by bbum

Gardening Tips For Killing Weeds And Saving Time

Article by Keneth Lara

garden, gardening, beginner, new, weeds, plants, low-maintenance

New gardeners are so often put off gardening at the thought that it has to involve hours and hours of hard work. The popular idea of a low-maintenance garden is one of covering the space with decking and gravel, planted with a few grasses and pots of evergreens.

However, I have discovered an ideal way to help thwart one of the most time-consuming chores in the garden – that of weeding.

This came about almost by accident, as I have a cat who thinks that any uncovered ground is a glorious litter tray! I quickly had to find a way to cover up as much of the soil as possible, but soon realised that ground cover plants gave me the even greater benefit of vastly reducing the number of weeds.

Of course, there are many gardeners who enjoy the time spent weeding, and I admire them tremendously – there are great physical and mental benefits to spending time outdoors among your plants.

But for those of us whose time spent in the garden must be limited because of work commitments or perhaps physical limitations, there is a way to enjoy our plants with a minimum of fuss. Of course, time has to be spent on the initial ground preparation and planting, however, this would probably take far less time than laying decking and gravel!

Weeds are great survivors and they very quickly take over any bare patch of soil. Once they take hold they can very easily smother existing plants and become notoriously difficult to get rid of.

So the idea is to find plants that form dense clumps or spread via their roots to cover the ground. As with most plants, there are ground cover plants for each season when they are at their best, and some that look good all year round.

One word of caution. Because some of these plants spread quickly – which is of course what we want – they also don’t actually know when to stop! So you may need to cut them back occasionally to keep them within their allotted space.

What to plant?

I have discovered that plants such as bugle (ajuga) – you can get plants with purple, bronze or variegated foliage; euphorbia – with stunning acid-green flowers in early to late spring; lesser periwinkle (vinca minor); bergenias – commonly known as elephant’s ears; as well as small-leaved variegated ivies, all provide year round ground cover. Another advantage of these particular plants is that they are also slug and snail resistant!

In spring and summer, you can use aubretia, arabis, alyssum and candytuft (iberis), which all hug the ground. And particularly useful, and providing some height to a border, is aquilegia – the old-fashioned cottage garden variety – which after flowering retains its foliage in attractive clumps. They also self-seed prolifically, giving you extra plants each year.

Another favourite plant of mine is the hardy geranium. Some varieties do die down in the winter – weeds don’t grow much then anyway – but the plants soon romp away in spring and provide ground cover and masses of flowers all summer.

Other useful plants to use for ground cover are herbs. Among a wide variety to choose from are comfrey, feverfew, catmint, golden marjoram and mallow.

So there you have it! Once your ground cover plants are established, you’ll no longer have to spend hours on your knees, but can spend quality time in your garden.

About the Author

Find tips about catching mice and sheep pictures at the Knowledge Bin site.

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by wolfnowl

Three Gardening Tips to Remember

Article by German Gay

Many people are worried about starting their own garden because they believe that the effort will be too great. Try not to get ahead of yourself and tackle the undertaking as it plays out and before you know it you will have an incredible garden.Do Not Overlook Your Pet: Many folks have the silly idea that your pet will not get along with your garden, this is inaccurate. Ingenuity is the answer. When devising the plan for your garden, just keep your pets requirements in mind. One of the most important drawbacks would be when your pet uses your yard as a toilet; the nitrogen in the excrement will cause brown spots. You can keep this from happening by spraying the area with water or sprinkling with gypsum. Taking feces into account, you can bury it or toss it into the trash. Remember not to throw it with the compost; it would render it of an unhealthy nature due to the meat your pet ate. When setting up your garden; keep in mind that your pets will require some shade and a water source. Can Mulching Be a Good Idea: Mulching is not a requirement, but is a great addition to the garden and is very worthwhile. A good reason to use mulch is to keep the suns rays from the weeds, so they cannot grow. Additionally, it holds in the moisture of the soil so that your plants won’t dry out as fast. Another advantage is that it more easily regulates temperature fluctuations of the soil, so they are more gradual and don’t affect your plants. Throughout the cold months, mulch will guard the roots of your greenery from the cold and also will help stop frost heaving. The latter is when plants are pushed out of the earth during the repeated freezing and defrosting of the soil. During the summer months, by mulching your plants, you are protecting them from the heat of the sun and as the mulch rots, it adds valuable nutrients to the soil. The things used for mulch are many, such as grass clippings, hay, wood chips, peat moss, etc.Creating Your Own Herb Garden: Some people prefer to plant their herbs alongside their vegetables and in some cases it is an excellent idea, especially since some herbs are natural deterrents to different kinds of insects that can harm your vegetables. On the other hand, you can alsoopt to create a separate herb garden with a wide range of herbs. Herbs should be treated the same as vegetables and therefore should also be planted after all the frost has gone.Cold weather is not good for most herbs, so they should avoid it. However, most herbs are pretty easy to grow and are well worth the minimal effort they require, especially since the fresher a herb is, the better it is. You want to plant your own herbs so you can use them as fresh as possible. Creating a beautiful garden is well worth the effort required to do it. It is meant to be a hobby and not a chore, so take a breath and remember this when you are in the process of gardening.

