Perennial Borders

Make your perennial backyard pop giving your garden true definition with the simple guide and helpful gardening tips given here for border treatments.

It is always good to have a plan before your plant. Careful design from planning ahead can result in beautiful borders with less back-breaking labor. Begin with the soil. It is so important to create a good soil mixture for your plants to live in and thrive. Most gardeners find that their soil benefits greatly from the addition of high-quality compost. Compost helps soil retain moisture plus drain more evenly. It also adds nutrients and beneficial soil microbes. If you are not sure what your soil lacks, get a soil test from your local county extension service or garden center to determine what soil amendments your garden needs.

Choose your plants wisely. Check which ones grow in your area of the country by referring to a zone chart. Select plants that are well-suited to your climate and soil. This will give your garden the best chance for beauty. It is a good practice to look for native plants or their close relatives for the basis of your garden. Ask other experienced gardeners in your locale for their recommendations.

To add interest to you garden border at every season, weave in woody plants to your border. Use flowering trees and shrubs for structure and fullness. Some grow wide and others grow tall, which will visually tie your border bed to the rest of your landscape. Woody plants will give you spring blossoms, fall leaf color, and wintertime structure. Plus shrubs or small trees with edible fruit will attract birds to your garden helping reduce the insects.

Develop a color theme. Two or three consistent colors can harmonize the look, or just two contrasting colors can be very effective and strong visually. If confused or in a quandary as to what to pick, color combinations that stand the test of time can be found by looking at garden magazines, going on garden tours or visiting display gardens at flower shows.

You can insert a few annuals to keep the color charged all summer. Perennials do not give constant color impact, so if this is what you prefer, don’t hesitate to mix your perennial border up with a few annuals. Often low-growing annuals look great along the edges or are used to fill bare spots throughout the season.

Do not be afraid to change things around in your border. If you find a plant that has gotten lost behind taller plants or a shade-lover that is shriveling in the sun; it is best for the plant to be moved to a more suitable spot. Do this move in either the early spring well before the plant blooms, or in the fall before freezing weather begins.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Making Your Bumpy Lawn Level

If you have a large area to level, it is best to use a tractor and a box blade. But most of us have smaller lawns and no tractor. The good news is, it is possible to level out the bumps in your yard by yourself.

First mow the lawn with a rotary mower at the lowest setting. Scalp to 1/16 inch with a rented, self-powered and propelled, reel mower. The purpose of this is to scalp the yard as low as possible and remove the debris. The only way to completely remove the turf and keep the roots alive is to mow as low as possible exposing all the high and low spots. If you cannot rent a reel mower, mow at the lowest possible setting of whatever you have and remove any left-over debris from the ground. Be careful of disrupting tree roots or hidden rocks in your soil. Next step is to core aerate your lthe scalped lawn well. If you have low spots you want to raise, don’t aerate the low spots but aerate heavily in the high areas so you can sweep all the cores to the low areas. This is tedious, but a necessary step.

Now you are ready to top dress with your local topsoil mix the areas that are recessed. Get enough topsoil necessary to cover these areas. Basically, get about 1/4 to 1/3 inch per cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. So 4 cubic yards will provide about an inch of cover on a 1,000 square feet area. There are probably issues with how to get this out of a pile and relatively evenly distributed. Chain link fencing with boards can weigh it down or an inverted shipping palate can be used. To make sure it is super level, you can drag a large mat over the top dressing. Do this to all the areas you think needed until you have gotten very one and are happy with the overall appearance.

It is now time to seed or sod. Use the best seed you can find. It will be the seed with the lowest percentage of weeds. Roll the seed or sod with a rented roller you can fill with water. The roller pushes the seed into the soil providing good contact. Sod needs to be rolled so that the bottom of all the sod is contacting the soil. Roots cannot grow through the air. The following step is to fertilize. Add fertilizer to your whole lawn so that the existing grass will be nourished too. If you were doing this in an organic program, you would fertilize with alfalfa at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet about two to three weeks prior to starting this process. And lastly, but importantly, it is time to water and water good so that it reaches down to the roots of your original lawn and so the fertilizer can make the new seeds start to grow. A good and easy way to get the hose to reach all areas of your lawn is by using a garden hose reel.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Insect Damage Control

How discouraging is it to see the leaves on your plants riddled with holes? You have worked hard to make your garden healthy and attractive for you, your family and friends to enjoy. Unfortunately, many insects consider it attractive too. They can destroy your plants and vegetables, but by following a few simple steps, the damage can be controlled.

There are many products available now to help with garden pest control plus some good old-fashion remedies to try.

The first step is to recognize the insects that are attracted to your garden and lawn. The following list describes insects common in many areas around the country. Aphids are tiny yellowish-green lice found clustered on tender plant shoots stunting a plant’s growth by sucking its juices, which cause leaves to curl. They should be treated as soon as possible because they multiply at an extremely fast rate. Japanese beetles are destructive red-and-green insects that feed on both on flowers and leaves. Slugs and snails usually come out at night to eat low-hanging leaves. Leaf miners are larvae of certain flies or beetles that feed on material within the leaves’ linings. Spider mites are very tiny and often white or red, usually found moving and can cause widespread discoloration and deformities in many plants. Leafhoppers are quarter-inch-sized green insects that suck the sap from leaves eventually destroying them.

Treatment is available. Eliminating bothersome pests from your garden starts with careful examination of your plants above and below the soil’s surface for live insects. A way to test for insects below is to soap flush. Add two teaspoons of dishwashing detergent to one gallon of water in a bucket and pour the mixture over a small area. If you have insects below, they will rise to the surface. Once you have some specimens, place them in plastic bags to identify them.

It is important to use organic and natural methods whenever possible. Bug removal for a small number of insects is as easy as just carefully picking them off with gloved fingers. Many insects are easily repelled by soapy water applied with a sponge or you can try refined nontoxic oil sprays. A milky spore is a type of natural bacteria that infects different kinds of grubs and is harmless to vegetables and flower gardens. For best results, apply milky spores in the spring and fall. Another remedy to try is using a rubbing alcohol spray. It works on many different kinds of garden pests and is safe to use on most plants. However, since alcohol can damage some plants, always first test your spray mix on a few inconspicuous leaves or plants.

The insecticides that can be used in your garden include: insecticidal soap spray; yellow sticky traps to catch flying insects; malathion spray used once a week to ward off aphids, beetles, leaf miners, spider mites and leafhoppers; BT (bacillius thuringiensis) to deter caterpillars and mosquitoes; and Pyrethrum to kill ants and roaches.

Be very cautious when using insecticides. Avoid applying insecticides in windy weather. Cover exposed skin. As applying liquid insecticides always walk away from the treated area, never through it. Always keep insecticides out of reach of children and pets. Liquid insecticides often come in both concentrated and premixed forms, and are usually applied with a sprayer. Use a portable spray tank or hose sprayer to apply concentrates. A good way to keep your hose tidy while doing this operation is to use a garden hose reel.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Caring For Your Lawn in a More Natural Way

One of the best parts of being a homeowner is actually “owning” a piece of land. No matter how big or how small, this piece of land is yours to do with what you please. The Native American ideal of land stewardship is a fantastic one, the idea that none truly own the land, but should feel encouraged to diligently keep the land as merely stewards of it. If you think of yourself as a steward of the land you inhabit, you will accept and take on willingly, the responsibility of maintaining it, protecting it, and keeping it looking its best. Is this a too high-falooting ideal when discussing your lawn, your very own patch of green? Perhaps so, but if thought of in this manner, maybe you’d be more inclined to treating it better and looking out for its best interest.

