. However, they can be joined to gain access by way of a corridor to the other greenhouse.

The Quonset is the most common detached type of greenhouse for use in commercial production. These types are constructed using arched rafters that normally have end solid walls for added support. Quonset greenhouses types are appropriate for most crop varieties however the growing capacity is to a certain degree restricted close to “the side walls” which reduces productivity and efficiency.

Ridge greenhouses are joined through the eave with a shared gutter. Normally, an interior wall located underneath the gutter is absent permitting increased productivity.

Ridge greenhouses can either be curved arch or gabled. Gabled greenhouses are generally suitable for substantial coverings such as fiberglass or glass, whereas curved arch greenhouses are usually covered with much lighter materials such as polycarbonates or polyethylene. Many connected ridge greenhouses often are called “range”.

Planning

This is one of the very important steps which have to be taken into careful consideration by the grower. Proper area selection with connection to labor, markets, utilities as well as future expansion really makes a lot of difference in how the business will profit and grow.

Here are basic things to consider:

• Crops that you will be growing (potted plants, Bedding plants, perennials, herbs, vegetables, etc.)

• The growing period of the crops (seasonal or year-round)

• Plants that will be grown (flats, pots, hydroponics bed, troughs, etc.)

• Growing medium (no soil, soil, mix, compost, nutrient solution, etc.)

• Growing methods (flooring, movable or fixed benches, growing bags, beds and flood)

• Annual productivity (space that is required)

• Marketing technique (retail, wholesale or both)

• Investment or capital

Here are things to be considered when constructing a commercial greenhouse:

1. Space. The area required greatly depends on your kind of business whether retail or wholesale. The minimum space must be more or less two acres so to make available parking for employees and customers, driveway access for deliveries, area for storage and also for future expansion. A wholesale venture generally will require much more because the greenhouse will be a lot more bibber and wider.

2. Zoning. These are local regulations that controls land use and encourage safety, health and the community’s welfare. Note that greenhouse operations are permitted in particular zones only.

Frontage, distances of side yards, signs and also parking spaces should be specified. You should confirm with your zoning officer and ask what is required and ask regarding building codes so you will know if a permit will be needed.

3. Highway Access. Site location with regards to highways must be taken into account. For retail business, a location beside or along a high traffic road or beside a considerable residential site can greatly increase business. Wholesale business needs access to some interstate highway so to deal with heavy truck road traffic.

4. Environment. Select a location that is away from “industrial pollution”.

5. Climate. Avoid areas with extreme temperatures, as in the winter plant growth is directly related the light that is received.

6. Slope. Ground slope to provide water drainage is very important. Greenhouses must be situated on gravel base, 6-12 inches above grade.

7. Water. Plants need sufficient moisture supply for optimal development and the highest production of flowers. As to how much water is required will greatly be determined by how big is the area that will be watered, weather conditions, crops grown, time of the year and “the environment control system”.

Note that water that comes from “natural sources” have some amount of impurities present, and are at times harmful to plant growth. You should have the water tested for chemicals that can be present in your water system, to address the problem, if there is a problem.

8. Electricity. Your commercial greenhouse should have enough supply of electricity as well as distribution system must be provided so to supply and manage environment in the greenhouse. As early as in the designing stage of the greenhouse, you should already call on your area’s electric utility regarding power availability and also call on your electrician to design the electrical layout.

9. Expansion. All throughout the development and planning stage, provisions must be considered for later expansion.

Note that before going into the business, as in any business, careful assessment should be made before a decision is made. Plan it carefully. Good Luck.

Pond Waterfall Kits Can Enhance Your Outdoor Environment

Water gardening, including waterfalls and ponds, has become extremely popular. Everywhere you look, people are creating water gardens right in their backyard. More and more gardening enthusiasts are deciding to add to their landscape with a calming outdoor water feature. Backyard waterfalls and ponds can offer the stress-relieving benefits of a trip to the lake combined with the convenience of staying right in your own back yard.

At the start of the water feature planning, many homeowners decide that a waterfall will be a featured part of their pond. The trickle of falling water is very calming, and it can be just the right thing to calm your nerves after a long day. The issue is, how do you begin installing a waterfall in your own backyard?

Thanks to pond waterfall kits it’s become quite simple to build water gardens and pond waterfalls in your own yard. The hardest part picking the variety of features that will make your water feature your own creation. You can find a large number of sizes, shapes and materials, and you can even go so far as to customize the kit to your liking. Once it’s installed, you can include wind chimes, colored rocks, statuary, and even plants and fish.