About the Author

Devastating details all about Three Gardening Tips to Rememb – got guts? If you want to win, no matter what… then it’s easy – Simple Gardening Advice for a .

Grow strawberries indoors by starting a plant that has a root and greenery, crowding the container with roots, providing a sunny window and watering the plant frequently. Never let the soil of a strawberry plant dry out completely, and consider more advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.

by jomcleay

Container Gardening Tips to Keep in Mind

Article by Mark Mann

When your traditional gardening area is an issue, you can always resort to it; as are a lot of people. Container gardens also take less maintenance than traditional gardens, which means you don’t have to devote as much time to their upkeep. We will share with you some of the other great things you can do with it while having a good time too.

To start with you will need to determine the style of container that would fit in best with your conditions. You can choose any number of a variety of containers; like buckets, cans or simple flower pots. Never use wood containers that have been treated with any sort of chemical and do not forget that wood will decompose with time. If water sits in the container, it will have ill effects on the plants; therefore you will need to allow adequate drainage. Also consider the color of the container you use because dark colors tend to soak in too much heat for a healthy plant; so lighter colors would work better for you. The sizes of your containers will hinge on the size of the plants you will be putting in them. Whether you prefer herbs, flowers or other sorts of plants, enough room go grow vigorously is of utmost importance. A container garden gives you the chance to have your own vegetable garden even if you lack the space to plant vegetables in the ground. You will find that your container garden will accommodate most types of vegetables. It is a good idea to ask people at your gardening center for their advice on which seeds will work best in a container garden. There is a wide range of vegetables that will work well including cucumbers, eggplant, and green beans. Keep in mind that for every type of vegetable, there are a variety of seed types and some will do better in a smaller space than others. Many people enjoy growing large tomato plants, though dwarf cherry tomatoes are often preferable in a container garden setting.

People that try it soon realize there are many different approaches that can be taken. One-way is to have a separate container or pot for each plant. The issue of compatibility, though sometimes problematic, is no longer an issue because of using a variety of containers. Different types of large containers are also preferable, specifically for flowers or vegetables. When you do this, however, compatibility again becomes an issue. You can’t have, for example, a plant that needs lots of water next to a cactus or other plant that needs much less water. If you have several plants sharing a container, you should also avoid plants that tend to spread and invade the space of its neighbors.

Wherever you decide to put your container garden, consider the type of plants that you use before putting the seeds in the soil. With enough effort, you can even adjust the temperature and humidity to accommodate exotic plants from other parts of the world. it is a fun filled experience most people should try and probably will enjoy once they do it continuously.

About the Author

Here is a good reason for not using poisons for pest control in your garden Red Kites Poisoned

by Darkroom Daze

Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn–Part Two

Article by Karen Cole-Peralta

Watering Your Lawn and Garden

You can’t forget about watering in the middle of fall. The summer’s long over, but proper moisture now is key to your plants’ survival over the cold winter months. You’re likely to hear two pieces of advice on watering. One is that you should give established plants an inch of water per week, whether from rain or irrigation. The other is that personal observation of your own garden is the only way to judge how much water it needs. One fact about which there is more agreement: the ideal is to maintain constant moisture, not a cycle of wet soil followed by dry soil.

Although overwatering can be as big a problem as underwatering, most gardeners err on the side of too little. Your needs will vary through the year depending on the rate of evapotranspiration in your garden. Evapotranspiration refers to the two ways that plants lose water. There’s evaporation, the loss of water to the air from soil, water and other surfaces. Then the other way is called transpiration, or water lost primarily from the leaves and stems of the plants. You can often obtain evapotranspiration rates for local areas from water departments and other agencies. You will see a graphic description of how a plant’s natural need for water changes during the growing season.

