Healthy hands are the Gardener's Best Tools

Here are the major reasons why one should consider getting a pair of trusty gardening gloves:

Gloves protect your hands from blisters, thorns and cuts while doing rough work like digging or pruning in the garden. Investing in one or more pairs of quality gloves is a good decision. 

Here are some tips on how to choose the pair that will suit you best:   

1. Look for quality leather gloves with a cloth back; this will let the gloves breathe and keep your hands dry, cool and comfortable. 

2. If mud bothers you, select rubber gloves with cotton lining. 

3. When spraying pesticides or chemicals choose gloves that are made from neoprene. Gloves made from latex or any type of plastic may not offer the best protection.

4. When pruning roses, use gloves that reach up to the arms. 

5. If you usually operate large garden machinery, buy gloves in brown instead of red as the latter may dye your hands. 

6. Light cotton or even fingerless gloves may be useful for transplanting seedlings. They will allow more dexterity and so help to prevent the tiny roots from being crushed.

7. And of course, make sure that the gloves you buy actually fit your hands. If you have small hands, try the children's gardening section. there's nothing worse than trying to garden is gloves that are too big.

Your gloves must be comfortable as well as give protection to best serve your gardening needs.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

With the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family's health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.

It's a good idea to choose your favourite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties. 

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available. 

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting. 

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring. 

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support. 

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made. 

Hydroponics Gardening

Hydroponics was derived from the Greek word hydro, which means "water" and ponos, which means "labor or water-working". Hydroponics gardening involves growing plants with their roots in other nutrient solutions and without soil. 

Hydroponics gardening is as simple as ordinary gardening. Both of them necessitate sufficient light, water, temperature, light, and humidity. But with hydroponics, no soil is used. Instead a soil substitute holds the roots while nutrients are carried by the water. Indoor hydroponic gardening is not that hard and plants respond well to this method of growing.

This is one of the major considerations in hydroponics gardening since it sustains the plants. One has to make sure that this nutrient solution maintains a pH level of 5 to 6 after dilution. In hydroponics gardening, the plants should be watered more than three times a day. this is usually done using a pump and timer. 

If your hydroponics garden is located indoors, the most suitable temperature is between 71 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, this temperature may change depending on the different types of plant you are working on, e.g. tropical plants. 

Place your plants somewhere they can receive ample amount of light. Otherwise artificial light must be used. High pressure Sodium lights or bulbs are a suitable substitute for natural light. 

Humidity is good. When the room’s temperature rises, the air will be able to hold the sufficient amount of moisture your plants will need. 

A hydroponics system can be fully automated. Since it is water-based, the gardener has no soil to dig or weeds to pull. Also, the water can be re-used to prevent wastage. 

With hydroponics, an excellent yield of quality plants can be easily achieved. Home hydroponics systems and DIY kits are are readily available in most hardware stores.

Care of the Flower Garden

Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants. Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health

1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.

Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells. 

When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don't heap soil or mulch up around the stem. If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.

2. Mix and match perennials with annuals. 

Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.

3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.

Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant produce more flowers. Just make sure that you don't discard the deadhead on the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.

4. Know the good from the bad bugs. 

Most garden insects do more good than harm. Butterflies, beetles and bees are known pollinators. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for survival. 

Sowbugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are necessary to help in the decomposition of dead plant material, thus enriching the soil and making more nutrients available to growing plants.

Other insects like lacewings and dragonflies are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphis.

An occasional application of liquid fertilizer when plants are flowering will keep them blooming for longer.

Always prune any dead or damaged branches. Fuchsias are particularly prone to snapping when you brush against them. The broken branch can be potted up to give you a new plant, so it won't be wasted.

Gardenings Most Valuable Advice

Many people may not be aware that gardening can actually harm the environment.  A large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil.  This contributes to global warming.  When you cultivating and compacting the soil, destroys good fungi.  Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out of the soil and pollute the water you drink.

Global warming

Did you know that the earth's soil gives out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity?  This comes from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe, digest food and then die. Although in the past plants have been capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale tillages, this isn't the case nowadays.  

The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.

Good Fungi

In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually forms a symbiotic relationship with plants.  Their filaments increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant.  They give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus.  Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return.  It is possible to grow a garden without tilling the sooiil at all by mulching heavily until the soil is soft and friable. 

Surplus Nitrogen

Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise. Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure.  Kate Burroughs of Sebastopol California, uses the same rule for her home-grown lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear trees, farmers only need a small amount.  Notice that gardeners apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers. Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizer but also their money.  

The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation. Keep in mind that too little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the most valuable advice one can have in gardening.

Benefits of Gardening for Kids

Apparently, we can see how nature is treated these days.  It is a sad thing to know that people do not pay attention so much anymore to the environmental problems.  What can we do about this?  It's as simple as starting with the children.  It is good to see the children's involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. Why should you consider gardening for your children?

Here are the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:

1.  Science

In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant's life cycle and how human's intervention can break or make the environment.  They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through a seed.  This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.

2.  Life

Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child.  In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated -- it should be with care. The necessities to live will be emphasized to kids with the help of gardening - water, sunlight, air, soil. Those necessities could easily be corresponded to human necessities, i.e., water, shelter, air, food.  By simply weeding out, one could educate how bad influences should be avoided to be able to live life smoothly.