In the Middle Ages, no one groomed or mowed their lawns, obviously. Lawns were kept as special green spaces for enjoyment, yet were not bridled, restrained, and hacked, to look like the British Open’s long greens. Lawns were mostly kept under control by use; by being trampled by horses, sporting activities, and the like, allowing them to grow a little longer, a little healthier, and greener, without the introduction of chemicals or fertilizer. Could perhaps a secret to a greener lawn be letting it grow longer between cuttings? Yes, it very well could. I’m not suggesting you let your lawn look like “Little House on the Prairie”, mind you. Letting it grow a little longer between cuttings and setting your lawn mower to its highest setting can make a world of difference in keeping a healthier lawn. The longer blades of grass can help you be certain that the root systems of your lawn are flourishing below the soil with the roots being themselves longer and better established as well. Longer blades mean more surface area for photosynthesis to take place, allowing more light to be collected, to promote a healthier, more lush look in appearance as well as promoting the ability to stave off pesky weeds. Instead of watering your grass daily, extend your sprinkler or hose nozzle from your hose reel for longer, deeper watering sessions. Apply around one inch of water to your lawn once every mowing cycle to ensure proper immersion and absorption. When mowing, you should really only ever take a third of your grass’ height off, in order to ensure healthy growth. Mowing once every ten days will save you quite a few mowings over the year, allowing you to spend more time with your family, and less money on gas (or electricity) to mow your lawn.

Let’s all let our lawns grow in healthier ways by simply letting our lawns grow more!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.

Helping Your Lawn Achieve Its Potential: Aerate!

Who doesn’t love a nice, lush, green lawn for entertaining, relaxing, and simply admiring? While it is true that is hard work maintaining a beautiful and healthy lawn, its benefits are immeasurable and well worth the blood sweat and tears. While everyone knows it is essential that a lawn be well hydrated, most homeowners neglect an essential part of lawn maintenance that allows the precious water do its job more fully, namely, aeration. Aeration not only promotes growth, it will help ensure that your lawn is thicker, grows faster, and healthier than ever!

The main objective of aeration is to create a situation where the grass roots penetrate more deeply into the soil while allowing essential oxygen, water, and nutrients ample access to the roots and soil as well. Though aeration may seem tedious to some, few can argue with results. An aerator tool can be picked up at your local hardware store for not too much coin, and is well worth the expenditure, unless you enjoy tracing your entire lawn, on hands and knees, poking holes; now that would be an excellent way to get familiar with every square inch! Because your lawn sees its fair share of use, much more than your garden especially if you have children or pets, the soil beneath your grass becomes compacted, making it terribly difficult for nutrients to penetrate and do their best. A lawn aerator punches holes in your lawn as you push behind, similarly to a push mower, with the holes penetrating around three inches, clear to the soil. This helps loosen the soil, allowing for better and essential air circulation to the roots of your grass. This is especially helpful in grass restoration situations where new growth is desired.

Aeration is best when your lawn is sufficiently moistened. A good time to perform an aeration session is the day after a nice steady rain. If rain is not in the forecast, make sure to extend your hose from its hose reel and amply water your lawn the day before aerating. It is essential to not drown your lawn, but to water it with about an inch of water. An easy way to test this would be to place containers in the areas you are watering with an inch demarcated on their side. Once this mark is reached through steady and well distributed watering, turn off the hose. Overnight, the water should soak in and allow the soil to dampen just enough to perform the aeration. Many homeowners follow aeration with fertilization as well because the loose soil allows for penetration of the nutrients. Aeration should be accomplished twice a year with dense, clay-like soil, and only once a year for sandy-soiled lawns. With an aeration, fertilization, and hydration program, your lawn will benefit greatly and provide hours and hours of enjoyment for you and your family year round.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.

Working in a Stream to your Landscape

Creating a stream with a waterfall that meanders along a slope tumbling over rocks, and trickles through nooks and crannies ending up in a pool can be an expensive landscape project choice, but indeed, is quite worth the effort when done right. Its ambience plays a prelude to and extends into all the other gardening set around it creating an Eden-like environment. Working with the principal that water always flows downhill, it is important to build a water garden that is scaled appropriately to your property.

Any site with a slope of one inch per ten feet will support a stream, but more slope expands the possibilities for building waterfalls. Slopes can be built higher to accommodate larger waterfalls. Keep in mind your scale. A waterfall should not be too high or it will look out of place. Make sure there is enough drainage. A heavy rain can add more water to your stream than your facilities can handle. The stream can be a source of runoff as well. Locating the stream so that overflow water runs into a drainage easement or a dry well (a pit lined with gravel ) just beyond the low end of the stream can solve the problem of having to add water to your stream in dry, hot weather.

This landscaping project requires some specific planning beforehand. Identify underground utilities and easements. You do not want to build your stream on easements, but clearly on your property. Know ahead of time where and if your utilities are buried. It is always good not to disrupt the underground flow of things and you’ll want to know where it is best to tap into existing wiring for a pump or if you decide you want nighttime lighting. Plan ahead to enjoy your stream after dark. In most areas, building codes for swimming pools apply to water features. Check with your county for specific building permits. Plan truck access. A large, heavy dump truck will need a place to deliver several tons of gravel and stone.

Building a stream is a major project, so consider hiring a pro, at least for parts of the project that may be beyond your abilities. The basic steps of building a stream are digging the stream run and end pond, usually done by hand; leveling the banks of the stream with each other; placing the lining with a spun-polyester under layer, topped by a 45-millimeter rubber lining, that have a 20-year life span; setting
the largest rocks in place to sculpt the stream and stabilize its edges; and adding small rocks and gravel to cover the entire surface of the streambed. These rocks and gravel host beneficial bacteria and algae that help keep the water clean, in addition to hiding the rubber liner.

Flexible PVC return pipe, which carries the water from the bottom back up to the top, is buried about 8 inches deep along the outside of the stream. The final step in this process is arranging rocks to form falls and ripples. This is the part homeowners enjoy the most because it conveys the unique presence of the stream and let’s you hear the stream even if out of view.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Hardy Vines and Their Ability to Liven Up Any Landscape

Newly constructed homes as well as older ones benefit from a well-manicured lawn and landscaped gardening, whether planned and detailed, or wild and inspired. Many beginning gardeners have trouble thinking outside the box, planting only vertically growing plants such as roses, peonies, pansies, and the like. A whole new world of adventurous and inspired gardening can be accessed by planting hardy vines and perennials, broadening and enriching the texture and increasing the dimensions of your garden in exciting ways.

One of Americans’ favored vines because of its hardiness and trainability is the clematis. Clematis will climb and coil its way around erected strings or framework, basically whatever is provided. There are many different types of clematis, one favorite being the Jackman clematis, adored for its oversized blooms that can be over six inches wide at their peak. The Jackman can grow to over ten feet in length, and provided it as ample sun and moist soil, it will give the better part of three seasons of healthy green growth and attractive blooms.