In the meantime, keep these pointers in mind:

1) Water when it’s needed, not according to the calendar. Check the top six inches of the soil. If it’s dry and falls apart easily, water. Your plants will also show signs that they need water. Wilting, curling or brown leaves mean that your plants may lack adequate water. Meanwhile, bear in mind that excess water creates a lack of oxygen in plants, making them show similar symptoms to underwatering.

2) Water slowly, not more than one-half inch of water per hour. Too much water can be lost to runoff. This is why handheld watering cans or handheld hoses generally work only for watering small areas.

3) Water deeply. With established vegetables and flowers, six inches is a minimum. With trees and shrubs, water one to two feet or more. Shallow watering does more harm than good; it discourages plants from developing the deep roots they need to find their own water. Except when you are watering seedlings, soil should never be wet only in the top layer.

4) Water in the morning, never during the hottest part of the day. Too much water may be lost to evaporation. Watering in the evening sometimes causes problems in humid climates, particularly with overhead watering, which wets all the foliage. Plants that remain wet at night sometimes come down with disease and fungal growth.

5) Don’t allow runoff. On heavy clay soil, one inch of water will probably cause runoff. At the first sign that water is not penetrating the soil, turn it off. Irrigate in an hour or so, after the initial water has penetrated.

Building a Bin and Making Your Own Compost

A bin will contain your compost pile and make it more attractive as well as keep it from spilling or blowing over into your yard. A circular or square structure can be made from fencing wire. The idea is to push the compost material together to make it heat up and rot properly. The bin should be at least three feet wide and three feet deep to provide enough space for the spreading material. Use untreated wood or metal fence posts for the corners and wrap sturdy wire fencing around them. The fence mesh should be small enough that rotting materials won’t fall out. When the compost is ready, unwind the wire and scoop from the bottom of the pile. Then re-pile the undecomposed material and wrap the wire back around the heap.

It’s easy to cook up your own pile. At first, layer grass clippings with a dash of leaves and twigs to create a concoction that turns into humus, the best plant food. Added ingredients for the compost comes from everyday waste in the kitchen and yard. But avoid any items that ruin your compost. Use green materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and grass and plant clippings; and brown materials, such as leaves, wood and bark chips, shredded newspaper, straw and sawdust from untreated wood. Avoid using any meat, oil, fat, grease, diseased plants, sawdust or chips from pressure-treated wood, dog or cat feces, weeds that go to seed or dairy products. These can befoul, spoil and make smelly and rancid a perfectly good productive compost heap.

There are two types of composting: cold and hot. Cold composting is as simple as piling up your yard waste or taking out the organic materials in your trash such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds or egg shells and then piling them in your yard. Over the course of a year or so, the material will decompose. Hot composting is for the more serious gardener; you’ll get compost in one to three months during warm weather. Four ingredients are required for fast-cooking hot compost: nitrogen, carbon, air and water. These items feed microorganisms, which speed up the process of decay.

To create your own organic hot-compost heap, wait until you have enough material to make a pile that’s three feet deep. To ensure an even composition, first create alternating four-inch layers of green and brown materials. Green materials such as vegetable scraps, grass clippings and plant trimmings create nitrogen. Brown materials such as leaves, shredded newspaper and twigs create carbon. Sprinkle water over the pile regularly so it has the consistency of a damp sponge. Don’t add too much, or the microorganisms will become waterlogged and won’t heat the pile.

During the growing season, you should provide the pile with oxygen by turning it once a week with a pitchfork. The best time is when the center of the pile feels very warm. Stirring up the pile helps it cook faster and prevents material from becoming matted down and developing a bad odor. At this point, the layers have served their purpose of creating equal amounts of green and brown materials throughout the pile. Stir it thoroughly, turning it over repeatedly. When the compost no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown and crumbly, it’s fully cooked and ready to feed to your garden.

Concentrated Pest Control

Slugs and other pests don’t disappear as the weather gets cooler. You’ll find them at all life stages in October, from eggs to youngsters and adults. For slugs, use whatever measures you prefer, salt, slug bait or saucers of beer to eliminate them. It’s best to catch them at the early stages to stop the reproduction cycle. And keep the ground well-raked and tidied to reduce their natural habitat.