3.  Relaxation

Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect. This is applicable to any age group.  More so, it stimulates all the five senses.  Believe it or not, gardening may be used as therapy to children who have been abused or those who are members of broken homes.  It helps build one's self-esteem.  

4.  Quality Time with the Family

You can forget about your stressful work life for a while be soothed by the lovely ambience in the garden.  You can play and spend quality time with your children.  You can talk while watering the plants or you can work quietly beside each other.  The bottom line is, always do what you have to do, together with your kids.  You might discover a lot of new things about your child while mingling with them in your garden.  

Let kids become aware of their environment's needs. And one way to jumpstart that environmental education may be through gardening.  It's hitting two birds with one stone -- teach them to respect life while you bond with them.

3 Tips in Landscaping your Garden

Landscaping is usually a fairly big task, consuming much time and energy. But before you hire that professional, here are some tips that could save both time and money.

1. Spend some time thinking about exactly how you want the final design to be. You need to take account of the style and function of your landscape. Do you want to include an area for entertaining? A barbeque? Is there to be an area for children to play, a fishpond or a swimming pool? An idea of the plants you want to be there will also help. Focus on the area where you spend most of your time. That's a good place to start.

2. Think twice before hiring a pro. An independent designer might cost you hundreds of dollars when you may be able to access free plans on the internet or at a nursery. But if you have an awkward block such as very steep ground, a pro might give you the expertise to save costly mistakes.

3. The style of your home must be taken into account. If you have a rural cottage, formal gardens surrounding it will look out of place. Think also about your lifestyle. Do you want to spend hours caring for many beds of annuals or pruning beds of roses? If so, go ahead and plant them, but if you'd rather spend your free time at the beach, then go for an easy-care garden and landscape.

Here are the various landscape styles you can choose for your own garden:

a. Formal. This style uses lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes. Orderly arrangement of plants instead of random positioning is employed. Close arrangement and pruning is seen on many landscaped gardens with this style.

b. Informal. This kind of landscaping workds well with cosy cottages. Beds with curved edges instead of straight lines and random placement of plants suit this landscape style.

c. English Garden. This style emphasizes the harmony between the house’s architecture and the garden. 

d. Formal/Informal Garden. This style often comes with a brick walkway that exudes formality. This walkway leads to the rear with a circle of plants. The arrangement of plants resembles the English garden style but it has no formal borders.

e. Oriental. It is often the kind of garden found in small backyards. It uses rocks, evergreens and water. A wide variety of plants create several interesting angles with this style.

f. Woodland. This landscaping suits a house that has a wooded backyard and sloping ground.

Dealing with Rose Diseases

To make sure that your prized roses remain in the best of health, simply follow these tips.

1. Black Spots on Leaves

This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots appear as circular with fringed edges on leaves. They cause the leaves to yellow. Remove the infected foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose. Artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat this kind of rose disease.

2. Stunted or malformed young canes

Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes the leaves curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease. 

3. Blistered underside of leaves

Known as rust, this disease is characterized by orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. It can survive the winter and will then attack new sprouts in the spring. Collect and discard leaves that are infected in fall. a Benomyl or Funginex spray every 7-10 days may help.

4. Malformed or stunted leaves and flowers 

This is caused by spider mites. They are tiny yellow, red or green spiders found on the underside of leaves where they suck juices. The application of Orthene or Isotox may help in treating this infestation.

5. Weak and mottled leaves with tiny white webs under them

This is caused by aphids. They are small soft-bodied insects that usually brown, green or red. Often clustered under leaves and flower buds, they suck plant juices from tender buds. Malathion or diazinon spray may help roses to survive these bugs.

6. Flowers that don't open or are deformed when they open. 

Thrips could be the reason behind this problem. They are slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings that also suck juices from flower buds. Cut and discard the infested flowers. Orthene and malathion may also treat this problem.

Remember that roses are hungry feeders that require much fertilizer to become healthy bushes.

Safe Pest Control Tips

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens. 

The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals. 

Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly. 

1. Use the physical pest control process.

This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage.

2. Apply biological pest control.

Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.

3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.

Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.

4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.

Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:

Against Green Aphids and Mites - Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.

Against Cockroaches - Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.

Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting. 

Modern Gardening Equipment

The types and quality of equipment you use to take care of your plants not only have an effect on your plants' health, but your own as well.

Defective tools could cause damage to your plants, but it is worse if they are so uncomfortable to use that they give you blisters or a bad back. To avoid this, look for the gardening equipment that will do the best job for your type of gardening. It must have the right amount of power to be energy efficient while also being able to do the job without causing you any more strain than necessary.

Here is a review of gardening equipment from the gardening experts themselves.

1. Garden Shredders

JCB SS2400 received five stars out of five from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has a 2400 watt motor and comes with a silent gear crushing system. It is one promising tool to improve and hasten your shredding activity.

Ryobi ESR - 2240 Electric Shredder is an easy to assemble garden shredder suitable for prunings up to 40mm. It comes with built-in wheels and a plunger for increased portability.

