Home Decoration & Real Estate

Posts Tagged ‘Gardening’

Ten basic rules for gardening 

Rule #1 – Buy plants from a very reputable source–I prefer nurseries over discount stores and warehouse stores. 

Rule #2 – Select plants that will grow in your climate–consider your high and low temperatures. 

Rule #3 – Plant your plants in the right place in your yard–sun-loving plants in the sun, shade-loving plants in the shade. 

Rule #4 – Provide your plants with complete nutrition. Most fertilizers and plant foods don’t. Spray-N-Grow and Bill’s Perfect Fertilizer provide major and minor elements identified by botanists as necessary for plant growth and production. 

Rule #5 – Water your plants properly. 

Rule #6 – Keep your plants bug free. Look for bugs on your plants as often as possible. Apply an organic and environmentally friendly bug killer if necessary. 

Rule #7 – Watch for plant disease. Spray your plants with Physan 20 or Serenade if you see any wilting, black spots, etc. 

Rule #8 – Weed around your plants or use All Down Organic Weed and Grass Kill or Burnout Weed and Grass Killer. 

Rule #9 – Deer, rabbits, squirrels and other animals may try to feast on your plants. If you see evidence of munching, use a humane animal repellants. It may take a little detective work to figure out what type of hungry animal is invading your garden. 

Rule #10 – Gardening is a physical activity–take care of yourself. Wear a hat and gloves. Use sunscreen and watch for stinging insects. Use safe products–many common gardening products are not organic or all natural. To buy garden products mentioned in this article, visit Spray-N-Grow’s website ( http://www.spray-n-growgardening.com ). Their garden products are safe for people, plants and pets.

One glance through a gardening magazine, and we are showered with images of pristine gardens, beautifully appointed with hundreds of varieties of plants, trees, and shrubs.  While many of us aspire to have yards as beautiful as those in a magazine, few of us have the time or resources to achieve such perfection.  However, with a little work and some good planning, even those of us with the blackest of thumbs will feel good about our efforts in the garden.

When reviewing your outdoor space, try to identify those areas that you’re not very happy with.  What do you want to change about them?  Do you need some additional flowers or other plants?  Perhaps the space doesn’t feel balanced?  Climbing plants may be just the answer you are looking for to solve a variety of common problems in outdoor areas.

Many plants, both annual and perennial, fall into the category of climbing plants.  The more common climbers are clematis, morning glory, ivy, and honeysuckle.  However, many plants that spread along the ground like creeping phlox and periwinkle can provide coverage for unsightly spaces in your outdoor area, as well.

Climbing plants can be used to solve a myriad of problems in your outdoor spaces.  For example, do you have something unsightly that you need to cover, such as a garage wall, tree stump, or electrical meter?  Use climbing plants to cover it up!  They not only change the view you are seeing, but they can also provide color and fragrance to an area.  Consider putting up a trellis on the side of your shed to soften it up with a burst of color and fragrance.  Climbers can also provide coverage of retaining walls and fences with little effort.

While climbing plants can be trained to climb a trellis or wall, they can also be planted in a pot and allowed to cascade downward, or used as a groundcover.  If you have some areas of the garden where bare soil is showing, consider using a vine or other groundcover plant to hide those bare spots.

Lack of privacy is another major issue that homeowners commonly cite when asked why they dislike their yards or gardens.  Perhaps you have neighbors that are a little too close?  A trellis, arbor, or pergolas is a great solution to this problem.  Climbing plants will easily climb and cover these structures, providing privacy and beauty to your yard.  Pergolas and arbors can also be used over pathways or gates, or to mark a transition from front yard or side yard into a backyard.  In all of these places, consider planting a climbing vine at the base of the structure.  Within a few months, you’ll have a stunning focal point for your yard.

Climbing plants are usually pretty self-sufficient and require little care to grow.  Of course, there are the basic needs like sun and water.  You might also want to be aware of the soil type or soil pH level that the plant requires, though with climbers this is usually a less important consideration.  Obviously, the most important thing to consider when planting a climber is providing some support structure upon which it can grow.  When allowing climbers to grow near buildings, it’s important to keep a close eye on the plant so it doesn’t get out of control.  Some very vigorous climbers can damage homes, garages, or barns when allowed to grow unchecked.

Some climbing plants merely provide greenery, while others boast showy flowers in addition to their leaves.  Flowering vines will oftentimes attract butterflies, birds, and wildlife.  This should be taken into consideration when using climbing plants.  For example, if you’re using climbers near an outdoor eating area, you probably won’t want to contend with bees that may be attracted to the flowers.  On the other hand, a trellis with flowers outside your kitchen window can be a welcome sight, and an enjoyable place to watch the insects and wildlife that are attracted to it.

So the next time you’re doing some gardening or landscaping, and thinking about ways you can improve the aesthetics of your yard, consider adding some climbing vines as a solution.  There are many climbers to choose from that will add elegance and beauty to your outdoor living area.  With a little time and effort, your garden can be every bit as beautiful as one of those you see in a magazine.

It’s vital to start the process of having a hassle-free garden. This article gives you that first step and helps achieve some sound understanding of what you face as a weekend gardener. Our goal is to create a garden that practically takes care of itself.

Unlike my neighbor, Fred.

