Posted on Jan 28, 2009 under garden |
Getting Bulbs To Bloom Indoors
Spring flowering bulbs can bloom inside. Start the process of forcing bulbs in the fall for lovely winter blooms. Growing bulbs indoors takes up little space, and it’s easy and fun. The trick is to simulate a short winter. Make bulbs think it’s winter by placing them in a refrigerator, a cool closet, or even in a foam cooler place on a patio or balcony. By doing this, they will grow sturdy roots and start to sprout in preparation for spring.
Start With The Right Potting Soil
Use any good commercial organic potting soil mix, or you can make your own soil to plant the bulbs in. It’s not hard to make your own potting soil.Use one part perlite, 2 parts peat moss and one part sterilized potting soil. Get all these things mixed together well. These ingredients will make a nutrient filled potting soil that is clean, porous, and moisture retaining,.
Unsterilized soil from your outside garden because it may contain bacterial or fungal pathogens that could infect the plant roots, so it’s better not to use it.
Choose A Pot
Choose the pot you want to use after the soil is ready, and place a few pieces of broken crockery over the drainage holes. This keeps the hole from clogging up with compacted dirt, and also keeps the dirt from falling out during the planting process.
Now fill the pot half-full of soil mix. With the pointed ends up, place the bulbs in the container. Without actually letting the bulbs touch, plant the bulbs as closely together as possible. Fill the pot with soil mix, then water the bulbs thoroughly from the top or immerse in a tub of water. That will settle the soil around the bulbs.
It’s Time For The Dark
Try early blooming bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and snowdrops. Those all work well. Many places carry good bulbs. For example, you can click here for Daffodils from Breck’s, plus they have a lot of other beautiful flowering bulbs. It takes about 12 weeks to force these early bloomers. It will take longer for bulbs like tulips, generally about 16 weeks. Keeping bulbs in cold storage for longer times will produce taller flowers.
Not enough time in storage will result in smaller plants and sometimes flowers that start to grown then die.
Light For the Bulbs.
After enough time has passed and it’s close time for the bulbs to bloom, start chiecking the pots every day or two. Fine white roots coming out of the drainage holes, and/or shoots 2 or three inches above the soil, are signs to take the pots out of cold storage.
At this stage of development all bulbs should be placed in indirect lighting for a while before moving them to direct sunlight. Be carefuly not to allow the soil to dry out.
It’s good if you can first move bulbs to a fairly cool location if possible, such as an unheated entryway or closed off back bedroom, where the temperatures are in the ’50s, before moving them on to the heated areas of the house, and into more direct sunlight.
Don’t Throw The Bulbs Out – Reuse Them.
Once the blooms die, cut their stems off if you wish to reuse the bulbs. Let the foliage have plenty of sunlight for continued growth. This will gather the nutrients the bulb needs to bloom next year.
Don’t pull the leaves off after the foliage withers. Store the bulbs with leaves still intact. Place the pots of bulbs in a cool, dry place until they can be planted outside. It doesn’t work well to try to force the bulbs to bloom inside a second time, as being forced to bloom weakens the bulb. Any bloom from forcing bulbs a second time would be small.
Outside planting of the bulbs will allow them to return to their natural seasonal schedule. After a year or two to adapt, they will start making beautiful displays of flowers outside.
Posted on Jan 20, 2009 under garden |
It’s April, the sun is shining, and there is this sudden feeling of panic in your body, its gardening season once again. Many people feel overwhelmed when gardening season hits, and they aren’t sure how best to get things going. Gardens are such complex, intricate plant and flower groups that it becomes a challenge to find the right way to start your spring garden off right. A few tips are below to help the average stressed out part time gardener be ready for the spring season. So take a deep breath, put down the miracle grow, and read on for insight into the wonderful world of gardening.
Make a plan that actually won’t require a greenhouse for this year. Some of us gardeners have a tendency to go over the top with our gardening plans. If you’re garden is to include trees, exotic plants, or science experiments you may want to reconsider. The hardest part of gardening is dedicating the time to plant, nourish, and tend to your garden on a daily basis. By making realistic plans you will save yourself hours of stress. For those over achievers that can’t help themselves, try over simplifying your garden plans for insured success.
Search magazines, and the internet for inspiration. Don’t be afraid to get ideas from others when it comes to gardening. There are many credible sources available online, and in books and magazines that offer many innovative ideas for gardens. Be sure to take advantage of such resources before planting your mixed garden of whatever you could find on sale at the local hardware store.
When in doubt, create a theme for your garden. There are many popular themes for gardens these days, including Asian, desert, and rock themes. Give your garden some personality and come up with a theme. Once a theme is chosen it should become much more clear as to what, and where, and how to plant certain things in your garden.