2.  Hedge Trimmer

Bosch AHS42-16 Electric Hedge Trimmer also received five stars out of five rating from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has 420 watt output.

3. Cultivators

Mantis Tiller Cultivator comes with patented tines to aid in cutting smoothly through hard, compacted soil. It is perfect for preparing vegetable plots, flower beds, etc. It also helps in thatching, aerating and cleaning moss. It also comes with a free border edger.

4. Lawnmowers

Brill 78370 Luxus Push Reel Mower rated 4.5 out of 5 stars Tools-hills.com customers. It has a large top cover that protects shrubs and overhanging flowers.

American Lawnmower Deluxe Light Reel Mower 1815-16 received 4.5 stars out of 5 from Epinions.com buyers.  A push-mower, it does not cause pollution, but is not suitable for tall grass.

5. Leaf Sweeper

Agri-fab 26 Push Leaf Sweeper is for smaller lawns and is available with 200 litre collector. It also comes with an infinite height adjustment feature.

Buying Seeds For Your Garden On The Net

Many people like the challenge of raising plants and flowers from seeds. While it can be easier to stop by the local gardening center and purchase plants that are already growing, many gardeners truly enjoy the prospect and challenge of raising plants and vegetables for their gardens from seeds.

Perhaps you are a person who is interested in growing flowers and vegetables for your own garden spaces from seeds. If that is the case, you may be wondering what resources are available to you through which you can order seeds for garden plants, seeds for flowering plants and vegetables for your gardens.

As with so many things in the 21st century, the Internet and World Wide Web is proving to be a truly wonderful resource for people who are interested in growing their own plants from seed. At this point in time, there is a wide array of different types of websites through which consumers such as you can actually purchase seeds for your own gardens, including seeds for flowering and for vegetable plants.

There are now some more generalized websites on the Net through which you can by all types of seeds. For example, there are sites that are in business to offer men and women seeds at discounted prices. At the other end of the spectrum, there are website operations that have been established to provide people with some more high end (and more expensive) products.

Because many people have become interested in more specific types of gardening -- for example, organic gardening -- there are now websites that cater to some of these more specialized areas of gardening. For example, if you are interested in organic vegetable gardening, you will want to consider stopping by one or another of the sites that deal specifically in the selling or organic vegetable seeds.

By way of another example, there are some people who are interested in crafting and creating beautiful flower gardens. To this end, there are innumerable websites on the Net that deal with the selling of seeds for people interested in growing flowers. Indeed, there are sites that are committed specifically to selling seeds for specific kinds of flowers.

Finally, there are information resources on the Net that can provide you with authoritative information on a wide array of different issues dealing with gardening. In both the short and the long term, you can learn a great deal about gardening practices from these useful websites.

Bonzai Tree Seeds

There are several varieties of Bonzai Trees available at Bonzai nurseries, but these can be very expensive. Another option for growing your own Bonzai Trees is to start them from seeds. Though you may not be able to reproduce the exact tree that you see in the nursery, you can create a miniature Bonzai Tree that is very similar.

It is important to understand that in actuality, there is no such thing as Bonzai Tree seeds. Bonsai Trees are grown from the natural seeds of trees and shrubs that are modified into miniatures through different pruning and growing techniques.

The one exception to this is the Japanese Yatsubusa Tree. This tree has been genetically modified to produce a miniature tree. The genetically modified Bonszai Tree is the result of being infected with a fungus. The fungus produces dwarf shoots when this disease affects the tree; and the seeds produced therefore inherit these genetics. For example, the Chinese Elms, Japanese Black Pines and Trident Maples are three species of Bonzai Trees that suffer from genetic modification due to fungus.

So, with this one exception there are no specific seeds that will produce a Bonzai Tree; therefore it is necessary to simply buy a seed for whatever species of tree that you want to grow into a Bonzai and use this to begin with.

If you do come across someone selling Bonzai Tree seeds, this is only labeling, as they are just the regular variety of seed. These will work to create your Bonzai Tree just the same. If you plant your seed and grow them in the proper way, you can create a Bonzai Tree from nearly any type of tree.

Remember, Bonzai Tree seeds are the same as any other type of tree seed and if they are not cared for correctly you will end up with trees that look the same as those in a forest, or your front yard.

Before deciding on which Bonzai Tree to grow from seed, first discover all you can about the different species and their care. Once you know the most important elements of growing the Bonzai, such as what type of soil to use, how much water the tree will need and how to prune your plant, you can grow a beautiful Bonzai Tree right from a seed.

Bonsai Care

What are the basics of effective Bonsai care. 

Caring for your Bonsai tree involves many of the same activities associated with caring for a pot plant or an indoor plant. Well developed and healthy fibrous roots are essential for the continued good health of your Bonsai tree and repotting is an essential way to manage this process. Normally a young or fast growing Bonsai will need to be repotted roughly once a year; for less prolific growers or older trees it can be done as infrequently as once every five years. You should always try to repot during late winter or early spring when the buds start to swell. 

How to repot a Bonsai tree. 