Different types of ivy also make great climbing vines and are very beneficial as groundcover as well. Ivy is one of the hardiest climbers because of its ability to tolerate shady areas where many other plants cannot. Ivy can be planted around the base of bushes, or on a sun-starved side of your house that just needs a little touch of greenery for beauty. Erect some lattice or a pleasant garden bower, and you’re in business. Ivy is an excellent climber, but you must be careful to train it not to grow up the trunks of your precious living trees, for it has the ability to choke the life out of even the tallest, most substantial growing trees, due to its fastidious nature and flourishing growth. Pruning and training ivy will reward you with a lush living landscape that your neighbors will enjoy every time they pass by. One of the most popular ivies chosen is English ivy because it needs little water, and it grows whether exposed to substantial sun or not. Many plantings must be within reach of your hose reel, but this is not a concern with English ivy. Also, once it is established, it will provide your landscape with years of worry-free coverage.

Truly, there are a myriad of choices when it comes to hardy growing vines. The best place to locate the ones that flourish in your area is at your local garden shop or bookstore. Once you pick the variety best for your purposes, plant it, and enjoy the results!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.

The Plant You Can Grow To Organically Repel Mosquitoes

I don’t know anyone on this planet that enjoys the company of mosquitoes. They are definitely one of the most revolting vermin this world has to offer; existing only to suck blood from healthy bodied people and animals and spreading vile diseases such as Malaria and the West Nile Virus. As summer heat warms dirty, standing water patches in bogs, swamps, and yes, backyards, mosquitoes grow and take hold in new ecosystems, driven by nature’s instilled desire to breed, bite, and “bug” other inhabitants. New ways of controlling burgeoning mosquito populations are continuously researched, and new chemical mixtures and sprays rush to supermarket shelves, hoping to do the deed. A study has shown that mosquitoes are repelled naturally by a plant that is easily grown and cared for, and that will please your neighborhoods feline population as well: catnip.

Researchers in Iowa, undoubtedly spurred on by the rise of cases of the West Nile Virus in the United States, researched and tested several plant varieties, hoping to find a safer alternative to the active ingredient in many commercial mosquito repellents, DEET. DEET has been shown to cause brain-cell death and behavior changes in laboratory animals, and poses these risks and others when used to protect young children from mosquitoes. While DEET is no longer being manufactured, it still exists in small quantities in insect repellant sprays that are still sold. A head research scientist involved in studies at the University of Iowa found through extensive testing that the essential oil found in catnip, nepetalactone, is nearly ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the toxic chemical DEET. This study also found that catnip oil repelled cockroaches as well, yet another of our world’s least appealing insects. Though testing has surely shown that mosquitoes and roaches are repelled by catnip, researchers aren’t sure why, but assume it must cause some sort of irritation to the vermin, if only that they don’t enjoy its smell.

The same oil that causes roaches and mosquitoes to flee, nepetalactone, causes at least two thirds of the feline population to flip their lid. Catnip is extremely easy to grow, both indoors and outdoors, whether from a seed or a start. Catnip does require adequate, but not constant, sun, and only minimal waterings are needed. Keep your hose on its hose reel (especially if growing inside!) and simply use your watering can to water the crop about once a week. You’ll be entertaining your cats and bidding adieu to pesky mosquitoes and roaches in no time!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel, landscaping, and lawn treatment. Please visit www.roboreel.com.

Peonies Passion

Peonies give your garden bursts of color and wonderful fragrance. Being a perennial they come up every year and are easy to grow. Peonies are versatile, long-lived landscape plants. They can make excellent low hedges in the summer or used as a group or singularly to splash color as a focal point or accent in flowerbeds and borders.

To make the wisest selections for your particular garden, know the many forms: single, Japanese, bomb, double, and semi-double. Single peonies contain rows of five or more big petals encircling a fertile center of seed-bearing yellow stamens. Japanese, including anemone, have five or more petals with a showy cluster of small, sterile, petal-like segments in one or more areas. The bomb form has the blossom’s mounded center full of petals that are smaller than the outer petals, but have a similar color and texture. Double peonies have large outer petals surrounded by frilly overlapped petals of the same color. They form a big, classic, rose-like globe that has almost invisible stamens. Semi-double peonies have fewer inner petals than a double with the petals being fairly uniform. They are decorative, bear pollen, and the yellow stamens stand out against the petal color, unlike the double peony.

Garden peonies (Paeonia lactiflora cultivars and hybrids) are bushy plants, averaging 3 feet tall and as wide. They bloom 5-10 days in late spring and early summer, bearing 3 to 6 inches in diameter flowers in the shape forms mentioned above. These blooms are often perfumed and come in snowy white to pink, magenta, red, lavender and primrose yellow, chartreuse green and my favorite, salmon. After the blooms have gone, their full foliage makes a great drop back for later blooming perennials or annuals. Some peony foliage actually turns reddish in the fall adding seasonal interest to your garden. There are late-blooming peonies to choose from, too.

Peonies are tough, need little care, and are hardy in Zones 3-8. They have a tuberous root structure that spreads 1 to 2 feet beyond the plant. In the South, early-blooming single or Japanese types grow best. Be patient with newly purchased peony plants to bloom after planting. Potted peonies after transplanting them into the soil can take up to a year or two to flower. Bare-root peonies, ideally planted from September to mid-October, may take up to three years to flower. Plant in moist, well-drained, fertile soil setting the eyes or buds of the plant at the top of a root 1-2 inches below the soil surface, no more. Keep the bare-root away from standing water, which can rot it. Mulch loosely the first winter after planting, removing it in spring. Use bone meal and wood ash in the spring or early summer after they have bloomed to fertilize your peonies. For the best flowering, give peonies full sun and try to avoid much competition from surrounding plants.


Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Hardy Hostas

Looking for a hardy perennial to use as a ground cover in a shady area of your yard? Hostas are one of the best plants for shade gardens or for under tall trees. Where grass and other ground covers struggle, hostas thrive adding lush greenery and becoming more beautiful every year. They love the afternoon shade and the moist soil these areas usually have. Hostas can transform brown and barren into green and abundant for you.

Offering an incredible array of sizes, colors including variegated, and shapes including crinkled edges, hostas come in numerous varieties. Most garden centers have a nice selection at reasonable prices to let the ordinary everyday gardener share in the diversity these shady plants offer. For the expert, there are varieties too that are more rare and more expensive.

The calming hues of yellow, gold, white, green, and blue, will give your garden an air of regal serenity. Their bold, shapely leaves mix in well with other shade-tolerant perennials, azaleas, for instance, make a beautiful combination. Juxtapose them with textural ferns, or with contrasting color like spotted geraniums along with the chartreuse of ‘Sum and Substance’, or blend yellow daylilies with the size of the tall ‘Blue Angel’. Mass hosta plantings can make a strong, stunning statement. You can choose to have just one variety or include a range with varying leaf sizes, colors, and shapes.

Providing a strong visual effect with variegated leaves, hostas in the Tiara series are a particularly good choice for borders. These hostas also make good ground covers because they spread quickly and are easily divided. A short-stature hosta such as ‘Golden Tiara’ is an excellent choice for edging hosta beds to lend a formal flair with its color.

Because hostas are so easy to grow and can spruce up a garden in no time, they are a hardy favorite of many gardeners. They are fun to grow too because of the many varieties that can be mixed up and placed within what you already are growing. Though hostas are known to do best in shade, many hostas benefit from partly shaded areas with even a few hours of soft morning sun.

