Grow Natural Fences

The most natural boundary you can have in your yard is a thicket or hedge comprised solely of shrubs or trees with texture lined up in a row. This natural fence can filter out noise, deflect wind, add privacy, and provide habitat for small birds and other creatures.

Use your house’s style as a starting point in deciding what kind of boundary you want to plant. Clipped branches all at the same height in a straight row like boxwood, for example, give a more formal look. For a more natural, relaxed look try using several different types of shrubs, even mixing up evergreens with deciduous. The advantage of this type of boundary is that it will need little maintenance except for the yearly pruning and mulching.

For more depth in your boundary you can plant two layers of shrubs with the forward row shorter in height. Try evergreens in the back with flowering shrubs in the front for interest. Another interesting effect is to weave evergreens and deciduous shrubs together like braids of contrasting color and texture. Some shrubs will take awhile to fill in and look full. The spaces can be filled in the meantime with fast-growing ornamental grasses.

The three major groups of shrubs used in borders are needle evergreens that remain green all year, broadleaf evergreens that loose their leaves when the winter is unusually cold, and deciduous shrubs that turn yellow and red in the fall and are a network of twiggy branches throughout the winter.

Some dependable evergreen shrubs are boxwood, Japanese holly, juniper, dwarf hemlocks and dwarf arborvitaes. Boxwood used in more formal types of landscape design, should be kept pruned three times a year. Japanese holly is very tough, flexible, and tolerates drought. Most have shiny dark green leaves and some have reddish leaves. Junipers come in a variety of sizes ranging in color from greenish blue to greenish yellow.

Some broadleaf evergreens are privet, nandina and abelia. Border privet is fast-growing and virtually indestructible. Because they grow so vigorously, they should not be used in a formal clipped hedge.

Some deciduous shrubs used in borders are burning bush, rosa rugosa and lilac. Burning bush is famous for its leaves turning red in the fall. Their leaves will turn a more bright red in the fall if planted in a place where it will get more sun than shade. Rosa rugosa bushes are thorny and root suckers. They bloom heavily in early summer and grow colorful rose hips in the fall. Lilacs grow tall and should be planted in the background if used in a tiered hedge.

Any one or combination of these will work as your living fence to border your property or be used in groupings throughout your overall landscape design.

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 attractive and healthy.

Grow Your Choice of Gourmet Salad Ingredients

Growing your own salad ingredients in your backyard garden makes having healthy gourmet salads right at your fingertips easy! There are several lettuces and other greens that are fast growing and easy to maintain. The added advantage is that they also are very beautiful showing off different shades of color and texture. They can be grown in rows in your vegetable garden, planted in containers placed on your deck or patio, or edge them around a flowerbed.

Lettuce is a cool season crop, as are many salad greens and vegetables that go into a salad including spinach, cabbage, radish, and peas. Cucumbers and tomatoes being summer crops help bridge the gap. Many salad greens have different colors and textures. It is fun to grow a mix of lettuce varieties and this will keep your gourmet salads very interesting with different flavors too. For the best growth for the longest period of time keep the soil moist and well weeded. Once lettuce bolts into a flowering stalk, its taste becomes bitter and unusable.

The classic iceberg head type of lettuce is very crisp and takes a long time to mature, where the looseleaf varieties mature easily and quickly. Some looseleaf lettuces include salad bowl which is oakleaf shaped and lime green, red sails that are ruffled bronze-burgundy, and black-seeded Simpson that is light green and crinkly. Butterhead or bib (sometimes called Boston) lettuce forms loose heads that are soft (rather than firm) in structure. These varieties range in color from lime green to red or red edged to dark green. Romaine lettuce grows upright heads that shed water easily and grow best where the springs are wet. Forming barrel-shaped heads is Batavian or French summer crisp.

More salad loose greens to add interest and taste include arugula which has a peppery flavor, endive or escarole with a nutty and bitter taste, and mache which has a very tender and mild taste. Mesclun is a blend of several gourmet salad greens that can be mild, pungent, or bitter depending on what mixture you choose. Swiss chard and spinach both have smooth to crinkly leaves.

Other vegetables you can grow to add to salads are turnips and scallions. A Japanese sweet variety ‘Hakurei’ and the French ‘De Milan’ turnip variety can be sliced raw or shredded into your salad mix. Scallions, also called green onions grow in bunches and have no bulbs. These are perennials and their clumps just need to be divided. A variety of scallions called ‘evergreen hardy white’ even grow over the winters in Maine.

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 attractive and healthy.

The Vegetable Garden Season

When people think of their kitchen garden they think summer corn and tomatoes. But the true food gardener knows that the time span between spring and fall frosts is not the limit to the edible garden, From early spring to the last days of fall, with good planning, a garden can keep being productive. If you live where the winters are mild, you can actually keep growing several vegetables right through the winter.

The most hardy or cold season crops can be started from seed in early spring or as soon as the soil will permit being dry enough to be tilled. This variety of seed can be also planted again in mid-summer for a fall crop. Some examples of these vegetables include arugula, beets, cabbage, endive, kale, radish, Swiss chard, and turnips. All of these respond to cold and frost favorably making them taste sweeter and crisp. After all danger of frost has past, the warm-season seeds can be planted or transferred into the garden. These can also be started indoors to get a head start. Some warm-season vegetables are basil, beans, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, peppers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Although the spring season varies from area to area, there is usually a period of time in which it rains consistently and heavily. This weather will drown or ruin any early seed planting. In order to avoid this fate, make a raised bed letting the water drain properly. And consider using cloches, tunnels or other season–stretching devices. By mid-spring the garden’s salad season is in full swing.

The summer kitchen vegetables thrive on the warm temperatures, intense sunlight, and long days. It is important in the summer to keep you vegetable garden watered every day. The plants need to be monitored by weeding and providing feed fertilizer when necessary. Several summer plants require stakes, screens, or trellises to lift them off the ground for better growing conditions. This also will help with controlling the insects. The vegetables that stay ion the ground for long periods of time will do well with a layer of mulch. Mulch helps with the weeds and will keep moisture in the soil. Both peppers and tomatoes benefit with mulching.

A way of extending the harvest season is in doing a succession of plantings. For instance, snap beans can be planted two times, same with kale. Plant a row of seed, and in the next three to four weeks, plant a new row of this plant. Or you might want to plant eggplant or peppers after the spring spinach has been all harvested. Broccoli or cabbage, both cooler season vegetables, can be planted after the radishes and lettuce have been harvested. As one plant bears all the crop it is going to give you, simply replace it with something else. In this way your small kitchen garden is capable of producing many abundant harvests and with a sufficient variety too.

After a busy summer of working in the garden, it is hard to muster up the energy to keep your garden growing into the fall, but it is well worth the effort. The cool nights will improve the quality of your vegetables. Most fall harvests taste fantastic being are much sweeter and crispier. Because the conditions have changed, it will take longer for your crops to grow. Adding about three weeks to the normal maturity date is usually a good rule of thumb. If you mulch and plastic tunnel some cool-season plants, you can grow hardy varieties throughout the winter in milder 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 attractive and healthy.

Summer greets us with colorful blooms

Summer brings the widest variety of flowers of any season. Blooming begins with the daffodils and tulips in the spring; in June the roses open up; and from the tiny ground-hugging variety of violets to the towering lilies and hollyhocks, color continues to appear amongst the shades of green background throughout the summer season. Plus during the summer, you get the added pleasure of gracing your table with freshly cut flowers—every time putting smiles on the company who visit.

Like most blooming plants, the flowers of summer are the result of years of cross-pollination of wildflowers. The common white or red alba rose that still grows wild along highways and in fields all over the Northern Hemisphere, with breeding, has become the aristocratic hybrid tea rose. Because of this cross-pollination and breeding, flowers in our garden today have much larger blooms and bloom for longer periods than their predecessors. Some tropical annuals growing in temperate climates have shown up in northern areas as perennials.

In areas that normally freeze during winter, blooming flowers are such a welcoming contrast shining like stars in the summer garden. Because there are more of them in a greater variety than flowers for spring or fall, it's easier to assemble a collection that is right for your specific growing zone and your particular garden design. Shallow-rooted summer annuals can be planted in the spaces left after the spring bulbs die back. The summer perennials act as the dependable, low-maintenance anchors in your garden. Some summer flowers work well right beside your growing vegetables. For example, cosmos, marigolds, and sunflowers make terrific vegetable garden companions.

The flowers that complete their growth cycle in one season are called annuals. Annuals like salvia, ageratum and zinnias spring from seeds in the first warm days of late winter, develop dense root systems during the spring and then flower all summer long. If the plant is deadheaded as the blooms die, it will continue blooming until it produces seed or is killed by the first freeze. Several annuals will self-seed and are classified as tender perennials. For example, the drought-resistant black-eyed Susan will often be seen growing in the same spot for years.

Perennials are the plants that bloom again and again, year after year. The trick is planning the planting of them in places where their period of bloom will be replaced with another blooming in another place. So there will be a subtle succession of bloom in your garden making a perennial plant blooming always. Summer-flowering bulbs like alliums, true lilies, gladiolus, dahlias and cannas will continually bloom all summer long and appear again every summer. Some bulbs are tender and must be lifted each fall, stored in a cool place, and replanted in the spring. Some perennials like hostas, purple coneflowers and daylilies will grow spreading out and can be easily divided almost anytime during the gardening year to form dozens of new plants, sometimes within only a few years.

When planning a garden, start with summer blooming plants. Choose perennials as accents and annuals for the continuity of bloom. Spend careful time choosing your perennials that will bloom in profusion and succession. The hosta or daylily varieties will provide a succession of bloom, but they will need accent plants to add interest to the garden. Annuals, because they are annuals, can be changed each season with a different variety or color to spice things up. Change is considered good here.

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 attractive and healthy.

Green Lawn without Crabgrass

Crabgrass is one of the most dreaded sights in your lawn. No matter how well you care for your lawn, sooner or later a patch of crabgrass will start to crop up. If you do not act swiftly, this little one patch will grow and spread until it takes over your whole lawn. If you stay vigilant, and do these few things here, you can keep the crabgrass under control.

Before the crabgrass seedlings have a chance to sprout, apply herbicides fairly early in the spring. Two of the most commonly used herbicides are Dimension (dithiopyr) and Tupersan (siduron).

If you let your lawn grow on the long side (about 3 inches high) the grass will actually protect itself by depriving light to the crabgrass seeds so they can't germinate.

When you water your lawn, make sure the water runs deeply. And do not water frequently letting the soil dry out between waterings. You also do not want your lawn to get too soggy because other problems will develop. Because crabgrass is a shallow-rooted plant, it will tend to die more readily than your grass that has deeper roots. When the soil surface dries out, the shorter roots of the crabgrass will be left with no nourishment.

After your lawn has been watered, it is a good time to weed. Pick through it and just pull out (yank) the crabgrass and just toss it into your wheel barrel. When your grass is wet, it is much easier to weed. And make sure you dispose of the crabgrass properly, far away from your lawn.

Once you feel you have weeded all the visible patches of crabgrass (and dandelions, while you are at it), apply mulch to your lawn. This will prevent any remaining crabgrass seed from sprouting. If this weeding has left bare patches, re-seed your lawn in the fall. This re-seeding will fill these patches with grass instead of crabgrass in the spring.

Generally, the more lush, thick, and tightly compacted your lawn is, the more it will deter weeds and crabgrass. Because it is so dense, it will actually choke out weeds, dandelions, and crabgrass. Under favorable conditions and with proper maintenance your lawn is capable of being this rich and lush. It takes work maintaining it along with buying the right seed, applying fertilizer at the right times, and watering it the right amount.

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 attractive and healthy.

Consider a Bonsai Tree Garden

A Bonsai tree in regards to decoration in your house, is something many are considering now since there are many places online to access information on growing this particular plant provided by botanical experts and those who have been involved in growing bonsai trees for many years.

Actually planting a bonsai tree is just like planting any other tree. The trick is in the care and maintenance. It needs extra and you have to be willing to devote your time and effort into it. In fact as the tree starts growing, your workload usually grows as well.

Bonsai trees range from pine, maple, elm, and flowering apricots to more rare ones such as Japanese wisteria, juniper, flowering cherry, azalea and larch. There is a lot to choose from and people usually have a difficult time choosing their minds as to what they want in their home. But once chosen, the miniature tree becomes a possession of your very own desire. Whatever is chosen, the bonsai tree must look natural in its environment. Your selection is the primary step in considering a bonsai tree garden.

After the tree starts to grow it is now time to think of the particular style you want to be conveyed. Basically the bonsai tree can be styled as to whatever way you want it to be. Common styles would be the formal upright, informal upright, cascade, and semi-cascade. Others are raft, literati, and group or forest styling.

The styling names are given according to how literally the plant looks in the confined pot or space. Each styling method has its own beauty, and it is up to you, which would be the most natural setting in your home.

The styling of the tree is done through several known methods of shaping. One involves wrapping wires around the plant to encourage, or discourage it from growing in a certain direction. Thus, the specific design or style that you prefer starts to be created.

For many people, even the most basic of house plants can seem difficult to grow for some people. If you are one of these people, then I would recommend not attempting a bonsai garden. Bonsais seem to be some of the most enigmatic plants available.

Bonsai tree maintenance begins with the soil and watering. The both elements must work together in that instead of compact, thick, poorly draining soil, you need soil that drains freely and is open. What is important is the physical effect that the soil needs to have in order to be good bonsai soil. A generic potting mix can be used or there are also bonsai soil mixes.

As bonsais are trees it is recommended that they are kept outside. Naturally, because of this factor, watering will depend on the weather. So in dry and hot times of the year, it is important that the soil is moistened every day. In the winter or in cooler months, three days a week is normal for watering your bonsai.

Early in the spring to late in the summer, and then again in the fall are the recommended two times to feed fertilizer to your bonsai as part of your maintenance. Fertilizer with low amounts of nitrogen should be used. Many masters of bonsai tree maintenance choose fertilizing pellets that have a slower release rate and work over time.

There are two areas of pruning bonsais: branch pruning and root pruning. Most people just think it is necessary to do branch pruning, but pruning the root is also important especially with bonsais. The time to prune varies depending on the specific type of bonsai tree. Basic rule is the specific branches that you do want to cut are those that grow facing you, grow in toward the trunk or down toward the ground.

Repotting is important part of the general bonsai tree maintenance. In general, smaller, younger plants, need repotting every two to three years, while the older plants do not need to be repotted quite as frequently. A gravel layer and a layer of soil should be added in the bottom of the new pot before transferring the tree and wrap wires around the root ball, twisting them together so that the tree is secure. Then add more soil until it reaches the bottom of your bonsai tree trunk.

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 attractive and healthy.

Hellebores Beauties

Modern Hellebores are of such complex breeding they are sometimes now referred to as the Helleborus x orientalis group. The strains keep improving introducing rich color combinations and superior flower forms. Picoteed petals, double flowers and upward-facing blooms are all being created. The Hellebores Brandywine™ strain, a premium fine developed strain, contains wonderful rare apricots, picoteeds, and yellows among the single, anemone, and double flowered blooms. This particular breed of hellebores is in the garden where mediocrity is intolerable.

The hard-to-find colors and flower forms took 15 years in the breeding of this particular strain representing the best of decades of European collections. Sometimes known as the D.L.C. Hybrids after their breeder David Culp, this breed boasts impeccable flower form coupled with unusual colors and combinations. Single, anemone, and double blooms are found in a full range of solid, bi-colored, freckled, and even rare picoteed forms. The colors are the traditional deep red burgundy, pale greens, and ivories plus very unusual yellows, pinks, and apricots. The Brandywine strain of hellebores will definitely add variety and unusual richness to your garden collection display.

Breeder David Culp collected the original plants for this strain from the premier Hellebore gardens and collections of Europe. Fifteen years were spent hand-crossing them to select only the finest in color and flower form for the Brandywine™ Strain. The results of this work show in the diversity of flower forms. He used rare species and award-winning plants to create this strain.

Another wonderful characteristic of Hellebores, and inherent to this strain, is their resistant to heat, humidity, drought, and cold. Because the plants are poisonous, rabbits and deer leave them alone. Brandywine™ Hellebores are about 12 to 18 inches tall and a foot wide. They make ideal ground covers, and are used for mass plantings in woodland areas. An evergreen and very adaptable, they flower in late winter or early spring. The blooms will dry on the plant becoming papery and eventually fall or blow off. Capture fine European breeding in its most refined form by introducing this multi-colored very special hellebores to your shade garden this season.

Here are some gardening tips and plant characteristics to guide you when planting hellebores: The soil should be usually moist in texture, yet well drained; plant in shady to partly shaded areas; plant in the growing zones of 4-9; they are perennials and will bloom the first year in late winter to early spring, lasting for a fairly long period; their blooms are magnificent solid and speckled multi-colored with dark green foliage; and they grow upright about 12 to 18 inches tall. You can use these beauties in great cut flower arrangements too!

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 attractive and healthy.

What is Hypertufa?

Hypertufa forms are anthropic rock made from various aggregates bonded together. This has become popular recently for making garden ornaments, pots and land forms.Unlike clay and porcelain pots that have to be brought in when the weather turns cold, hypertufa forms and vessels can remain outside. They will start to receive extra character as moss and lichen will start to grow on them.

There are numerous recipes for making hypertufa. The heavier your ingredients the heavier your final project. When reading a recipe for concrete or hypertufa, cement should be the first ingredient listed; 1:1:1:1 for a hypertufa mix would look something like this 1 part (cement)., 1 part (peat) 1 part (perlite), 1 part (sand). In general, most recipes have a 1:3 ratio. They can be as diluted as a 1:7 ratio, and can be as rich as a 1:1 ratio, depending upon the application.

Just to clarify and to prevent the purchase of an unwanted ingredient because the name was often is misunderstood, remember the following: Portland cement is not concrete; rather it is an ingredient of concrete. Loosely defined, concrete is mortar with gravel aggregate added. When in doubt, read the ingredients listed on the label. Individuality can be added with small pebbles and rock for interest, like as in conglomerate rock found in nature.

When working with Portland cement, silica sand, silicon dioxide, silica fume, vermiculite, perlite, natural pigments and oxides, paints, and/or sealers, you mist make it your personal responsibility to acquaint yourself with the chemical properties, safety and environmental issues of those substances. Start by reading all of the label when you purchase the ingredient. People do work with and around these products every day, and know they should not be used carelessly. If you have an existing health issue (like lung problems such as chronic bronchitis, use good sense.

Everyone should be wearing masks approved for use with silica. Wear household cleaning gloves when handling and mixing concrete and hypertufa. You can switch to lighter weight disposable gloves after mixing. Wet concrete and hypertufa are caustic to the skin and moist membranes (like your airways and eyes). Always wear eye protection. When finishing (wire brushing, carving, sanding) concrete and hypertufa, keep the object wet so that no dust is created. Be sure to use good ventilation, a particulate air filter, and put washable mats at the entrance to living areas to avoid tracking dust into your living environment.

Clean up can go much faster when you work with plastic sheeting or bags to carefully gather the material to be thrown away. Make sure to vacuum rather than sweep.

When finishing objects, wear protective clothing. Shower, change and launder immediately after working because a lot of dust goes right into your clothing. Consider disposable paper jump suits that are used extensively in the ornamental concrete industry.

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 attractive and healthy.

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

What a treat it is to watch a hummingbird fly up to one of your blossoms and hover before it takes a sip. They are amazing, colorful, little creatures with motors that enable them to tread air. There are several things you can do to attract more of these wonderful birds to your garden.

The first thing you can do is to keep planting native flowering plants in your garden as much as possible. Select nectar-producing plants that are native to your region because some cultivated hybrids produce less nectar than their wild counterparts. Keep in mind that hummingbirds are attracted to flower colors and nectar, not fragrance.

The list of favorite hummingbird plants, both native and non-native, is extensive. Just to mention a few here: favorite perennials for hummingbirds are bee balm, columbine, hollyhock and cosmos. A few annuals are nasturtium, petunia, and zinnia. Some vines with flowers hummingbirds are attracted to include honeysuckle, rosary vine, trumpet creeper, and cardinal climber. Among the shrubs are lilac, butterfly bush, azalea, hibiscus, and weigela. While attracting hummingbirds to your garden with these plants you will also be attracting butterflies as well, a pleasurable side benefit.

The next rather obvious way to attract hummingbirds is to set out feeders. Set out as many as you know you will maintain. There are dozens of styles of hummingbird feeders on the market today. When choosing the models for your garden, remember hummingbirds like clean and filled feeders, so pick ones that are easy for you to use and clean. The most attractive color to hummingbirds is red so look for red in the feeder itself. Avoid yellow because bees and wasps are attracted to this color. Two precautions for the feeder’s solution are to never use one with red dye and never use a honey water solution in them. Both are toxic and deadly to hummingbirds. Plain white table sugar dissolved in water in a four-to-one solution is about as close to real flower nectar as you can get for the feeder’s solution.

Another tip for the feeders is to only fill them with enough sugar solution to last, at the most, two or three days. Feeders should be emptied and cleaned as soon as the sugar solution starts to appear cloudy.

Make certain that there is always fresh water available for drinking as well as for bathing. Hummingbirds like to bathe just as much as any other bird, but prefer water dripping off of leaves or spray coming from sprinklers and pond fountains. Hummingbirds like both the sun and shade areas in your garden. The sunny areas are usually where they feed while the shaded areas provide places to perch as well as to build their tiny nests. Willows and eucalyptus trees are used for nesting materials along with bits of leaves, spider webs, moss, and lichens.

Follow these simple suggestions and watch for these magical little birds to appear and enjoy your garden.

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 attractive and healthy.

Japanese Gardening

As people start to get involved with gardening, it is discovered that there are many forms or styles of gardening. People’s interests are Increasingly drawn to the age-old form of Japanese gardening. Just like any other form of gardening, Japanese gardening requires the proper knowledge and materials.

For many centuries garden design has been considered an important part of Japanese art. From granite to bamboo, Japanese gardening encompasses a wide selection of materials. There is a vast number of stores and books available providing an abundance of tools and knowledge necessary for you to build and cultivate your own style of Japanese gardening.

The typical basic Japanese garden contains water, an island, a bridge to the island, a lantern, and a teahouse or pavilion. Japanese gardens can be found anywhere from Buddhist temples to your private home. An integral part of these gardens is the use of stones. An enduring quality is conveyed through rocks placed in strategic locations. Water, whether it is flowing in a stream or still and quiet in a basin, symbolizes purity. The plantings around these elements focus on the tranquil sanctuary designed to allow you to relax and escape from the stresses of everyday life.

A prominent material used in Japanese gardens is granite. Granite shows up in lantern structures, bridges, stepping stones, paths, and statues. Japanese lanterns can be classified into four separate categories. Pedestal lanterns are called tachi-gata; buried lanterns are ikekomi-gata; small set lanterns are called oki-gata; and yukimi-gata are snow-viewing lanterns.

Another consistent element in Japanese gardening is that of the bamboo, most of the time used in a fence structure. It is known for its elegance, beauty and flexibility, and there is absolutely no other material that comes even close to matching bamboo for the Japanese garden. Items such as copper chains, copper rings, hoppers, and bamboo screens are also considered as more minor essentials, and add a certain needed dimension to the garden itself.

The garden design will evoke feeling, movement, and reflection. This form of gardening is perhaps the style that needs more thoughtful conception than any other style. Each plant and rock has a meaning or purpose. The different elements and how and where they are placed will enhance the overall experience of being in the garden. For instance, the appropriate placement of chimes where there is an occasional gentle breeze is important in making an interpretation effective.

Among the noteworthy Japanese gardens In the United States are Hakone Gardens in Saratoga, California, Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, California, Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens in San Antonio, Texas, and the Seattle Japanese Garden in Seattle, Washington.

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 attractive and healthy.