The process of repotting a Bonsai tree is one that you should take seriously and follow these simple instructions: 

First, you should tidy the tree by carefully pruning off any unwanted, long branches. Also, make sure the tree has been under cover for a few weeks if it is an outdoor Bonsai, this way the soil will be relatively dry. Once you remove the tree from it’s pot you will be able to see whether it really needs repotting. If it is root bound then you should repot it, however, if there are another few inches of room so the roots can grow a little longer then you can carefully replace the tree in it’s original pot and continue as normal. 

You should remove surface soil from the roots either by hand or using a nylon scrubbing brush. Brush away from the trunk and be careful not to damage any of the roots. Removing the loose soil will give the Bonsai tree a healthier look and feel. Once you’ve removed most of the soil in this way, you can use a small, fine bristled paintbrush to remove the soil stuck in the roots or that has collected in the roots. 

Use a Bonsai fork to comb out the roots. Do this by combing out the roots from underneath and then use scissors to prune up to a third of the roots and then cut out small wedges around the root base to allow fresh soil to collect and keep your Bonsai healthy. Add a layer of grit to the bottom of the pot and then add the Bonsai compst of your choice. 

Take the time to position your Bonsai tree in the pot and then push a little more soil into awkward places. Complete this as often as you need to as mentioned above.

Boost Yield by Adding CO2 to Your Hydroponic Garden

Low carbon dioxide (CO2) measures will limit your plant's capacity to create energy through photosynthesis.  Crops can process a great deal more CO2 than is normally found in the surroundings.  One of the best ways to boost growth is to enhance the quantity of CO2 available to your crops with a CO2 system in your hydroponic garden.

How to increase your hydroponic garden's carbon dioxide levels

Choosing a CO2 injector is the least pricy way to add CO2 to your hydroponic system's climate. These commonly consist of a release,  Regulator, and a gauge to determine the amount of CO2 being inserted into the air.  Some of the more involved carbon dioxide injectors also include a timer to run the scheduling of the CO2 discharge.  CO2 refills are usually distributed independently and can be found at medical or eatery supply shops.

If you want to use your hydroponic garden for a lengthy time or for a number of crops, it may be cheaper to invest in a long-term CO2 production  olution. Carbon dioxide generators manufacture carbon dioxide through the heating of propane, natural gas, or any other carbon-based fuel base. They are appreciably more costly than the basic CO2 injector system, but you will eliminate the expense and effort of obtaining CO2 refills. Over a lengthy enough period of time, the investment in CO2 production ends up to be more economical than purchasing an injector and many refills.  

For large-scale nurserymen (or those with extra funds to tinker around with), a CO2 gauge with regulator can mechanically maintain your hydroponic setup's carbon dioxide levels at a selected point. These arrangements can be very pricy, 100s to thousands of dollars, but are a fine extra if you can find the money for it. There is normally an automatic CO2 dial connected

to a regulator that is then associated to a CO2 producer to guarantee that the system continually is set at the user's fixed CO2 amount. Some dials are marketed separately and are compatible with many varieties of regulators, allowing greater versatility when planning your system.

Whichever system is best for you, it is important to always consider your carbon dioxide system when initially desiging your hydroponic garden. Many gardeners will overlook this one part of their system and reduce their crop's production before a single seed is even sprouted. Remember, a lack of any key facet required for photosynthesis will limit the plant's development to the point of that deficit. If any one needed aspect is omitted, the full growing process will be impacted.

British Gardens during the Roman Years

To get a good picture of Romano-British gardens of antiquity, we must consider their prototypes in Italy. Horticulture in primitive Italy, as in other countries, was at its beginning merely intended for practical purposes. Gradually the Latin word hortus, applied in the days of republican simplicity to a field of vegetables, was stretched, at the time of the luxurious emperors, to denote pleasure gardens of the utmost magnificence. In this latter period, the source of every new form of Roman art, including garden architecture, was Greece, which in its turn had received inspiration from Egypt, Persia, and Assyria.

Egyptian gardens are the earliest of which definite records still exist. Pictures and inscriptions, dating far back into the centuries before Christ, show that most Egyptian dwellings were built around a series of courtyards containing vegetation both useful and ornamental. Originally, a row of trees along the inner wall of the building shaded it and the enclosed quadrangle. Later, the tree trunks gave place to solid columns, and the overhanging branches to projecting rafters, which resulted in a general effect foreshadowing the Greek peristyle (columned porch or colonnade) and monastic cloisters.

Religious significance was attached to almost every feature in pre-Christian gardens, and tree worship was observed in all ancient countries. Among the favorites were the pine, the emblem of Cybele, the oak of Jupiter, the laurel of Apollo, the myrtle of Venus, the poplar of Hercules, and the olive of Minerva. The cypress was also grown in many places. Yew, although common, was not much esteemed; instead, juniper and rosemary were often employed for topiary work.   Box, too, was frequently clipped, and then, as now, considered the best shrub for edgings.

The rose, the lily, and the violet were among the most distinguished flowers of antiquity, but the narcissus, anemone, gladiolus, iris, poppy, amaranth, immortelle, verbena, periwinkle, and crocus were also cultivated and admired. Many flowerless plants like basil, sweet marjoram, and thyme were grown for their fragrance, while the acanthus was welcome on account of its beautiful foliage. Ivy covered the walls or was trained to form garlands between trees and columns.