You can plant hostas in the spring or fall, in well-drained soil. It is preferred to plant in soil that’s slightly acidic and rich in organic matter. Add quality compost or composted manure to the soil when planting and then a top layer of mulch will help keep the soil moist which hostas like.

They generally need minimal care, except for leaf-chewing slugs and snails, few pests plague hostas. Some gardeners put up with leaf damage, but available at most garden centers are effective slug barriers. However, deer do like to chomp off the leaves at the stem in early spring just when they are starting to rise up from the ground, so beware.

Fortunately, hostas are easy to divide, so you can quickly add new varieties to your garden. They make wonderful gifts to other hosta-loving gardeners. Trade and multiply to have great results.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Solving Problem Garden Spots with Perennials

Colorful perennial plants can be used for both shade gardens and backyard areas getting constant full-sun. It is important to select the right one for the specific area of your yard you want to dress-up.

By choosing the right perennials, you can combat three landscape problems—hot and dry locations, wet and swampy areas, and windy or exposed sites.

Most perennials that will work best in dry and sunny spots flower during the summer months. Some of these perennials that are both heat and drought-tolerant include: blanket flower, a daisy-like, yellow-and-red plant; coneflower with pink, rose, or white flowers; daylilies coming in numerous colors; evening primrose or sundrops in yellow, pink, or white flowers; fairy fan-flower that has blue or white flowers and blossoms from spring to fall; gazania rigens with yellow, orange, red, or pink flowers; globe thistle that has round blue flowers; lavender, an aromatic plant with purple, pink, or white flowers; red-hot poker with red, orange, or yellow flowers; Russian sage with light blue flowers flowering from summer into fall; yarrow that flowers in many colors; blazing star or gayfeather, a liatris having purple or white flowers during the summer; and butterfly weed named so because it attracts butterflies, flowering orange blossoms throughout the summer.

When you are dealing with a wet, moist or even swampy area, you should plan to use the following perennials: angelica archangelica with greenish-yellow or reddish-purple flowers growing up to 6 feet tall in the summer; astilbe with plumes of red, purple, pink, or white also flowering in the summer; cardinal flower with red, pink, or white flowers growing in full sun/partial shade; gooseneck loosestrife, white flower spikes also growing in full sun/partial shade; Joe Pye weed with light purple or violet flowers growing up to 7 feet tall from summer to fall in full sun/partial shade; ligularia with daisy-like yellow or orange flowers in summer growing in partial shade; meadowsweet or queen of the prairie having plumes of tiny pink or white flowers in summer and growing up to 8 feet tall, depending on species; obedient plant with purple, pink, or white flowers; spiderwort with rose, purple, blue, or white flowers in summer; swamp hibiscus or common rose mallow crinkly pink, red, or white flowers in summer; turtlehead, a pinkish-purple flowers; and Virginia bluebells, tubular blue or white flowers that flower in the spring.

If you have a spot in your yard that is exposed to the wind, the suggested perennials to plant are: coneflower or Echinacea, a daisy-like flower in pink, rose, or white; daylilies, delphinium grandiflorum; gazania rigens, another daisy-like flower in yellow, orange, red, or pink; ‘Indian Summer’ or black-eyed Susan, a golden-yellow daisy-like flower blooming in summer; miscanthus sinensis with silver, pink, purple, or rust-color plumes and narrow, green strap leaves or variegated foliage flowering in late summer and fall; penstemon that come in red, pink, blue, or white flowering from spring to fall, depending on species; red-hot poker that are spikes of red, orange, or yellow flowering in summer; rosemary that have tubular blue flowers from spring to summer and aromatic, needlelike evergreen foliage; and sea holly with thistle-like blue or white flowering in the summer.

With these suggested gardening tips you will be on your way to solving the problem spots in your yard and turning it into a colorful show of healthy growth. Planting the right perennials in the right spot can make a difference.

Keeping Your Lawn Looking Good

Some things to consider when wanting to improve the appearance of your lawn are where you are located, what type of grass is most prevalent, what products you apply or have been applied to your lawn such as insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides, whether your lawn has been fertilized and how often to you water or irrigate your lawn. Others include if you have re-seeded or recently added sod, have had soil tests done on your lawn, and at what height the lawn is mowed and how often. Problems occurring in your lawn might be too much shade, standing water, insects or pests, weeds, moss, rocks, and heavy traffic. If the problem is weeds, determine what type of weeds invade your lawn and how long have you noticed the problem.

When solving a specific problem to make your lawn more beautiful and healthy, decide whether you want to use a synthetic or an organic solution. Take into consideration past efforts to solve the problem, if there were any.

Grass should be mowed at the highest setting or at 3 inches, and each time the grass is mowed it should be cut down about one third of its height. This will give you a good idea of how often you should mow your lawn. Some warm weather grasses such as Bermuda centipede and bentgrass that grow densely need to be mowed at lower mower settings. Make sure to water your lawn deeply and infrequently. Most lawns do best with one inch of water per week. It is best to water all at once instead of over several days. Of course, how much rain the lawn has received must be taken into consideration too.

Because mulching returns nutrients to the lawn, as well as organic matter, it is preferred to mulch your lawn instead of bagging the grass clippings. Mulch also helps to retain water. Sometimes it may be helpful to bag if you have many weeds in which case you will want to get rid of the weed seeds. If your grass has gotten extra long between mowings, it is better to bag also not to create a messy looking lawn. You want your lawn to be free of thatch. Thatch is caused by the grass roots growing too near the surface. By helping with the decomposition process, mulching helps to deter thatch. Grass clippings decompose very guickly because of their high water content.

You may find there are bumpy spots in your lawn while mowing. They can be leveled. One way is to gradually spread about a one quarter inch layer of topsoil or sand in the low spots. Avoid smothering the grass when you do this. If you are concerned about this, then try lifting up the sod and placing dirt underneath and then replacing the sod back making sure not to disturb too many roots in the process. Water the area after this is done.

Aerating your lawn from time to time is a good thing. It improves growth. Core aeration is preferred over spike because it removes small cores of dirt to ease compaction. Spike aeration can compress some types of soil adding to compaction issues. However, if you have grainy or sandy soil, spike aeration is better to use.

When over seeding your lawn, apply a pre-emergent to prevent germination for weed seed germination and allow for grass seed germination. A newer pre-emergent under the name Tupersan is a selective pre-emergent for this purpose.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Successfully Growing Your Vegetables in a Cramped Little Garden

Metropolitan areas offer many things to their inhabitants. Jobs are plentiful, eateries and watering holes are in high abundance, and arts and nightlife scenes are often very appealing. Those looking to move from more rural areas to perhaps an apartment or condominium in the city might feel they will be forced to sacrifice many of the attributes the country provides. Space is at a premium in the city. Suburbia and rural living offer more of it, and many people living in more spacious areas enjoy growing their own vegetables and tending personal gardens in their spare time. The fact is that vegetables are able to grow and thrive in smaller areas, and just because your space is limited, it doesn’t mean you and your vegetable garden need to be.