Plant something you can eat for instant gratification. Don’t be afraid to do it. Plant some mint, grow it, and put it in your ice tea. You’ll feel like a true American living off the land. If you’re daring, try planting some pepper seeds, those never tasted as fresh then from your own garden. When you put them in your kid’s fajita’s they’ll look at you with great admiration, if they don’t just tell them if they don’t save their lunch money everything is coming from the garden.
It’s now spring and gardeners are out of their burrows to plant, and watch their seeds grow. Be sure to follow these tips to allow for a pleasant gardening experience.
Posted on Jan 11, 2009 under garden |
A surprising number of people now fully understand that a gorgeous well maintained garden can add a great deal of extra cash value to their house. Further to this, a cleverly designed yard can seriously increase the amount of useable space for your family and you. For these reasons, and some others besides, landscape gardening has, over the years, grown to become an incredibly popular hobby. Top of the agenda for most landscapers is a wonderful yearly display of colorful and diverse flowers.
While a large number of landscape gardeners choose to add color by using annual flowers, the remainder conclude that using garden perennials is the better solution. Annuals are those plants which {grow, flower and die|germinate, develop, bloom and die} all in the single year whereas perennials will continue to bloom year upon year. Obviously there are advantages and minus points for both annual flowers and perennial garden plants and landscape gardening is all about choosing the the best blend of the two.
A large number of folk have emotional memories of distant days spent in a grandmother’s garden enjoying the wonderous aromas of many old fashioned favorite perennial garden plants. Sadly it can be rather problematic for even the most keen gardener (including some experienced professionals) to emulate gardens of the past because many of the varieties (of species) can no longer be purchased. You will be happy to hear that many of the old fashioned varieties have been replaced by strains which are more able to withstand disease, so you can often discover suitable replacements which have little or no (other) differences to the old fashioned plant.
Traditional Perennial Garden Plants
One of the most popular perennial garden plants used in garden landscaping today is the Yarrow which first appeared in American gardens in colonial times when it was brought over from Europe. Achillea is a very old fashioned plant used since the days of the Greek hero Achilles (from whom the plant gains it’s name) who used it to treat his soldiers. Achillea can stop bleeding and works amazingly well at healing wounds.
Achillea
Achillea millefolium has beautiful flat groups of small blooms that are rather daisy like. Achillea are available with flower heads in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of pinks, yellows and whites. Achillea millefolium are considered by most gardeners to be considerably easy perennial garden plants to grow. They are so easy to propagate because they are considerably invasive plants which can be seen growing on the poorest of ground. If you want to see success with Achillea millefolium you only need to avoid cultivating in extremely wet or poorly drained soil. The plants are fantastic at tolerating drought conditions. Achillea ptarmica and Achillea millefolium are two of the more popular varieties but there are many other types available.
For all types of gardening equipment including blowers and vacuums, hedge trimmers, string trimmers, lawnmowers and more visit http://store.landscapinginfo4u.com/
Posted on Jan 07, 2009 under garden |
Bird houses add charm, whimsy, and beauty as well as a place for birds to nest. It is no wonder that the bird house and bird feeder industry is growing. There are safety factors to consider when buying or building a bird house. There are some birds that will use a bird house and others that are not attracted to them.
Types of Bird Houses
The type of bird house you will use depends on the type of bird or birds that you want to attract to your home. Bird houses come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials. One of the best types of bird houses is the wooden one. There are several reasons to choose this type of bird house. Wooden bird houses can breath for ventilation, are durable and have a good insulation quality to them. Gourds are another good material for bird houses. They are functional, breathable, and pretty as well. Properly designed pottery, concrete, and plastic houses will breathe and are also durable. When choosing the bird house that you will use for your feathered friends always check for proper ventilation, drainage, and easy access for maintenance and monitoring. When considering the type of bird house that you want another thing to think about are safety and maintenance.
Safety and Proper Maintenance
Items to consider once you have chosen the type of bird house that you want are ventilation, drainage, ease of access for maintenance and protection from predators.
You should also make sure that no harmful chemicals where used on the materials used for the building of your bird house. You would not want your new friends to become sick. Part of proper maintenance of your new bird house is to check them for unwanted critters, such as fleas, wasp, or flies. Sometimes mice and others will want to take up residence in your bird house. The main thing to remember if this happens is to remove them. If insects are the problem, use only pesticides that are not harmful to your feathered friends. “If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap” (US Fish & Wildlife Service “Homes for Birds”). One of the problems that you may encounter while cleaning the nest and parasites or insects are present, baby birds may also be present. If one of the baby birds gets out of the nest you can pick it up and put it back where it was. Birds have a lousy sense of smell and they will not reject the babies because you helped them.
Don’t let the care and safety be a deterrent in deciding whether you want a bird house or not. The upkeep and maintenance is part of the joy and can be a wonderful way to learn more about your new birds. You will quickly become a backyard birder with your new bird house or houses. The joy of watching beautiful bird is an immeasurable pleasure.