Build a Rain Garden

Build a Rain GardenThere's a new garden in town. It is (mostly) easy to install, looks good year-round, requires almost no maintenance and has a terrifically upbeat impact on the environment. No wonder rain gardens are such a great new gardening trend!

Storm water runoff can be a big problem in summer during heavy thunderstorms. As the water rushes across roofs and driveways, it picks up oil and other pollutants. Municipal storm water treatment plants often can’t handle the deluge of water, and in many locations the untreated water ends up in natural waterways. The EPA estimates as much as 70 percent of the pollution in our streams, rivers, and lakes is carried there by storm water! By taking responsibility for the rainwater that falls on your own roof and driveway, you'll be helping to protect our rivers, streams and lakes from stormwater pollution. To reduce the excess water runoff, many towns are encouraging businesses and homeowners to install rain gardens in their yards. Rain gardens are specially constructed gardens located in low areas of a yard where storm water can collect. The idea is to have the water naturally funnel to this garden. The rain garden collects water runoff and stores and filters it until it can be slowly absorbed by the soil. Rather than rushing off into a storm sewer or a local waterway, the rainwater can collect in a garden where it will be naturally filtered by plants and soil.

Installing a rain garden is easy.

You simply dig a shallow depression in your yard and plant it with native grasses and wildflowers; things that are easy to grow and maintain in your area.

What makes a garden a rain garden? First, the garden will be designed with a low spot in the middle to collect and absorb rain water and snow melt. This depression can range from a few inches in a small garden, to an excavated trough that's several feet deep. Second, rain gardens are usually located where they'll catch the runoff from impermeable surfaces like sidewalks and driveways, or from gutters and roof valleys. Third, rain gardens are usually planted with native wildflowers and grasses that will thrive in tough growing conditions. Finally, rain gardens are designed to channel heavy rains to another rain garden or to another part of the garden. 

Your rain garden should be located at least 10 feet from the house. The garden’s size and location depends on the yard. The ideal situation would be to locate the garden in a natural depression. You also can funnel water from downspouts on gutters into the garden. The soil should be well drained so the water doesn’t sit in the garden for more than two days. A special “rain garden” soil mix of 50 to 60 percent sand, 20 to 30 percent topsoil, and 20 to 30 percent compost is recommended. You can dig this mixture into the soil to depth of 2 feet before planting.

Once you've identified the new garden's location, remove the sod and dig a shallow depression approximately 6-inches deep. Slope the sides gradually from the outside edge to the deepest area. Use the soil that you remove to build up a slightly raised area on the lowest side of the garden. This berm will help contain the stormwater and allow it to percolate slowly through the rain garden. If your rain garden is no more than about 6-inches deep, stormwater will usually be absorbed within a one- to seven-day period. Because mosquitoes require seven to 10 days to lay and hatch their eggs, this will help you avoid mosquito problems. 

Your downspout or sump pump outlet should be directed toward your rain garden depression. This can be accomplished by a natural slope, by digging a shallow swale, or by piping the runoff directly to the garden through a buried 4" diameter plastic drain tile. 

Plant Selection.. The final touch.

The most difficult part of building a rain garden (if it can even be called that) can be plant selection. Plants need to be tough enough to withstand periodic flooding, yet attractive enough to look good in the garden. Deep-rooted, low-care native plants, such as asters, and tough non-natives, such as daylilies, are best. If properly designed, the rain garden can consist of a blend of attractive shrubs, 

perennials, trees, and ground covers. Planting strips of grass around the garden and using mulch also can help filter the water. 

New plants should be watered every other day for the first two weeks or so. Once they are well established, your garden should thrive without additional watering. Fertilizers will not be necessary, and only minimal weeding will be needed after the first summer of growth.

Building A Garden Fence

They are privacy and shelter are two important things in the garden. The latter is often a problem in gardens which are exposed to cold prevailing winds. Both these points are important not only for the gardener himself, but also for the plants in his garden. 

Young growth can be severely damaged by cold winds and frequent buffeting will cause a great deal of root disturbance. Although privacy and shelter can be provided by trees and shrubs, fences also have an important part to play. 

The choice of fencing must never be undertaken lightly, for serious consideration must be given to its appearance and construction. 

Strength is very important. A fence is only as strong as its supports. Most fences are supplied with strong posts, usually 4-6in (10-15cm) square. Sometimes concrete posts are supplied; these are extremely strong. Strength of timber also depends on the prevention of rot, and unless cedar wood is used (except for posts), all timber should be treated with a suitable preservative. Creosote can be used, although it should be allowed to soak into the timber for several weeks before plants are trained against it. Unless this is done, there is the danger of stem and leaf scorch and its use is not generally recommended where plants are to be grown against or near a fence. A safer treatment consists of the use of copper naphthenate preservatives such as the green, horticultural grades of Cuprinol or Solignum. 

Types of fencing 

The most popular types are purchased as units or panels. Usually they are from 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) in length with heights varying from about 3-6ft ( 90cm-1.8m). A solid or close boarded fence is, as its name implies, a design which consists of upright or horizontal strips of wood, some 6in (15cm) wide and 1in (2-2.5cm) thick. The strips are nailed to two or more supporting rails at the rear of the panel. These provide complete privacy and wind protection. 