As a result of new research and development involving genetic modifications of standard vegetables and fruits we have all come to expect in a backyard garden, many seed companies offer seeds and starts of miniature or dwarf versions more suited for growing in limited space. Just imagine, growing tomatoes in a bucket on your tiny condominium deck could be so rewarding and the perfect addition to a summer salad. You can grow strawberries in small containers in your bedroom windowsill, strawberry shortcake, anyone? Growing your vegetables in containers has its advantages over a conventional garden because you can move your plantings inside if cooler weather should threaten and give your growing vegetables artificial indoor light in the interim.

Achieving a proper soil and fertilizer mixture is essential in your indoor/outdoor miniature garden’s success. At your local home improvement or garden store you can choose from a large variety of potting soil mixes especially designed for container gardens. Special care needs to be taken ensuring proper drainage yet adequate water retention to help nurture the growth of your plantings’ roots, keeping them evenly moist. A liquid fertilizer is preferred, as it will possess the ability to remain in the soil longer, achieving positive results. The liquid fertilizer should be evenly applied at every other watering. Since you probably don’t have a hose reel and garden hose in your apartment, you might need an attachment for your kitchen sink or a simple jug or cup could do the job of applying the daily irrigation for your burgeoning plants.

A final consideration is location for your garden. This of course depends primarily on the types of plants that are growing. For instance, lettuce only needs about four hours of sunlight daily, but your tomatoes require about eight. Plan accordingly, placing appropriate plants in appropriate environments according to their needs and specifications. By following these simple guidelines, you will have a perfect little garden, providing you with vegetables you can enjoy year round, in the middle of the urban jungle.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reels, landscaping, and lawn treatment. Please visit www.roboreel.com.

Getting Rid of Those Pesky “Doggy Spots” on Your Lawn and Keeping Fido

If you’re like me, you’re a dog person. There’s just something about the companionship and friendship a dog provides. They’re eternally loyal, steadfast and true, if sometimes a tad smelly in breath and body. I love dogs, but I also enjoy keeping my lawn nice and green, which is extremely difficult having a dog in the yard. You will be happy to find out, however, that there are ways to lessen the appearance of brown spots in your lawn caused by your furry best friend. The solutions are quite easy and will help you keep your lawn green throughout, and eliminate those patchy-brown, favored spots of Fido.

It is helpful to know exactly why your dog’s relief brings such discoloration to your lawn. Dog urine burns your green grass because it is extremely rich in nitrogen. If you are already using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer on your yard, the added effect of your four-legged friend’s contribution will burn those spots because the extra nitrogen is more than your lawn can handle. If you are able to discern the spots your dog is attracted to well enough, try using little or no fertilizer in these areas, to help balance the nitrogen content. To help with nitrogen absorption and dilution, it would be helpful if you took your hose from your hose reel and sprayed the areas your dog likes, daily. This extra water can help more evenly spread that rich nitrogen across a broader patch, lessening its discoloring effects. Treat the problem directly as well, by making sure your dog drinks plenty of water, helping dilute the concentration of nitrogen content at the source.

Another popular fix for this less talked about problem is replanting. Plant more urine-resistant grasses such as Ryegrass or Fescue in the affected areas. Though you may love the look and lushness of your Kentucky Bluegrass and Bermuda, these grasses are extremely urine-sensitive, so it is important to keep the pooches away from these to protect their beauty.

By saturating affected areas with water from your hose reel, replanting these areas with more urine-resistant grass, and diluting the nitrogen in your dog itself, you can help keep your lawn as green as it should be. There are also many products on the market to help train your animal to relieve itself in a certain area, so those should not be counted out if all else fails. Green grass is beautiful, and it does not have to be sacrificed because you share your affection with your furry friend as well!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reels, landscaping, and lawn treatment. Please visit www.roboreel.com.

Water is the Key to Success When Transplanting

Moving plants around in your garden can be tricky. The most important thing to remember while in this process is to water. Always make sure to keep the plant and it roots moist.

Even though it is recommended not to transplant during the summer, most of the time it is in the summer that you want to do this. You are seeing how things have come up and perhaps it has become too crowded in an area for the plants to be healthy. Or one variety may have just taken over an area and needs to be trimmed back. If it is the summer, remember the sun can be very intense especially on exposed roots. The heat from the sun can be relentless so never leave plants above the ground for very long. Summer is never the best time to move or transplant garden plants. You can successfully transplant garden plants during the hot months if you are careful and follow the gardening tips here.

Make sure the whole plant you want to transplant is hydrated when it is time for you to transplant. Water this plant the day before thoroughly, leaves and all. It is best to dig or transplant on a cloudy, overcast day to avoid the heat from the sun. If you can plan this, all the better. Or perhaps you can schedule to do it in the cooler evening hours. Water the plant right before digging or removing from its pot. When you water, soak the root ball. This will make the soil adhere to the roots so that the roots are not bare. Never leave the roots exposed to sun, heat or wind. If you are transplanting several plants at once, do not remove all of them at once. Do it gradually. Guage the process so that each plant can quickly get into the new soil it will thrive.

Again, water is the key. Water the hole that the transplant will be going into before you place it there. After the plant is in the hole, fill it halfway with water. Allow the water to settle the soil around the roots and then finish putting more soil into the hole filling the hole. Lightly firm the soil around the transplant. And once again, water the whole plant, leaves and all.

Since you will be watering so much during this process, a wise investment is a garden hose reel. It makes the task of watering easier by storing your hose properly saving time from unwinding the kinks that inevitably occur otherwise.

For three to five days after you have transplanted, if possible, shield it from any direct sunlight. You can lean a board in front of the new transplant or use a floating row cover to block strong sun from hitting it. You want the effort to be worth it.

When you water can be as important as how much you water. Transplants will need watering every day, if not more, so check the plant daily for the first couple of weeks. If it is wilting, water the plant. Until the plant gets familiar with its new environment and depending on the weather, you may need to water twice a day. Never let it dry out. The time the transplant needs to have to get familiar with its new spot varies. It also depends on the plant you chose to transplant. If it is a hardy one, you will have less concern. General rule is the larger the plant, the more water it will need.

Plants go through shock when they are uprooted and given a brand new home in the earth. They need some tender, thoughtful, extra care to make it through the stressful transition time, especially if it is summer. Remember to water, water, water.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Mulching Your Garden

It is a good practice to spread mulch on top of your soil around your plantings every spring and fall. Mulch your garden when you want to suppress weed growth, retain moisture in your soil, keep your soil cool, plus make your garden even more attractive.

This ground covering comes in many varieties. Shredded or chipped bark is the most common of the organic mulches. It also is the most dense, woody, and dry meaning it will take longer for the nutrients to break down and enter into your soil. Others include: compost, composted manure, straw, grass clippings, newspaper, and shredded leaves. Of these mulches, find out where it originated because you do not want mulch containing a lot of weed seeds to germinate in your soil. Organic mulch increases your soil’s fertility giving your plants a good foundation to grow. It has to be replaced because it naturally decomposes; but as it does this, your soil becomes even more rich in the process.

Because the woody bark mulches do not mix well into soil, avoid using them in places where you expect to be digging up the soil to put in new plantings. Use bark mulches around trees, shrubs or the plantings around your house foundation.

Side dress your plants with compost and composted manure during the growing season and you will see how fast it makes your plants grow. These mulches boost the nutrients in the soil, but make sure they are weed free.

The best use for straw mulch is your vegetable garden. It keeps the paths between the rows of crop weed free and less muddy. Because straw mulch decomposes very slowly, it will last for the whole growing season and is easy to take up when the garden is ready to be put to bed.