Lichens as Useful Organisms

Lichens exist because of a symbiotic working relationship between fungus, offering protection and structural support, and algae, giving the food from photosynthesis. Lichens have the amazing ability to retain water and because of this, ecosystems and wildlife benefit from the moisture and humidity created.

Lichens have been used and valued by both people and wildlife for centuries. Generally growing best in non-polluted areas, they serve as a refuge from predators for amphibians and insects, who hide and lay eggs in lichen. From atop hot, sunny mountain rocks to the substrates of tree bark, rocks, watersheds, soil and leaves, lichens grow both in terrestrial and aquatic landscapes around the world. These diverse organisms can be found in various areas of different weather extremes.

Throughout history native cultures and traditions have found practical and medicinal uses for lichens. Native Americans in New Mexico collected lichen to use for dye to color the yarns and fabric in their rugs and other woven materials. Usnic acid, derived mainly from the Usnea species of lichen, most often found hanging from trees, is used in antibacterial and antifungal medicines. Lichens are also used in perfumes, botanical supplements, toothpaste and even deodorant.

Many species of North America birds use lichens. The spruce grouse and wild turkey eat lichen. Warblers and Vireos use lichens in their nests, and Golden Plovers use the Thamnolia vermicularis species in their nests. The Olive-headed Weaver in Madagascar makes its nests solely from lichen in Usnea (mentioned above). In the process of constructing their nests, Hummingbirds may include soft thistle and dandelion seed fluff, along with expandable, stretchy spider silk and leafy materials, and may add a dab of pine resin as glue before a final layering of lichens around the entire outside of their nest for lightweight insulation and camouflage.

Deer, elk, antelope, cows and small mammals also utilize lichen. In southeastern Alaska mountain goats include Lobaria linita species in their diet. Northern flying squirrels use lichen Bryoria fremontii species both as nesting material and food. Two species of Bryoria consist as the primary diet of the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. During the winter season, caribou using their keen sense of smell will search for lichen to eat beneath the snow.

Lichens are extremely sensitive to habitat alteration and therefore a good indicator of non-polluted areas. The association between a large diversity of lichens and unpolluted habitats is so evident, that scientists use lichens as indicators of ecosystem continuity to help identify areas that should be protected.

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 attractive and healthy.

It’s Time for the Always Popular Geraniums

Both the Geranium and Pelargonium are members of the family Geraniaceae. So the Geranium and Pelargonium are related, but they are quite distinct. A true Geranium, also known as cranes bill, referring to the shape of their fruit, has symmetrical flowers containing ten fertile stamens, while most Pelargonium have bilaterally symmetrical flowers with up to seven of the ten stamens fertile. True Geraniums also have a different seed dispersal technique than Pelargoniums. Geraniums actually fling their seeds away, and Pelargonium seeds float away on the breeze and usually have a feathered end that Geraniums do not have.

Growing naturally almost entirely within South Africa, Pelargoniums are tender perennials. The leaves of true geraniums are usually deeply divided and cut while those of most Pelargoniums are not. Because they originate from areas of South Africa where they have withstood summers of drought, the stems of Pelargoniums are rather thick, succulent. Forming a mound of many slender stems arising from a central core with fibrous roots, Geraniums have the appearance of normal herbaceous perennial plants.

The perennial plants sold at garden centers that are labeled "Ivy Geranium", "Scented Geranium" and "Zonal Geranium" are actually different species of Pelargonium. The common names used on true Geraniums are "Hardy Geranium", "Geranium" and "Cranes Bill".

Some types of Geraniums can grow tall in which case they do benefit from shearing after the first flush of bloom. Cut back all stems to about three inches. The plants will put on a new flush of leaves and may even bloom again. It is always good to constantly dead head Geraniums.

True Geraniums are drought tolerant, so they need little water. And be cautious not to over water because the damage this causes can be hard to reverse.

Geraniums can be grown from seed. Collect the seeds before the cranes bill (the fruit) part curls back and expels the seeds. The timing can be tricky and should be after the pod is dry. Store the seeds in a cool, dry place, and then chill or freeze the seeds for 4-6 weeks to help break their dormancy. The seeds need to be sowed 1/2" deep and kept moist. Most varieties will bloom the second year after planting from seed.

Some popular Geraniums to enjoy in your garden are ‘Ballerina’ with delightful light pink pedals and ‘Patricia’ with a brighter pink bloom. ‘Orion’ a Geranium hybrid has lavender flowers with white centers. A hardy Geranium with brilliant blue blooms all summer is ‘Johnson's Blue’. A splendid new member of the shade-loving Geranium is ‘Lavender Pinwheel’ with petals that resemble tiny watercolor paintings as the outer edges of lavender turn soft mauve towards the interior of each flower.

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 attractive and healthy.

Ornamental Pampas Grass

Consider adding height and softness to your garden with pampas grasses. Pampas grass originating from areas of South America is one of the most recognized ornamental grasses that will give your landscape a special distinction adding height with a soft airy feeling. Pampas grass forms impressive clumps that can reach up to ten feet tall, and in late summer produce very large white or pinkish plumes that are alone three feet long. They can look magnificent when blowing in a light breeze.

Being from South America, it is no surprise this grass loves full sun and are drought tolerant. The soil in which they grow should provide adequate drainage. A layer of mulch, up to four inches deep needs to be placed around the base of the plant to reduce competition from weeds and helps conserve moisture in the soil. Organic mulches are the preferred. If desired, avoid pruning the stems and plumes in the fall to add interest for your winter landscape. Do cut the plants back to the ground in spring before growth begins. For the most part fertilizer is not necessary. If your soil is very poor, using an all-purpose garden fertilizer in spring will help.

If propagation is desired, then divide clumps in the spring after the grasses are cut down to the ground. They are hardy plants, and older, more progressed clumps may require an axe, saw, or spade. If you are starting out with seed, sow the seeds in spring either in the garden or inside in a moist seed-starting mix.

If portions of the plant have spotted leaves, the plant may be suffering from fungal disease. Fungal disease is usually started with moisture not evaporating in proper time. Especially after mid-afternoon, avoid wetting the plants' foliage. It is also helpful to divide plants so that the clumps do not become especially large. In this way the plants will receive good airflow, which also discourages fungal rot diseases.

Several species of grasses are sometimes mistaken for pampas grass. A special property of pampas grass is that the edges of the leaves are sharp, and can cut gardeners who do not take care to wear gloves when working around them. Since pampas grass can very easily spread its seeds widely, the plant is considered a pest in some parts of the country, including areas of Southern California.

Sometimes called pink pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana ‘Rosea' has silvery plumes in late summer containing a definite pink tinge. Growing to about ten feet tall with silvery-white plumes in late summer Cortaderia selloana ‘Sunningdale Silver' has plumes that tend to hold up better to bad weather than many other pampas grasses. Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila' grows to about six feet tall and has silvery-white plumes in late summer. Cortaderia selloana ‘Monvin' or Sun Stripe also grows to about six feet tall and has silvery-white plumes in late summer, but the difference is that the foliage is striped with yellow.

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 attractive and healthy.

The Tulip Bulbs are in Bloom

Every spring greets us with a kaleidoscope display of color and natural beauty where tulip bulbs, planted in the fall, come out and perform a spectacular show. It is an unexpected pleasure that even novice gardeners can be blessed with because tulips are known to be one of the easiest flowers to grow successfully.

Tulips are classified as a perennial flower, however they are a special category of perennial. By definition, perennials should be expected to return and bloom year after year. Because tulips are native to Eastern Turkey and the foothills of the Himalayas, they will behave best in conditions that match the cold winters and hot, dry summers of their native region. Tulips are planted in the fall and they immediately start to root. During the winter months they root slowly receiving cold temperatures that stimulate them to sprout in early spring. As the temperatures get warmer, the tulips start to grow more rapidly and eventually they bloom. At this blooming time, the bulb that was planted is totally used up and actually starts to disintegrate as new bulblets form and begin to grow. This period between blooming and the plant dying is referred to as the grand period of growth when professional growers manipulate the circumstances to create larger bulbs, which, in turn, create larger blooms. The grand period of growth is when the energy flow reverses, in that it concentrates its efforts downward building new bulbs instead of upward to form flowers.

Treatments developed over hundreds of years help professional growers in places like Holland and the Skagit Valley expand their stocks and grow larger bulbs successfully. Tulip bulbs there are dug up every year and given controlled temperature treatments in the summer months that manipulate the tulips and somewhat replicate what they would be receiving in their native region. These special treatments are still being modified today as new varieties are being developed. The home gardener may have less success with using similar method of growing.

Wet soil promotes fungus and disease and can even rot bulbs, especially tulip bulbs, so always plant tulips in a well-drained and airy soil. Wet soil can also cause bulbs to drown out or suffocate. Suffocation can also be caused by tight, hard soils that do not hold much oxygen. If this is the case, adding compost and a bit of sand to a soil to make it more airy. A general rule of thumb is planting bulbs in 10-inch deep loose, airy soil. A raised bed might have to be created. Proper soil drainage is very important when planting bulbs.

Fertilize and water bulbs when planting. Sufficient water at the time of planting is necessary to get them growing and to ensure the start of a strong root system. Fertilizing in the fall with a special bulb fertilizer is a good idea, especially if you do not dig up your bulbs and are trying to get them to perennialize.

After the tulips have passed their peak, top off the old blooms and let the stems and leaves die down normally. This will help the new bulblets grow bigger under 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 attractive and healthy.

Some Cacti Choices

There are so many different types, shapes, and sizes of cactus and succulent plants. The cactus family extends to thousands of varieties and species. Most people when they think of cactus think they need a dry, hot environment. But actually cacti thrive indoors in various amounts of light and humidity and conditions. Succulents are ideal plants for the busy person who forgets to water for long periods of time. Cactus plants need less humidity and water than most indoor plants and are very tolerant with variations in the temperature.

Basically, cacti from desert areas are plump and spiny while cacti that originally grew in jungle areas are spineless and are usually flat or thin. Most cacti have needles. Some have leaves and bloom. The Cactus Pereskia, when full grown, looks like an orange or a grapefruit tree. At maturity, the Melocactus grows a cap on top that sprouts beautiful rosy-pink flowers.
What makes cactus plants different is that they feature thick, fleshy leaves that remarkably store water. They have qualities (like needle growth) to expose the least amount of surface to the heat of the sun and the winds. Many people find succulents to be of great beauty. The longer they grow, the more magnificent they become. Listed below are some of these beauties to add to your garden or houseplant display.

A succulent that is just great to have around the house all the time is Aloe Vera. This plant has natural antibiotic properties and is medically recognized to help heal burns and soothe skin irritations. It is the perfect thing to rub on your skin after summer sun exposure. Just cut one of the heavy, stiff Agave leaves and take its sticky sap and rub it on a cut or sunburn to make it heal.

The Yucca plant originating from Mexico and Guatemala features sword-shaped, grass green leaves. Over time, the plant will start to lose its lower leaves and the trunk will grow more tall and thicker. Some grow up to forty feet tall when grown outside. If the Yucca is grown indoors, the plant can grow as tall as nine feet high as long as the ceiling permits this.
Native to the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean region of North Africa, Aeoniums are flowering cacti. The flowers, which are usually yellow, come out of the growing points in the center of the rosette. In most cases, the plant dies after flowering when the seed matures.

Crassula have thick, glossy, fleshy, jade-green leaves. Because they prefer bright light and reproduce very easily from leaf and stem cuttings, these succulent plants adjust well to growing indoors.

Euphorbia Tirucalli Pencil Cactus is a unique plant with pencil-shaped stems and very small deciduous leaves. Use caution when handling the stems that contain a milky corrosive sap that can burn the skin. Sticks on Fire is another striking form of Tirucalli makes a unique container plant that can reach up to eight feet tall. The branches on this plant are as thin as pencils and a reddish-golden color that fades closer to yellow in the summer.

The Orchid Cactus or Night Blooming Cereus is a bizarre and enchanting plant. Surprisingly easy-to-grow, this plant loves direct sunlight and dry conditions. The sword-shaped, flattened leaves have nasty thorns along the edges. In the peak blooming time (around mid-March), some leaves can get up to two feet in length and the cactus becomes quite showy completely covered with flowers. The beautiful open-faced, seven inch blooms make the Orchid Cactus very appealing. When grown in the landscape, plant this succulent in partial shade. Orchid Cactus makes a great container plant for patios.

The Ferocactus is a barrel-shaped cactus with prominent ribs. It gets its name from the long, heavy, hooked spines. The skin and spines of this cactus are peeled off and the flesh is diced and eaten raw or candied.

From Mexico, the Holiday Cactus gets its common name from the time of year they flower (on the holidays— Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter). Their flowers can range in color from white to rose, red, lavender, and purple.

Perfect for rock gardens since they will grow for years in spots where others will not are sedum plants. The name sedum comes from the Latin ‘sedeo: I sit’ suggesting that these cacti will sit or grow just about anywhere. They are also very easy to propagate.

Looking nothing like a spider, the Spider Cactus from Southern Brazil is a fat, globular plant that gets its common name from its spine arrangement. In very bright light, this cactus takes on a brownish cast.

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 attractive and healthy.

Cacti Propagation

Most cacti will do best at temperatures similar to that of most other houseplants. The many different varieties can tolerate a wide range of growing temperatures. In the winter, the ideal placement for a cactus is on a windowsill or in a sunny cool room. During the summer, the best place for cacti is outdoors on the deck or anywhere they can receive bright light. They will do best with cool breezes during the day and cool humid conditions at the night. A bit of caution must take place when moving an interior plant to the outdoors. Make sure it gets partial shade in the beginning of this transition, and then let it slowly be moved into a sunnier position. This will save your plant from being shocked or scorched if you put it immediately into the hot, intense full sun.

A nice thing about cacti is that they are easily propagated from branches or offshoots. After removing an offshoot, it should be allowed to dry for two weeks. Use a clean, sharp knife when taking a cutting from a stem section. Plant the broken or cut edge after it has healed in dry medium at a shallow depth. When taking several sections from one long stem, remember which is the top and the bottom of each piece. If you mistakenly plant a stem piece upside down, it will not grow. A simple way of keeping track of this is to cut the bottom of each segment on a slight angle, and the top straight across.

Branching cacti are ones that form pads and make ideal specimens for cutting to propagate. The cuttings should be taken at the joints so that the mother plant is not significantly disfigured. A single oval pad from a branching cactus makes an ideal sized cutting.

Fungal soft rot is the primary problem that can develop with cactus cuttings. A simple thing to keep in mind when doing cacti cuttings is to work with dry material. A fungal rot condition begins at the cut surface eventually reducing the entire cutting to a slimy, undesirable mass. If water has gotten to the cut mark during transplanting, it can be bad. There are two techniques recommended for avoiding fungal soft rot. The first is to simply allow all fresh cuttings to sit in a warm dry place from one day to up to even two weeks before they are placed in the rooting medium. The general rule of thumb to gauge this is the larger the cut surface is, the longer they should be allowed to dry. This is important because during this time, the cut, moist surface will form a dry callus that is far less prone to soft rot.

Remember that the nature of a cactus is to be able to survive periods of drought. Leaving a new cutting out in the open air, exposed for several days would be a bit harsh for most plants. If you see that the cutting is starting to shrivel up, then, of course, it is time to place it in your planting medium that is usually sandy. Another way to avoid the onset of soft rot is to dip your newly cut stem segments in garden sulphur before planting. And unlike other plants, do not water the cactus cutting for a week. When you do start to water it, do sparingly.

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 attractive and healthy.

Cactus Care

Although this seems pretty obvious it is worth mentioning as the first step to successfully growing a healthy cactus plant: first, purchase one that is already in good health. Look to see if there are any damaged spines, obvious signs of bruising, or uneven, lopsided growth; then, avoid choosing these. Some cacti grow spindly growth during their time in the store under dim lights and unfavorable conditions. Know that the damaged or disfigurement will never really correct itself once brought into your ideal care. It is best to buy a cactus plant in the greenhouse where it was grown, or as soon as possible after it has been shipped to the retail outlet.

A good rule to go by when choosing plants for your garden is to select ones that already have a proven successful track record for the particular climate where you live. The care a cactus requires is largely dictated by the climatic conditions where that cactus would be found growing naturally.

For the most part, cactus plants can be separated into two major groups: sun-loving and shade-loving. Cactus need at the least, very bright light to maintain good color and shape. The smooth, soft, leafy types generally require less sun than the spiny, fuzzy or hairy varieties.

The potting medium suitable to grow most cacti is composed of equal volumes of coarse sand, peat and perlite. The container used for vertical cactus plants should have a diameter half the height of the plant. Plant round cacti in containers that have a diameter two inches greater than that of the plant. Take care to prevent rot, a common problem with growing cacti. One preventive way is to be sure the pot is dry before transplanting, and transplant into dry soil, not wet like other plants prefer. Wait a week before watering to allow for the roots damaged in transplanting to repair.

As indicated above, the watering of a cactus plant is one of the biggest dilemmas to cactus owners. Since a cactus does not wilt at the first sign of drought stress, the plant offers few cues that it needs water. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top two inches of soil is dry adjusting with the season. Cacti will require more water during the period of summertime growth than they will during the slowed, or halted growth of winter. In fact, in the winter some cacti may require water only once a month.

The most important consideration in watering a cactus is to never let the pots stand in water. Waterlogged soil can quickly lead to rotting with disastrous consequences for the plant. Cacti do not need to be watered and fertilized as frequently as other plants. Water only when they dry out. When temperatures are either too hot or too cold, a cactus will often simply go dormant, and some varieties have dormant periods when watering can be very harmful. Because of the absorbent quality, unglazed clay pots require more frequent watering than glazed clay or plastic pots, and small pots require more frequent watering than large pots.

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 attractive and healthy.

Cactus, the Amazing Succulent

If you live in a hot and dry climate, the amount of plants that survive requiring low maintenance is slim, especially during the dog days of June through September. The ease of growing cactus in this climate is something to consider. Really the only thing you can do wrong is to over water a cactus. How easy is that?

Cactus grows in all kinds of shapes, forms, color, and designs (even stripes). It is truly amazing what nature will produce as cacti. Including about 2,000 species, all perennial and succulent, the cactus family (Cactaceae) is one of the most striking, distinctive, diversified and specialized groups in the plant kingdom.

Because they require so little maintenance they make excellent houseplants. Many hardy varieties may be grown outside. A popular way to grow cacti is in groups. Place many different kinds together in one container. You select which ones and make your own little landscape. Small specimens are ideal for this. You can combine them with rocks to offset the focal point.

The succulent type of cactus does well as pot plants. These include Aloe Vera, crassulas, Echeverias, peperomias and kalanchoe. And some cactus and succulent plants grow from three feet high to as high as ten feet or more. These larger ones make dramatic floor plants or can be set outside if the climate is appropriate. These include Cereus peruvianus, Yucca elephantipes, Euphorbias, ponytail palm or bottle palm.

Succulents are plants that have organs such as leaves, stems or roots that are capable of storing water during the rainy or wet season in order to survive during the extended periods of drought. Cacti are considered stem succulents. During periods of moisture, the stem swells. Then during droughts, the stem slowly contracts. You can actually note this on the cacti that have ribs. The ribs will fill in and contract like an accordion according to when they are storing water and when they are have used up their stored supply.

The orchid cactus, Epiphyllum is a cactus that flowers. Its fragrant blooms grow up to eight inches across. The distinctiveness of the cactus family shows itself not only in the flower structure, but also in one characteristic only present in cacti and absent in all species of all other plant families: the spine cushion or areole. Whether or not spines are present, all cacti have areoles. Areoles differ in structure on different kinds of cacti. In this way you can distinguish one cactus plant from another.

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 attractive and healthy.

Flower Gardening is Rapidly Becoming a Popular Hobby

More and more homeowners are getting into flower gardening. With so many resources available now, it is easier for those who are just beginning to know what to do or get advice on what choices to make, as well as for those who have some background in this field wanting to check on innovations and receive more knowledge.

If you a beginner at this it is best to start small. You can always expand once you get a better feel about what is involved. You don not want to start off with too much to handle. It can become overwhelming and take the joy out of he hobby. A suggested initiation to flower gardening is building a small flowerbed, and once you get the hang of things, begin to understand and appreciate the concept of growing, you can add on appropriately.

There are ways to approach gardening. The most common is with chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. The other method is gaining a revival as of late with more people realizing its benefits, and that is the organic way. Organic gardening is for the conscientious and considers your garden as a living ecosystem. It works to create a natural balance in your flower garden, and strives to keep it healthy without harsh and harmful chemicals.

First, choose your site. Know the amount of sun that will fall on this area of your landscape. Sunlight is one of the key essentials to a garden growing healthily. Use an average of six hours of sunlight a day as a start and then select plants for full sun or shade accordingly. Another point to consider is how your spot will receive water. Is it close to the watering hose or will you have to use a watering can? Will it receive good natural drainage when it rains?

If the area you have selected gets a lot of sunlight, you should choose flowers that love full exposure to the sun. Read the instructions on the plants when you purchase them at a garden center or if you purchase them online make sure this information is specified. They will tell you how much sun is preferred. There are many plants that do not survive in the heat of the sun so save these for a shaded area. A garden plan is a good thing to do, but remember it may have to be altered with what it available at the time to you.

Once your area has been determined, mark it out with something such as a water hose. Within this boundary remove any sod, grass, and weeds. Dig your flowerbed at least ten inches deep, removing rocks and odd debris in the way. Prepare the soil by adding in a good appropriate topsoil mix.

Once this is completed, you are ready to plant. Watch your plantings grow into a beautiful flower garden. With just a little effort, your bulbs will immerse colorful blooms. Choose from iris, tulips, gladiolus, hyacinth, and daylilies, just to name only a few.

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 attractive and healthy.

Make Gardening Fun with Unusual Accessories

One of the most fun things to do with your landscape is to utilize unusual and recycled items (as in giving the pieces another purpose or a new life) for garden accessories. These one-of-a-kind gardening pieces become part of your unique statement and they also will make interesting conversation topics. Using a little imagination and ingenuity, an ordinary landscape can be given a makeover simply by incorporating a few gardening accessories. Your garden is a place for everything, especially the unusual. You can turn nearly anything into useful gardening accessories. The few examples below illustrate how easy and practical it can be to do this.

Vines need support to climb along and around. Consider adding to your landscape ladders, gates, or bed frames for this purpose. Some very common things such as plastic jugs, old pots and pans, baskets, tires, aluminum pails, a pair of outgrown old boots, as well as old wash tubs and sinks can make great containers for a colorful display of flowers. It is important that these odd containers provide sufficient drainage. If there aren’t any, then just cut out some holes. Small ponds, fountains or other water displays can also be created from old objects like a tub, barrel, tire, or basin.

You may want to include clever lighting to your landscaping to enjoy evenings outside. Line walkways, patios, or garden areas with candles dropped into canning jars or large-mouthed bottles. Old coffee, soup, or paint cans can be used for this and create a subtle light while protecting the candle from wind. Punch holes in decorative designs and add some paint to make them pretty.

Stones, weathered stumps, logs, or railroad ties can be placed in strategic locations to provide interest to a particular area or provide edgings for borders, walkways, and flower beds.

Old garden tools that have worn out their use as garden tools can regain new life as garden accessories. Both wheelbarrows and old mowers are good for this. With a little imagination, an old rake or pitchfork can become an eye-catching focal point in your vegetable garden, for instance. Old shovels and hoes can be turned into amusing creatures policing your garden from pests. Old pieces of junk, old metal chairs and beds, or unused bicycles can be pulled apart and reassembled into creative sculptures, gates, or fences.

Let your imagination extend the life of many old, no longer wanted items by adding interest and a unique, personal touch to your garden.

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 attractive and healthy.