You’ll need to decide if you want to have fish or plants in your water feature, or whether the waterfall is enough. If you are hoping to keep fish, your pond’s filtration system will have to be safe for them. The dimensions of your pond and placement of the waterfall may also be different depending on whether it will be inhabited. Regardless ofyour plans, there are pond waterfall kits suitable for any situation.

The position of the waterfall in the backyard is important, because it will need a slope to function properly. You can make us of an existing slope in your yard or build one yourself. This is something be attempted by an amateur, so if you decide that you need to build a slope to in order for you waterfall to work and you’re not completely confident in your landscaping skills, it’s wise to get help from a licensed landscaper.

After choosing a location for your water feature, pick one of the available pond waterfall kits that has the features you want. There are plenty of water gardens pond kits that you can choose fromto add to your magical creation. If you are comfortable installing it yourself, it is a rewarding weekend project. If not, you can pay a landscaper to install it for you. Once you’ve finished adding water, plants, fish, and ornamentation, it’s time to sit down in a lounge chair, grab a good book, and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of your own backyard paradise.

You may have neither the time nor inclination to produce a lawn that looks like a putting green, but having said that, if you’ve got lawn then you want it to look nice. Your Turf is a plant just like any other perennial in your garden, and so it needs a bit of care and attention to be able to grow and thrive and show itself off to your neighbours!

Lawn Care involves regular mowing through the growing season, and regular accurate application of a good Liquid Lawn Fertilizer. Start mowing in late spring when you can see new growth. Set the cut between 1.5 – 2,5cm high. Cut once or twice a week depending on the speed of growth. As growth slows during autumn, cut less often and rarely in winter, and never when it’s frosty.

There are a number of Lawn Care products on the market for “Feeding” or “Weeding”. Most are in pellet form and if you don’t apply it evenly you will see varying colour and growth. You need to apply these pellet fertilizers just before it rains as there’s a risk that you’re grass may ‘burn’ as the pellets resting on the leaves scorch the foliage if the sun is strong.

To overcome this risk you can use a Quality Lawn Fertilizer. You should begin feeding your lawn at 4 to 6 week intervals commencing in March through to October. Use Superspray type Garden Sprayers to apply the Liquid Lawn Fertilizer to your lawn. Connected to your hose pipe, this sprayer mixes the concentrated Liquid Lawn Fertilizer as you spray. It’s much easier to get a more even feed with less effort, it’s not as time consuming and there’s no risk of scorching either. It’s better if you feed either early morning or late evening to minimise evaporation.

When it comes to weeding you’ll see that regular cutting along with regular accurate application of a Quality Liquid Lawn Fertilizer will discourage or even get rid of most of the moss algae and weeds that begin to take over when your lawn is undernourished.

If you look at your lawn the most obvious weeds are the bigger flat leaved varieties like Dandelion, plantains etc. Mowing & Feeding your lawn will over time get rid of these, but if you can’t wait; you can easily dig these out with a long blade knife but you’re then left with a small bare patch that if not grassed will become home to another weed.

Here’s a good idea for you! Next time you’re in the Garden Centre, look out for the pot carrying trays which the plants are standing in. Garden Centres usually throw these trays away and so can be “free” for the asking. Look for one with the circles about 8cm diameter. Fill these with seed compost and sow grass seed in each circle. Very soon you’ll have a small circle of turf ideal for making an instant repair after removing the offending weed. The turfs can last as long as you want them to; just keep mowing with scissors.

There were fields behind my childhood home, and even though we didn’t own them, we played with them often. One of the best parts of these fields was the wild, morning glory plants that grew there. I would make sure I ran up there in the morning just to see them bloom. I was fascinated with them, because here was a plant that did indeed greet the morning and then turn around and close up for the rest of the day. Though I no longer live there or have a chance to go there, I do find myself missing the morning glories I grew up with.

There is something magical about a morning glory, and that magic comes in a few different colors. The ones near my home were always white, but I have seen pictures of a morning glory in many other colors. They typically grow on a vine like plant and the blooms face where the morning sun will rise. That is probably why they got the name of morning glory, and it is a fitting name indeed.

I don’t know much else about them, but I do know you can grow them in your own yard or garden if you so choose. Just make sure they are in a place where they can soak up the morning sun. I don’t know what would happen if you put them where they could only see sunlight at the end of the day. A morning glory on the wrong side of a house may very well die if it grows at all. It’s almost like a lovely little reminder of needing the good and bright things in our lives to survive, isn’t it?