Grass clippings are the most green mulch with a high water content. They decompose rather rapidly and have an odor so use this mulch in a remote area of your yard. Because of the high water content, they can be slimy and slippery. Use grass clippings to cover open, unplanted areas or bare spots on your lawn. If pesticides are used on your lawn then do not use this mulch where you want to plant flower beds, and of course, not near your vegetable garden. You can also mix in grass clippings (untreated only) to your compost bin.

Newspaper as mulch can be laid down in layers as a weed barrier over the ground before another mulch such as bark mulch or gravel is spread over it to make a path in your garden. Shredded newspaper has been used for years to keep plant roots moist while shipping.

Shredded leaves are nature’s mulch and are free. Earthworms love the fallen and shredded leaves. Spread this mulch over your vegetable garden after harvest in the fall to begin decomposing over the winter. The leaves that are not shredded retain the most moisture and in the spring you can break them up easily and work them into the soil.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Watering Your Garden

It usually is best to allow the soil in your garden to partially dry out between watering your plants. If you can see your footprints in your lawn or if it lacks overall shine then it's time to water your lawn. Annuals and vegetables should be watered at the first sign of droop. Tougher plants that live several years only need watering when you see they stay droopy after it cools off in the evening.

It is important to reach down to the roots when you water, so water long enough and deeply to help moisten the whole root zone. When plants are watered deeply they build healthier, stronger root systems. To determine if you are watering deep enough to moisten the whole root zone, just dig in with a trowel after watering to check the depth of the moisture.

Of course, sometimes this can be costly or there may be drought condition. There are ways to lower water bills and maintain more moisture to your plants which include the following. Build your soil with mulch and/or compost, to hold water and prevent evaporation. Choose low water use plants which, once established, can often thrive just on rainfall. Using soaker hoses or drip irrigation on beds can save 50% or more of water usage compared to sprinklers. To water just the right amount use a timer that screws right onto the hose end. Water your lawn separately from other plantings or your vegetable garden. They each absorb water at different rates. Ever found out you are watering the pavement instead of the lawn? Make sure sprinklers are set up efficiently. When soil is dry or compacted it won't absorb water quickly. If water puddles, stop watering for a while and then restart, so the water has time to soak into the ground. Water in the early morning or evening. If you water during mid-day half the water evaporates quickly with the heat of the sun. Practicing these simple, easy steps can make every drop count.

A way of making watering easier is to get a garden hose reel. Hoses, especially the longer ones, tend to get tangled or even knotted. This is frustrating and time is wasted trying to get the kinks out in order for the water to flow through the hose. A watering reel eliminates these problems and stores the hose in a compact area ready to use whenever you need it.

There are pros and cons to automatic watering systems. They can either waste lots of water or be a fairly efficient way of watering. It is recommended that every year you should have a professional test, repair and adjust your system. And you should inspect the system while operating it once a month. Look for any leaks, or heads that are plugged or misdirected. This maintenance is important for the system to run efficiently. Install a rain shutoff device. No sense in watering when it is raining. Also, adjusting the watering schedule according to the season helps. In July and August your garden and lawn need much more water than they do in May or September.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

What You Can Do About Weeds

Weeds can be such a problem. They grow fast and can take over your garden rapidly if not controlled. If there’s a bare spot in your garden, a weed seed will find it. Weeds always grow where you don’t want them to grow. Some weeds are easily removed by hand and others are persistent about growing back. The longer they are left to establish themselves and spread, the more difficult it becomes to get rid of them.

There are two types of weeds, annual and perennial. Prior to seed germination, annual weeds that grow from seed can be prevented with the application of a pre-emergent herbicide. There is also a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent many perennial type weeds. A post-emergent herbicide is available to use for after the weeds appear, or there’s always pulling them out by hand too.

The weeds that spread throughout your garden by seed are annual weeds. They are brought into the garden by birds, four-legged animals or by just sticking to your clothing as you walk by. Crab grass, bindweed, chickweed, knotweed, lambs-quarters, mallow, pigweed, purple deadnettle, groundsel, common nettle, speedwell, spurge and yellow oxalis are all annual weeds.

Some weeds will grow in the warm weather and others prefer the cooler season, just as with other plants. Weeds that like the warmer season tend to start growing in the spring and hang around all through the growing season. Cool-season weeds sprout up any time from the fall all the way through to the following spring. They will flower in late spring or early summer. The way to get control of annual weeds is to eradicate them before they go to seed again. And luckily annual weeds have a shallow root system making it easy to pull them out by hand. Unfortunately, weeding is an ongoing process. Get into the habit of weeding as you go along gardening and then the task will not become so overwhelming.

Perennial weeds are the most difficult to handle. Ground ivy, burdock, dandelion, dock, horsetail, Japanese knotweed, plantain, poison ivy, quack grass, thistle, ragweed are a few perennial weeds. The thing to remember about perennial weeds is that the whole plant and its entire root system must be removed to successfully eradicate them. These weeds can actually reproduce from just a tiny little piece of root left behind. Their root systems spread out wide or go very deep, so it can be tricky. Tilling or hoeing isn’t an option. If your are hand weeding make sure to get the whole root, and it is best to do this in the early spring when the ground has just thawed. Sometimes herbicides are the only solution for tough perennial weeds like poison ivy, ground ivy and brambles.

There are other common-sense ways to control the weeds from taking over your garden. Before planting the new plant you just purchased from the nursery, check to see if there are any unwanted hitchhiker weeds that you do not want to plant along with your new plant. Keep cultivation to a minimum. Many weeds will not germinate until they are exposed to sunlight. Frequent cultivating or tilling can bring up the weed seeds to the surface. Use mulches to keep weeds at bay. Mulches will smother weed seeds and are good for cooling the soil to retain the moisture in it.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Today More People Choose to Garden

A modern-day gardening movement is emerging in the United States as the concern for the environment grows along with the growing economic situation. To ease the pressure of public food supply, during both world wars, the American government encouraged citizens to grow their own vegetables, fruits and herbs to be more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to economic hardships. Today gardens focus on environmental and financial benefits. However, self-sufficiency, especially during a time of war, helps everyone.

The benefits of saving on your grocery bill today are most gratifying. Starting a vegetable, fruit and herb garden requires only a modest financial investment, mainly in the beginning. You will enjoy more tasty and nutritional food being that it will come right from the ground or tree to your plate or palate. Your garden will give you easy access to healthy, even organic, produce. Rest assured that your produce will not contain any harmful disinfectants or be pumped with nasty chemicals to make it look prettier and/or larger.

Think of how green you will become harvesting food from your own garden. The produce bought at grocery stores can travel hundreds of miles from the grower to grocer, wasting gas and energy. If your garden produces large harvests, you could sell or donate the leftovers.

Once you get into this, you will discover it can be fun and can be enjoyed by all ages. To get started, consider which type of garden would best suit your lifestyle. If you don’t have much yard space, container gardening on a sunny patio or balcony is great or even just a windowsill can work nicely for small indoor gardens. For an outdoor garden, choose a sunny, level, easily accessible location. Using a raised bed is very convenient and gives the plants more room to spread out their roots freely.

Of course, will need tools and buying high quality tools is worthwhile because they will last for many years. You should have to get, at the bare minimum, a shovel, a wheelbarrow, a spreader, a hose with a spray nozzle and a hoe. Another useful tool is a garden hose reel to make storing your hose easy.