Controlling Plant Disease Organically

A diseased plant has an infection caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

The fungal spores that tend to start the problem become prevalent usually in the wet weather season. These fungal spores grow when there is inadequate circulation of air in a greenhouse, for instance, poor water drainage, exorbitant irrigation, and/or too much dampness due to rainfall.

Since your goal is healthy plants you can take preventive measures by utilizing proper cultural practices such as variety in selections, proper irrigation and humidity management, adding plant and soil nutrition, regular pruning, and adequate row spacing.

The organic solution to fungal problems is to use copper and sulfur products, natural fungicides. Spores are prevented from growing when the plants have been coated with the appropriate physical barrier. To maximize success, it is important to make the applications prior to rainfall.

In order to survive, fungi must derive their food from other organisms because they are unable to produce nutrients on their own. Under hospitable conditions, fungi attack all parts of a plant and can damage plant translocation tissues; killing a plant in a relatively short period of time. Some of the most common fungal diseases are leaf spot, anthracnose and rust.

Bacterial infection is not as prevalent as the plant diseases caused by fungi. Bacterial infection results primarily in damaging the plant as rotten tissue.

Sucking insects such as aphids and whiteflies are the culprits when it comes to viruses in plants transmitting the viruses from one plant to the other. Viral diseases typically cause less damage than those vectored by fungi and bacteria and infected plants are usually partially damaged and weakened, however they seldom die.

A healthy plant naturally resists diseases. A healthy regimen that provides optimum health for your plants is the organic way to prevent disease. Take a proactive approach to combating and controlling fungal diseases and eradicating bacteria along with viruses. Plant diseases can spread easily and rapidly.

In addition to this precaution, it makes common sense to only choose healthy seedlings, water your garden properly using organic fertilizers as directed, and make sure it is kept clean and well ventilated. Avoid excessive moisture, where pathogens tend to breed, remove rotting leaves and trash, maintain a weeding program to reduce breeding sites for insects and disease, and remove and burn infected plant parts to stop any spread of the problem.

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 attractive and healthy.

Soil Care for the Organic Garden

More gardeners are discovering the benefits of growing without noxious chemicals. The products needed to do this are easy to use and apply, and will provide the results you desire. You can use 100% organic solutions to grow not only beautiful flower gardens, but also to achieve lush lawns and bountiful orchards and farms.

To create healthy, living soil, use the highest quality organic fertilizers, soil amendments, micronutrients, and foliar spraying materials when you garden. These will enhance the growing power of your plants and improve the quality making them healthier.

As stewards of the land it is important for gardeners to realize that the soil is alive. Living organisms in soil represent the key to plant health and to human health. Soil microorganisms are the essential link between mineral reserves and plant growth. Ecological soil management aims at assisting all soil organisms instead of substituting them with a simplified chemical system. When synthetic chemical fertilizers are applied to the soil, essential microorganisms become eliminated. Nature’s delicate balance becomes interrupted and the result is soil compaction and weeds become prevalent.

As spring approaches, it is good to get your soil tested. A soil analysis will provide you with information regarding its health. A soil test kit will give you information about the pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels in your soil. This analysis will let you know what to add to your soil to give it balance or a more compatible condition for growing. You want to ensure that your plants or vegetables will be as healthy as possible.

Encourage microbial growth by adding microorganisms to the soil safely restoring the ecological balance to your garden or lawn. Support your soil by using green manures that will provide organic matter and nitrogen to your soil.

It is important to keep high levels of polysaccharides and other beneficial enzymes and organic acids in your soil that help build stable structure, reducing soil erosion and run-off. Soil that is able to absorb and retain moisture will cycle nutrients promoting healthy growth. Completely safe for humans and animals and certified organic, there are prepared solutions available to apply regularly to your garden and lawn. Applying these will ultimately save you time and money. You can use a watering can, hose-end sprayer, backpack sprayer or inject them through an irrigation system. When applied to compost piles, the breakdown of organic matter is accelerated resulting in less breeding sites for flies and other insects.

When the soil is cared for, it provides food for a healthier plant, which makes it possible for plants to naturally resist insect and disease pest problems.

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 attractive and healthy.

The Gardening Shovel

The most essential gardening tool of the many pieces of equipment you will need is a shovel. Just think of it: you won’t be able to do much of anything without being able to dig a hole and plant something, dig something up to move or remove, backfilling or placing mulch around your plants and shrubs, or even prepare an area for vegetables. So the first purchase you should make above all is a shovel.

There are a number of different types of shovels. The standard basic garden shovel has a round-point and a blade that is usually about 8 inches wide and 12 long. This shovel will be used for the majority of work in the garden so it should be your first tool investment. There are also floral shovels specifically used for flowerbeds and designed to move more delicately than the average gardening shovel. You can also use the flower shovel for digging in tight spaces and transplanting small plants and shrubs.

Square-pointed shovels edged with a flat bottom are used for tasks such as the collecting and lifting of loosened material. They can be dragged along the surface to combine the already loosen pieces of material together. They usually have a poly handle grip, for better control. This type of shovel can also be useful when cutting edging.

When selecting a shovel, the most important thing to remember is saving your back to not be used under unnecessary extra exertion. Match the proper shovel to the job. Shovels are made in a variety of shapes and sizes so pick one that is suited to its purpose and at the right height for the user.

An example of a task could be digging a uniform trench. A combination of tools would be necessary. First the trench would be roughly dug with a round-point shovel, next, a flat spade would be used to trim and carve the sides of the trench. And the square-point shovel would also remove the loose dirt and debris from the bottom of the trench.

There are many special shovels too that aren’t for multi-tasking. Among these are a duckbill shovel and a trenching shovel. These are both great shovels with narrow blades, only 5 or 6 inches wide; and because of the snout on these shovels, they will cut deeply into the soil as you work, making the process more easy and efficient.

Whether it’s the basic standard shovel or specialty shovels, this tool is essential for gardening. The first gardening tip you should follow is knowing that the shovel is the absolute essential gardening hand tool to make your gardening work a lot easier and more fun.

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 attractive and healthy.

Garden Tools and Techniques

The one gardening tip that must be considered by all whether you are a beginner or are a seasoned professional, is choosing and maintaining the proper tool for the particular task. Having the correct tool can make huge difference. By using this tool you can save time, make the chore easier, save wear and tear on your yard, and prevent unnecessary exertion on your body.

Among the several necessary tools vital for gardening is a good pair of hand clippers generally used for trimming rose bushes and shrubs and a good shovel that can be used in various different methods. One of the more versatile gardening tools is a pair of Loppers, a long-handled cutting tool. Because of its long handles it can reach further than hand clippers for trimming bushes and cutting through branches. Additions to this list of essential gardening tools are a rake, a pair of hedge shears, a tank sprayer, a wheelbarrow, a spreader, a push broom and a garden hose. Even with the right tools you can still misuse them; so knowing how to properly use and maintain your tools is also pretty important. The possibility of injury or unnecessary strain on your body can happen with the misuse of tools.

The technique in which you garden is as crucial as having the right tools. It plays a big part in the success of your gardening. Gardening techniques come from experience or experimenting and finding out what not to do. One particularly important and basic skill to be mastered is the knowledge of moving plants. Although some might think that the process is quite simple, for success to be guaranteed, knowing the actual basics is a must. Start by transporting on a mild cloudy day, and the tree should be heavily watered and drained deeply before transporting it, perhaps the day before the transplanting will be done. Dig down on each side, severing the roots as you go, slip heavy duty plastic under the root ball, and tip the tree gently to the side, pulling the plastic through under the root ball. After this, pull the plastic up and tie it around the trunk. Now the specimen is ready to be wherever you would like it to be. When the new hole has been prepared it is most important to get the tree into this new environment without delay. The amount of time for the bare roots to be exposed to the elements (sun and wind) should be kept at a minimum. Be sure to lift the plant by the root ball, and check to see that the tree is perpendicular to the ground once it is in the hole. Back fill the soil over the area and around the tree trunk. Then water, water, water the tree for the next few days. Even build a little moat around its base to keep the area constantly moist. The tree will slowly acclimate itself to its new space. Just make sure to pamper it in the beginning, like if you feel staking is necessary then do this to help the tree stand up straight.

Techniques in gardening take a few years to develop. People with a ‘green thumb’ will find adjustments more readily than others. The rewards of gardening are quite wonderful though and well worth all the efforts.

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 Importance of Gardening Gloves

Gardening gloves are an important implement in gardening, although the importance of their use often gets forgotten. Wearing the proper gardening glove for whatever the task might be will get it done more efficiently. You will also save your hide, so to speak, preventing blisters, cuts, scrapes or puncture wounds which will make further working in the garden rather uncomfortable or postpone finishing the task.

These days for every task there is a set of gardening gloves available to match. Choosing the proper type of gardening gloves depends on which task you are planning on completing. From light to heavy weight, the variety of gardening gloves is vast. The more experienced you are, the better you will be at choosing the best one for each purpose. From rose gloves to garden work gloves, choosing the right set of gloves for the job is more important than you would think, and essential to getting your gardening done the most effective way.

Every gardener should have at least the basic general maintenance type of gloves, usually more supple and lightweight. These can be worn when doing your overall garden work including planting, weeding, and pruning. These gloves should be flexible and durable. When the holes start to appear with use, it’s time to get another pair.

Next to be considered are rose gloves, which are used for handling your rose bushes. Because they need to be tough enough to keep thorns out, these gloves are durable, and usually made out of a material such as suede which is lightweight and flexible to also handle the more delicate tasks your roses might require.

The gloves that have padded palms with a dense foam insert are landscaping gloves, perfect for working with digging tools. Since you will want to hold wet and slippery tools or rocks with these gloves, they should have areas of gripping dots. They need to be incredibly durable, although lightweight enough to use for less arduous tasks, if required.

There are so many different kinds of gloves including fox gloves, mud gloves, deerskin gloves, and arm savers, just to name a few. First, decide which task you will need the gloves to perform, then choose the type of glove which best suits the job.

Remember to get the gloves that fit your hands the best. The right size is important. You do not want the gloves to be too tight constricting your movement. You also do not want the glove too big or you will not be able to grip tools properly and dirt will fall inside irritating your performance. For the most part, gloves used for one purpose will also transfer over to doing other tasks. This allows the gardener more freedom, and saves from having to purchase multiple pairs.


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.

Take Care of Your Gardening Body

Gardening should be a relaxing and extremely rewarding hobby that fits your lifestyle. It can be a lot of fun and should not cause any pain or discomfort to your physical being.

Among all the tools that are available today, none will do you any service if you do not take careful attention to the most important tool — your own body. While gardening you must remember to position your body properly in order to prevent yourself from the aches and pains that will follow afterwards. A lot of the work can be repetitive motion; so it is good to alter tasks to relieve any unnecessary stress. Learn what tools to use to make the tasks easier. This awareness involves simple things like remembering to wear the proper gloves when pruning the roses, mixing concrete for making stepping stones, or raking the fall leaves to protect your skin from annoying blisters, scrapes, or punctures.

You do not want to think of pain when thinking of your gardening chores... you’ll never get them done! Take the time to learn how to properly position the body when using the hoe or shovel, or lifting a heavy container. Not only will you do the task more efficiently, but you will discover just how enjoyable your gardening hobby actually is.

In order to minimize muscle fatigue and soreness, remember to focus most importantly on your back. To position it properly when lifting and holding objects, make sure to bend at the knees and hips. In order to avoid kinking the back muscles, be sure to use an erect body posture when working at ground level. If you are someone who happens to already have existing back problems, be sure to take this advice seriously in order to avoid further problems.

Out of all the parts of your body you use during gardening, your hands are the ones practically in constant use. Positioning them properly consists of making sure to work with the wrists and hands in a neutral position, especially if you are working against resistance.

It is good practice to spread out your gardening tasks throughout different days. This goes hand-in-hand with the repetitive motion aspect of many of the chores. To ease the soreness and muscle ache completing many chores all at once would cause, complete them over a period of several days instead.

There are several pointers that must be taken into consideration when choosing what gardening tool is best for the particular job. Consider a shorter tool handle when you need greater leverage control. A longer tool handle will provide greater power and are for tasks that will require your full body motion.

Also keep in mind your height. Obviously, taller people will need the taller gardening tools, and if you are short, shorter gardening tools will be needed. By carefully evaluating the proper length of the tools you use, you will avoid excessive leaning that can lead to feeling stiffness in your back.

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.

Building a Box Garden

It’s that time of year again! If you’re like me, you are excited to plant your vegetable garden. The box garden is a popular option because it makes the most of a small space. Plus you don’t have to till up the ground or do any really hard work.

Building the box is simple and cheap. Of course, you could go all out and use expensive wood or build a structure capable of withstanding a flood, but it really is not necessary for the classic box garden. Box gardens are very popular in Japan because they are nice, neat and create a lot of vegetables in a small space.

The secret is that the dirt inside never gets stepped on. It’s nice and loose, allowing roots to penetrate really deep. Plants grow stronger, bigger and produce more vegetables when they are planted up off of the ground like this. You can also place plants closer together and squeeze more in.

To construct your own for practically nothing, buy landscaping timbers. They top out at about three dollars each. You’ll need to stack them two high. The box needs to be a rectangle no more than four feet across. This will allow you to reach the center without ever stepping on the dirt. Make it as long as you would like. I use four 8’ landscaping timbers for each side and two 4’ timbers for each end. I hammer stakes in the ground along the outside to keep the walls from toppling over.

Once your box is in place, fill it up with bags of soil. Check the bag to see how many you need. A normal small bag will fill one cubic foot of space, so for a 16’ long box like mine, I used about 30 bags. You only need the dirt to be about eight inches deep for vegetables. You may want to work in some cow manure, peat moss or other types of soil. Once you have it filled, you can use it for many years. I recommend refreshing the soil yearly with peat moss and new dirt so that your garden doesn’t become low on nutrients.

Now you are ready to plant. Water the new garden thoroughly to see how much it is going to settle. You may decide to add more soil at this point. With a shovel or just your hands, dig out rows short-ways across the box. Each row should be four feet long. Plant your vegetables according to each plant’s directions. But remember, because you are using a box, you can plant closer together than the directions might say. For example, tomato plants normally need to be 18” apart. In a box garden, you can plant them as close as 9” apart. Plus you’ll enjoy more tomatoes from each plant.

You will want to keep your garden hose reel close by for frequent watering because a box garden can dry out more quickly than one located on the ground. Don’t water tomatoes too much or they will lose precious vitamins and turn out whitish and grainy inside. Just a little tip from one tomato fan to another!

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

Beautiful Roses: Gardening and Growing Tips

Roses have long since been recognized as a symbol of beauty. Their reputation of fragrance and color are unsurpassed by any other flower. If you are interested in planting roses in your garden, you may be interested in these special growing tips. Follow these simple steps and you will be on your way to a gorgeous rose garden that you will enjoy for years to come.

Any nursery should have a lot of options for you when you are choosing your roses. Some roses are climbing vines and some are more like bushes, so keep your location in mind when selecting your breed. Roses need a lot of sunlight, around six hours per day, so choose an area that gets a lot of direct sun.

Many people make their rose choices based on appearance. There are many different colors and sizes of blooms to choose from. In general, large blossoms will have little or no scent. Smaller blooms will usually have a more intense aroma. There are so many types of rose bushes that you should be able to choose the color and level of fragrance that you desire. If you are looking for something low maintenance, ask for landscape roses. These have been developed specifically for people who want a hearty shrub that is disease and insect resistant.

Plant your roses in full sunlight if possible. Avoid rocky areas and hard clay that may create standing water around the root system of your rose bush or vine. Soil should be able to drain well. Ideally roses should be planted away from competing plants and trees to get enough water and nutrients from the soil to flourish. Adding compost to the soil will help add nutrients and improve soil drainage around your roses.

When you buy your rose plants, they will either be potted or sold with bare roots. Bare-root roses should only be planted in the early spring after the chance of frost has passed. Soak the bare roots in water for about an hour before you plant them. Potted roses tend to have a better chance of survival. Potted roses can be planted in the spring or the fall, just avoid planting during colder weather as much as possible.

Before you plant, check your soil’s pH. A pH of 5.5 to 7.0 is ideal for roses. Check with your local nursery if you need help adjusting the pH of your soil.

You do not want to plant your roses too deep in the soil. Bare-root plants should only be planted with about one inch of soil covering the top roots. If you have a potted rose bush, plant it in the ground at the same depth that it was when it was in the bucket. To help the roots establish their hold, water the freshly planted rose bush liberally the first time. This helps to settle the soil and encourage roots to start taking in nutrients.

Set up your garden for easy care. Use a hose reel to keep your garden hose reel handy. With a little pruning and watering, your roses can bring you a display of magnificent proportion for years to come. You will not only gain enjoyment from their beauty and fragrance, but also from the gardening experience of creating such an alluring exhibit.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

Container Gardening

Rapidly becoming a major trend in the gardening world today is the Tuscan garden capturing the beautiful, old world style of gardening. An especially important aspect of a Tuscan-style garden is using containers among the different flowers, trees and shrubs. In order to have a flourishing garden, you must choose the proper type of gardening container to do the most efficient job.

Large objects like urns placed among shrubbery, flowers and trees make ideal focal points and lovely gardening accessories. The use of at least some form of pottery is essential in composing your Tuscan garden. You can choose from large ornate Grecian style urns to simple terra cotta pots. Perhaps you want to use several clumped together, some planted with others empty. Many gardeners like to achieve a more collaborative feel in their own Tuscan garden opting to incorporate several containers.

There are a multitude of options. Have fun mixing the color, texture, and size with the individual plants either contained in the pot or surrounding it. You can be dramatic using contrast or subtle using similar colors. When choosing colors for each gardening container you should remember that the basic color scheme for a Tuscan garden consists of warm, earthy colors such as brown, rusty reds, bright yellow, orange, and deep blues.

When planting in a container, make sure that it has enough drainage holes so that the health of your plants will not be at risk. From any number of varieties of vessels available to plant your plants, it is best to save the ones with smaller necks just for decoration because the plant has difficulty expanding in these quarters unless it is a single small tree in which the urn’s neck would support only the base of a trunk. If a plant grows with long and trailing vines select a container that is tall to accommodate this. When planting succulents or shallow rooted plants, wide low containers will be appropriate.
Mix and match the colors of the pots with the color theme of your plantings. Mix the textures on the containers. Some can be of a high glaze and others can be terra cotta or have an old world quality, and perhaps add a few with Tuscan scenes painted on them to accentuate the feeling.

A way to alter the mood or tone of your Tuscan garden is to change the arrangement of the containers. The containers should be moveable, so this transformation can be made easily and efficiently. Keeping this in mind, you might want to place some of the heavy, larger containers on low, inconspicuous trolleys. Imagine: you will be able to wheel your garden around and change it whenever you want. This also makes it possible to change the conditions of your plantings will receive. Perhaps they will perform better in one location than in another – one of the great conveniences of container gardening. Another advantage is that you can continue to grow your plants indoors when the colder whether starts to hit your area, more or less, moving the outdoors to the indoors.

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.

Tips for Growing Azaleas

Nothing pops from your garden like a solid coat of flowers. When the azalea bush blooms, this is exactly what it produces. It is known for blooming all at once, creating a burst of color that is rich, has a wonderful fragrance and is famous for its beauty and numerous blooms.

Most azaleas are spring bloomers, but some varieties will bloom in spring and again in the fall. Blooms will last a couple of months each time, depending on the weather, so using azaleas in your landscaping will produce a lot of color for a good part of the year. If your azaleas will be part of a continuous display and you would like for them to stay green all year, you can try to purchase the evergreen variety as opposed to the deciduous type. Most North American azaleas are deciduous and drop their leaves in the fall. But, with over 10,000 registered hybrids, you are sure to find a color and style that will look most beautiful in the space that you have available.

Azaleas generally grow well in warmer climates, although some will thrive in colder areas. Some will do well in direct sun, but most prefer shady areas. Evergreen and Japanese varieties, in general, need a lot of shade to do well. Planting azaleas under the shade of a tree is preferable. This is because certain trees will turn the soil slightly acidic, which is necessary to grow azaleas. Oak trees, pine trees and holly are best. You can bring a soil sample to your local nursery to have the acidity checked. A pH of 5.5-6 is best.

You can make your soil more acidic by tilling in pine needles, oak leaves, coffee grounds or ammonium sulfate (agricultural sulfur). These things can take time to turn the soil, so you will want to check your soil acidity often to get it right.

Plant your azaleas in deep soil. Rock beds and hard clay can cause water to pool up under the roots of the azalea plant, causing it to slowly drown and die. The soil needs to drain well. Soak the soil completely every now and then with your water hose to make sure that the bottom roots have wet soil, but be careful not to water too often. Mulch can help you keep moisture in the soil without over-doing it.

You can fertilize azaleas in the late winter or early spring, but it is not a good idea to fertilize at other times of year. This is because fertilizer can force the plant into blooming at the wrong time and the new growth will make the plant susceptible to freezing during the winter months. More mature azaleas do not need any fertilizing. Prune your azaleas soon after they are done blooming to avoid removing the new blooms’ shoots.

Once your azaleas are established, you will enjoy blankets of color in your yard. You can choose azaleas with different bloom times to keep the colors coming from spring to fall. Azaleas require little maintenance and can make gardening a joy. Just keep your garden hose reel close by for frequent watering, especially if the weather is very hot or dry.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

It’s Time to Beautify Your Outdoors

As spring approaches and the snow starts to melt, a homeowner starts to look for ways to improve the yard's appearance and function, or create “outdoor rooms” around the house, a recent landscaping design concept. Gardening and landscaping designs come in a potentially overwhelming variety of plans and styles so careful planning is necessary to choose the perfect approach for your needs, style, and purpose. Think about your space and what your physical limitations are. Ask what purpose you want your gardening to serve. Determine how much time are you willing to spend on maintaining your outdoor space before getting started.

If you approach the landscaping as decorating outdoor rooms, start by breaking up the yard into separate areas. Each area will have its own purpose making the yard more functional and less cluttered.

There are several ways to create outdoor rooms: structures such as pergolas, gazebos, trellises and planters can be used to frame an outdoor room. Outdoor rooms can also be defined with plantings of shrubs, borders or trees. Groundcover materials can be another way to divide areas, from low-growing plants or grass to brick formations or patio stones. In each area choose colors that work well together to create a consistent and attractive space. Color should be considered when choosing the flowers, furniture, and accessories. Remember to keep bloom time in mind when planning your color combinations.

Use gates, arbors, and paths to create graceful transitions from one outdoor room to the next. The plantings in these transitional areas need to be coordinated with both the spaces they connect.

The most valuable gardening advice to getting started is to start small. Gardening can be a relaxing and extremely rewarding hobby. Keep it simple in the beginning. Smaller projects allow the gardener to focus on ideal care and leave less opportunity for problems arising simultaneously. Gardens can always be made larger, as plants multiply and more are added. Expansion is always an option to a thriving garden. Downsizing an overwhelming and wildly growing garden is very difficult and not very rewarding.

To start, get to know your plants by reading the tags that mark the pots to know exactly what conditions each plant requires. You do not want to plant shade-loving plants in full sunlit areas. You won’t be able to mix plants that need to be watered a lot with ones that do not need much watering. As the plants you chose start to grow and be comfortable with their surroundings you will have to seek advice beyond the tag information if any problems develop.

Most importantly, have fun gardening and decorating your custom outdoor rooms this spring.

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.

Asiatic Orienpet Hybrid Lilies

The "Orienpet" lilies are relatively new to the lily world, produced after years of combining the garden persistence, heat tolerance and color of Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids with the sublime beauty of Oriental lilies. The flower color may vary in Orienpets depending on their complex ancestry and the interaction of many pigments, Orienpet lilies often have more intensely colored flowers in cooler weather. Heat and bright light can lighten their colors. Asiatics grow tall stems with many flowers from small bulbs; larger bulbs of these types are less adaptable to transplanting. Below are listed some various Asiatic Orienpet Hybrid Lilies to plant in your garden bed to make it dazzle between mid-July and early August.