Weather board fencing consists of wedge-shaped strips of wood, (1 in 2cm) in thickness at one edge, tapering to 0.5 in (1cm) at the other. Each strip overlaps the next by about 1 in(2cm). The advantage of this design is that it is virtually peep proof. 

Trellis fencing is suited as a support for climbing and trailing plants. It is not a strong design but can be used to good effect for covering unsightly walls or as an additional part of a fence design. It usually consists of laths of wood 1 by 3/4in ( 2.5 by 1.5cm) thick, fastened across each other vertically and horizontally to form 6-8in (15-20cm) squares. The laths are attached to a more substantial framing of 1 or 1in (2.5 or 3cm) square timber. 

One of the latest advances in fence production is the sale of kits which are so accurately machined and complete that even an unskilled person can erect panels without any trouble. With these kits have come new ideas in design, and many can be made up into contemporary designs. This is especially useful where bold effects are required in the construction of patios. Many ultra-modern properties are being built and this advance in fence appearance will be welcomed by their owners. 

Fencing can also be provided in the form of chain link or mesh netting. The best quality is heavily galvanized to withstand the rigors of the weather. 

A more recent innovation is the plastic coating of chain link over the galvanized wire. Standard colors of dark green, black, white, yellow and light green can be obtained.

Bring The Smell Of Nature Into Your Home With These Fragrant Flowers

A lot of money is spent in this country to reproduce fragrances for perfumes and air fresheners. The majority of these manufactured fragrances have alcohol and other additives that can actually irritate the membranes in your nose. Nature has done it the best and these are some of the most heavenly fragrances you’ll ever smell.

1) Hyacinth! This highly fragrant flower is actually a member of the lily family. Lily’s tend to grow much larger than the hyacinth but if you look closely at this flower you will see that the clusters of these blooms are tubular in shape just like the lily. Hyacinths have been a popular garden flower since the 17 hundreds because of the brilliance of there color (of every shade) and because of the incredible fragrance they have. Whether you have them planted out doors or in a pot in your home, this beautiful flower will brighten up any space and give off a constant heavenly fragrance, but, it is not overpowering. I just can’t imagine a perfume that smells any better than this. And men, instead of giving her some fresh cut flowers, try giving her a hyacinth plant. It will last longer and she can replant it again next year if she wants to put it in a garden.

2) The most fragrant flowers are the pure white Casa Blanca and the dark pink Stargazer lily. They are absolutely beautiful, but beware; the fragrance they give off is so strong, that, one bouquet of lilies can fill up an entire room. Don’t place them where you are going to sit for any length of time unless, that is what you want. They don’t do well in direct sunlight or drafts so place them in a more diffused lit area. If you replace the water every couple of days and add flower food plus a new snip of the ends, you’ll have a long lasting, beautiful fragrant arrangement. 

3) Tuber roses are not actually roses. Like the hyacinth, a tuber rose has a stem with clusters of flowers that are all white. Once again, the smell is fantastic. I once picked off one little petal from the cluster and put it in my car. A few hours later I return to my vehicle and was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful it smelled. My children noticed it as well. It was the perfect natural air freshener.

4) Gardenias! These flowers that bloom on trees have a very short life after they are cut, but for the little time you have them in your home is worth it. Generally gardenias are made into a corsage for special occasions, but if you don’t want to do that, you can place the flower in a low dish of water and then just leave them alone to do their work.

5) There are some roses that have been bred for their fragrance such as the peach colored Oceana rose or the Sterling Silver rose (which is actually purple). Each of these have a light perfume to them. Any of the purple roses have a wonderful smell.

You can order any of these flowers from your local florist. If they don’t have them on hand you can ask them to order some for you. In most cases, if you place an order before noon, you should be able to pick them up later in the afternoon. 

Rather than putting chemicals in the air, you may want to get some flowers now and again and enjoy nature’s perfume. 

Enjoy!

Bonsai Plant Care

Bonsai plants are very similar to Bonsai trees in so far as if you give them a lot of care and attention and keep them healthy you will get a beautiful miniature plant in return. There are many different varieties of plant that you can use to create Bonsai plants. Some plants require very precise care routines to maintain a healthy and aesthetically pleasing plant, but regardless of what breed of plant you are using there are some basic guidelines to follow that will keep your plant in condition. All of these tips will be dependant on the type of plant you buy but are meant as rough guides only.

Temperature.

Indoor Bonsai plants will need protection from the elements during cold weather because many of them are tropical or subtropical plants. The singly most effective form of protection is bringing them indoors. However, if you are planting your Bonsai outdoors you should plant them somewhere where they are protected from wintry conditions. Alternatively it does a plant a lot of good if you put them out for some warm weather when the risk of frost is gone completely. The humidity indoors can cause dehydration of Bonsai plants, which is the biggest killer of these timid plants.

Watering.

It is important to water Bonsai early in the day before the temperature lowers in the evening. The type of plant you have will determine the watering regime you need to undertake. How much moisture the plant needs is a very important factor and you should always water the soil as thoroughly as possible to ensure that all the roots get a good watering. 

Light.