Now comes a fun part: you get to choose which vegetables, fruits and herbs you would like to grow. Some plants work better for container or inside gardens; for instance: herbs, tomatoes, sprouts, lettuces, peppers and strawberries. For outdoor gardens, you will first need to consider the climate zone in which you live and the planting season for each plant to be the most successful.

Today Americans have become very sensitive to environment and health concerns. Buying all-natural and organic products at the heath food markets can be expensive. A home grown garden eliminates this expense and can be a very pleasurable, rewarding experience. Join the others in partaking in an enjoyable solution to eating healthy and living green for years to come.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

The Most Important Garden Duty to Master

Learn how to water your garden the right way and reap the rewards. Here are some watering tips from the green thumb experts on how to best water your garden.

The first thing is very important and will sound simple, but it isn’t. Be aware of both under watering and over watering. Many novices in their willingness to take care of their plants tend to over water their garden. Too much water will drown your plants, and some plants actually don’t like much water at all. Read up about your plants to know how much water they need.

Make it a daily habit to check the soil in your garden for moisture. A good way to do this is by just sticking your index finger in the soil near where your plants are growing and feel if it is dry or wet.

When watering your garden to achieve maximum watering power, you should compare the soil’s moisture with that of a wet sponge that you’ve just rung out. That is about the right amount of wetness your soil should have.

Because soil can dry out at different rates make sure to check it every time you water your garden. Many things can alter the amount of wetness kept in your soil: your climate, the amount of sunshine and how thirsty your particular plants are. Some plants do not require being watered every day.

When the soil is slightly drier than that rung out sponge, you should water your garden again. Be careful not to water too often or too little. Keep in mind that consistency of the rung out sponge. Once you start to understand your plants’ needs, you will begin to enjoy seeing the seedlings turn into full grown plants. When and how much you water your garden will give you the success you desire.

There are many ways to get water to your garden. The most common is the garden hose. If your garden hose is longer than 25 feet it is going to get tangled and develop kinks that prevent the flow of the water through the hose. Using a garden hose reel eliminates this frustration and saves time.

The key to transplanting is water also. If you feel you must transplant your plants, try to avoid doing this in the summer. Because of the heat and intense sun during the summer, it is never the best time to move plants. When transplanting any time of year, follow these few steps for success: water the plants to be dug and transplanted the day before you plan to do this– the shock is much less if it is fully hydrated; dig and transplant during the coolest part of the day, the early evening, or when it is overcast; water the plant just before it is dug soaking the ball root; never leave its roots exposed to the sun, heat, or wind; water the hole before you place the transplant into it; after the transplant is put into its hole, fill it halfway with water; and allow the water to settle in the soil around the roots. Then finish filling the hole. Pad the soil down lightly around the base of the plant and once again, water the plant and its leaves.

It is best to shield your newly transplanted plant from the direct sun for 3 to 5 days. Check the plant daily. They will need to be watered every day, if not more. If it is wilting, water the plant. Keep on top of the watering of this transplant because it is in shock no matter what time of year you do this. Precaution is vital to ease the plant’s transition to a new ground.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Providing Proper Watering to Your Garden

For the home gardener, there are many options for irrigating vegetable gardens that are simple to use and work adequately. The watering can or garden hose are the most simple and are fine for small gardens. The garden hose should have a fan nozzle or adjustable spray attachment. When watering with the hose, the low pressure stream of water should be directed to the base of the plant and not the foliage. An easy and very convenient way to store the hose when not in use is with the garden hose reel. Other options for watering are the portable lawn sprinkler and a soaker hose. There is also a method of watering that is the best to use for conserving water: drip or trickle irrigation. This method does require special equipment, but depending on your situation, it might be the one most efficient and necessary.

There are many different types of sprinklers. Overhead sprinklers spreading the water up and over your garden, offer a wide range of watering patterns and area coverage. They are convenient and the pattern display sometimes can be entertaining to watch; however, they are not very water-efficient. Most sprinklers deposit less water at the outer edges of the spray and more at the center source. The sprinkler needs to be placed at staggered locations to provide overlap. This can result in an over application of water in some areas. Also, if it is hot or windy, a considerable amount of water is lost to evaporation especially with the small droplet sizes. Applying water more evenly than overhead sprinklers are oscillating sprinklers. The area they cover can be adjusted to a square or rectangle, making the overlap problem more controllable. When the sprinkler sprays on foliage it may increase disease problems. To reduce the chances for disease outbreaks, water in the early morning and during the day the water will naturally evaporate off.

An inexpensive and easy irrigating device which conserves on water is the soaker hose. It is made of plastic or canvas tubing that allows water to seep out all along its length at a slow rate. Water is conserved because the flow is directed into the ground near the plant. There is little loss of water because no runoff occurs and there is no evaporation happening either. The gentle stream of water will not compact the soil or cause any splashing of muddied water on your vegetables. Another method, the drip or trickle system is ideally suited for raised bed or container gardens. Short tubes, or emitters can come off a main water supply hose. The emitter runs the water directly at the roots of the desired plants leaving leaves and any fruits dry. You replace the water lost on a daily basis with the drip system. A filter or self-flushing emitters can be included in the system to prevent clogging. Because such a minimum amount of water is used, the drip system is a cost-effective irrigation tool.

Always be aware of the times in the growth development of your vegetables when an adequate amount of water should be available. The first few weeks after planting or transplanting seedlings are the periods when plants may be adversely affected by not getting enough water.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

The Contemporary Cottage Garden

To begin, let’s explain a bit about the history of cottage gardens. The cottage garden has its roots in 18th century England. At that time it was very practical with folks relying on their gardens to supply them with their family's needs. It included not only a variety of plants but animals too. The cottage garden’s purpose was to supply food, medicine, and dyes. The cottager's small plot allowed for no wasted space. This ended up in packed abundant garden growth which was well maintained also preventing waste. An integral part of a cottage garden is a fence or compact hedge growth. The original purpose of this was to keep the livestock separate and away from eating the produce. Cottagers planted what they knew would work, often using plants passed along by their neighbors.

The modern interpretation of this old style is the contemporary cottage garden and it takes on many forms. There are no hard and fast rules, but a few general principles remain from the old purposes of the garden. There is a variety of different plants offering different resources. Many times the variety factor makes a pleasant display of many colors when in bloom. The plants might be used for decorating, eating, or medicinal. Whether or not the present day gardener uses the plants for all these purposes is questionable. There is also abundance evident and continual growth. The modern cottage gardener still is concerned about the look of packed yet healthy growth. And lastly, there is a delightful informality about the cottage garden present always.

As do all gardens, the contemporary cottage garden needs plenty of water. The 18th century English cottage garden most likely was watered by hand with a watering can that was filled by the well or rain storage bin. The modern-day cottage garden is more likely to be watered with a hose that is stored with a garden hose reel.

Some might argue that it's not a cottage garden without a fence or a hedge. But this style of gardening is open for plenty of interpretation. One must keep in mind and allow for the gardener’s climate, surroundings, and personal preference. Also because of the informality of it, as was noted above, there are no hard and fast rules.