‘Yelloween’ has fragrant flowers of luminous yellow with fluted outer petals. The flowers look straight up into the sky, lighting up a perfect candelabrum inflorescence on strong stems four feet tall.

‘Dunyazade’ can stand (with no staking) up to 8 feet tall. Has luscious lemon flowers opening with cool green nectarines— quite a dramatic lily.

‘Orange Crush’ has fragrant large, creamy open bowl flowers with juicy orange centers. Each lush, sturdy stem growing 4 to 5 feet and taller has an abundance of flowers.

‘Silk Road’ has huge white flowers with deep, intensely crimson pink throats. These flowers have an enormous inflorescence with many well-spaced secondary buds lasting for an extended blooming time. Plus they have a wonderful, powerful fragrance.


‘Caravan’ has slender and strong blue-green stems and carry huge outfacing flowers of intense sunshine yellow with brilliant red centers. This fragrant and unique lily will create the ultimate focal point in your summer garden.

‘Luminaries’ puts on a stunning show with tri-colored flowers on a huge and creamy white background containing a wide sunburst of gold at the throat, encircled with a kaleidoscope of deep pink. ‘Luminaries’ bring a totally new rainbow color combination to lilies that blooming in July. The perfume is a delicious combination of the heady fragrance of Trumpets and delicious scents of Orientals.

‘Mother of Pearl’ has heavy-textured flowers with broad petals of shimmering opalescent white, with soft nuances of lemon and peach at its margins. Its fragrance is sublime like the scent of honeysuckle.

‘Alchemy’ has huge, wide-open flowers of deepest red rimmed with a wide margin of rich coppery gold. This unique, spell-binding combination reminds us of the alchemists’s quest to change metals into gold. ‘Alchemy’ will bring magic to your garden, transforming it with long-lasting color and fragrance in mid-July to early August.

‘Pizzazz’ has brilliant orange flowers with shiny red centers. Their more recurved shape, carried on gracefully arching stems. Its lush blue-green leaves make a marvelous contrast.

‘Radiance’ is a luscious, deep raspberry color that glows from within. Cooler temperatures will intensify the color. ‘Radiance’ has an elegantly sculpted form.

These "Orienpet" hydrid lily creations are worth their efforts and will certainly add a touch of intrigue to your summer garden.

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.

Planting Instructions for Growing Lilies

Lilies are amazing displays of incredible natural beauty with their different color combinations, textures and sizes. Plus they add wonderful fragrance to your garden. Remarkably, they have very simple needs and basically, only require you to plant them in the right place. Choose a well-drained location with at least half a day of sunshine. If it’s too shady, the stems will stretch and lean towards the sun; that isn’t much to ask out of any gardener. Most lilies love full sun, as long as the bulbs are deep enough to keep cool when temperatures soar. If the planting spot is too shady, the stems will lean a little toward the light. Trumpet lilies are the most shade sensitive. To keep the ground cool, mulch the area you plant your lilies.

After you receive your bulbs, you can plant them right in the soil. The sooner you plant your bulbs, the better they will grow and perform. In mild climates, they can be planted anytime the ground is not frozen solid. In colder climates, planting in the fall and early winter will produce stems that flower at the expected time for your zone listed for each type and variety of lily. Planting late in the spring will produce later flowering stems, which may be a little shorter than usual if hot weather comes quickly. But the following winter will reset the lilies' "clocks" and put them on the regular blooming time. Bulbs received from a nursery are usually sent at mature flowering size grown for at least two years in their own fields. Many lily species and species-like Asiatic lilies grow tall stems with many flowers from small bulbs. Larger bulbs of these types are less adaptable to transplanting. Trumpets typically produce larger but readily transplantable bulbs. Oriental bulbs vary depending upon their ancestry.

If you want to make up for a late start or are impatient, you can pot your bulbs and leave them in a "root cellar" environment until sprouts appear. As long as moisture is adequate, they will begin to form roots at very cool temperatures. When it is warmer, you can move the pots outside or transplant the rooted mass right into your garden.

It is important to look for a spot that is the first to dry out after rain because lilies can be bothered by botrytis, a fungus that spots the leaves in prolonged cool, wet weather. If you do see "bull's eye" or brown spots on the leaves, use a copper-based spray or any fungicide recommended for roses to guard against botrytis. Botrytis does not hurt the bulbs, but it reduces the leaf area that should be manufacturing sugar to grow a bigger bulb for next year.

As long as the whole sprout is planted deep enough, lilies with very long sprouts will grow beautiful stems, and the stem will come up nice and straight. If you want to cut the gorgeous flowering stems, leave the bottom two-thirds of the stem, in order to make a nice bulb for the following year. Plant the bulbs 4" to 6" deep. Make sure are planted deep enough so that they stay cool in the summer. Deeper-planted bulbs will be really well anchored. One way to accomplish deeper planting is to make a raised bed, with the lily bulbs at ground level and the soil placed 4" to 6" or deeper on top of them. It isn't necessary to feed the lilies unless your soil is poor or you want to raise super show-lilies. If you fertilize, put on a little well-balanced fertilizer at emergence time and about a month later. Slow-release fertilizers are also good. After flowering, lilies only rarely need more water.

Lilies will increase by division and by growth of small bulbs along the old below-ground stem. Clumps getting too thick will produce weaker stems, so it is a good idea to lift and divide them in September or October.

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.

Some Favorite Asiatic Lilies and Oriental Hybrids

Many Asiatic lily species and Oriental hybrids grow tall stems with many flowers from small bulbs. These lilies bring amazing beauty, color, and heavenly fragrance to your gardens. Oriental lilies prefer acid soil and temperate, moist summers. Provide them with some shade, mulching, and light fertilizing, if necessary, and they will produce enormous flowers usually towards the end of summer. Bloom time for Oriental lilies varies depending upon their ancestry. All of the beauties described below grow from three to five feet high.

‘Elegant Crown’ is the first pink Asiatic-Oriental lily blooming early for lilies (late June to early July). Its deep rose color outlined in cream will hold its beauty even during the very hot temperatures that can occur in July.

Another hybrid between an Oriental and an Asiatic lily blooming quite early and heat tolerant is the rare ‘First Crown’. It has huge bronze-rose flowers and a sweet, enticing gentle fragrance.

Elegant, eye-catching and richly fragrant ‘Black Tie’ has rich, deep lipstick red flowers trimmed with bright white. It grows a stately four feet tall and performs in August.

Another blooming in August is the long time favorite ‘Casa Blanca’ with world-famous enormous pure white flowers. The fragrance from this incredible beauty is marvelous. Its stems are broad-leaved and robust.

Mix this one in between the two above with its vibrant peony pink luminous blooms. ‘Bernini’ strikes a perfect balance between color and light. It also grows four feet tall in August with a very sweet fragrance.

‘Mambo’ can reach up to five feet tall with glowing rose red blooms displayed on an upward arching pedicel. The color is an especially elegant garden inflorescence, and its fragrance is a special treat to the senses.

‘Muscadet’ is a sumptuous Oriental lily with enormous white ruffled blooms speckled in deep pink with a lighter pink blush. These aromatic, gorgeous flowers are quite long lasting, too holding their shape and color for over a week.

Each flower of the ‘Saporro’ lily is more than 8 inches across. And two thirds of this lovely, fragrant white Oriental’s sturdy stem is decorated with huge blooms. It blooms in late August, and grows four feet tall.

‘Arabian Red’ is one of the finest rich red-purple Oriental lilies available. These lilies will retain their rich color whether in a vase for over a week or growing in your garden throughout a warm August.

Appropriately named ‘Joyful’ has enormous, exuberant bubble-gum pink flowers with a sunny yellow centers generously topped with strawberry spots. It is the medium height of four feet tall and blooms throughout August.

The longest lasting of all the Oriental lilies ‘Miss Lucy’ slowly unfurls fluffy petals, up to fifty on each flower, creating a cloud of soft pink, white and green. This very unique lily ranges from three to four feet and displays late July to early August.

The glorious lily, ‘Rio Negro’ is deep purple-red, with richly colored black nectarines. It has lush, wide, ruffled blooms and a sweet fragrance.

Making a terrific garden plant and an excellent choice for containers, ‘Stargazer’ is probably the best known lily in the world. The flowers of its three foot stem are crimson with a white edge.

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.

Add Joyful Color to Your Garden with Sunflowers

Sunflowers originated from North America where Native Americans used sunflowers for a variety of uses. Sunflowers are both a beautiful flower and a great vegetable. Healthy, nutritious and attractive, Sunflowers have it all. That is probably why their popularity has spread all around the world.

With a wide choice of sizes, color, and varieties, Sunflowers are easy to grow and add so much to our gardens and yards. They are a good way to attract birds to our homes. Sunflower plants grow well in average to rich soils. They need to grow their roots deep and wide, to enable them to withstand strong winds. Do not plant them in sandy as they are easily uprooted in loose soil. Rich soil is especially important when growing giant varieties. Deep roots also help Sunflowers to withstand most droughts. They grow best in full sun, but are shade tolerant, contrary to what you would think.

They will benefit from a dose of fertilizer when you happen to be applying it to the rest of your garden. This promotes bigger blooms. If you are crowded for space, plant only one or two sunflowers amidst your vine crops. This way they will not seriously shade the vines and add interest with color and shape.

As a vegetable plant, they are high in protein; the seeds are tasty; the oil is great to cook with; and butter can also be produced from the seed. Sunflowers are popular not only because they add warmth to our gardens, but continue to be enjoyed through their many uses. Sunflowers are also great for kids to grow being easy to grow requiring minimal attention. Kids like to grow big things, too. The seeds can also be ground for making breads and cakes. Sunflowers are used to create dyes for clothing, and paint. The plants are medicinally used in ointments and in snakebite remedies.

Sunflower plants can grow over 20 feet tall, and their blooms can reach over two feet in diameter. The most popular giant sunflower plants include Mammoth, American Giant and Skyscraper. Sunflowers are basically separated by size: Giant (varieties grow over ten feet), Regular Sunflowers typically grow from six to ten feet, and Miniatures (gaining in popularity used as bordersor edging).

Space Giant Sunflowers three feet apart in rows three to four feet apart. Regular to intermediate sizes should be spaced two feet apart in rows three feet apart, and space Miniatures one foot apart in rows three feet apart. For individual planting, put the seedling or seeds in just about any sunny location.

Sunflowers always point their blooms or face to the rising sun in the East. Just another reason why they are so named. Some of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous works are his Sunflower series. He painted a total of twelve of these canvases. In many of his letters, Vincent spoke glowingly of the richness of color that he saw in Sunflowers. He really loved the sunflowers for themselves as they appealed to his joy in color, and he certainly left a legacy to enjoy.

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.

Different Kinds of Garlic

Basically, there are two types of garlic: hard-neck and soft-neck. Hard-necked garlic was the original and soft-necked garlic was cultivated over time by growers through a process of selection. From there, the differences are found in the garlic’s taste, size, outer skin, number of cloves per bulb, color, pungency and storability.

There are said to be over 600 cultivated sub-varieties of garlic, although most of them may be selections of only a handful of basic types. The latest research claims that ten fairly distinct groups of garlic have evolved including five very different hard-neck varieties called Porcelain, Purple Stripe, Marbled Purple Stripe, Glazed Purple Stripe, and Rocambole; three varieties of weakly bolting hard-necks that often produce soft-necks: Creole, Asiatic, and Turban, plus two distinct soft-neck groups: Artichoke and Silver skin.

A hard-neck garlic appropriately named Purple Stripe is vividly striped with purplish vertical stripes decorating the bulb wrappers. In between the purple stripes, their bulb wrappers are usually very white and thick. This coloration is affected by growing conditions, particularly weather. They tend to be rather rich in flavor. Standard Purple Stripes (Chesnok Red and Persian Star) make the sweetest roasted garlic.

A soft-necked garlic (Allium Sativum) called Artichoke Garlic is the kind seen in most supermarkets. These artichoke garlics are among the easiest to grow and produce large bulbs that have lots of cloves, usually somewhere between 12 and 20. Artichokes store well and have a wide range of flavors with some, like Simoneti and Red Toch, being very mild and pleasant. Others, such as Inchelium Red and Susanville, have greater depth of flavor. Chinese Purple and Purple Cauldron are much stronger and stick around for a while. The Asiatic group of the artichoke garlic tends to send up shoots, despite the fact that they're supposed to be soft-necks. The Turban group of the artichoke garlic is the most colorful and has fewer cloves per bulb than the others.

Silver skin garlics are the ones that you see in braids mainly because they are the longest storing of all the garlics and have a soft pliable neck. Their bulb wrappers are very white although the clove covers can be strikingly colorful as in the case of Nootka Rose or Rose du Var.

The Creole garlics are a unique group of garlics, and one of the easiest eating raw garlics owing to a taste that is rich and full with only a very moderate pungency. Creole Red and Ajo Rojo are noticeably stronger in taste, however; and they retain their flavor well when cooked.

Porcelain garlics are among the most beautiful with very thick, luxuriant bulb wrappers. Porcelains are strong tasting garlics with a few exceptions and can store for up to eight months or more at a cool room temperature. Porcelains grow better in northern climates.

Rocambole garlics tend to have thin bulb wrappers with lots of purple striping and splotches. The flavor of the Rocambole garlic is intense and complex—sweet as opposed to aggressively sulfurous. Because of this, they are a favorite to use when raw garlic is called for, such as for crushing and mixing with vinegar or lemon and olive oil for a salad. Rocamboles are among the best when garlic is prominently featured in the cuisine. Their only drawback is that they are among the shortest storing garlics of all.

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.

Tricks for Satisfactory Homegrown Garlic

Garlic is just about the best ingredient to use for making food more flavorful. Many home gardeners have discovered it is rather easy to grow your own garlic. Homegrown garlic can be disappointing however, producing small bulbs, bulbs with only one big soft clove, or even no bulb at all. The causes of unsatisfactory production come down to the quality of the seed clove, growing conditions, the variety, the variables of the season, and disease. Some garlic strains will just not bulb satisfactorily in your area. Garlic varieties adapt to a fair range of day lengths, intensity of cold, and accumulated heat conditions. Try locally sold seed cloves because they may well be the best variety for your climate.

When preparing your soil, beef up the nutrient status of your soil by working in a complete fertilizer before sowing. Liquid manures are also beneficial. Your soils pH must be above 6.0. Ideally, a deep, fertile, very well drained soil is needed.

Generally speaking, garlic can be planted in autumn through to early winter. Under warm temperate climatic conditions autumn planted garlic will remain dormant for a few weeks, then develop roots and a shoot. With the onset of the cold of winter growth is fairly slow until temperatures warm in spring. The cold of winter is needed to initiate the side buds that will ultimately grow and swell to become cloves. The lengthening days of spring are the signal for the initiated but undeveloped side buds to start forming into cloves.

Choose the best: the biggest and fattest seed cloves to sow. Sow them root end down, standing erect, and about an inch or so under the soil surface. Place them about 4 inches apart.

It is important to have a free draining soil. Cloves put in early in winter will have a longer cold treatment and will respond to lengthening days in the spring more quickly than those put in later. Know there is always a risk of the cloves rotting in a cold wet soil. Excellent drainage is a must to give an edge on climate and disease. 

Garlic competes poorly with weeds. Try to keep them meticulously weeded, if possible. Be careful with the hoe, however. Tragic occurrences can happen with a hurried hoe. If the weather is dry, mulch them to conserve water. Mulching also helps defer the weeds. Water your garlic plants well and regularly in dry periods.

The plants are ready to harvest when the foliage has died off, or mostly died off. Since garlic’s outer parchment often rots left in wet soil, harvest a bit earlier if it happens to be very wet at harvest time. Then dry the bulbs under cover. The bulbs should be washed, especially the roots, and leave them for a week or so to dry. If you live in a hot climate area, dry them out of the sun or your precious bulbs will sunburn. When the bulbs are dry, you can trim off the roots, brush off the outer discolored parchment, and braid the dried leaves together if you wish to hang it for a decorative way to store your garlic.

Store garlic in a dry place. Most kitchens are fine. The ideal storage conditions are temperatures of around 50°F, dry, and well ventilated. Giving your garlic a reasonable advantage by following these suggestions just might mean a successful produce for your homegrown garlic.

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.

Let’s Plant Some Lilies

Lily bulbs can be planted anytime the ground is not frozen solid and is dry enough to dig a hole without making clods. In the mild climates, they can be planted in the fall and early winter and you can expect flowers starting that spring. If you plant in the early spring, the flowering stems will produce later and the stems may be a little shorter than usual if hot weather comes quickly. The following winter will automatically reset the lilies' clocks regulating them to the standard blooming time. Lilies bloom at similar times to when the roses begin to flower.

Plant your bulbs as soon as you are able. If you can’t plant them right away, store them in a cool-but-not-frozen place above 28°F. Your garage is a good place for temporary storage. Keep the bulbs in the dark because exposure to light will make them sprout quickly, and then they must be planted right away.

If you want to make up for a late start, you can pot your bulbs and leave them in a "root cellar" environment until sprouts appear. They will begin to form roots at very cool temperatures, as long as moisture is adequate. When it is warmer, you can move the pots outside or transplant the rooted mass with its emerging shoot right into the garden.

The planting spot should have good drainage with at least half a day of sun. If it's too shady, the stems will lean a little toward the light. Full sun is necessary if you are doing mass plantings. Since lilies can be bothered by botrytis, a fungus that spots the leaves in prolonged cool, wet weather, choose to plant your lilies in a spot where after a rain, it dries out quickly.

Plant the bulbs 4" to 6" deep. In the summer they prefer to stay cool, so deeper planting is a good idea. Deeper-planted bulbs will be really well anchored, with roots above and below the bulb. Another way to accomplish deeper planting is to make a raised bed. This also assures superb drainage, which is important for lilies. A radius of at least 6" per bulb gives each stem some elbow room.

Loosen up the soil at the bulb and lightly pat the soil on the top and once the warm sun starts to hit the planting spot regularly, the little shoots with start to rise. If you want to fertilize, put on a little well-balanced fertilizer at emergence time and then about a month later. Lilies do not actually need to be feed unless your soil is really poor. Too much nitrogen can produce lush leaves but weak stems, and bulb rot can occur in hot, wet areas; so do not overdo it. Lilies only rarely need more water after flowering. The Asiatics, Trumpets, and Orienpets are well adapted to dry summer areas, if they have enough water until flowering time. Since the Orientals don't flower until August, they will need watering during hot, dry summers. Mulch your lilies in the summer to help keep the bulbs cool and the watering to a minimum.

Lilies bring beauty, color, fragrance, and enjoyment to your garden for many years.

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.

Different Hydrangea Varieties

There are many species of this shrub to choose to grow in your landscape design. They have many positive aspects and are a pleasant showy splash of color in your garden. Most species of hydrangeas can be grown in either full sun or partial shade. They are resistant to most insects and diseases. They can be grown in a wide range of soil but prefer a rich, moist soil and make sure they are planted where watering will not be a problem. Their large, soft leaves lose water quickly, especially on hot, windy days, causing the foliage to wilt, so avoid dry windy sites. A list of some Hydrangea species you may want to consider follows.

Hydrangea macrophylla — Hortensia or Florist Hydrangea is a widely grown hydrangea with large globe-shaped flowers. The color of its blooms is dependent upon the pH of the soil in which it is grown: blue if acid; pink if alkaline (lime can be added to the soil to force this). There are also several white-flowered cultivars. Pruning can be accomplished at two different times: early spring and late summer (more desirable). Most hortensia types flower only from the end buds of upright or lateral shoots produced during late summer. Prune from the lower parts of the stems and crown as soon as the flowers have faded and strong shoots are developing. Pruning this species too late in the fall (after September) is harmful. Hydrangea macrophylla is a good seashore shrub; flowering is more profuse in an open, sunny location; however, hydrangeas are shade-tolerant.

Hydrangea quercifolia — Oakleaf Hydrangea is grown primarily for its handsome oak leaf-shaped foliage, as you might have guessed. It adds excellent color with attractive flowers in the fall and interest in the winter with its bark. It is This hydrangea is best suited to a lightly shaded or protected location. Expect some winter dieback if grown in an exposed site. Remove dead wood in the early spring to below the point of injury.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Grandiflora'— Hills-of-Snow Hydrangea should be pruned to the ground line each winter or early spring because it flowers abundantly on new growth. Frequently this hydrangea is killed back during winter. If a larger shrub is desired (3+ feet), prune less severely.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'— Pee Gee Hydrangea is the most commonly planted hydrangea because of its massive displays of large white flowers in mid-to-late summer. These gradually turn to pink and oddly remain on the plant in a semi-dried condition long after the leaves have fallen. It is important to thin and/or cut back the previous season's growth in late winter or early spring, since flower clusters will occur on newly developing branches. Without this pruning, Grandiflora can become overgrown and out of scale in the landscape unless you desire it to be developed into a single or multi-stemmed tree form.

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris —Climbing Hydrangea is a desirable mid-summer flowering deciduous woody vine that attaches itself by aerial roots to brick, masonry or wood including other trees. Often little or no pruning is required. If some shoots have grown out of bounds, just clip their length in summer.

Hydrangeas are workhorses in the garden, producing sumptuous petals of color to add beauty to your garden. They can continue to please by being captured easily in dried flower arrangements, providing the last gasp of your summer garden. All the above varieties make excellent dried flower arrangements.

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.

Create a Butterfly Garden

What could be more relaxing then sitting in you Adirondack chair next summer looking at all the beautiful flowers and butterflies in your butterfly garden. It isn’t hard to create a garden that will attract butterflies and if planned properly you can have butterflies all summer long. You want to have the right plants to attract your native butterflies and to keep them around. Butterflies need full sun, plants that provide nectar, plants to act as hosts for the larva and an environment free of pesticides.

The first step is planning your butterfly garden. Find out what type of native butterflies you want to attract. Then determine what type of nectar plants these butterflies prefer. Butterflies are attracted to bright colored flowers with strong scents and drink the sweet nectar for energy. They seem to prefer orange, red, yellow, purple and dark pink flowers. A multi-colored garden will be easy for them to find.

You must also plant host plants for the caterpillars to lay their eggs on. The caterpillars will eat all the leaves on the host plants which make them unattractive to look at. Plant the host plants behind or out of view of the nectar plants if you don’t want to look at them. This can be accomplished by planting the host plants behind taller nectar plants. Make sure you choose the type of host plants that the butterfly species likes to eat. If the caterpillars don’t like the leaves of the host plant they won’t eat them and they will die. Make sure the host plants are in fairly close proximity to the nectar plants to ensure the butterflies will lay their eggs on them.

You can probably get the plants you have chosen at your local greenhouse. Some will be annuals and some will be perennials. Perennials come back every year so these should be planted behind the annuals. If you want to see all of your flowers plant the taller ones behind the shorter ones.

Some butterflies like more than one nectar plant. If you want to attract butterflies all through the gardening season plant several different types of nectar plants. Late summer and early fall are when you will have the most butterflies in your garden so be sure and plan to have several types of nectar plants in bloom at that time.

Your butterfly garden will also attract hummingbirds and other birds so sit back and enjoy nature in front of you in the natural habitat you have created for these creatures and for your enjoyment.

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, water hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Tiger Lilies, Perennial Panthers of the Meadow

The perennial lily with flowers growing up to three inches in width was named ‘tiger’, probably referring to the spots on its fiery orange petals. This exotic lily has a strong, sweet and distinctively lily smell. Surprisingly, the flower buds, roots and shoots of this plant are all edible. These can often have a bitter flavor, however when baked, lily bulbs taste rather like potatoes. Tiger Lily buds are added to Chinese dishes; and they also can enhance the flavor of egg dishes and salads.