Because the sun is at it’s brightest and strongest between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. you should try as far as possible to keep your Bonsai out of the sunlight between these hours. It is also important to remember that electrical items around the house give off a very humid heat that can damage not only the leaves of you Bonsai but can also dehydrate your plants or trees and eventually kill them. It’s also important to alter your watering schedule to meet the demands of increased light, heat and humidity.

Fertilizing.

You can use fertilizers to help the growth of your Bonsai plants, but it’s best to use mild ones that only contain trace elements. Trees are usually fed during the growing season to help with their growth and shouldn’t be used in either plants or trees during dormant growth periods.

Butterfly Gardening

What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract. 

It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies. that live in your area. This information can be found at the local library 

To create the kind of environment that they find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well. 

When planting your butterfly garden be careful how you coordinate the colors you choose for your flowerbeds. Although butterflies do not care about your choice of color, you don't want your garden to be a hodgepodge of unrelated colors and textures. Butterflies are attracted to those flowers that have nectar rather than pollen, like honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, Valerian, daisies, Purple Coneflower, Yellow Sage, day lilies and lavender.

Some people find it helpful to draw and color a layout of their butterfly gardening plan to see what the finished product would look like. Keep in mind that warm colors like red and orange are flashy and showy. These colors have a greater impact against a strong green background. Cool colors such as blue and purple are soothing and toned down and would work better with a white contrast to create the look of freshness and brightness. 

Bonsai Trees - Plants and Shops

My Bonsai adapts within two days to changes in positions of light (the stalk/branches always bend towards the light for efficient photosynthesis - and growth)

My bonsai also has some arial roots and completely holds all the soil in its tiny pot, it grows incredibly quickly and can be cut into shapes by cutting the branch with scissors just below a new leaf.

I mentioned earlier how a mini tree facinates me, as tree's provide massive amounts of biodiversity. I actually once found two mini snails living in the soil around my bonsai tree! and there is always moss and certain fungi that grow around the bark (not because i overwater the plant!) I have re planted cuttings which sucesfully grow, now my pot looks beautiful with mini 'poles' growing around my tree(poles being the cut branches) Trees are great for rooms as they not only make the room more attractive but provide plenty of oxygen when photosynthesising. As Bonsai are so precious people use special soils information of which can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

However I used natural soil from my garden and my bonsai is thriving, Bonsai are tree's that are dwarf so are strong and able to survive more extreme conditons than plants would, due to their transpiration stream to cool themselves in hot weather it is important they are watered and the bark should not dry out.

In summer you can keep the bonsai in the garden, I did this growth was very rapid, but the soil dried very quickly and often the leaves would appear to burn and die quicker. According to instrucions, bonsai should be kept away from direct sunlight and extreme heat, they are indoor plants.

I strongly recommend any Botanist or plant fan like myself to get a bonsai tree, theyre amazing, you'll have fun cutting them into shapes etc. 

Starting your Bonsai Growing Project.

The very first thing you will need to consider when starting to grow your own indoor bonsai trees is to select the species of trees that you will use. Selecting trees for use as bonsai plants will require some considerations of geographical location and climate in the locale, as weather conditions in each location is different from others and hence you will need to choose trees that are either local to your location or are easily adaptable to the conditions in your area. The best results are normally seen when you use plants or trees that are endemic to your location. The choice of exotic species may result in trees not able to grow properly due to not being able to adjust to the conditions in your area, although this is not always the case. You should wait until you are totally familiar and an expert before you consider introducing exotic species of plants for your bonsai growing projects.

Among other things to consider when growing your bonsai trees is the size of the tree you you intend to grow. Trees come in different sizes in nature and this is the same for bonsai trees. You may want to consider where in your house you will be placing the plant and you should decide how big of a plant should be in that place. Once you have a basic idea of how big or small you want your bonsai tree to be, you can then go to a nursery or bonsai specialty shop and find a tree that is suitable. However, if a nursery or bonsai shop is not available in your area, you may just have to start from scratch and plant your tree from seeds. This will give you the choice of find the seeds for the tree you like the best and start off from there.

Should you start off from seeds then you will need to plant them in seed bags until they become seedlings. As soon as the seedlings start to grow, you will need to start preparing your seedlings to be transferred to pots. Transferring the seedlings into pots is tricky at times, and you will have to remove most of the roots to fit in smaller pots. When cutting away roots, like in all plants you will have to be very careful as this effort can cause the plants to die. When you start the process of transferring your bonsai plant into its pot, you will also need to place some wires into the root system of the plant in order to help it fit into its pot. You will then need to ensure that you put just enough soil to cover your bonsai plants roots which will help it retain moisture. Make sure that the right amount of soil is place over the roots and not too much.

Bonsai are not genetically dwarfed plants. They are created from nearly any tree or shrub species and remain small through pot confinement and crown and root pruning. Nearly any tree or shrub species, with proper training and care can be used to create Bonsai, but some specific species are more sought after for use as bonsai material. This is because they have characteristics that make them appropriate for the smaller design arrangements of bonsai. There are many different ways to acquire, cultivate and grow Bonsai. Several of the most common include:

    * Growing Bonsai from Seed

    * Cuttings

    * Air layering

    * Grafting

Bonsai Garden at the pagoda Yunyan Ta (Cloud Rock Pagoda; Suzhou, China)

Bonsai Garden at the pagoda Yunyan Ta (Cloud Rock Pagoda; Suzhou, China)

Bonsai Trees showing a variety of different styles in Sydney, Australia.