Here’s a brief list of common garden pests and how to control them:

Thrips: Adult thrips are about one-sixteenth-inch long and have dark bodies with four fringed wings. Their size makes them difficult to detect in the garden. They attack young leaves, flower stalks and buds. Spray young foliage, developing buds and the soil around the bush with an insecticide containing acephate.

Cane borer: This insect is the maggot of the eggs laid by sawflies or carpenter bees in the freshly-cut cane of the rose after pruning. One telltale sign is a neatly-punctured hole visible on the top of the cane. To remove the pest, cut several inches down the cane until there are no more signs of the maggot or pith-eaten core. Seal all pruning cuts with pruning sealer.

Japanese beetle, Fuller rose beetle: These will eat parts of the foliage and sometimes the flowers. Pick beetles off the bush by hand. Or spray foliage and flowers with an insecticide containing acepate or malathion.

Leaf miner: This insect can be spotted on foliage by the appearance of irregular white chain-like blisters containing its grub. Remove foliage and discard it to prevent further infestation.

Spittle bug: This small, greenish-yellow insect hides inside a circular mass of white foam on the surface of new stems, usually during the development of the first bloom cycle in early spring. Spray a jet of water to remove the foam and the insect.

Roseslug: When you see new foliage with a skeletonized pattern, indicating that it has been eaten, chances are it’s the roseslug. Remove the infected foliage and spray with insecticidal soap or an insecticide that contains acephate.

Weed Whacking Made Easy

Actually, this is a slight exaggeration. There’s no rest for the wicked. Keep staying ahead of your nasty weeds all this and next month. They serve as Home Sweet Home for all manner of pests and bugs, and destroying them before they flower and seed will save you much work in the future.

Preparation is the key. All gardeners know what it’s like to have their yards invaded by unwelcome plants. Although there’s no really easy way to banish weeds, there are a few solid techniques you can use to reclaim your turf. At the very least, you can limit this utmost in hostile takeovers.

Here is a simple outline of effective battle strategies you can use in the fall:

1) Be a mulching maniac. Mulch acts as a suffocating blanket by preventing light from reaching weed seeds. At the same time, it holds moisture for your plants and provides nutrients for your soil as it decomposes. Apply coarse mulch, such as bark or wood chips, directly onto soil. Leaves, grass clippings, or straw work better as a weed deterrent with a separating layer of newspaper, cardboard or fabric between them and the soil.

2) Water those weeds. Pulling weeds is easier and more efficient when the soil is moist. You are more likely to get the whole root system, and your yanking won’t disturb surrounding plants as much either. No rain? Turn on the sprinkler or even water individual weeds, leave for a few hours and then get your hands dirty. Just ignore the strange looks from your neighbors as you lovingly water your weeds.

3) Cut weeds down in their prime. Weeds love open soil. But if you till or cultivate and then wait to plant, you can outmaneuver the weeds. Till the ground at least twice before you plant. Your first digging will bring dormant weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate. Watch and wait for a few weeks until they begin to grow. Then slice up the weeds again with a tiller or a hoe, only don’t dig as deep. Now it should be safe to put precious plants into the soil.

Food for Thought

In addition to performing these autumnal lawn and garden duties, you may want to harvest your fall vegetables such as the perennial squashes. Do a taste test and harvest them when flavor is at its peak. If you’d like to extend the harvest of carrots, turnips and other root vegetables, leave some in the ground to mulch as the weather gets colder. Early next month, before temperatures drop too much, seed cover crops such as clover, peas or vetch to enrich the soil. It will serve as a natural fertilizer, stifle weed growth and help loosen up the soil for next year’s crops.

As for your houseplants that you’ve put outside for the summer, if September was mild enough that your geraniums and other such plants are still outdoors, be sure to make them cozy inside before the first frost takes a bite out of them. Take geranium cuttings of two to four inches to root indoors. If you treat houseplants chemically, be sure to keep them warm and away from direct sunlight. Fertilize houseplants now and they won’t need it again until March. And remember to get your poinsettias and your Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti ready for well-timed holiday color. Give them a daily dose of ten hours of bright daylight or four hours of direct sun and fourteen hours of night darkness. Cacti need a cool environment of fifty to sixty degrees, while poinsettias prefer a warmer sixty-five to seventy degrees. Be sure and let your cacti dry out between waterings.

For a true gardenaholic, winter is often considered to be the enemy. But with a few steps toward preparation in the early- to mid-fall, you can take care of your lawn, garden and houseplants in a way that will keep them thriving and surviving until the dawning of yet another most welcome and bountiful springtime.