There are two varieties of the Tiger Lily: the Oriental variety that propagates through bulbs that form at leaf axils, and the common wildflower variety propagating by tuberous roots. Due to its wild growing nature, the Tiger Lily is incredibly easy to grow. They thrive well in moist to wet soils and grow well near the ditches. Actually, another name given to this perennial is ‘ditch’ lily because of this characteristic. Early to mid-autumn is the best time to plant out the bulbs in cool temperate areas. In warmer climates they can be planted out in late autumn.

The Tiger Lily has six stamens composed of anthers and filaments, one pistil composed of the stigma, style and ovary, a long style, and a three-lobed stigma. The Tiger Lily is sterile and does not produce seeds. To propagate, remove bulb scales from the bulbils (small bulbs) that grow in the axils of the leaves. Place these in moist peat in a cool dark place in a nursery until they produce bulbets that can be later planted outside.

The Tiger Lily does not require any special care. Tiger Lilies are among the most adaptable and long-lived summer bulbs. Almost anywhere you plant them they will grow even more beautifully the next year around. Tiger Lilies are happy in partial shade and can be planted where shade from overhanging trees would discourage other flowers. Fertilizers are needed only in the poorest of soils. Tiger Lilies can be sometimes attacked by slug or lily beetles. If you find these on your lilies just simply remove them by hand.

Very tall and exotic in appearance, the Tiger Lily makes an unusual display with the lily’s petals curling back to expose inner black dots and several long stamen. Plants can grow up to 5 feet tall with fairly strong stems. The soft, medium green leaves of the lily are elegant, a few inches long with a pointed tip. Leaves grow from the base of the plant up to the bloom point. Many flowers are on a single stem and there are several stems to a plant.

Some interesting and little-known facts about this lily are that it was first described in 1753 by the famous Swedish botanist Carl von Linne (Linnaeus). The Tiger Lily has proven to have significant medicinal uses. A tincture made from a fresh plant has great value in uterine-neuralgia, congestion and irritation, also in the nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. The flower essence helps in suppressing aggressive tendencies in individuals and helps in holistic healing. Tiger Lily has some toxic effects on cats and it can produce vomiting, in appetence, lethargy, kidney failure, even death. There is a superstition that smelling Tiger Lily will give you freckles, maybe started with the lily’s spotted interior. And lastly, the Tiger Lily stands for wealth and prosperity.

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.

Hydrangeas Used in Landscaping

Hydrangeas are very popular for landscaping mainly because of their dazzling display of flowers and spectacular foliage. It also is an easy to care for shrub given the correct growing environment. And a magical occurrence is that the color of hydrangea flowers can be manipulated by just changing the soil pH-dependent mobilization and uptake of soil aluminium into the plants.

Hydrangea macrophylla is a species native to Japan and Korea. However, it is widely cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates, and a must have shrub for shade and partial shade being that is so showy. In this country we refer to it as a "French Hydrangea". In landscaping design, Hydrangea macrophylla add a splash of springtime color to shady areas and woodland gardens. Once hydrangeas become established, they can grow quite vigorously. If they do become prolific, occasional summer pruning is recommended to keep them in bounds. The flowers are easily air-dried and are long lasting making terrific indoor décor displays.

Macrophylla tends to grow ball shaped flowers. The blossoms are either pink or blue depending on the soil pH. If the pH of the soil is below 5.5, the flower tends to be blue. If soil pH is higher, they will be pink although some cultivars will retain their original color irrespective of soil pH. Soil pH can be changed (lowered) using aluminum sulfate available in garden centers. If you definitely want pink flowers, add lime instead.

Hydrangeas also come in a climbing variety, a flowering deciduous vine. Plant taxonomy classifies climbing hydrangeas as Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris. Newly planted climbing hydrangea vines are slow to grow and slow to bloom. Once established, these plants are true climbers, using "holdfasts" to scale walls or trellises, good for shady areas. Grow climbing hydrangea vines up trees, garden arbors, pergolas and fences. Even though they won't flower as profusely if planted in full shade, these shade-tolerant vines provide attractive foliage that can cover quite an area once the plants mature.

In early summer, climbing hydrangeas produce fragrant, lacy, flat-topped, white flower heads. These "lace caps" can be five inches or more in width and are composed of showy flowers on the outside accompanied by less-than-showy flowers on the inside. The leaves of climbing hydrangea vines turn yellowish in autumn. The plants' exfoliating bark affords winter interest. Climbing hydrangeas that do get more sun tend to bloom more profusely. The soil should be moist, well-drained, and contain plenty of humus.

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.

Good Ground Covers to Replace Lawn

Consider what is involved with keeping your lawn looking good— fuel for power mowers, toxic emissions, fertilizers and pesticides, water consumption and weekend time are all part of the cost of lawn maintenance. Groundcovers are a landscaping alternative that make sense.

Groundcovers are low-lying plants, usually chosen with aesthetic considerations in mind and requiring minimal maintenance. They can be saviors for homeowners who are stuck with having to mow steep slopes. Or maybe grass is simply impossible to grow where homeowners thought they would have lawn, for instance, it may be just too shady in this area. Groundcovers also offer landscape solutions for problem areas. If groundcovers are projected to cover a very large expanse, the initial cost will probably be greater than for sowing grass seed; but groundcovers save money in the long run eliminating the repeated maintenance costs involved with a lawn.

Despite some overlap, groundcovers and cover crops are different groups of plants. Cover crops are sometimes used as living mulches. Clover is an example of a cover crop. Often cover crops are tilled into the soil not long after being planted simply to supply the soil with amendments. Groundcovers may inhabit a stretch of land for many years. They never grow very high, so they never need to be cut. Areas planted in groundcover will need little to no maintenance. During the first year, new plantings will require weeding and mulching, but once established, little care is warranted.

Choosing a groundcover usually involves decisions about texture, density, spreading capacity, and how well they choke out the weeds. Your garden center can recommend local groundcover varieties and their characteristics. Some groundcovers are edible, such as strawberries or low-growing herbs. Dwarf dogwood (also called bunchberry), and herbs like thyme and oregano work as groundcovers for limited areas. Also know that groundcovers need an edge barrier or boundary to contain them such as a low brick or wood edging.

Moss ground covers can be used as an alternative to lawn grass in shady spots. Other groundcovers for shade are an ajuga called Dicentra, and two types of pachysandra. These shade-tolerant groundcovers have to be established for at least one growing season before the area can suffer a lot of traffic.

Bunchberry is an evergreen with white flowers in spring and red berries in the fall. If this groundcover is difficult to get started, work in a humus-type soil. Golden creeping Jenny can be a vigorous grower, and grows nicely over and among rocks. Wild ginger is shiny heart-shaped leaves with amazing maroon flowers appearing in spring. Corsican mint offers dense coverage. No holes in this mat of tiny foliage. And when you step on it, you'll get a whiff of peppermint. A slope with well-drained soil, rich in humus, can be covered with creeping phlox plants as a groundcover to prevent any erosion. This ground cover grows best in full sun. Another groundcover that thrives in full sun yet tolerates full shade too, is a vine called Virginia creeper. It will transform your yard into a shimmering curtain of wide green five-fingered leaves.

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.

Choosing and Planting the Right Vine for Your Garden

As with all plants, a little research is necessary to decide which vine to choose for your growing needs, and where and how to plant the selection. Vines grown in cooler northern areas may not be adapted to warmer regions. Conversely, many tropical or subtropical vines will not survive the winters of the north.

Choose a vine according to the function it will play in your landscape. Do you want the vine to be used as a screen or to soften the look of a dividing wall? Do you want the vine to show color or attract hummingbirds and butterflies? A thing you should also consider is planting one or more vines together so that when one finishes blooming, another begins, creating a tapestry of foliage and flowers.

Many vines, such as Cross Vine and Trumpet Creeper, will grow as tall as their support will allow so you must think of the kind of support you want. If you choose a trellis, remember the height of this support determines where the most foliage and flowers will occur. Often vines are sparse near the ground and the greatest concentration is near the top growth. The chosen trellis or other support should be placed several inches away from walls. This placement allows air movement between wall and vine reducing the possibility of mold and mildew to grow on the surfaces. Vines should be kept off of roof shingles and siding to avoid any damage to buildings.

Where a plant is located in a landscape will influence how well it will tolerate cold temperatures. Tender species of vines can be planted on the south and east sides of buildings protected from cold northwestern winds. Vines planted in protected areas are more likely to survive than if planted in exposed locations. The amount of sunlight required by vines varies, but most vines grow and flower best in full sunlight to partial shade. Other site characteristics such as salt spray, water drainage and soil type also help determine the type of vine is best for your landscape. Poor soil drainage causes the roots of some vines to decay while others are adapted to wet areas.

Vines grow best in a slightly acid, loose, well-drained soil. When conditions differ from this, select vines which are adapted rather than changing soil conditions to suit a particular type of vine.

Vines are planted in the same manner as other plants. Vines should be mulched with preferably organic material. Mulches insulate the soil and roots, conserve moisture and help control weeds.

The success or failure of a planting often depends on whether the plants receive adequate moisture. Vines require months of being watered frequently to enable them to extend their roots firmly into the surrounding soil and get more established.

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 Versatility of Flowering Vines

Unfortunately, clinging vines have had a bad connotation deriving from the age-old fairy tale about Jack and the climbing beanstalk. But it is now time to put that child’s story away and discuss all the virtues of flowering vines and other attractive climbers and creepers. Flowering vines are used in landscape design for both aesthetic and utilitarian purposes. The versatility of flowering vines is truly impressive. A lot of that versatility has to do with the fact that vines can either stay close to the ground functioning as ground covers or climb and be used to decorate trellises, arbors, and fences.

Being that many flowering vines attract hummingbirds, a characteristic that appeals to both gardeners and bird watchers, whole garden landscapes are focused on this aspect now. Bird watchers desirous of attracting hummingbirds with flowers dripping with nectar need not sacrifice landscaping beauty. Climbing vines, to name one, the trumpet vine, adept at attracting our attention with its bright orange color, is also considered among the best to attract hummingbirds, hungry for the food that they bear. Magnifica Honeysuckle, a low creeper vine with large scarlet flowers also attracts hummingbirds. Many flowering vines are rich nectar sources for not only hummingbirds, but for butterflies too.

The vertical dimension is always an important consideration in landscape design to add interest and variety. Vertical relief to flat horizontal spaces can be welcomed with a framework structure like an arbor. Arbors work best when covered with vines offering periods of shade to plants below. Vines when grown on arbors can provide lovely doorways transitioning from one area of the landscape to another.

Chain-link fences are hardly appealing on their own, but when decorated with climbing flowering vines they can make quite a statement. They also can provide, in some cases, a form of a privacy screen sheltering your backyard activities from unwelcome outside attention. Vines can be used to soften and add interest to fences, walls and other hard spaces.

Some vine plants can serve a utilitarian function as ground covers for erosion control. Undesirable trees, posts, and poles can be transformed using vines to alter their form, texture and color.

Vines can be separated into three basic types: clinging, twining, and sprawling. Clinging vines attach to surfaces using specialized organs such as roots or tendrils. Twining vines climb by encircling upright vertical supports. They are often used on poles, vertical wires, or lattice structures. Most of these vines will spiral in only one direction characteristic of the species. Sprawling vines are basically shrubs that produce long runners, but have no means of attaching themselves to a support. So this type of vine needs to be manually wound around a support or braced up in some way. They usually become woody and self-supporting with age.

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.

Some Great Gifts for Your Gardening Friends

The rewards of gardening are plentiful. But sometimes it is nice to receive a gift to make the work of gardening a bit more comfortable or easier. Even though for most, gardening is a chore of love, having the right tool for the specific task is not only a time saver but gets the job done correctly and more efficiently.

A lot of time in the garden is spent on your knees close to the earth. A gift of cushioned kneepads is a thoughtful one. They are good for working in the soil, and also can be useful when working on harder surfaces such as wood, asphalt, and even concrete. Surprisingly, they can be so comfortable that a gardener can forget he or she is even wearing them.

Hauling mulch around an area can be time consuming. Give a large garden cart to your gardening friend you know has a lot of this heavy hauling to do. This cart will take fewer trips holding about five times the amount the common wheelbarrow can hold. It will also come in handy when planting larger shrubs being much sturdier and stable than a wheelbarrow.

A potting table is a wonderful gift. A special place at just the right height to change around plants to bigger pots or different ones is always so useful for any gardener. A soil tray is a good thing and one with a sink is even better.

All-in-one efficiency tools are always a good gift. A multi-purpose garden knife that can dig holes and cut roots makes the transplanting task easy; and this can be found all in just one tool. With this tool, days in the garden become less about work and more about enjoying yourself in the garden.

Many gardeners appreciate items of garden art received as gifts which often hold memories of times spent with vacationing friends and neighbors. These little treasures can be placed throughout the garden creating a personal touch.

A living gift keeps on giving and giving. Instead of buying cut roses that would eventually just die, consider giving a rose bush. This rose bush will keep on multiplying more beautiful roses on its branches, and also give cut roses for years to come.

Sometimes gardeners have injuries or develop medical conditions that prevent them from gardening the way they used to garden. A lightweight little power tiller can really help in this case bringing joy back into the act.

Support apparatus for vine-type plantings or a sturdy arbor for a wandering wisteria could be just the perfect gift. Whatever is chosen to grow on the support will be displayed much more vividly and will happily show its gratitude continually.

Probably the most thoughtful garden gifts are tools given down from one gardener to the next gardener in the family. If a gardener keeps his or her tools in good condition, they will keep performing for many years to come.
A wooden handle might have to be replaced, but knowing that same tool had been in use for over half a century or more is a real treasure.

A gardening journal makes a great gift to keep records of annual plantings. It can be a resource for memories and it can remind you that gardening is a process and a constant learning experience. The best journals have places for daily notes as well as a plant inventory list and a place where harvests can be documented.

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.

Recycle and Compost

Recycling is now a mainstream activity and hopefully the types and volume of items being recycled will continue to increase even during the current weak economic times. There have been a lot of old, dead cars recycled in the past year because of the value of the metal. It wasn’t uncommon to get $300 to $500 per car. Demand has slackened due to the global recession but it is a good example of the benefits of recycling.

Paper, cardboard, glass, cans and metals of all kinds are now recycled. Less and less waste is going to the landfill these days. Families who religiously recycle and compost their organic materials are reducing their trash collection by up to 75%.

The recycling of organic materials by making compost is the most exciting type of recycling for many people. That compost bin on the kitchen counter gets filled up fast by families who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables which most do today.

There are certain items in your kitchen that you shouldn’t put in the compost bin because they can create odor problems and attract rodents and flies. Don’t put meat or fish bones or scraps, any dairy products and any fats grease, lard or oil in your compost bin.

Most yard waste, grass and leaves can be composted. It is best to separate your leaves from your regular compost pile as they are high in carbon and it is best to work them into your compost pile with the other items you compost which are higher in nitrogen. Grass can go directly into the compost bin because it is high in nitrogen and will decompose quickly.

A lot of municipalities don’t allow yard waste to be taken to the landfill nor do they allow leaves to be burnt in the fall which has forced many homeowners to learn to compost their yard waste. Yard waste decomposes very slowly in landfills because of the lack of oxygen and takes up a lot of space in the process.

It is possible to compost just your yard waste without adding your kitchen scraps to it. It just takes a lot longer for it to decompose and it produces much less compost. Leaves and grass are great additions to an active compost pile. The grass is hot which means it decomposes quickly and the leaves add bulk that allows oxygen to flow through which assists in the decomposition process. Kitchen scraps, leaves and grass mixed together make a productive compost pile if turned regularly.

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, water hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

That water expands when it freezes is a widely known fact. But what some people may not realize is that this expansion can cause serious damage to pipes in the wintertime when temperatures drop below freezing. When frozen water expands, it puts pressure on whatever might be containing it. That includes pipes, and not just plastic ones; freezing temperatures can cause extensive damage to metal pipes as well. While pipes that are outdoors and thus exposed to the elements—such as a hose bib for a garden hose or a water supply line for a swimming pool, hot tub or sprinkler—are obviously subject to the dangers of freezing, indoor pipes can be damaged in cold weather, too. Pipes that run inside the exterior walls of a house can be damaged if the walls have no or little insulation. Pipes in unheated areas of a home—including the attic, the basement, the garage and any crawl spaces—are also at risk for damage when the temperature drops.

So what steps can be taken to prevent frozen pipes?

First, before the cold weather hits, detach every garden hose from its hose bib, then drain and store each garden hose. This even applies to those kept on hose reels. Open each hose bib—this will allow any remaining water to drain out of it, preventing it from freezing, expanding and breaking the pipe. Similarly, drain the water from swimming pools, as well as any supply lines to swimming pools, hot tubs or sprinklers.

Inspect unheated areas of your home and make sure that any pipes in these areas are properly insulated. Insulation sleeves specially designed for pipes are available; you can purchase these at home improvement warehouses or even from a plumbing supplies store. These pipe insulation sleeves can be layered to ensure adequate coverage.

If you have faucets coming from pipes that run along exterior walls or other unprotected spaces, it is wise to let these faucets drip. It does waste a bit of water, but having even just a very small amount of water flowing will relieve pressure and thus keep a pipe from bursting. If you have left a faucet dripping and the drip stops, do not turn the faucet off. It is a sign that the pipe has frozen and thus needs the outlet for the pressure still. If you suspect you might have a frozen pipe, call a plumber right away.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.

Showy Decorative Plants

Plants with gorgeous foliage, stunning blooms, and dramatic shapes can add a striking splash of color to your home or office. Growing healthy, showy plants indoors in the winter can help the energy in a place to be more positive and pleasant, and can actually help cure the winter blues. Surprisingly, indoor plants are as easy to care for as their outdoor counter parts. Given the right spot to grow, they thrive just perfectly and a greenhouse isn’t even necessary, as many hardcore gardeners believe. If the air in your home or office is dry, there are a few things you can do to increase the humidity. The first thing that will help is to gather the plants near one another in a group. Next, you can try running a small humidifier near the plants. Also, placing plants on a tray of pebbles filled with water will help. The water level in the tray should be kept just below the bottom of the pots. The water should always be checked when the air is dry, a common occurrence while heating systems are running. Some easy-to-grow plant suggestions to enjoy indoors this winter are described below.

Passionflowers have delightful foliage and bloom multitudes of fascinating flowers all year if given enough light. With hairy green leaves and yellow flowers or delicate pink flowers bearing a subtle fragrance, passionflowers are free flowering (producing blooms all year). They need a bright or moderately bright spot in order for this to happen. Between watering, allow the potting mix to dry slightly, and fertilize your plant in the spring and summer months. To keep the leaves healthy, there should be enough humidity in the air. The vines should be trimmed when they grow too long and lanky. The clippings can be used for cuttings to start others.

Contrary to their name, flowering maples are not related to maples. Actually, they're kin to hollyhocks. These plants bear small, hibiscus-like blooms in shades of red, white, pink, orange, yellow, and even blue. And like the passionflower, if given enough light, will bloom on and off all year. The pretty maple-like leaves are usually dark green. They usually don't need as much water in winter months. During the spring and summer months, fertilize flowering maple plants with a flowering-houseplant fertilizer. To keep them from getting too shrubby or leggy, trim the plants back occasionally. 


Perfect for gardeners who want constant bright indoor color, flamingo lilies will bloom all year, if given enough light. Flamingo lilies are popular with florists. Because of their long-lasting, bright red or pink flowers, they are often used in tropical flower arrangements. Even if the plants don't get enough light to bloom constantly, they still have attractive foliage with shiny, dark-green, heart- or arrow-shaped leaves. During the spring and summer months, fertilize with a flowering-houseplant fertilizer to ensure producing consistent blooming. Give them plenty of humidity all year. 


Giant elephant's ears that many gardeners grow outdoors are too large to be suitable houseplants, but several of the smaller species are spectacular indoors. Many of these plants have very decorative dark green, nearly black leaves highlighted with bright silver veins. This showy foliage attracts attention in all seasons. Elephant's ears grow in moderately bright light, and generally require less water in winter. Fertilize with a houseplant fertilizer through the spring and summer. To keep the leaves looking healthy, give them plenty of humidity all year.

Often overlooked as houseplants, Persian shields are beautiful shrub-like plants, native to areas of southeastern Asia. The plant’s dramatic foliage of wonderful, toothed dark-green leaves painted with tones of silver, pink, and purple on the top and dark burgundy on the undersides will also treat you with small spikes of blue flowers, given the right conditions. Persian shields like a relatively bright spot, good humidity, and light pruning from time to time to keep them from looking too shrubby. As recommended for all these indoor beauties, watering should be done when the potting mix is slightly dry.

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.

Nurture Healthy Pollen Production

Without pollen production, most plant and animal life in our gardens would cease to exist. An abundance of healthy, ripe pollen is the rich vein of gold that produces our most popular food crops. Without this garden gold dust there would be no apples, cucumbers, tomatoes or corn. 

Just as distinct as the plants on which they’re found, pollens are wind-transferred (such as corn and ragweed), the bane of hay fever sufferers, and insect-transferred (such as fruit and squash) displayed on showy, scented flowers designed to attract pollinators.

At the heart of blossoms in structures called anthers, atop stalk like stamens is where the pollen grains develop. As pollen ripens and becomes very yellow, the anthers open. Then either the wind or insects transfer the pollen grains, which contain male reproductive cells, to the tips of pistils, the female parts of blossoms. Much like a seed, the pollen germinates there. Each grain of pollen sends a tube down into a pistil to the flower’s ovary, where it fertilizes a seed-producing ovule.

This process needs to take place hundreds, thousands, even millions of times in order to generate a bumper crop of almost anything in a growing season. The life span of a pollen grain is fairly short, ranging from a few hours to a few days. A lot can go wrong along the way. Soil nutrients, moisture levels, weather, and sunlight all influence pollen production. To improve the odds that at least some ripe pollen will land on desirable pistils, plants must produce vast volumes of pollen.

The ideal pollen-germinating temperature for most plants is 65ºF to 75ºF. So if your garden grows at these temperatures most of the time, you are most likely to beat the odds. Germination generally slows or eventually stops when nights drop below 60ºF, days are above 85ºF, or the humidity tops 70 percent. Between five and ten in the morning is when airborne pollen usually peaks. Pollen production can be eccentric, though. Different plants can shed pollen at different times of the day.

To help maximize pollen production and germination in your garden do some simple things: Test your garden soil regularly. Plants need balanced nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels for blossom production. Adequate levels of calcium and boron are required for healthy pollen development. A soil test determines what is necessary for improvement. Select plants suited to your climate. In hot-summer regions, some plants stop ripening pollen in July and August. In these regions, choose early-blooming plant varieties that ripen enough pollen to produce good crops before temperatures become too hot.

It will also help to maintain even soil moisture. Providing a consistent amount of water helps plants take in the nutrients that encourage blossom development and healthy pollination. Drought conditions can dramatically reduce pollen production. Take care to water the soil at the plant’s ground level because top watering can wash delicate pollen off flowers and out of the air. To make the task of watering much easier, 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.

Artful Touches to Personalize Your Garden

Garden art is any decorative object you place in your landscape. These objects add distinction and personalize your garden that can surprise, delight, and even inspire. What you choose to grow is very personal, of course, but also is limited to what grows in your specific region. Adding these artful touches can make your garden have its special style. Anything from a scarecrow to a large decorative urn can be used to spice up your outdoor décor. You can use flea-market finds, time-honored antiques, or handcrafted objects to help your garden reflect your own personal style.

First, decide on the art’s role. Is the piece of art going to be the center of attention or play a supporting role to the main attraction. For instance some gardener’s may want to display a fountain in the middle of a bed of blooming flowers. A piece of art can help visually organize a garden area and grab attention. When an object is placed at the end of a path it adds perspective and the visitor is drawn into the garden to wander down the path to see it up close and enjoy whatever is planted along the way.