Remembering this, the cottage garden can contain the plants its owner likes growing and knows work best on the site. It is a casual style of gardening allowing for individual freedom preferred by many current day gardeners. Among the plants commonly found in the cottage garden, with substitutions made for different climates, are the following: rose, lavender, cottage pink, delphinium, foxglove, lavatera, cornflower, love-in-a-mist, poppy, salvia, sweet pea, morning glory, moonflower, iris, lily, zinnia, black-eyed Susan, sunflower, Queen Anne's lace, coneflower, nicotiana, mignonette, heliotrope, cosmos, cleome, bee balm, butterflyweed, aster, goldenrod, nasturtium, flax, daisies, hollyhock, bachelor's button, marigold, forget-me-not, pansy, larkspur. snapdragon, canterbury bells, cockscomb, hydrangea, phlox, and lamb's ear.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Starting Your Garden from Seeds

The first thing you must do when you want to start a garden from seeds is to make sure you can get all the necessary equipment or materials to do this properly. You will need pots—to start, use peat moss pots. Other pots and planters, tools, potting mix, plant markers, watering supplies, grow lights, fertilizers and sometimes heated seed germination equipment are just some examples of what you may need. You will also need some desire and patience.

You have selected the seeds of the plants you have chosen to grow. This requires a little careful research to know which ones will work where you plan to grow your garden. Be sure to read the instructions on the back of each seed packet for the zone in which you reside. And to achieve optimal results, follow the recommended timeline: for example, planting three weeks before the last frost.

Now here is an easy how-to guide to getting started: Loosen and dampen the potting mix before putting it into peat moss pots or other seed starting containers. The mix should be thoroughly moist, not dripping, however. Each peat pot can be filled with the prepared potting soil about 2/3 full. Avoid packing mix into the pots. Plant at least three seeds in each peat moss pot. Some seeds require pre-soaking or chilling before planting. The instructions on the seed packet will tell you if this is necessary. Cover the seeds with some more soil loosely and water. Markers for easy identification will be helpful to place in each pot. Using any type of plastic, cover the peat moss pots loosely. The plastic acts as a greenhouse holding in moisture and heat. When the seedlings start to emerge from the soil remove the plastic.

The ideal temperature range for seed germination is 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings need between 12 and 18 hours of light each day. A fluorescent or high intensity plant light may be necessary for this to happen. When the seedlings start to grow leaves, fertilize them. At 2 to 3 inches tall, the seedlings can be transferred into larger pots. If two or more seedlings have emerged within the same container, remove all but the strongest seedling. Remember to cut instead of pulling out unwanted seedlings as their roots could be intertwined below.

Two to three weeks must be allowed to introduce seedlings to the outdoors gradually. Move your seedlings to a shady spot for increasing amounts of time each day. Gradually increase their time outdoors, and make sure to protect them from inclement weather.

Remember to water the seedlings before and after planting. Do what makes sense here. Do not over water which will wash out the seedlings. Soil that looks muddy probably is and requires better drainage. On the other hand, soil that looks and feels dry needs watering. Seedlings will wilt and die without water. Use your judgment to provide the best environment for the seedlings to grow strong.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Picking The Best Roses to Brighten Your Spot

Flowers do so much to beautify the front of your house, the border of a parking strip or driveway, and brighten up a shared public garden. More than any other flower, the rose possesses a beauty and aroma that makes it a favorite among professional gardeners, hobbyists, and admirers alike. A garden, bounteous with beautiful roses is sure to catch the eyes of all neighbors, young and old, beckoning them to walk by again and again, enjoying the beauty and smells as they emanate from its borders. There are secrets to growing the fullest, most exquisite roses imaginable, including picking the ones that are the best suited for particular climates and geographical locations.

Many who admire roses from afar would be surprised to find out just how easy growing roses of their own can be. Many types of roses are especially hearty and grow abundantly with little upkeep. Floribundas are among the easiest to grow and tend. Producing large clusters of attractive blooms late into the fall, these roses do well as broad landscaping, expanding easily to cover large areas. If low and expansive growth is not what you desire, many enjoy the climbers, climbing varieties of roses. These types of roses grow best on a trellis or really any structure that strikes your fancy. Climbers can be trained to grow on an antique bicycle frame if you so desire. Climbers are especially attractive to passersby as they greet them at eye (nose) level with sweet smells and alluring petals. If a small space or border is in need of some brightening, you may want to choose miniature roses. These types are made to grow to a small height of less than a foot, allowing them to be ideal for rockeries or lining walkways or paths. If you have a shed or outbuilding that needs brightening up, creeping roses can do the job. They do well in cooler climates and are easily trained to creep along your garden wall or up the side of your garage. By placing objects in their way and guiding them, a very natural look of creeping landscaping can be achieved and add to a wild, natural looking garden motif.

As a rule, roses should be planted after winter temperatures arrive and after chances of frost or snow has past. Roses enjoy ample sunlight each day, between six to eight hours, and enjoy routine watering sessions, so make sure the garden hose can extend from your hose reel to your plantings. Having found your special types of roses, get to planting and next season, you will reap the odiferous rewards of a rose-filled garden!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reels. Please visit www.roboreel.com

Are You Over Watering Your Garden?

Most gardeners know when their garden needs watering and are well aware of the effects of under watering their plants. Too few gardeners are aware of the dangers of over watering, however. Over watering is even worse and more damaging. The biggest reason for the death of a house plant is because it has been over watered.

Depending on the type of plant, the time of year, the temperature, your climate, the signs of an over watered plant are generally universal. The most common symptoms are defoliation where the lower leaves on the plant turn yellow and fall, wilting or drooping, spotted foliage, and gray fuzzy mould around the stem, leaves and flowers of the plant.

These symptoms can also be an indication of other problems rather than over watering. Sudden and fast defoliation could also be caused by rapid changes in temperature and possibly under watering. Gradual defoliation could be from insufficient light or fertilizer. Too much fertilizer or exposure to extreme cold could make the leaves fall. An easy way to determine whether you are over watering is by carefully observing how frequently you water your plants. Another way is to check the plant's roots to see if they appear rotten.

The plants in your garden should receive about one inch of water per week, as a general rule. This is only a starting platform for watering your garden; it is much more effective if you personally observe your garden in order to judge how much water it needs. Depending on the seasonal needs of your garden plants, remember that this one inch amount will have to be adjusted from time to time.

The rate of evapotranspiration is one of the most significant environmental factors affecting how much water your garden will need. Evapotranspiration refers to the two ways that plants lose water. Evaporation is when your plants naturally loose water into the air. Transpiration is when plants lose water by itself, usually through the leaves or the stem.

A most effective way of watering your garden is with a hose and making the task easy is a water hose reel. So many times it is a drudgery to unwind the kinks out which stop the flow or untangle a hose that has been put away hastily. A hose reel will solve these problems. In this way, the task will be less overlooked and ensure your garden gets the water when it needs it.

Just use some common sense when watering your garden. First, simply examine the soil to see if it is too dry and crumbly, or if it's too wet and muddy. Checking the soil often will help you avoid both over watering and under watering. Second, water slowly. Watering too quickly causes runoff and waste. Third, water deeply so that more than just the top layer of soil receives water. You want to make sure the water is getting to the root system. And last gardening tip is to water your garden in the morning when it's cool. If you water during the day the heat of the sun causes the water to evaporate too quickly. And if you water in the evening disease and fungal growth can occur in humid climates.



Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.