The information in these two articles was gleaned from the MSN House and Home website and the Better Homes and Gardens website.

About the Author

Executive Director and President of Rainbow Writing, Inc., Karen Cole-Peralta writes. RWI at http://www.rainbowriting.com/ is a world renowned freelance writing, copyediting, ghostwriting, graphics and CAD, search engine optimization, publishing helpers, internet marketing, free professional services, and supercheap dedicated web host and website development corporation.

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by maxnathans

Herb Gardening Tips

Article by Peter Finch

Herbs can be annual, biennial or perennial. Herbs with lifespan of one year are known as annuals, while those with a lifespan of two years are known as biennials. Perennials are ones that live longer than two years. Herb gardening is not only an art but also a science besides being a great form of exercise and a hobby. The Chinese, Indians and Greeks have extensively developed herb gardening for centuries. According to the main characteristic of herbs, they can be classified as culinary, medicinal or ornamental herbs.

You can become successful herb gardener if you know the secrets of setting up a herb garden and taking care of it the right way. Even though each herb grows in different conditions, all herbs maintain the equilibrium of their surroundings. Herb gardening can either be done indoors or outdoors. While few grow well indoors in a pot or a container, others grow well only in the garden. Edible herbs grown by you would be free of herbicides. In turn, you can safely consume chemical-free herbs.

Maintenance

Easy maintenance and low costs are the main advantages of herb gardening. However, there are few points to remember when you try growing herbs, especially the edible varieties. If you opt for indoor gardening, make sure you choose appropriate pots or containers. While selecting the edible parts of the herb for consumption, make sure that they are not infected or have any insect bites. Some of the herbs may not like to be restricted to a pot or vessel. Make sure that you do not plant such herbs inside the house.

Herb Gardening In Containers

You can use any container for growing plants. Make sure that there are no insects, bugs or snails hiding inside the vessel or pot used for sowing the seeds. Insects are the worst enemies of any kind of plant, as they destroy the leaves and other important parts of the herb. Also, make sure that the holes are such that bugs cannot crawl into the pot after filling it with soil. Before you fill the pot or container with soil, cover the bigger holes with a thin cloth so that it covers the hole and a small portion around it. The cloth should be one that allows water to drain out and at the same time, keeps the insects out.

Fill the pot with sufficient and appropriate soil, and then sow the seeds in appropriate climatic conditions. You can also choose to purchase ready-made pots with the herb already planted in it. In both conditions, you should remember to change the soil after 3 months. Moreover, make sure that you pluck off the dried and dead leaves, and keep trimming the herb so that it does not grow wild.

Raised bed herb gardens and Parterre are other styles of herb gardening besides container gardening. With a sincere effort on your part and proper care, you too can show off your homegrown herbs to all and sundry.

About the Author

Get all of the latest in herb gardening tips know how from the one and only true gardening resource at http://www.herbgardensadvice.com/ Be sure to check out our herb gardening tips pages on our web site.

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by eagleapex

Herb Gardening-Tips For Your Herb Garden

Article by Kevin Hope

Herb gardening is a great hobby for those who want to grow plants in a small area. Herbs are pretty much the easiest things to grow and can be a rewarding pastime for gardening enthusiasts.

An herb garden can be grown in a planter hung outside of your window if you happen to live in an apartment building where growing a large garden is not allowed.To start your own herb garden, you’ll need to decide which kind of herbs you want to grow.

There are herbs that are used in cooking, herbs that are grown for their aromatic scents, ornamental herbs to beautify a room and the medicinal types of herbs. You’ll want to research the different types of herbs you could grow.

Each herb is different and requires different means of care and they can grow at different times as others. Some are grown perennially while others will grow biennially. Some may need more sun than others, so study up and be informed before planting your herb garden.

Some of the herbs used for cooking seem to do better when started indoors and then taken outside. Use a spacious pot and make sure there’s ample soil in it. Use fertilized soil because this gives them the extra nutrients they need to help them grow healthy.

Should you grow your plants from seeds, make sure you read the package that the seeds come in. There will be specific instructions you need to follow to grow your garden.

Those instructions are there for a reason, so if you want healthy herb plants, take care of them according to the seed packet instructions. If you’re using seeds to start your garden, make sure you move them to ample sunlight when the seedlings appear.