To create a focal point, place a piece of art that’s taller than its surroundings. Or instead of just using a single piece of art, use a collection of items that are similar in color or are of contrasting textures and forms.

To give art added significance, place it in front of a wall trellis covered with ivy or place the object under an arbor. A decorative item positioned in front of a backdrop immediately draws the eye.

Not all garden art serves as a focal point. Some objects can be used as a guide to signal a point of transition or remind the visitor that a turn is coming up or a new area is just around the corner. Decorative objects enhance your garden décor. Colorful containers, sculptures, birdbaths, benches, and arbors support the colors and style of your garden and home. They can be subtle accents that blend or bold attention-getters that sparkle adding interest either way.

The type of art you choose to display sets the tone for your garden. Classic art is the obvious choice for a formal garden. Contemporary objects suggest a more informal, creative style of gardening. Archaeological pieces can be used to suggest the excitement of discovery and exploration. Spiritual and mythical symbols invite visitors to meditate. Try to be consistent in your selection so that your garden defines the style you want to be conveyed.

To enhance your gardening experience, consider designing your own art. You can’t get more personal than this. Your garden decorations tell a story about you. Your garden, the plants you have chosen to spend time caring for and the items within it are your own creative expression.

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.

Ants Hold the Key to a Garden’s Health

Did you know that the fate of your garden depends on ants? Most people think of ants as pests, but these complex insects play several important roles in your yard’s ecosystem.

Since many ant species are predators of other insects, the millions of ants in your garden control the amount of caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers in your garden. Without ants, these insects would be left unchecked to devour your plants.

Many birds would be less likely to visit your garden if it lacked a healthy ant population. Ants themselves are prey for larger predators. Northern flickers are woodpeckers with a long tongue specializing in lapping up dozens of ants with each flick. In the desert Southwest, horned lizards also feed on ants, sometimes exclusively. Most backyard birds feed their young insects, many being ants.

Ants also make life easier for plants. The tunnels ants make in the soil channel air, water, and organic matter directly to plant roots and loosen the soil, making it easier for roots to grow. The seeds of many plants such as trilliums, violets, Dutchman’s breeches, trout lilies, and datura have fleshy, nutritious extensions called eliaosomes, which lure ants. The ants feed the eliaosomes to their larvae and then disperse the seeds in nutrient-rich heaps outside the colony, where the seeds germinate.

Only a few ant species become nasty pests. Carpenter ants can cause damage in homes by making tunnels through soft, decaying wood to create a nest. Tiny, exotic Argentine ants invade the home by feeding on all sorts of strange items, such as electronic equipment. And the red imported fire ant creates huge mounds and has an extremely painful bite.

In most cases ants are probably providing beneficial services to your garden. Before you start spraying to kill them off, identify the species to determine if it is truly a pest. If poison is your only option, here is an effective method of trapping them that is essentially non-toxic to people and other animals: soak bread in a mixture of 3⁄4 cup water, 1⁄4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon borax and put it in a small plastic container with holes in the side.

Ants owe their success to their social nature. Within a colony there’s a complex and efficient division of labor. an Ant colonies can include (depending on the species): foragers, warriors, hunters, nannies, janitors, undertakers, engineers, gardeners, herders, guards, egg-laying queens. Ants communicate via chemical pheromones, which they detect with their antennae. Learning more about these fascinating insects will make you appreciate the role they play in keeping your garden healthy.

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.

How to Make the Most of Your Gardening Time

No matter how much we love gardening, most of us would like to spend more time admiring our gardens and less time working in them. Sometimes the weeding and garden chores can make you feel overwhelmed. There are some simple steps you can do to decrease this feeling and let you spend more time relaxing and enjoying your garden.

1. Choosing native plants is always a good way to go. Because these plants have evolved in the same climate as your garden’s, most native plants require less watering, fertilizing, and staking. They have already proven to be hardy among the elements of your region.

2. Vegetables and fruit demand more care than any other group of growing plants. Of course there is nothing that matches the taste of a home-grown vegetable or fruit, but it is a commitment of time to make this happen. Remember when your fruit or vegetable is ready to be harvested, it won’t wait until you are ready to take the time to harvest it, then prepare it for storage. Consider growing a few of your favorite vegetables in large containers. You’ll spend less time planting, weeding, fertilizing, and watering. To help retain moisture and reduce watering time, group large containers together and mix water-retaining crystals into the soil mix before planting.

3. Some perennials are high-maintenance. Replace them with shrubs and small trees. Shrubs do not require dividing or deadheading. They need less watering, and fertilizing than perennials. And it goes without saying that the fewer annuals you have, the better. No need to replace them every year. If you choose a suitable dwarf variety of shrub, you can also reduce the pruning time. Avoid fast-growing hedging plants as your replacement.

4. Do not plant aggressive, quick-growing wonders. These bullies will overtake your garden forcing you to weed them out as they spread and grow over the surrounding plants.

5. If you need to stake tall or fragile plants, plan on doing this early in the season. Stake when the foliage is still emerging so shoots will grow through the supports and conceal the staking. Inexpensive tomato cages support bushy perennials such as delphiniums and yarrows.

6. To encourage healthier plants and reduce your chances of fungal diseases, water early in the day. Plants need water to face the day, but they should be dry before they go into the cooler evening hours. To eliminate the frustrations of dealing with a hose tangling up, get a garden hose reel. Much time can be saved by doing this making the chore easier, too.

7. Master the art of mulching. A properly mulched garden adds organic material to your soil, discourages weeds from germinating and conserves moisture.

8. Use the right tools. Pruning with the wrong tool can take twice as long. Make sure your tools are in good working order. A dull hand pruner makes an unclean cut that can damage branches forcing you to make two or three cuts instead of one.

9. Spend a few minutes once or twice a week walking around your garden checking for insect and disease infestations. They require less aggressive treatment when spotted early. Because insects and diseases are more common when you have rotten vegetables and fruits lying on the ground. Dispose of these immediately and if possible, dispose them off your property to be safe.

10. Do a little weeding every day or every other day. Don’t let it go. You can destroy most young weeds by simply scraping the soil with the side of a hoe or trowel. This takes much less time than picking them out one by one. Pick off the flower heads of annual weeds before they go to seed.

11. Research growing conditions and care requirements before you purchase a plant. If a plant requires high-maintenance and you don’t have time to care for it properly, choose another which thrives with less care.

12. Reduce mowing time by keeping the lawn shape simple. Convert sharp-cornered, linear garden beds into smooth, shallow-curved beds. Avoid island beds or structures in the lawn causing you to mow around them taking more time. To eliminate edge trimming, add a mowing strip. This is a narrow edge of brick or gravel set below the level of the lawn that allows the mower to pass over it with no damage. Hard-to-reach strips of grass between sidewalks and buildings can be replaced with low-maintenance ground covers.

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.

Winter Window Box Dressing

If you are lucky enough to have window boxes on your house, you know just how much fun it is to change your window box display. Many window box owners find they enjoy matching what’s in their window boxes with the change of the seasons. This keeps your house looking fresh all year long. It is important to have window boxes that will not rot as it is a place where water can get trapped, and they do need to be changed and cleaned out occasionally. There are many different styles of window boxes available today to choose from, so keep this in mind if you want to add window boxes to your house to join in on the fun.

In the spring and summer the task is very easy with many plants available in bloom. The difficult part is choosing which plants to fill your boxes with among the many choices. In the fall and winter seasons the task becomes a bit more challenging.

A favorite fall window box decoration is to incorporate a Thanksgiving type theme. This can be achieved with an assortment of pumpkins, squashes, cornstalks, mums and leaves with autumn colors in them. Use the reds, oranges, and browns to match the color of the changing leaves in your yard. Some plants survive the cold temperatures the fall starts to bring. Mums and decorative cabbages are successfully used in fall window boxes. For a nice trailing effect geraniums, petunias, and sweet potato vines can be incorporated. A good mix of both vines and colorful flowers can create a great combination in a window box. Try a flowering centerpiece such as a chrysanthemum or aster to create drama and then add an assortment of colorful gourds, small pumpkins and squash off to either side of the box.

In the winter you can decorate your window box with cut evergreens such as rhododendrons, holly, pine, spruce, fir and balsam. The rhododendrons leaves will add a smooth surface. The holly leaves will add a shiny surface. While the other cut branches will give a spiky or almost furry appearance with their needles. Use your creativity and mix up all the different textures and shades of green. You can also add some large pinecones, red berries from the holly, or orange berries from bittersweet branches for even more interest. As you place the greens remember that snowfall will top off your display occasionally. Try to stick the ends of some of the branches in left over soil that is in your window box, if it is not frozen already. This will add some stability to your display.

No matter what the season, dressing up your house with colorful, decorative window box displays is always a fun thing to do.

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.

Some Greenhouse Tips

The most important thing you must do when you build a greenhouse is to brace the structure securely before winter sets in, especially if you live in an area that gets snow. When the snow load accumulates on a big structure, all your hard work can be destroyed rather quickly. Suggested support is to add 2-by-4 vertical braces to the framing as soon as possible to avoid any kind of disaster.

The next important tip is to provide adequate ventilation. If you plan to use your greenhouse for growing vegetable crops during the summer, you will need heavy-duty exhaust fans and roll-up sides. However, if your greenhouse is for the purpose of growing during the winter, all you need to do is just leave the doors open once in awhile to provide adequate ventilation. Any exhaust fan is superfluous.

Caring for the soil used in your greenhouse is as important as the air. Using compost is a good idea in that this will help boost the microbial populations in the soil. Mulches have benefits, too. They will moderate the temperature in the soil, conserve moisture and decompose over time to increase fertility. There are advantages to leaving the greenhouse soil fallow over the summer. Soil “solarizes” in intense heat burning off soil pathogens. Also, this practice will desiccate even the most die-hard slug!

Avoid over fertilizing with nitrogen. Especially in the low light conditions of a winter greenhouse, green leafy crops can accumulate unhealthy levels of nitrates. Never add nitrogen fertilizers in the greenhouse. Always use plant-based rather than manure-based (higher in nitrogen) composts.

Since the greenhouse is usually too hot for direct sowing in late summer and early fall, when most winter crops need to be started, a common practice is to start growing the plants for your greenhouse as seeds under grow lights in your house, perhaps in the basement. When they get too big for the grow bench, move them into the greenhouse.

Some greenhouse crops to consider are salad-oriented. Lettuces are quite resistant to frost, though not as cold hardy as some other winter garden plants. Chicories are an excellent choice to grow during the winter. If you’ve been turned off by the stringy, bitter taste of endives and escaroles you buy from the supermarket, be assured that the chicories grown in the chill and reduced light of a winter greenhouse taste sweet, and the stringy toughness is replaced by a delightful juicy crunch. Other cold hardy crops are the edible chrysanthemum and miner’s lettuce or claytonia. Scallions are also easy to grow in a greenhouse and a delightful addition to winter salads.

Green onion and garlic tops also make great cooking greens. Spinach is extremely cold hardy and several sowings can be made during the winter growing season. Crucifers including mustards, Oriental greens such as pak choi and tatsoi, and chard are all are tasty and nutritious. If you start your transplants early enough, loose leafed kale is an excellent crop for the fall-winter greenhouse. Brassicas that head such as cabbages and broccoli produce later in the winter large, tight heads grown in the greenhouse.

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.

Consider Building a Greenhouse

A greenhouse gives the ardent amateur gardener the opportunity to keep on growing through the winter months. Since the soil doesn’t freeze inside a greenhouse, you can continue the satisfaction and pleasure of growing your own plants, flowers, and vegetables all year long. Discover what a joy it is to bring unusually fine quality to some particular specie or variety. With a greenhouse you can raise plants for setting out in the spring doing it easier and more efficiently than in a hotbed or cold frame.

A greenhouse attached to the southeast corner of your house is the most practical solution to the concept. This lowers the heating cost considerably. On sunny winter days the greenhouse absorbs a lot of heat and contributes this extra heat to the house making it an economical arrangement. You will probably find that your fuel bills will be no higher than before adding the greenhouse. Actually a greenhouse is one of the most valuable additions you can make to your property. If you want to be more self-reliant by raising more of your own food, a greenhouse can help you meet many of your needs and goals.

Start with simple components for your greenhouse structure. Most greenhouses are made from sheets of plastic stretched over a metal frame. Many kits are available with all the essential components. Some are styled so that if there is a lot of snowfall where you live, the snow will shed off easily. You can choose different priced parts according to how strong and sturdy you want your greenhouse to be. If your area gets heavy winds, wider pipe is recommended.

To resist ultraviolet breakdown, it also is recommended using 6-mil plastic that has been treated. Protect your foundation with as many applications of sealant as needed to last a long time. Pine boards sealed with several coats of linseed oil will last only about five years. For a more lasting foundation, install a single course of 4-inch hollow concrete block on a small poured footer, then lock a better grade 2-by-4 (sealed against moisture) onto the top of the block foundation using J-bolts pushed into wet concrete in the holes of the blocks.

Choose the right size for your greenhouse. Larger ones buffer temperature extremes better because a larger greenhouse will have a larger amount of thermal mass (in the form of soil) that is warmed by the sun during the day, making warmer temperatures linger through the night. Choosing a larger greenhouse is also a good thing because you will discover more and more things to do with it as the years go by. Usually buying a larger greenhouse kit makes more sense because you will pick up much more growing space for just a matter of a few more dollars.


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.

Which Garlic Do You Choose to Grow?

Garlic has never been so widely appreciated and more than ever before garlic cultivators are available. This actually can be called a garlic renaissance. Among the hundreds of different varieties in eleven horticultural groups, garlic serves many different needs. Climate, growing practices and storage conditions all affect the way garlic performs. It is a matter of trying what works best for you. After some exploration, you will develop your own list of favorites.

The three basic kinds of garlic are Common Garlic, Elephant Garlic, and Hardneck Garlic. Appropriately named, elephant garlic has enormous cloves, but contains very little garlic flavor. Common Garlic is the white skinned type usually found at supermarkets sometimes called soft neck garlic or Italian garlic. The silverskin types of common garlic are the ones used for braiding found at farmers’ markets.

The bulbs of the artichoke types of Common Garlic have an outer white or off-white parchment skin. There is a row of decent-sized cloves around the outside with smaller, thinner cloves among the interior. Removing the skin from these cloves is not easy. The bulb is wrapped in many layers of parchment, which continues up to form a soft parchment like neck. These layers are ideal for using to braid all your bulbs together on a string to hang in the kitchen. Garlic keeps well and braiding it is a nice way to store it. Silverskins have a strong flavor with numerous small cloves. Their white neck is sturdy so they are well suited for plaiting. The Creole sub-group of the silverskin type is atypical because they have only 8-12 cloves, are mild in flavor, and have a rose colored outer skin.

Hardneck Garlic has many varieties such as Serpent Garlic, Stiffneck Garlic, Rocombole Garlic, Top Setting Garlic, Bavarian Garlic, Porcelain Garlic, and Purple Stripe Garlic. These garlics have stiff, sometimes thick, necks. They usually have fewer, even-sized cloves arranged around their center neck. The number of cloves run from four to twelve or so, depending on the variety. They are generally less reliable in changeable weather conditions (especially hot) than Common Garlics, with the exception of the Rocombole type.

The most distinctive of the three main hardneck types is Rocambole Garlic. The most significant property this type has is that it throws up a flowering stem, called a scape. Another difference is that the bulb has relatively little outer parchment skin leaving the cloves often exposed to being knocked off or withering. However because they have very little skin, they are very easy to peel. The tall flowering scape makes a twisting loop as it unfurls the head containing not flowers, but tiny little bulbils. Purple Stripe Garlic has very white, thick, bulb skins, streaked with bright purple. Some are strongly flavored and others are mild tasting. Some are ready to harvest mid-season and some are late maturing. They all store fairly well. The Porcelain Garlic variety has few (between four and eight), large fat cloves and is covered with a very thick and very white bulb skin. The taste of this garlic is usually strong.

Be guided in making your choice by the local varieties available. However, make sure they genuinely are local. A variety that is reliable in one location may be marginally reliable in another. Ask around and get the advice of knowledgeable local home gardeners.

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.

Growing Garlic in a Home Garden

Growing garlic in your home garden is relatively easy. It does require care and attention. The simple maintenance is weeding because garlic does not like competition and watering. It is important to harvest on time and cure it properly.

Even though garlic will grow under a wide variety of soil conditions, it is said to prefer free draining loam with lots of organic matter. Therefore soil preparation could be building up your soil with green manures. A way of putting organic matter, nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil is to grow a nitrogen-fixing cover crop such as clover, alfalfa or field peas. When the crop is anything around a foot high till it back into the soil.

Under most conditions, garlic does best when planted in the fall. You should plant in time for the roots to have a chance to develop and the tops do not reach the surface before winter. If you live in a warmer climate remember that hard neck garlic needs to go through a cold period in order to start sprouting. If your soil temperatures stay warm, store the garlic in a cool, dry place for about three weeks before planting.

Shortly before planting garlic you will want to break the bulbs apart into cloves—a process called ‘cracking’. The cloves are attached to the basal plate, and from this the roots of the garlic grow. Each clove should break away cleanly, leaving an intact little mark on the basal plate. Take the larger cloves to plant. Set aside the smaller ones to cook with, eat soon, dry or to make into pickles. Each larger clove will produce a good sized bulb by the end of the growing season. The smallest cloves require just as much space, care and attention in the garden and produce significantly smaller bulbs. It is best to separate the cloves or crack the bulbs close to when you know you are going to plant, preferably within 24 hours. The garlic will be able to set roots quickly.

Garlic can be planted in single or double rows or in intensive beds with four to six plants across. Plant garlic in well-tilled beds with about eight inches of space between the rows and between the plants. If you have to plant with tighter spacing in the beds, you will produce a greater number of smaller bulbs. It is important to plant hard neck garlic with the top (pointy end) of the clove up, at least two inches below the surface.

After the garlic has been planted, consider adding a layer of mulch. Mulching is good to conserve moisture, moderates soil temperatures, puts weeds at bay, and deters rodents from digging up all your hard work. Mulching is not recommended in wetter climates where excess water can be a problem for garlic. Garlic grows best in soil maintaining an even moisture regime. Not enough moisture means that garlic does not develop a full sized bulb. Too much water causes the garlic to have burst skins and mould.

A few weeks before you plan to harvest stop watering the garlic. To know when to harvest, inspect a few bulbs in the ground. They can be harvested when the bulb has reached a good size, the wrappers are intact and have not deteriorated, and the bulbs have not begun to split open. Learning exactly when to stop watering and when to harvest comes with experience. Use a flat, narrow-bladed shovel to loosen the ground beside the garlic and pull the plants by hand. Garlic bruises easily so be careful. When left in the sun, harvested garlic can bake and will change the flavor of the garlic. Take each batch of harvested garlic indoors to be cured.

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.

Shaping Your Rose Bushes

Pruning allows you to shape rose bushes to the desirable height and size making them compliment your garden. When you prune, you are able to encourage the production of large, long-stemmed flowers from hybrid tea roses or smaller but more abundant clusters from floribundas. It depends on what type of rose you are shaping to get the result you want to achieve. General pruning recommendations are used for hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora modern roses. Climbers, miniatures, ramblers and heirloom varieties have different pruning requirements and techniques.

Not only is a more pleasing affect achieved, the health of your rose garden is accelerated by pruning. Proper pruning consists of removing dead, diseased and damaged canes. By thinning canes from the interior of the plant, air circulation is increased and the possibility of some common fungal ailments such as mildew is decreased. By removing dead or damaged canes you increase the overall wellness and beauty of the roses and allow more of the plant’s energy to go immediately to its growth.

Typically you should wait until after the last frost before pruning your roses. In warm climates it might be as early as January or as late as May in areas subject to a late frost.

The main tool you will need for pruning roses is a good pair of bypass pruning shears. The clean cut made with these is beneficial when making precise cuts near a bud eye. A pair of long handled bypass loppers is necessary for large canes. The long handles provide extra leverage necessary to cut thick old growth. And, of course, a good pair of gloves is necessary to protect your hands and forearms from cuts and injury from thorns. Wearing a long sleeved shirt and long pants is also a good idea.

Before pruning think about the overall shape you desire for your rose bush. For many roses and gardens the classic “urn” shape promotes an appealing, full shape. Because of an open center there is better air circulation too.

The first cuts to make when you start to prune remove all the dead branches and canes. Dead canes are generally gray or brown while healthy growth generally appears green or red. As you cut into the canes if the pith (center) is dry and brown continue cutting further down until you reach a green or cream color. If canes cross or rub on other healthy growth, wherever possible, remove these.

Now you can start to cut on the healthy part of the plant contributing to its shape. Cuts at a 45 degree angle about ¼” above a bud eye should be made facing outward or in the desired direction of growth. Remove all branches thinner than a pencil because branches need to be a sufficient size to support your new spring growth. Thinner branches usually do not add to the overall shape you seek.

If you want more abundant blooms on smaller stems, leave most of the canes, pruning back lightly or about 30%. Medium pruning general removes more foliage, leaving up to 8 to 10 well placed canes, fewer on hybrid tea roses. The canes should be reduced to about one half their original height. This amount of pruning will work well for most healthy roses.

When a severe winter has left a fair amount of damage to your roses, heavy pruning may be the best step to take. Make sure to cut back the wood to where the center is healthy, living wood.

During the blooming season you may want to do some deadheading which encourages the plant to re-bloom. This allows you to enjoy new blossoms throughout summer.

And remember roses are resilient. Have fun and experiment to see what type of pruning works best with your rose garden.

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 Timely Cuts on Your Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas do not require annual pruning, but occasionally snipping these plants can improve their performance. Knowing if your shrub blooms on old or new wood will help you make the cuts necessary in a timely fashion.

The three most common reasons for confusion about pruning hydrangeas are the plant’s dead-looking appearance in winter, its failure to bloom in summer, and the fact that it is basically a shrub, so it needs to be pruned. But contrary to most shrubs, these woody plants can live long and floriferous lives without any pruning. In fact, hydrangeas pruned at the wrong time can cause them not to bloom. So take care as to when you prune. Pruning can be beneficial if you do not like the look of the fading blooms or your shrub may be a bit too tall. Pruning hydrangeas at the right time can improve a shrub’s vigor increasing the size of its flowers. In most cases, the flowers of these shrubs are the most significant reason why you selected these plants for your garden.

It is important to keep in mind that not all hydrangeas should be pruned at the same time. Shrubs that have blooms on old growth should only be pruned after flowering. The hydrangeas that bloom on new growth should be pruned in early spring or as they are going dormant in the fall.

To determine if your shrubs bloom on old growth, think about when it flowers. Do the blooms begin in early summer and slow down by midsummer with sporadic blooms appearing afterward? These shrubs typically form next year’s flower buds in late summer or early fall as the days get shorter. Prune just as the flowers begin to fade to reduce the risk of removing the buds. The earlier you get it done after bloom, the quicker the shrub can recover, rewarding you with more and larger blooms next season.

When a hydrangea gets old and woody, it can produce smaller blooms. It is best to regularly remove of a few of the oldest canes at the ground. This also can keep the shrub vigorous, productive, and at the height that is most pleasing.

If you determine your hydrangeas bloom on new wood, cut back these shrubs in late winter before the new growth appears. Shrubs that flower on new wood generally start blossoming later than old-growth bloomers, beginning in midsummer and continuing all the way into the fall until the first frost. These shrubs are forgiving, just do not cut when the flower buds are opening.

In late winter or early spring, these hydrangea shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. If you practice this each year, smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms.

If your hydrangea branches tend to flop with the weight of the blooms, especially after a good rain, alleviate this by cutting the height of the stems to about two feet. This will provide a sturdier framework for new growth.