If you are having troubles growing a morning glory plant, you may have to plant it near something it can climb. The ones I loved when I was a child grew on a vine, and they may need to grow up and out towards the sun to get what they need to live. If you find your morning glory vines are growing across the ground, give them a wooden fence or trellis to climb. This may be all they need to survive. Well that, and of course, the early morning sunshine. If you really want to do something spectacular, grow a few different colors and encourage them to grow up the die of a barn or shed if you have one.

I live in the state of Minnesota. I was born and raised here and will most likely live out the rest of my life here. We have many extremes in our weather patterns. We get as cold as 45 degrees below zero in the winter and as high as 110 degrees in the summer with a great deal of humidity. The unpredictable weather is part of the reason I love this state. The weather adds a feeling of adventure to life here. The population of the state is growing rapidly. This means that the large expanses of woods and farm lands are being developed for housing. Urban sprawl has claimed a great deal of property. As a result the state flower the lady slipper flower is becoming extinct.

The northern third of the state had been an area of wilderness until recently. This area has the vast majority of the 10,000 lakes that we are famous for. What had been wilderness and wooded areas are now populated with lake homes and cabin getaways for people that live in the cities during the week and spend the weekends “up north”. This expansion is destroying the habitat for the lady slipper flower. This is a delicate beautiful white and pink flower that grows in shaded heavily wooded areas. My father talks about seeing hundreds of them spread across the ground when he was a boy. Now there are very few people that will ever see a lady slipper flower in the wild.

The flower needs to reseed itself in order to come up again the next year. So many people used to pick the unusual lady slipper flower. Once the flower is picked it will not come back again the next year. There are now steep fines for picking, digging or in anyway harming this flower. Because it is the state flower people are intrigued with wanting to find one. Many times the very act of looking for one may destroy the small plants as they try to grow. Some of the state parks will fence off an area where the plants are growing so that people can see them and take pictures without damaging the plant.

To me it would make since to choose a flower that is more prevalent across a greater portion of the state to be the state flower. If we would have a different state flower maybe the stress on the lady slipper flower would decrease because people would not be obsessed with finding one.

Gardening can be a task that is difficult, but one that holds its own reward in persuading and nurturing plants to create something beautiful. Gardens date back to the dawn of civilization. Today’s modern materials have opened up many new ideas for creating great gardens.

Helpful Home Garden Design Tips

There are many things to consider when planning your home garden design. The first thing to consider is the location of your garden. Another consideration is the amount of care a person wants to take to maintain the front garden design.

If you want people to always feel welcome there are ways to say this with a well thought out home garden design. One of the most important aspects of welcoming people is making a clear walkway. Keeping the bushes and large plants away from walkways will make the home more accessible. Another important aspect is using welcoming plants and colors. Bright cheery flowers say welcome better than about anything else. Early spring flowers such as tulips, crocus, and daffodils will invite people out of their winter doldrums. Bushes with bright green foliage can be placed to show the way to the door of the home. Avoiding plants with thorns or a lot of pollen will make people feel more welcome and prevent injury or allergies. The front garden design of the home should be well manicured and inviting.

A Well Thought Out Cottage Garden Design Is Beautiful And Practical

The name butterfly garden design refers to a particular style of garden. The butterfly garden design is not limited to the cultivated areas around your home. A butterfly garden design could be established around many different types of structures and there could be this type of design that is not established around any kind of structure.

Create A Cottage Garden Design

When people design their gardens sometimes it is nice to have a theme or have a goal for that garden. A butterfly garden design can be created to attract certain birds, bees, or butterflies. These gardens can be enjoyed by not only the creatures which they attract but by the creator as well.

Learning About Chinese Garden Design

There are many different issues that you need to learn about if you want to learn about the different zen garden design options that are available to you, and so if you are interested in learning about these fascinating but multitudinous zen garden design options, then you are definitely going to want to read on.

The first element that we will consider is rocks because they are considered to be the foundation of zen garden design . There is great care taken in laying out the stones, which may be tall and vertical or long and horizontal.

Basically the purpose of any zen garden design is to reflect the beauty and grandeur of nature through the careful designs of the garden, and for the most part every zen garden design is simple and sparse, as not many are busy or showy.

There is a good deal of discussion and concern nowadays about organic products and defining the meaning of the term organic waste. Essentially, it is the byproduct of any material that is biological in origin.

Common types of yard waste includes virtually all paper products, including newspapers and cardboard; food waste; green waste material which encompasses yard and garden waste; animal manure and feces; and various biosolids and sludge components.