Bonsai Trees showing a variety of different styles in Sydney, Australia.

A Pine bonsai in the informal upright style. This tree is more than 30 years old, in the Hidden Lake Gardens Collection

A Pine bonsai in the informal upright style. This tree is more than 30 years old, in the Hidden Lake Gardens Collection

Bonsai are often characterized as being grown in one of many different bonsai styles. In English, the most common styles include: formal upright, slant, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft, literati, and group / forest.

    * The formal upright style, or Chokkan, 

    * Slant style, or Shakan bonsai possess straight trunks 

    * Cascade style, or Kengai bonsai 

    * Raft style, or Netsunari bonsai mimic 

    * The literati style  (Bunjin is a translation of the Chinese word wenren meaning "scholars practiced in the arts" and gi is a derivative of the Japanese word, ki, for "tree").

    * The group or forest style, or Yose Ue, 

    * The root over rock style, or Sekijoju, 

    * The broom style, or Hokidachi 

    * The multi Trunk style, or Ikadabuki 

    * The growing in a rock, or Ishizuke

Bonsai Trees

What are Bonsai trees? 

Many people think of tiny little Japanese trees cut and pruned to a miniature size but literally speaking Bonsai means ‘plant in a tray’ and while they are smaller than their wild counterparts they don’t have to be a couple of inches tall; they can be grown in a pot in the garden and will be smaller than their wild counterparts. 

Misconceptions about Bonsai trees. 

Many people believe that training Bonsai trees is a cruel pastime because the cultivator starves the tree and cuts it to such an extent that it becomes unhealthy. Quite the reverse is usually true; while they are cut and pruned quite heavily to keep them to the size of the pot, they are usually transferred from pot to pot regularly and are fed and watered much more often than their wild cousins. 

Contrary to belief, Bonsai trees do not originate from Japan, but there are records dating back more than 2000 years that show Bonsai being grown in China. These Bonsai weren’t as small as the Bonsai that people often envisage and were grown on an individual basis outdoors in pots. It was, though, the Japanese that took this art form and progressed it to the level it is at now. This has led to quite different styles in Japanese and Chinese Bonsai; the Chinese Bonsai being much more freestyle and more lightly pruned than the Japanese miniature Bonsai that are very heavily groomed and pruned and look much more like miniature natural versions of the full sized versions. 

Bonsai trees do not live shorter lives than wild trees. They regularly live for many centuries and are traditionally passed down from generation to generation of family. They lead nearly exactly the same length lives as their wild cousins and are often much healthier because of the attention they receive. 

The advantages of growing Bonsai. 

Not everyone has a large garden where they can plant numerous trees and let them grow as big as they want, and even those who do have large gardens still need to wait for many years before the tree becomes truly established. By growing Bonsai you don’t need any more room than the size of your pot and because you only need them to grow to much smaller proportions it really is accessible for anyone who is interested in growing Bonsai trees. You can even grow them inside if you can recreate the correct conditions for the tree you want to grow. 

Growing Bonsai trees can fast become an addictive hobby and requires attention to detail, foresight of how the tree will grow and plenty of time and care. You will undoubtedly feel massive satisfaction if you decide to grow Bonsai and are any good at it.

Bonsai Soil And Additives

Should I use a special Bonsai soil or just normal soil? 

The increased popularity of growing Bonsai trees and plants has brought with it many more specialist shops; the Internet being virtually awash with Bonsai supplies. As a beginner, it is usual for people to go out and buy everything they think they could possibly want to ever grow a Bonsai. However, there is a good chance you may not need it. You can buy Bonsai soil at very reasonable prices now, and this soil is mixed to a perfect combination of nutrients, soil and grit that will help your Bonsai grow, but many practitioners of the ancient art of Bonsai would probably consider this cheating. 

As a beginner, it is important that you do what you can to make your first Bonsai as successful as possible. Many people will throw in the towel after just one failure, and when you consider how long a Bonsai can take to reach maturity this really isn’t an overnight hobby. You must get into a regime of regular watering, annual potting and plenty of care and attention in order to be able to enjoy a beautiful Bonsai for your troubles. 

Is Bonsai soil expensive? 

Bonsai soil shouldn’t be costing you very much more than normal potting compost or bags of nutrient rich soil that you use in your garden. A good Bonsai soil, however, may contain a long list of ingredients including clay, soil and even bark. Some of these ingredients are loaded with the nutrients that your Bonsai will thrive on, and paying that little extra can certainly promote good healthy growth from your beloved project. 

Whether you decide you want to use bags of Bonsai soil or make your own soil there are certain things you need to make sure of before planting your Bonsai in the soil. A good Bonsai soil needs to have excellent drainage to make sure the water can seep to the roots and out of the bottom of the soil and through the holes in your pot. It is a good idea to have two different soils, one coarser than the other. This way, the screened soil acts as a sort of irrigation for your plants. 

As well as this, you may want to consider buying nutrient supplements that you can add when repotting or mix with the soil that you use. However, if you are growing your Bonsai in a suitable area this isn’t always needed.