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 Versatility of Hollies

Hollies have gained their popularity through being so very versatile. They have unique traits such as textural, decorative foliage, ornamental berries, and varied growth habit. Hollies also acclimate easily to many different environments. But just like good, rich soil, adequate soil nutrients, water, and sun, proper pruning is important to keep hollies healthy and looking beautiful.

Whenever you prune your plants, they typically send out new growth, so when you prune hollies is an important factor to consider. Susceptible to sudden drops in temperature and frost, evergreen hollies are best pruned in early summer. This will prevent the new growth being damaged by cool temperatures. After pruning, don’t be surprised if female hollies have fewer berries. The pruning process removes most of the summer flowers that develop into winter fruit. Pruning can give hollies either a formal shape or, with thinning, an informal look. Either look you create, pruning will keep your hollies looking good year-round.

There are deciduous and evergreen species of hollies. Some have serrated leaves and some have drop-shaped foliage, Female hollies provide festive fruit and male hollies are less showy.

Deciduous hollies such as Winterberry and Possumhaw need a radical pruning technique of cutting each year. Japanese holly, Inkberry and Yaupon hollies are rounded hollies which need to be thinned only in the first few years of growth. Formal shaping can continue throughout the life of the plant. Indeterminate hollies such as Blue holly, English holly, and Chinese holly need thinning and formal shaping throughout its life. Pyramidal hollies require thinning when they are young, but formal shaping is usually not necessary. Pyramidal hollies are the American holly, English holly, and ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly.

The three ways to prune are thinning, shaping, and radical cutting. Thinning consists of reducing interior by removing crossing or intersecting branches to a branch union. This prevents overcrowding in the framework of the holly and a better organization of branches. Cut parallel to the main branch to help hide the unsightly stub and make it appear natural. Shaping gives hollies a strong outline. Use a series of deliberate cuts that remove the end of a branch to a bud or leaf node. This process shortens the branch to create the desired shape but doesn’t remove it. The angle of these cuts should slope upward in order to conceal the stub. Radical pruning suits the loose form of deciduous hollies. Since they are vigorous growers, deciduous hollies should be thinned back every year in late winter to improve their shape and encourage new growth. Stems that are thicker than a thumb should be cut to the ground. Never remove more than one-third of the shrub. This type of pruning may seem drastic, but it is the best way to keep these hollies healthy.

General maintenance should always be done. Remove unsightly damaged branches. Any diseased branches must be cut and taken away from the property to prevent further spread or recurrence.

When pruning any woody plant, use tools with sharp blades. Bypass-blade hand pruners and loppers are ideal. Use a saw specifically sold for pruning trees and shrubs for the larger, thicker branches.

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.

Toads for Your Garden

Toads, the stocky little amphibians hopping around your garden usually sporting tan, gray, and brown camouflaged patterns so that they can stay hidden in the dry leaves or rocky terrain, are an essential part of the healthy ecosystem which makes your garden work best.

To attract this useful type of frog to your garden, you must build it up with mostly native plants. Native plants provide lots of food for toads, not because toads eat plants, but like all amphibians, they are carnivorous, consuming any living thing they can snatch with their long, sticky tongues and stuff down their throats. Toads’ most common prey happens to be insects and other invertebrates. Some large species tackle mice, snakes, and even other frogs. The native plants in your garden will bring in a healthy insect population that will keep toads very happy.

There are many species of toads. They generally have a dry, spotted, bumpy skin and short, thick legs with little webbing between their toes unlike the frogs that live in the water most of the time. Toads move around by walking and taking short, quick hops rather than massive, long leaps or underwater dives. Toads can range further from water for longer periods of time and survive in dryer ecosystems (like your garden) than other types of frogs.

Gardens not overly neat and tidy can provide good habitat for insects and shelter for toads. Remember that toads will help keep the garden pests in check. Toads are actually a far better method of pest control than toxic chemicals. These toxins just don’t kill insects; they kill or harm other garden life too. Amphibians as a group are extremely sensitive to toxins. Their dry skin readily absorbs chemical toxins.

The bumps on a toad’s skin are not warts, but are called parotid glands that produce toxins that make toads taste bad to their predators. And for the record, you cannot get warts by touching a toad.

For the most part, toads are terrestrial, but they rely on standing water for their eggs and tadpoles. If you don’t have a lake or pond nearby, create a simple garden pond. In your pond provide gradually sloping sides, plenty of vegetation and branches dipping into the water to allow the toads to easily enter and exit. Toads lay their eggs in long strings and attach their eggs to plant material. Other aquatic vegetation and underwater branches provide tadpoles places to hide from any fish in the pond considering tadpoles a tasty treat.

Another way of attracting these important little creatures is by making a toad abode to provide shelter. It could be as simple as chopping out a half circle at the rim of an old clay pot. Turn it upside down and the hole becomes the door to a toad’s abode. Place it in a shady part of the garden so the toads will seek it out to escape the sun and predators. Stack some rocks around it and plant some ground covers or ferns nearby, and it should become a place to savor on some insects too. Being one of your garden’s best friends, keep toads happy.

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.

Maintenance Check on Rhododendrons

There is a common notion that rhododendrons can’t be pruned. However, with some easy maintenance, trimming, and removing of any dead or overextended branches, these plants respond well looking much healthier, fuller, and contained. After pruning and this kind of continued maintenance, rhododendrons retain a pleasing shape with dense branching, plenty of leaves, and more blossoms.

There are notable differences among the types of rhododendrons and how well they respond to pruning. The three common reasons for pruning rhododendrons are maintenance, shaping, and rejuvenation.

Maintenance pruning is the easiest type of pruning and only necessary once during a year. Basically it consists of removing spent flower clusters, called trusses, and also of any dead or diseased wood. The trusses should be removed because will eventually form seed, which uses the energy that would normally be going to the plant for vegetative growth.

You can either remove the unsightly, old flower trusses on rhododendrons by grasping the stem with your thumb and forefinger and snapping it off or using a pruning shear to snip the truss at its base. Occasionally the hands-on method causes the truss to break off too taking some of the new growth with it. By using a pruning shear, such accidents are avoided, but the shears might not be close by when feeling the urge to do some of this maintenance work.

Of course, branches damaged by storms or a harsh winter should be clipped from the plant, and any diseased stems, often identified by their wilted, curled yellow-green leaves, should also be removed. Maintenance pruning is best done when the flowers have faded and before the new growth rises more than an inch or so tall. Many types of rhododendrons can benefit from maintenance pruning, including some deciduous azaleas.

Pruning for shape enhances the rhododendron's natural habit and form. To shape the plant, follow the branch down to the last whorl of leaves you want to keep and cut just above those leaves. This action, in time will improve the overall look of the shrub as well as encourage denser branching making it more full.

With shaping the plant’s width and height can be controlled developing the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of the plant's natural form.
Shaping is most easily done in late winter, while the plant is dormant. Although this sacrifices some of the flower buds, it ensures a complete growing season for the new stems that emerge.

If you find a rhododendron with long, leggy branches without much vegetation or a plant that is just grown out of control and too large, more drastic pruning is needed. This technique is called rejuvenation pruning when cuts are made much farther back on the shrub. On the primary branches, make your cut just above a latent bud, or even better, a cluster of buds. In severe cases, you can sometimes cut your rhododendron to within 6 inches of the ground.

Severely pruned rhododendron many times come back better than ever. Rejuvenation pruning initiates the rise of vigorous flushes of new growth from previously leafless old stems. As the new growth matures into a new framework of branches it then can be reshaped into a beautiful shrub over the years producing many flowers. It's best to perform this type of pruning in winter, while the plant is dormant.

Rhododendrons are very forgiving, so do not worry about making a mistake while pruning. All three methods of pruning keep your plants the most healthy and more attractive.

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.

Get the Most from Your Fallen Leaves

Nature’s way of returning the nutrients back to the tree is through the leaves of the tree. Fallen leaves contain up to 80 percent of the nutrients that a tree absorbs during its growing season. Leaves return their store of nutrients to the soil when they are allowed to decay on the ground. The nutrients are reabsorbed by the tree’s roots and channeled back to a new season of growth.

It makes common sense to use this potent substance for your flower or/and vegetable garden. Leaves serve as a key component in your soil. You miss the opportunity to add a rich, natural source of organic matter to your garden if you don’t use the annual bounty of leaves. Regular applications of compost, mulch, and other matter, such as fallen leaves need to be mixed into your soil. Otherwise your soil becomes humus-deprived losing its ability to retain moisture and nutrients. The pH levels will drift out of balance making it less hospitable to microorganisms.

Fallen leaves are a favorite food of earthworms everywhere making it nature’s perfect mulch. Turn your soil into an earthworm factory with a thick layer of fallen leaves enriching it with one of the natural world’s finest-quality fertilizers—worm castings.

Large, leathery leaves such as oak can take years to break down. If left in thick layers, they become barriers between rainfalls and the soil, so shred these larger leaves. Leaf vacuums/shredders can reduce a mountain of leaves to one-sixth of its volume. Instead you can also shred leaves by mowing the lawn and raking the bulk into your flowerbeds or collecting them in bags to be used as summer mulch. Place a thin layer of shredded leaves in direct contact with the soil so that microorganisms can turn them into dark, fungi-rich leaf mold. Thin layers of shredded leaves will keep the ground cool, hold in moisture, and keep the weeds at bay. Shredded leaves make attractive winter mulch piled around garden plants after the ground freezes. This mulch provides protection for tender plant roots while allowing winter moisture to reach into the ground. You can also mix partially decomposed leaves into the soil to provide aeration while improving nutrient and moisture-holding capacity.

Over time, leaf humus tends to balance out soil that’s too acidic. The exception is large quantities of oak leaves, highly acidic themselves; so the opposite effect on your soil can happen. Apply leaves to your garden beds in the fall after plants are dormant. It is a good idea to also add a nitrogen source such as fish emulsion. Of course, do not use leaves from any diseased trees. They should be carried off your property actually to prevent the infection from spreading. Also avoid black-walnut leaves because they contain a toxin that can retard the growth of garden plants. The benefits from using fallen leaves far outweigh these few precautions.

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.

Winterizing Water Gardens

Naturalized water gardens that may include a waterfall, stream and/or pond, add such an incredible creative touch to your landscaping. Working in harmony with nature they offer a sanctuary for your senses. Astonishingly, they require little maintenance. Periodic cleaning out the skimmer of leaves and adding beneficial bacteria is essentially the extent of regular care. It is important to maintain clear, clean water and to do this without the use of unsightly and costly filtration systems and chemicals. Water gardens should be naturally self-regulating ecosystems requiring significantly less maintenance than if the area were planted in grass. However, like most everything you need to prepare your special sanctuary for the winter.

The cool weather of autumn brings on noticeable changes in a water garden. As long as fish feed, they will continue to produce waste. Dying aquatic vegetation that is not removed from the pond adds to the organic load. The fact that aquatic plants are entering dormancy allows for increased nitrate availability. This means an increased growth of filamentous, string algae, that slimy stuff. No need to be alarmed. The ecosystem is still healthy. This is considered normal transition. Where the sunlight penetration is high on your water garden in shallow streams and pools, the algae will increase the most. This is to be expected. Cold doesn’t bother the algae.

You can gain some control over excessive amounts of algae by keeping leaves, dying vegetation and any other matter out of the pond. Remember that simple good housekeeping goes a long way.

Cut down all marginal plants to within an inch or so above water level once browned out. The exception being cattail, sweet flag, corkscrew rush, and even iris. These plants that if left in place, lend beauty and structure to the winter landscape of a water garden. Pinch off hardy lilies and other deep-water plants to one inch above the tip. If necessary, replace the soil and gravel here.

If you live in a climate where ponds freeze, move plants to deeper water. Place tender floating plants like water hyacinth in a three-inch tray filled with water and move them to a frost-free shed or greenhouse for the winter.

When temperatures drop fish spend most of their time hanging around on the bottom of the pond. Once water temps hit a consistent 55 degrees, stop feeding your fish altogether and discontinue bacteria treatments. Turning off the waterfall overnight when big drops in nighttime temperature happen before the winter starts is a good idea too. Anything greater than a five-degree temperature change on a daily basis is hard on fish. It is best to try to keep the pond water temperatures as stable as possible.

When the pond freezes, keep a small area ice-free to help fish survival by creating a spot for harmful gasses to escape. Finally, turn off the filters, clean them and store them inside for the winter. When spring comes, your water feature will be ready again to start being a special added pleasure to your landscape.

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.

Dark Opal Basil

A great plant to grow in your herb garden is basil. A beautiful species, ‘Dark Opal' basil lends both flavor and color to culinary creations. No other herb is so exuberant and bountiful as basil. When you would pick from your herb garden, a few fronds of parsley and dill, or a sprig of rosemary and thyme, you would pick an armload of basil. And it is a good thing because you will find this herb to be extremely useful!

Start growing basil, an annual indoors four to six weeks before you intend to set the plants out. Once the herb is planted, mulch around it only when the soil has thoroughly warmed up. It is best to wait until night temperatures are above 55°F. Though it tolerates a wide range of pH (4.5 to 6.5), basil does best in fertile soil. Although some gardeners insist that the flavor is better if basil isn't fertilized, and grows healthier if it's fed at planting time, and again during the season, perhaps after a heavy picking. Supplemental irrigation has the potential to double the yield.

Like most herbs, basil has few pests. Try using a barrier of copper flashing if slugs become a problem on new transplants. Spun bonded polyester row covers will easily ward off Japanese beetles.

Fusarium wilt of basil, a devastating disease, reached North America via infected seed in the 1990s. Symptoms include sudden wilting and leaf drop, accompanied by dark streaks on the stems, usually in weather above 80°F. If you notice these symptoms, take the necessary precautions so your whole garden doesn’t become infected. Quickly dig up the infected plant, along with all soil around the roots, and discard it. Avoid moving soil that was near the diseased plant onto your tools or tiller. Consider growing your basil in containers. There is a fusarium-resistant variety, called ‘Nufar’ that is an alternative to grow if severe problems develop. Practicing good garden sanitation helps control most disease and infection.

In cool, wet weather, or in winter greenhouse production, basil is susceptible to a few bacterial rots that show up on stems or leaf clusters. When planting basil, space out the plants so they can easily dry out after being watered, and plant in well-drained soil to avoid rot.

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.

Growing the Herb, Oregano

Just as growing your own vegetables to cook with, there is nothing quite like growing your own herbs to use to flavor your cooking. If you are a cook who enjoys using herbs in your recipes, consider how much more tasty it will be to add your own freshly grown herbs snipped from pots on your windowsill garden. Among the several species of oregano used in cooking, the one recommended for kitchen use is Origanum heracleoticum. Commercially available dried oregano you purchase at the grocery store may contain any number of species of oregano and even unrelated plants, so that is why you haven’t been too impressed with its flavor in your cooking. Growing your own is definitely the best way to go. Not only do you find out which best suits your palate, but you can choose the specific, pure and natural one to compliment other ingredients.

The desirable species of oregano you will want to grow in your herb garden are: Origanum heracleoticum, Origanum vulgare, and Origanum majorana. Other more commonly known names for Origanum heracleoticum are Greek oregano, winter sweet marjoram, or Italian oregano. Common names for Origanum vulgare include European oregano, wild marjoram, and winter marjoram. Origanum majorana is sweet marjoram, also a species of oregano.

Purchase plants or seeds from a reliable source. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil after danger of frost has passed in the spring. Space your herb plants or thin seedlings to stand about nine inches apart. If you want the plant to be dense, trim the plants back just before they flower. Depending on the species, oregano takes approximately five to six weeks to bloom after planting. If you allow some of the flowers to produce and drop their seed, you can keep your oregano patch fresh, vigorous, and wild. Some oregano can grow two feet high and as full as a small bush if you let it. When in bloom, it can be quite beautiful. However, to keep the bed quality high, remove three to four year old plants. A portion of the plant can be brought indoors for your windowsill herb garden, especially if you want to use it for cooking during the winter months.

Harvest the oregano leaves as you need them. Just before the flowers bloom is when the flavor is best. To dry oregano, hang harvested sprigs in an airy, low-lit location until the leaves crumble easily in your hand, then store in an airtight container. Dried oregano leaves keep their flavor well in storage, unlike some other herbs. Also, try freezing fresh sprigs in zippered plastic bags. The flavor is still strong; but remember to press as much air from the bag as possible.

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.

Keeping Tender Plants Safe Over the Winter

The brilliant autumn colors have exploded and now the leaves are falling. Pumpkins dressed with frost in the early morning tell you winter is around the corner and preparations should be made. Keeping some annuals and summer bulbs in colorful shape through the winter is possible, relatively easy and saves buying all new plants come spring. Coleus, dahlias, gladiolus, crocosmias, acidanthera, geraniums are all among the plants you can continue to grow or keep safe indoors. It is your choice. You could just leave all of them to die with the deep freeze and start with new plants next year. But the longer the potted plants are left to grow, the larger the plant, and the better the show for next spring when you will place them outdoors again. If you have any of the plants mentioned above and would like to keep them safe and sound through the winter, here are some guidelines to do just that. Some can share your living quarters and others have to be set aside in a cool, dry location. 


After the gladiolus, crocosmias, and acidanthera have finished flowering or when frost kills their leaves, carefully dig the corms of these plants and spread them out in a dry, well-ventilated area at room temperature for about two to three weeks. Remove and throw away the old corms, and in paper bags in a 35° to 40° location, store
the new corms collected.

After the foliage on cannas has been damaged by frost, allow them to dry in the ground for a few days, then cut back the stems to 3 to 4 inches. Carefully dig the rhizomes and let them dry at room temperature for a few days. In cardboard boxes or mesh bags filled with peat moss, store the rhizomes at 40° to 50° for the winter. Come spring, either plant the entire clump or separate the rhizomes, leaving a portion of the old stem attached to each one.



By cutting geraniums back by about a third, you can keep growing and blooming them indoors. Start to fertilize them in a couple of weeks. It is important they get plenty of sun so sit your pot near a window where sun shines through for a good portion of the day. If you decide to keep geraniums dormant during the winter, move the potted plants into a dark, cool (40° to 50°) location, and don't water them or cut them back until they show new growth in spring.



Take cuttings from the non-woody stems of coleus and root them indoors in water. If you want to save the whole plant, bring it indoors in the fall and cut back the stems a few inches to remove the tall, succulent growth most susceptible to aphids. 


Fuchsias and tender salvias can also be brought indoors in the fall. Cut back stems by about half. Or you can keep them in a state of semi-dormancy by moving them to an unheated basement or a place with low light with temperatures between 40° and 55°. They need to be water about once a month. In the spring when temperatures reach the 60s, move them outside, first to a shady spot, giving them a trim and then begin to water and fertilize like you usually do these plants in season.

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 All-Time Favorite: Roses

Many gardeners become passionate about their roses. It is easy to understand why with their great beauty in numerous varieties of sizes, petal shapes, and color; and no need to mention their luscious, lingering scent. Through the ages, roses have been the symbol of a well cared for home. Perhaps because those who have grown roses know that they require special attention. It is this special attention that reaps the most beneficial rich rewards. In addition to being beautiful around your landscape, they also make exquisite indoor arrangements, the scent from their petals can be used in potpourri, and the seedpods (called rose hips) contain a potent source vitamin C that is found in rose hip tea.

Once the gardener finds out about all the benefits of growing roses, they will want to produce quantities of these wonderful, fragrant flowers and will learn how to give them the special attention necessary.

When planning your display of rose bushes for a shrub border, it is easier to separate different varieties into small beds, although it's possible to mix any number of roses. Ten to twelve rose bushes will make a magnificent display, as well as provide enough flowers for cutting. You will need to make a bed eight feet by twelve feet or so. Any shape of bed will do, so design as you think best for your area. Traditionally gardeners have favored the formal look of a square, rectangular, or round bed edged with either stone or brick. Often, in the center for a little added interest, a birdbath or sundial can be found.

Before you select which roses you would like growing in your garden, it is helpful to check up on the different varieties, uses, and terminology.

The hybrid tea roses are the long-stemmed ones usually sent from florists. They are ideal for cutting to be used in floral arrangements. In the garden, they are often featured as single specimens or in a section reserved for cutting.

Floribundas were developed during the last century, to display clusters of blooms instead of just a single bloom to each stem. These roses are shorter and bloom more freely.

The roses that grow as shrubs for landscaping can be tall or they can be trimmed down every fall to keep them bushy. They bloom from spring through fall. Since their foliage fills in, they can be used as a hedge. Space them 18 inches apart from each other in cooler climates and 24 to 36 inches apart in warmer climates. Landscape roses have changed the way many people view roses. This variety of roses, when compared with traditional varieties, is impressive for many reasons. They do not need as much care in that they are naturally disease-resistance, grow in a variety of climates and need little pruning because of their compact growth habit. Plus their beautiful, simple flowers bloom consistently over a very long season.

Roses growing elegantly in a cluster at the top of a stake are known as tree roses. Full tree roses grow as tall as 36 inches high. Patio varieties grow 24 inches high. Miniatures grow about18 inches high. The tall variety are used to can frame a doorway or line a walk. You will find the smaller ones in containers in the garden and on the patio or porch.

Patio roses grow two to four feet tall and bloom all season. They are well suited for growing in containers in small spaces. The foliage tends to be dense so they work in great planted in hedges as foundation covers.

Cascades of climbing roses can grow over an arched trellis or be trained to grow over a fence, or up a pillar or post. They can even be formed to create a dramatic privacy wall.

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 Versatile Sedum

Sedums, sedums, and more sedums will start to propagate and continue on and on. Also known as stonecrop, they are extremely versatile plants. They grow well in perennial borders, containers, and in rock gardens and maybe that is why they are also called stonecrop. Their thick, fleshy succulent leaves and colorful blossoms make them stand out and look so very attractive in most any garden.

Sedums come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from tiny to tall. A great ground cover in dry, sunny locations is a low-growing type called golden stonecrop and white stonecrop that form moss-like mats spreading quickly. Sedums in rock gardens fit nicely into a small niche or scramble over rocks and then hang as they grow on and on. The taller species (Sedum maximum with greenish flowers, Sedum telephium with red-purple flowers, and Sedum sieboldii with pink flowers and blue-green leaves) make perfect accents for borders with a lot of sun.

Most sedums are easy to grow, do not take much effort to care for and thrive in sunny areas where the soil drainage is good. All of the sedums mentioned above are hardy to Zone 4. They're drought tolerant and not picky about soil fertility or pH.

Propagating sedums is very easy. One way is by tip cuttings. You will need is a pair of pruning shears and a plastic tray or pot filled with a soil mix that will drain well using equal parts of potting soil and sand. There's no need for rooting hormones or humidity tents. From the tip of the stems, snip sections with three or more leaves into pieces three to four inches long. Take off the bottom two leaves of these sections and then push the cuttings into the moistened soil mix. The exposed nodes (the points where the leaves join at the stem) should be below the surface of the mix. The new roots will emerge from these nodes. Water the cuttings and set them in a shady place. Check the soil mix often and water just enough to keep the cuttings from drying out. In about three weeks the sedums will root. Gently tug on a cutting to check. If you feel resistance, roots have developed.

In six to eight weeks after starting them, cuttings are ready for transplanting. Carefully pull the cuttings out of the pot they have been growing in and plant them directly into the garden or in container pots.

If you are new to sedums, try starting with Sedum 'Ruby Glow'. It's very easy to grow, hardy, widely available, and looks very pretty. The foliage is a silvery blue with reddish undertones around the edges of the leaves. In late summer it produces clusters of intensely pink-red flowers. 'Ruby Glow' grows to about eight inches tall and will look very attractive as an edging plant for a perennial border.

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.