Most herbs will require humidity, so you may need to spray water in the area around the seedlings, using a spray bottle. Don’t use a hose or spray the seedlings directly. They’re fragile at this stage.

When the seedlings grow heartier and their leaves grow too close to another herb plant, make sure you trim those leaves back and keep the space between the plants to ensure all receive the proper nutrients they need to grow.

Prepare the herb plants before transplanting them outside. They may not thrive with a drastic change in temperature. Take the pot outdoors for a little while a few times a day and then increase the time they’re outside for a few days before transplanting them outside permanently.

Herb plants are easy to take care of and there’s very little insect problems to worry about. Beginners as well as advanced gardeners can benefit from this hobby of growing herbs – especially if you personally use the herbs that you work so hard to grow.

With proper care and a little patience, you can grow your own herb garden no matter what your living conditions are. Your herbs will take some time to grow, so just enjoy the benefits your herb garden contributes to your life.

About the Author

Kevin Hope is a Professional Chef and Amateur Gardener. He is fascinated by growing his own food, and wants to help you do the same. For more information on Gardening for Food and Fun, please see A Cook’s Garden

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by Community History SA

Gardening Tips- Where it all Begins

Article by Gareth Taylor

Gardening goes back a long way, a long time before technology and chemicals were used and growing efforts were left to just nature.None of the people back then knew how to care for the plants and protect them from pests. They had no idea of the ways and means of enhancing growth and produce healthy crops. With the continued introduction of civilisation, slowly there is the development of gardening enhancements and products that promotes proper growth of all types of plants.

In our present time, gardening at home has developed a new concept – the greenhouse. Instead of exposing your garden to a changing and sometimes harsh weather, you can grow all the plants you want without having to worry whether it rains for days or how intense the heat is outside. Sufficient mechanical protection is created to enhance the functionality of greenhouses. Reproducing the climate that some plants are used to and protection from pests that is quite common in an open garden. Other gardening enhancements are the use of organic materials and fertilisers to assist the growth and crop production.

For greenhouse growers, it is imperative that you have a selection of garden accessories you can use to create a successful and productive garden. You cannot simply plant and water according to your desired time without considering the exact feeding and care every plant needs. For people living in countries with four seasons and are using greenhouses to grow their preferred plants, there are accessories you must install in your greenhouse in order to provide the exact environment your chosen plants need. Some of these are the basic tools such as: watering cans, propagator, hand tools, shelves, seed trays and the greenhouse enhancers like the louvre vent, potting trays, auto vents, ridge vents, and blinds all of which can be found and purchased online at Gabriel Ash.

All of the mentioned tools improve the ability and suitability of your greenhouse. When you garden, in order to make a success out of it, you need to at least collect the most basic things. The propagator on offer from Gabriel Ash increases the speed of growth of your seeds as it comes with a heated mat, which controls the temperature necessary for seedlings to grow healthy and sturdy roots. Instead of having to worry whether you seedlings will survive after transplant, you are assured of their health even before you start transferring to the greenhouse.

If you visit Gabriel Ash, you will find several greenhouse accessories at low, sale prices. The high quality gardening tools are very helpful if you are serious about your gardening hobby. Popular products such as Sneeboer garden hand tools consisting of trowel, fork, and stone scratcher are among the products available. Purchase tools and accessories at low sale prices now from Gabriel Ash – before the sale ends.

About the Author

Gareth Taylor is author of this article on Gardening Tips. Find more information about IGardening Tips here.

by tejvanphotos

Indoor Herb Gardening Tips

Article by Paul Zeman

Why not a flower garden?

An herb garden is actually a flower garden, though the variety is different. However, the biggest benefit of growing an herb garden is definitely in the realms of health; next, it is the ornamental benefits that you get. Herbs are things of beauty and a large number of them even outrun the flowers; besides, it