The process that organic matter goes through to become waste is called composting. The composting process breaks down the microorganisms in the organic material through a combination of exposure to heat, moisture, oxygen and bacteria.

yard waste
Once this organic material has passed through this decomposing process, it can be reused as a very effective soil additive.

The fact of the matter is that even though most people don’t think about it in these terms, organic waste is an essential and life-giving part of the cycle of life on earth. There is no doubt that the natural decomposition and composting process is simply nature’s way of recycling.

Once organic materials are gathered together in a compost pile, the microorganisms rapidly increase in number and essentially grow into a community that “colonizes” the composter. Through the natural biological functions of the microorganisms, the organic components are systematically broken down and the result is a nutrient rich compost.

compost bins
As the bacterial microorganisms grow, they assimilate the starches, sugars and organic acids found in the waste matter. A side effect of their activity is a rise in the temperature in the center-most portion of the compost heap. Eventually, the temperature of the core of the compost pile will reach more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit and this heat contributes to the escalating decomposition of the material.

When the busy bacteria have consumed all of the sugars and starches and other materials they feast upon, the interior temperature of the compost bins begins to fall. As the temperatures become lower, other kinds of microorganisms, such as fungi, become more dominant in the composting community.

At this stage the waste is considered to be stabilizing but there are still biological activities going on which will affect the woody elements of the compost mixture, allowing them to be broken down as well.

backyard composting
In order to continue through the composting process, the compost heap needs to be turned. This is a simple process that brings the material that is on the edges of the heap into the center so that it can be exposed to this process of heating as described above. It is recommended to allow the compost pile to sit undisturbed for approximately two weeks between turnings.

A compost heap can continue to grow by adding additional organic waste at any time. The compost pile simply needs to be turned at regular intervals of about every other week and the decomposition process will continue.

After about six months of backyard composting, the compost is ready to be used as a potent and effective additive to any soil that will result in healthy vegetation.

One of the most frustrating things that can possibly happen to someone who has slaved for hours and hours in growing a fruit tree is the unexplainable barrenness that can sometimes occur when there should be a plethora of fresh fruit. I know this from experience. My neighbors all consider me the gardening guru because of my extensive knowledge. But this is only because gardening has been my passion for years and years, and like a sponge I have accumulated so much information in my mind. My learning has also come from past experiences with failure. For about 5 years after I started planting fruit trees, I did not see a single fruit for all my hard work.

I was in the gardening store, looking for some sort of new fertilizer to put my hope in for my quest to obtain fruit. I don’t know if there was a look of desperation in my eyes, but a kindly old man came up and started speaking with me. He introduced himself as Ralph, and for some reason I opened up to him and told him about all of my problems. I’ve never been the type to spill all my problems on anyone who asks, but Ralph seemed like such a nice fellow that I just couldn’t help it. And I’m glad I did, because what he taught me truly helped me to get my fruit trees in gear and start producing.

I learned that generally, the inability to produce can be caused by a number of factors. Sometimes the tree is simply too young; If your tree is less than four years old, you shouldn’t exactly expect it to be producing yet. If it has reached 4 years and you still have seen no sign of fruit, then you should start to consider other factors that might be causing the barrenness.

If the tree is undergoing any type of water stress (this can be poor drainage, too much water, or too little water), then it will have trouble growing. If you suspect this is the case, you should evaluate your own watering techniques and compare them with the needs of the tree to see if you are causing water stress. Also always be on the lookout for any diseases or pest damages. If your tree is constantly being molested by all kinds of little creatures, then you can’t expect it to be lively enough to produce fruit.

If your tree blooms but still doesn’t produce any fruit, this could be because of cold temperatures during the bloom. The coldness damaged the flower bud or damaged the baby fruit. Aesthetically the tree may look fine, but the inside could be damaged beyond any hope of ever seeing fruit. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do in this case except for wait until next year and hope that it doesn’t happen again.

If the tree’s pollination process has not been fully completed, it could have troubles growing fruit. If you planted different varieties, you may find that the requirements are different than you had originally thought and they were incompatible. In this case you need to replant the correct combinations.

Once I evaluated the conditions of my tree and everything that has occurred in its life, I realized that not only had I cross pollinated slightly incorrectly, but I was also giving my tree too much water. After I fixed these problems, I had learned my lesson and I have not had any trouble bearing fruit since then.

So if you are struggling with a plant that is not being cooperative, you should consult an expert gardener. If you can find a gardening mentor like mine that is willing to teach you everything they know, then you should be able to get your garden on the right track with no problems.

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