Oriental Poppy Flowers Will Pop in Your Garden

When Oriental poppy flowers are in full bloom, they definitely can be the focal point of your garden display in late spring to early summer. The Oriental poppy is the most striking of the perennial poppies. Their blooms are huge – some may reach up to six inches across and are on the top of stems as tall as four feet. These huge, cup-shaped flowers are delicate and paper-like in texture coming in a wonderful warm palette of color including red, salmon, orange, crimson, and white. Even though the plants’ pedals seem to indicate it to be fragile, the perennial is actually known for its hardiness and durability. It is a favorite subject for artists because of its special beauty and color.

After blooming the plant goes dormant. Their beauty does not last long, but if enough varieties are planted they will bloom at slightly different times. Oriental poppies perform poorly in regions with hot summers. If the flowers are big they tend to flop over so the plant might need staking. However, generally poppies are easy to care for and require little maintenance. A special feature: deer do not like them.

Depending on the variety, plan to plant your poppies in the spring spacing each plant two to three feet apart. Using a garden fork or tiller, loosen the soil. Prepare the garden bed to a depth of twelve to fifteen inches. After this is done, thoroughly mix in a layer of rich compost about two to four inches deep. Then dig a hole for your poppy twice the diameter of the pot the plant is in. Remove the plant carefully from its container and place it in the hole. Make sure the top of the root ball is level with surface of the soil. Carefully filling in dirt around the root ball, gently firm the soil around it. Then, as you do with any newcomer to your garden, water the soil thoroughly around where you have just planted.

The care for this showy perennial is easy and simple. Each spring apply a thin layer of compost. To retain moisture and control the weeds, also apply about two inches of mulch on top of the compost. Watering is needed only during periods of drought in the summer months after the plants have bloomed and are dormant. In autumn, poppies will resume foliage growth until frost, and these green leaves will remain over the winter. To protect them over the winter months, after the soil has frozen, apply a four to six inch layer of mulch. This will prevent heaving during periods of temperature fluctuation. When the weather warms up in spring, gradually remove the winter mulch. The time to divide poppy plants is in the spring or early summer.

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.

Mums and Asters are in full bloom

Chrysanthemums, better known as their nickname, "mums," are popular perennials that display a wonderful array of color when the tree leaves are also turning on a show of similar colors. Not only do mums come in a wide variety of colors, but also come in numerous sizes from small dwarf to giant shrub. Mums are easy to grow and can provide years of enjoyment if care is taken to select an appropriate variety. Chrysanthemums like the sun, do best in well-drained soil, and need proper winter protection.

Plant chrysanthemums in the spring after all danger of frost. They grow best in a variety of soils but need excellent drainage. Growth is poor and winterkill is likely if they are planted in poorly drained wet soils. Sunny locations are the best sites for most varieties. Plants in semi-shady locations will be taller, have weaker stems, and bloom later in the fall. It is a good idea to incorporate peat moss, compost, or rich manure into the soil.

Space plants 18 to 24" apart, depending on the mature size of the cultivar. Mums maintain a bushy compact plant form if pinched or pruned regularly. Pinching the mums’ branches produce stockier plants. Continue the pinching practice until mid-June for early flowering varieties, late June for September flowering varieties, and early July for October varieties. Complete pinching by July 4th to assure flowering prior to frost. Mums may flower late if they are exposed to very high summer temperatures. Water plants regularly if the summer is dry or if soil is light and sandy. Most mum flowers are resistant to frost and this tolerance makes it possible to still enjoy them when other plants have gone dormant for the winter.

Several diseases and insects attack mums, so make sure to buy plants that are free of diseases and insects. Typical problems on mums include verticillium wilt, septoria leaf spot, powdery mildew, aphids, leafhoppers, plant bugs, leafminers, and spider mites. A good way to avoid these problems is allowing plenty of air circulation by spacing them properly when planting, not over crowding your garden.

Lack of flowering is occasionally a problem with mums. Possible causes include wrong cultivar selection; insufficient sun, fertilizer, or water; late pinching; root competition from nearby trees and shrubs; unusually hot weather in August, unusually cold weather in late August and September; and insect or disease injury.

Plants can be dug and divided in spring as new growth begins. Stronger shoots are usually on the outside of the clump. Set the growing tip of each division just below ground level. Mums have shallow roots. So, keep them well watered near the surface. Apply a balanced fertilizer on a regular basis. Chrysanthemums make excellent cuttings for indoor vases because of all the different colors they can show.

Asters are another favorite perennial this time of year that are also easy to grow similar to chrysanthemums in that they grow best in well-drained soil and like a sunny location. Asters come in blues, purples and a variety of pinks. All Asters are yellow in the center of the flower. They are daisy-like in appearance even though they are a member of the sunflower family. However, chrysanthemums are a member of the daisy family. Asters are easily grown from division and asters do best if they are divided every two to three years. Simply dig out half to two thirds of the plants, leaving the remainder in place. Then split the portion you dug out into two sections and plant in another location.

You can also grow asters from seeds sowed directly into your flower garden or transplanted from indoor seedling pots in the early spring. Of the two methods, proper spacing is best achieved when the plants are transplanted from the seedling containers into the ground. Spacing depends upon the size: with miniature varieties space four to six inches apart and giant varieties get spaced one to two feet apart. Place smaller varieties around the front of your flower garden as a border, and plant the larger, taller variety towards the back of your flowerbed. If you want asters to grow more bushy and less tall, pinch them back once or twice in the spring to early summer. Trim the stalks down to about 6 inches tall after they finish blooming. That way you will remember where they are come spring before the new sprouts begin to surface.

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.

Gardening Chores for the Fall

As colder temperatures and shorter days prevail, gardeners must think about getting their gardens set for winter. Below is a checklist of chores to consider for the maintenance of your perennial garden, vegetable garden, and lawn to keep all in healthy condition.

1. Cut back your perennials. How and when you do this is determined by the individual needs of your plants, your desire to provide food and cover for wildlife, and your appreciation for winter interest in your yard. If you prefer your property having a neat appearance then, cutting back your perennials to the ground is the way to go, but if you would like to leave nesting areas for insects, seeds and berries for wildlife to survive on through the winter, and if you enjoy some stems and structural interest left standing through out the winter, then trim and cut back to different heights as you see fit and aesthetically pleasing. Plants that have had a disease or did not do well should be removed and any vigorous re-seeders that can take over perennial beds should also be removed or split and transplanted. Avoid cutting back to the ground hardy mums, asters and ferns. The old foliage of these helps to protect their crowns through winter. Leave a good chunk of their stems to mark their location so when you plant something else in the spring you will know where they are and won’t accidentally disturb them. The timing of cutting plants back for winter is important, too. In general, later is better.

2. To provide compost for next year's garden, save fall lawn cuttings and leaves and place them in a compost container.

3. In the vegetable garden, harvest all the vegetables still left before frost hits. Remove any dead or spoiled ones and if disease is apparent, destroy them to reduce any chances of infestation.

4. Bulbs for additional spring and summer color should be planted in the fall. If there are tender bulbs in your garden, carefully lift them out and store these bulbs in an airy, dry, and protected area for the winter.

5. Add mulch to your perennials to keep them warm and protected over the winter. Mulch will also helps store moisture in the soil. You can also add manure and compost in the fall, which is the best time to do this giving plenty of time for breakdown to happen.

6. Houseplants that were growing outside should make their way back inside. To avoid shock, do this gradually placing them in partly shaded areas outside first. And always bring them in before the first frost, of course.

7. Prepare rose bushes for winter. Prune dead or damaged branches and cut off any old flowers. Using topsoil or mulch, mound the bush and cut canes back to six to twelve inches. To completely protect the bush, you can then cover it using a bushel basket, if the size is appropriate.

8. Lawns could use preparing now for next spring. To allow the soil to drain better and give the roots much needed oxygen, aerate and thatch if the soil is compacted. Seeding and fertilizing can be done now as well.

9. Clean up all of your gardening tools. Pruning tools, mower blades, and shears can be sharpened and oiled now. This way they will avoid rusting over the winter and will be all ready for you come spring.

10. If you have a garden pool, to avoid freezing, you must drain 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.

The Show of Colors in Autumn

The brilliant colors about the island where I live in New England are just amazing this fall. The peak of color is just about to happen. The deciduous trees that mix in the background with the evergreens are coming to the foreground with their fiery brilliance. Many "leaf-peepers" (those who travel to see fall foliage) visit where I live to catch nature’s show of color.

Fall foliage is enhanced as daylight hours lessen and the nights grow cold. This transformation occurs when conditions are just right, and as conditions vary from year to year, so does the peak season for viewing fall foliage.

Ever wonder what actually causes the leaves to turn red, orange, yellow, and golden? A number of hormonal changes take place in the leaves as we get into shorter days and longer nights. The connection between the leaf and stem changes with the temperature change, choking the movement of nutrients and moisture to the leaves. As the green color fades, the leaf exposes a yellow color underneath. The rest of the hues in the palette of fall foliage colors are encouraged by the production of sugars. These sugars are not in the leaf when it forms, but are generated in the late summer into fall. Shades of brilliant orange and deep red can result depending on the tree. The leaves of maple trees from which we get sugary maple syrup, turn red in the fall.

The amount of water tree leaves have received throughout the year determines how long a leaf will remain green. Rain showers, hot days and dry spells during the summer all play a part in the show of color. Many leaves can dry up and turn brown long before autumn, if the summer has been particularly dry.

For several consecutive years, a research plant physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has studied the impact of stress on the change of leaf color. You may have noticed some years that the color red has been prevalent mainly in the woodland palette. That is probably the result of the stress of drought that year on the trees. According to his findings, in drought-stricken years, "leaf peepers" will see more red, and the color will show earlier. His studies indicate the color of fall foliage tends to be more brilliant as the result of dry summer months. Essentially, trees create the red color as the weather warrants. It can vary from year to year when the green and yellow pigments are consistent and hardly change from year to year.

If you are choosing your trees by their fall impact on your landscape, consider the following: silver maples show yellow in the fall; sugar maples will vary in shades of red, bright to dark; the birch family shows yellow hues; flowering dogwoods will turn red, and the oak family will exhibit from orange russet to yellow-brown.

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.

Environmentally Concerned Fall Garden Clean Up

Fall tells us it is time to prepare our garden for the winter. Fearing of disease and insect problems appearing the next spring, many gardeners wonder if they should just cut down and clear out the summer growth.

It really depends on what kind of garden you are growing whether or not you will need to do a lot of cleaning or just a little at the end of the blooming season. What also comes into play is how concerned you and your neighbors are about the neatness of your property. Your style of growing, whether it be annuals, tropical plants, vegetables, wildflowers, evergreens, woods or a plain lawn will set the amount of time and work necessary.

As more people learn the principles, (IPM) is gaining in popularity as an alternative approach to gardening. You can actually do less in your yard and let nature work for you. Doing a big fall clean up may not be as necessary when you consider the integrated pest management way of gardening.

It is best, if you can to leave some perennials standing. Besides it's fun to watch finches picking out the seeds on echinacea or more commonly called coneflowers. Sunflowers, liatris or butterfly flower and other flowers that go to seed will provide food for wildlife. Watching birds can give you hours of enjoyment in the winter garden. Leaving flowers and stalks through the winter will also provide homes for wintering insects that provide food for birds. An environmentally friendly garden will always have lots of bugs in it. Instead of cleaning up all seed heads, leave them giving some winter protection for birds and insects in your garden. Milkweed pods provide seeds for food and flycatchers, vireos, wrens, some warblers, sparrows, orioles and finches will use the floss on the milkweed for nesting. Think of this as not a punishment for laziness but a reward for allowing nature to take care of itself. In spring, migrating birds will come looking for those insects attracted by the left pods and visit the garden that provides food. Plus if you are a bird watcher, this gives you even more pleasure.

When you feel you must cut down perennial stalks, chop them into about six-inch lengths and pile them in the garden as mulch with fall leaves. You would be amazed at how many wintering wildlife seek cover under the stick piles. give cover for wildlife, including wintering butterflies like the Mourning cloak. This kind of mulch can be worked into your garden in the spring that will eventually make your soil much richer producing healthier plants, adding important organic material.

It is important to cut down and discard (as in remove) diseased plant material. This is a hygienic step and make sure not to toss it in your compost pile. To assure the best conditions for next year's crop, vegetable gardens will need to be cleared of old growth. Prune back plants and shrubs with seed heads that start too many unwanted new plants. Tropical plants require a lot of care in this non-tropical area. Plants that grow naturally here are a much better investment all the way around. Look for plants native to your back yard and they'll flourish in the your natural soil, temperature range and the amount of water available. Native plants will look beautiful with less time spent fussing with them. This will leave you with more time to do the other fall gardening chores like cleaning, sharpening and oiling your garden tools.

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.

Planting Bulbs

Few plants offer as much spectacular beauty as spring-flowering bulbs. It is wise to choose to buy your bulbs early (before planting time) if buying them from a garden center or plant nursery because the supplies dwindle quickly. So plan first and then go to buy with your plan in mind to make adjustments easier, if necessary. Since bulbs are planted in the fall, you will have to store your bulbs in a cool, dry place beforehand. Garages or dry basements are good. Make sure they won’t deteriorate before getting them into the ground. Generally, they should not be stored for longer than two weeks, otherwise you run the risk of them rotting.

You can also choose your selection from dozens of catalogs online and they store the bulbs for you sending them to you when it is appropriate to be planting the bulbs. They also usually offer more choices from more varieties than the local nurseries can offer you. Once the bulbs arrive, examine them closely. Make sure they are firm and free of any signs of rot or disease. Do not worry too much about the occasional small patch of blue or green surface mold as long as the bulb is firm to the touch. To promote root growth, plant your mail-order bulbs immediately. This is especially important for cold-climate areas. Open the bags and boxes to allow air to circulate around the bulbs if your schedule doesn’t permit you to plant them right away. The sooner you get them in the ground before frost hits, the better. The roots can start making their home in the soil before winter sets in.

A planting location ideal for spring-blooming bulbs receives at least six hours of sunlight a day. Bulbs such as hyacinths or Spanish bluebells are exceptions to this rule preferring the shade. Since some early blooming bulbs such as crocus will flourish beneath deciduous trees, go ahead and plant them there if you like because they bloom long before the trees fill in with leaves.

Once you have a plan in place you can start planting. You will need a mattock or bulb digging tool. Stab it into the ground and manipulate the soil around the hole to place the bulb roots down into the hole with the pointy part of the bulb sticking up. Follow the instructions for planting the bulb that usually come with it. Different bulbs need to be planted at different depths. The general rule is the bulb should be set in the ground three to four times deep as the bulb is tall. To ensure the success of the bulb, use a small ruler to check the proper planting depth.

There are many ways to show your blooming bulbs. To create visual interest, consider following an irregular shaped pattern. You can create a cascading effect by planting the taller bulbs in the back of the flower bed and the shorter flowers in front. For a natural look, group bulbs closer together in the center and gradually space them apart as you move towards the outer edges of the pattern. Whatever your plan, remember if you do not like how you planted when they come up and flower, you can always dig them up and replant them after they have bloomed. Bulbs are forgiving. They also are prolific and you will need to split and replant in around three years. Most importantly, have fun with the patterns you can create.

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.

Plants to Plant Now

When we think of our vegetable garden in the Fall we usually think of harvesting it. Surprisingly though, there are a few edibles planted now that will be ready to eat in only a few weeks. They thrive in the cooler temperatures happening around now.

Spinach can be planted in rows or just broadcast the seed which takes less work. It does well in cool soil, so it's a great fall-planting option. If you are working in an established bed, you don't need to till the soil. Actually, it is probably best not to till the soil before planting because it can bring up weeds growing under the soil.

First, use a rake to break up any clumps and smooth out the surface of your soil. Since spinach has a shallow root system, you do not have to make furrows for the seeds very deep or rough up the area very deeply if you choose to broadcast the seeds. When you broadcast the seeds, just grab a handful of seeds and gently toss them onto the planting area.

Then using a rake, gently cover the seeds. Next water the area with a light mist or spray. Don't let your soil dry out in between waterings. The spinach roots develop best when watered properly. Spinach growth starts slowly and then accelerates during the final three weeks before harvest.

In just a couple of weeks the spinach will have small shoots, and it can be harvested in about four to six weeks as small tender tasty leaves. Do not harvest the whole plant—roots included. Spinach can fall dormant through the winter and come alive again in the spring—a nice surprise.

Another good cool-season crop is garlic. It grows as a bulb underground and will be ready to harvest in June. Each clove you plant (the seed) will produce a whole bulb of garlic. Start with a clove from a farmer’s market rather than one bought at the grocery store. It will produce larger tastier bulbs. The grocery store garlic might also be treated to not sprout.

Before planting add compost material to the soil. Garlic will be in the ground growing for about nine months, so it needs lots of nutrients to keep growing. Plant the cloves in rows a foot apart four to six inches apart within the rows for good bulb size and good yield.

Another plant which is beautiful and edible that can also be planted for a late fall harvest is the pansy. Pansies like rich, well-drained soil and sunny conditions. Pansies are sold as transplants in the fall. Plant them deep enough so that the root ball is covered and the plant is above ground. Do not fertilize these pansy transplants in the fall because it makes them more susceptible to damage. When the flowers are picked throughout the winter season to use in salads and for decorative effects on cakes, they will continue to bloom, even when there is snow on the 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.

What Degree of Shade Falls on Your Plants?

Varying from deep shade to partial sun with many gradations, shade can be a subjective term. Plants and shrubs that do well in the shade need to be planted in the best spots of your garden to work. Part of garden planning is to study your yard and the movements of the sun upon it before making your plant and shrub selections.

Use the levels of shade described below to help you make the best selections for your shaded areas. It is important to keep in mind where you live. If a plant specifies doing well with morning shade and afternoon sun, this plant will do well very differently in northern areas compared to southern areas. The northern areas are more forgiving than the deep south where the afternoon sun can still be very hot. Your own experience with particular plants in your area will be a deciding factor. So treat these descriptions of shade as a general guide only.

Examples of deep shade are beneath evergreen trees and under decks. Deep shade is usually also a dry shade depending on the density of the trees’ needles or the distance between the planks on the deck flooring. Obviously, this is the most difficult shade site to grow plants.

Full shade is found beneath mature deciduous trees such as oaks and maples. It can also be a dry shade especially under maples depending on how many branches and leaves the tree bears when it is full. Woodland plants, in particular like spring sun and summer shade. Summer shade is provided by deciduous trees as they leaf out.

High shade is the shade beneath trees that have been limbed up exposing a rather tall trunk. This is a very desirable type of shade.

Dappled or filtered shade is a continuous shifting pattern of shade. This degree of shade is most ideal for growing shade plants. The shade here is constantly changing which is a good thing.

Light or partial shade receives full shade for at least two to three hours during mid-day. Full sun plants may still do well in such a situation since they get about five to six hours of sun during the day. Full sun is five or more hours of direct sun.

Half shade is depicted by shade falling on your plants for four to five hours with some periods of full sun and of full shade. Half shade is usually more sun than most shade plants can tolerate.

Northern exposure means that the plants or shrubs planted on the north side of walls, fences or a row of solid trees get no direct sun even though the site is open to the sky. Morning sun provides light but without the constant baking of the early afternoon sun. Remember that where you are located in latitude affects the degree of morning and afternoon sun.

Whatever your selection of shade plants ends up being, they do all the better with the proper amount of watering. To make the task of watering easier, it is best to keep your hose on 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.

How to Keep Your Perennial Garden Looking Great Season after Season

Now that you have planned, selected and planted your garden and you feel that it is looking the way you want it, it is up to you to maintain it so that it keeps on looking great season after season. Using the simple strategy outlined here, the maintenance task needs not to become overwhelming.

The best way to retain moisture in your perennial beds is to apply mulch. A layer of organic mulch will also reduce the number of sprouting weeds. Mulch can make the garden beds look more tidy and defined. Typically a new layer of mulch, even just a layer of screened compost, is applied in the spring. Organic mulches, such as pine needles, cocoa hulls, shredded bark, or compost break down quickly and enhance the soil over time. The smaller the pieces in the mulch, the more quickly the enriched nutrients in it are absorbed into the soil as it decomposes.

What is known as deadheading does not have to be a tedious job. Remove faded flowers and leaves as they wilt, or every few days. Get into the practice of walking through your garden before you go to work in the morning or after you come home in the early evening and snipping the unwanted old flowers and leaves. Keeping it tidy everyday can prevent it from being a dreaded chore later on. Hang a small basket on your arm for old flowers, leaves, and weeds, and discard them on your way out of the garden.

Perennial plants will grow and spread a bit every year, depending on the perennial, some can be invasive. It is important to maintain crowd control. Older growth will become weaker when crowded in an area, and may stop blooming completely. Dig and divide. Some aggressive plants may need to be divided more often, and others may not need it for five years or more. Keep the plants looking their best by dividing perennials every three or four years. Replant the divisions elsewhere in your yard or share them with friends.

Some annuals and perennials can create seeds that may grow the next year, unless you have planted sterile hybrids. It is best to suppress this seed growth. Annuals have many viable seeds that can quickly take over a garden or yard if not kept under control. A way to prevent this from happening is to deadhead before seeds mature. If seeds are allowed to mature, thinning out the new seedlings in the spring before they crowd each other out will help so that the entire garden doesn’t have to struggle.

Most importantly to make your perennial garden looking great season after season is to keep it watered well. Make sure the soil has the right amount of moisture. One way to make the task of watering easier is to keep your hose in a hose reel. This prevents kinks in the hose line that can block the flow of water making it frustrating. The maintenance task needs not to become overwhelming.

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 Grows in the Shade

If you want to achieve success in gardening, be careful to choose plants that are adaptable to their surroundings and environment, whether it be Mediterranean climate; bog and water; woodlands or prairies; sunny, partly sunny or full shade. There are more shade plants than you might imagine. Most perennials that bloom in spring, summer and fall do best with the sun beaming down on them at some point to make them flower. But flowers are not necessary to make a landscape intriguing. There are many plants that put on quite a show with texture, form and the many shades of green. When selecting plants for your shady area, consider their foliage and year round interest. If they flower, that is an extra bonus.

Trees, such as flowering dogwood, provide blooms in the early spring and berries in the fall, have attractive bark and offer structural interest in the winter. For attracting wildlife and birds, flowering shrubs such as viburnums offer bloom and berries. Broad-leaf evergreen shrubs like rhododendrons and azaleas, give a week or more of bloom in the spring and their leaves add texture and color all year round. Ferns also are great for texture and they come in a variety of forms and sizes as well. An added interest is the fiddlehead form they start out as in the early spring. A number of these shade-loving plants are evergreen.

If you have trouble growing grass in the shade, consider a moss lawn. Other ground covers for shade are ivy, Pachysandra terminalis and Vinca minor. Winter creeper has a similar growth habit. Ajuga is another useful groundcover with flowers of white, pink and blue and bronze, variegated and mottled green foliage. Lily-of-the-Valley is another possible choice, especially under trees, but may be hard to eliminate if you change your mind. Goutweed, Sweet Woodruff, and Dead Nettle all tend to be invasive, but can be useful because if this, in certain situations.

The evergreen shrub, rhododendrons are well known for blooming in the shade, but many, especially the small-leaved species, can grow in sun as well. In general, the larger the leaves, the more shade is needed. The evergreen azaleas will grow in part shade in warmer zones. Mountain and Sheep Laurel will grow in full shade, but will flower better with some sun. Other broad-leaved evergreens like Andromedas, Boxwood and small-leaved Hollies can be useful in foundation plantings and in hedges. Dwarf forms of Cypress and Hemlock, needled evergreens, are useful in the rock gardens with light to nearly full shade. The Yews are useful too, of course, but are often overused. Again, it is important to check with your local nursery to see which shrubs do best in your area for your success. The ones listed above are not hardy to all zones.

For the most part, shade-loving plants will need less watering. But some shaded areas can be dry and should be watered regularly. Just because the sun doesn’t beat down on the area evaporating the moisture, doesn’t mean the soil doesn’t need replenishing from time to time. The best way to get your hose to these shaded areas is with 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.