by nutmeg66

Autumn Gardening Tips

Article by Daniel Collins

Autumn is the perfect time to start preparing the garden for winter. Indeed, the months of September and October present the ideal opportunity to get outside while it is still relatively warm, in order to tidy up the bedding and ensure everything is fully organised before the cold weather and frosts set in. Not only that, but laying down the right groundwork now will help the garden to reach its full springtime potential.One of the first autumn tasks any gardener should tackle is the weeds, particularly if they have been left to run riot throughout the summer months. In addition to helping the soil prepare itself for spring, regularly removing weeds should weaken their persistence, thus encouraging them to stay away. What’s more, by pulling up any weeds now, there is less opportunity for them to spread their seeds and further infiltrate the garden. This time of year is also great for planning ahead and planting both winter and spring bulbs. In fact, after taking out any summer blooming bulbs like irises or dahlias and storing them somewhere warm for the winter, it is recommended that they are then replaced with a mixture of plants such as winter pansies or evergreens and spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips. In doing this, the garden should continue to look its best and provide plenty of colour throughout the year.For those planning to extend their garden, now is the time to do it. Due to the relatively warm weather and favourable conditions, autumn provides one of the best opportunities for new plants to put down their roots before the cold weather slows their progress. Therefore, any new trees, shrubs or perennials that are to be planted should be added now. Autumn also brings with it blustery winds and stormy weather. As a result, it is crucial to make sure that any climbers are securely tied back, to prevent them from breaking.The lawn is also an important consideration. To ensure that it survives the imminent arrival of the harsh weather, it is essential to remove any weeds and moss and to give it a last feed. Equally, gardeners that want to lay down a new one should do so before the winter hits.Preparing the soil for the coming spring, as well as ensuring that it has enough nutrients is another important autumn consideration. As such, it can be a good idea to lay down mulch. For an environmentally friendly, low cost option, use the autumn leaves scattered around the garden.There are many things that a gardener can do to prepare their outside space for the approaching winter. Autumn gardening is a great way to ensure the soil is fertile, the lawn is strong enough to endure the cold temperatures and the plants are appropriate for the time of year. And, a little bit of work now can go a long way to keeping the garden looking fresh and inviting regardless of what the weather’s like.

About the Author

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

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by unprose

Rose Tree Gardens: Tips From a Rose Tree Lover

Article by Lynnie Smith

The Weeping Rose Tree Garden (one of my favorites) not only adds beauty to your garden, but it is an outstanding sight anywhere in your yard. Top heavy and satiated with beautiful blossoms, the Weeping Rose Tree has stems overflowing with blooms that gently and gracefully spill to the ground. While the sight of this flower captivates your eye, the aroma will truly own your nose with its subtle perfume.

Start Your Rose Tree Garden RightGiving your Rose Tree garden a good start will help to assure a healthy plant. Like all roses, tree roses love the sun and need four to six hours of full sun and rich soil with good drainage. Prepare the location you will plant your Weeper by digging up the site, removing weeds, rock and other garden debris. Add generous amounts of compost or decayed manure several weeks before planting.

When you are ready to plant your tree dig a hole that is two feet deep and two feet wide. Mix garden soil with equal amounts of mulch, peat moss and potting soil, and fill the hole half full. Fill the hole with water and stir creating a slurry with the soil mixture. Place the rose in the hole and fill the hole completely with the soil mixture and slurry becomes firm.

Provide Extra Support For Rose Tree Gardens

Weeping Rose Tree gardens require tree stakes to support the trees’ heavy load. Buy sturdy stakes that are two feet longer than the trees trunk. Set the stakes at the southern side of the plant to protect it from sun and wind damage. Drive the stake two feet into the ground just outside the root ball. Tie the stake and the cane at the top where the branches begin, and another half way down the cane. Use a figure eight pattern to avoid rubbing damage.

Water your new Rose Tree garden daily until it is established and new growth appears. Water regularly and deeply to help the roots grow deep and to protect the plant from drought. You can feed your rose once new growth appears. You can use a complete plant food or use compost, which is highly recommended. Spread two or three shovels full of compost around the Rose Trees base in early spring and mid summer.

You will need to keep your eyes out for rose diseases such as black spot or mildew and treat it immediately by removing infected leaves and using a fungicide. Pesticides will eliminate those pests of the crawling kind.

Keeping A Rose Garden Fresh and AromaticDeadhead fading flowers by locating the next leaf set below the bud and cutting one-fourth inch above this leaf. Hold shears at a forty five degree angle, so that the angle faces away from the center of the bush. Clean up fallen leaves and petals and throw them away. Do not add to compost as it will encourage disease and pests.

In late fall prepare your Weeping Rose Tree garden for winter by building a cage of mesh wire around the trunk of your Weeper, and fill the cage with mulch.

About the Author

Lynnie Smith is a long time rosarian with a passion for miniature roses and weeping rose trees. You can find out more about Weeping Rose Tree Gardens visit http://www.How2GrowTheRoses.com/.

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