Fred never found a way to escape the prison of responsibilities and hard, never-ending work required by a high-maintenance garden.

If you want to avoid Fred’s fate, you need to start by making a critical examination of the maintenance of your yard and garden.

Start by taking a stroll around your property and make note of how much time you take to tend to various areas.

• Which plants require the most care, right now?

• Are there areas that please you and take less care?

• Are there some areas that you love so much that no matter how much maintenance they take you’d not want to change them?

• Can you visualize any areas being scaled down in size, or that can be improved with a low-maintenance design or gardening technique?

• Where is the problem weeding area?

• Which is the most difficult mowing area of your lawn?

In my book: “The Weekend Gardener”- The Busy Persons’ Guide To A Beautiful Backyard Garden, I present very specific ways to combat your problem areas as you think critically about the current maintenance problems you must take into account. Take this tour with a critical eye and a notebook. Make some notes to yourself about what you see, what you imagine, and what you are currently faced with.

As you do this preliminary overview, remember it is okay to consider what you “hate” to do in regards to gardening work. We want to get rid of these areas first and foremost.

Everyone has a different take on this subject. Some hate mowing the lawn, others actually enjoy the exercise and like getting out in the sun. Some find weeding tedious, others will enjoy the process of grabbing weeds by the fistful and yanking them forcefully out of the ground. I have a cousin who has actually been found to wonder into neighbors yards yanking the critters up (much to the surprise and cheerful appreciation of his neighbors) after he had run out of them in his own yard.

So, part of your ‘yard tour’ is to make note of the areas that require work; how you feel about each one, and listing which are particularly time-consuming.

Once you’re done, take your list and make a check mark (!) next to those items that you intend to keep no matter how much maintenance they may require. Then put a question mark (?) Next to the ones you enjoy looking at, but are nonetheless high-maintenance and take too much work. Later you will discover timesaving techniques you can surely apply to many of these problem areas.

Now plan on making your aim to eliminate those areas left UNMARKED. You’ll want low maintenance ways to turn these areas into sources of pleasure, instead of drudgery. However, you can’t DO anything to lessen the strain until you first SEE the problems out there in your yard. So do this tour as a first step to achieve true joy and freedom in your gardening experience.

If you plan to spend some quality time in your yard this season, then you need some essential gardening tools to make your space picture perfect! You may have to cut grass, trim trees and shrubs, get the garden ready, or plant flowers. No matter what you need to do, some good gardening tools can go a long way. Let’s take a closer look at the tools that will make your gardening experience simpler and as easy as possible.

There are certain tools you will need to accomplish all your tasks. You will need some good digging tools. Spades are great for turning soil and a flat head shovel will assist in picking up disposable items. A garden fork is ideal for cleaning out the beds and loosening soil. Rakes are also necessary for your work. Metal rakes will help in leveling soil and removing unwanted materials. Metal is durable since it will not bend. Plastic fan style rakes will do the job for leaf cleanup. They are lighter to handle for that exhausting job.

Investing in a good garden hose is always a wise idea. This will last longer than cheaper ones. The length of the hose will depend on the size of your yard. Also, get a reel to store it on when not in use, so you can avoid getting kinks in it. A garden wand is great for watering seedlings or new plants as well as hanging baskets. They will reach difficult places and supply a gentle stream of water that will be softer for the delicate younger plants. Choose a wand with a brass shut off, plastic ones will break or crack easily.

Pruning shears are an important gardening tool. These are great for trimming back bushes and shrubs. Since pruning is an important detail for making your shrubs bushy, you won’t want to leave this off your list. Shears for hedge trimming will keep your bushes cut evenly and display a neat, controlled appearance.

A wheelbarrow or cart is a handy item, especially if you are going to be transporting dirt or cement. You can use them to carry around the yard all your vegetable and flower plants or your garden tools. This will save you a lot of unnecessary trips back and forth to carry all your items. Spreaders are useful in applying fertilizer to your lawn, since it provides an even distribution to all areas. It makes lawn fertilization a snap. And don’t forget a broom for clean ups.

You will also need topsoil, fertilizer, lawn seed, plant food, seeds and potting mix. You may also want to invest in pesticides if you have a problem with bugs.

Gardening is a hobby shared by many. Working out in the yard allows you to appreciate the warmer months. You will get a good work out and enjoy the fresh air. All you need are a few essential tools and your job will be easy. Once all your hard work is done, your yard will be the envy of all. Now all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your surroundings.

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things – determination and know-how. Here are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading
Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer. Many perennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops.
Certain plants – especially foliage plants like Coleus – respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and so more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.

4. Fertilize lightly.
A minimal amount of fertilizer will further boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water your yard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly because of nutrient depletion. A fortnightly application of liquid fertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it is more readily absorbed by the leaves. Container plants will be considerably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer applied regularly.

5. Weed out.
This is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your garden by the yard. Remember, weeds compete with your plants for both nutrients and moisture. If the weeds are not close to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch. If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator, rather than a spray. This will protect you plants from spray-drift.

6. Water them well
One good tip when it comes to watering your garden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week, making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion. Deep watering will encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able to withstand dry spells weatherwise

7. Say no to chemicals
Chemicals are dangerous to humans and often kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, so avoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives that work almost as well.

With these simple tips, your garden by the yard will soon be the envy of your neighbors.