Posted on Dec 26, 2008 under garden |
Installing a backyard pond within the yard spruces up the area and the yard and will be able to evolve into a serene haven. The options are many when deciding to constructing a water feature to insure its success. One of the first decisions should be to decide on the area for the water feature. What will be the theme of the pond? Is it primarily to look at or will the focus be entirely for plants? You must make a decision if fish or turtles will live in the backyard pond. If a landscape architecture company will be responsible for constructing your new koi pond be certain to go over all of these questions during the development phase.
Once the koi pond has been created now it is time to create some character and interest along with beauty to the area surrounding the water feature. This is the fun part. Before selecting your pond plants determine if your state has a list of aquatic plants that are prohibited.
Buy the foliage for your water feature from relialble vendor. Do some of digging. It is really not recommended that you purchase the plants online; if you should have any problems with them it will likely make it very hard to return them to the merchant if it becomes necessary.
You might decide to choose the tropical water lily, which has a lovely blooming flower. There are also many of pond plants that are commonly used around the edges of the pond.
For an extensive list of plants for ponds and detailed planting and care instructions be sure to visit Pond Pleasure.com. You will be delighted at the many designs you can create with the use of the right aquatic plants around and within your backyard pond. Start planning your koi pond now!
Posted on Dec 24, 2008 under garden |
The first thing that greets you as you step into a Japanese garden is the calmness and serenity of the place. The Japanese gardens reflect men’s efforts at harmonizing the beauty and force of the nature in an effortless fashion. With the essential presence of water body, thin streams, short bridges or artificial hillocks created with gravels and rocks; in the final shape the Japanese gardens become resonant with the mellow notes of spirituality and tranquility.
You can find three basic styles when it comes to Japanese gardens:
- Hill and Pond (Chisen-Kaiyu-skiki)
- Flat Garden (Hiraniwa)
- Tea Gardens (Rojiniwa)
The basic rules are more or less same, while the particular features are incorporated in lieu with the specific type of the garden.
In the Japanese gardens you will come to find a rare bonding with nature. Despite the use of many artificial structural elements like bridges or water bodies or artificially created hills, Japanese gardens are created to reflect the nature in her most unadulterated form. Thus “harmonious asymmetry” becomes the rule for Japanese gardeners and simplicity becomes the inspiration behind their work. If you are going to recreate the Japanese magic in your garden, then follow the thumb rules described below.
The illusion of time and space
To the eyes accustomed to European style of gardening, where the perfectly manicured plants vie for your attention in every possible nook and corners of the garden, Japanese gardens may seem to offer an illusion of emptiness at a first glance. There are so many things, yet the garden looks so vast and spacious—this trick of space management is the first lesson with regard to the Japanese style of gardening.
Selection of plants
The Japanese gardens try to reflect the permanence of nature. That is why it is the evergreen trees that become the dominating feature of Japanese gardens. The plants in the Japanese gardens represent the seasonal cycles. Because of this selection, the Japanese gardens are not discarded during the winters. The essence of the four seasons can nowhere be better felt than in the changing appearance of Japanese garden through the year.
Bringing the balance
In an ode to nature, the Japanese gardens strive to represent the nature in a miniscule, but in its closest form. As for example, in a Japanese garden, you can not accommodate a pond that is a perfect square in shape. Because nature never produced s such a geometrical wonders. Similarly, in your pursuit of imitating nature, you have also to incorporate the spirit of balance. As for example to create a mountain in your small garden, you can make use of the small rocks, but not the huge ones.
Fencing
Creating the right enclosure has great symbolic value. The fencing is created with the aim of locking up the serenity inside the garden uninterrupted by the goings on in the outside world. Sometimes, small windows are created on the solid walls to lure the passer by with the beauty that lies inside the garden enclosure.
Ornamentation with the lanterns
No Japanese garden is ever complete with stone lanterns in variety of designs and styles. There are three main varieties of lanterns that are used in the Japanese gardens: the Kasuga style lantern, the Oribe style lanterns and the Yukimi or Snow-Viewing lantern.
In short, Japanese gardens are the reflection of natural balance between change and constancy. A little introduction to Zen philosophy can prepare you for the better perception about the Japanese style of gardening.
Posted on Dec 15, 2008 under garden |
Just imagine your pasta and pizza without the finishing touch of oregano or the delicious mince dumplings without the pinch of sage! The outcome is sure to be bland and boring. This is what the herbs do for you’re your culinary skills – they uplift the taste and flavor of any dish. In addition to that they make the dish look colorful and inviting. Thus the defining character of any dish is the work of appropriate herbs. While you can buy them in the local grocery stores, it is always better to home grow them in your backyard; the addition of garden fresh herbs will definitely make your cooking and dining experience even more enjoyable.
Plant type
Before getting started in the task of herb gardening, you must learn about the different types of herbs. The herbal plants are of three types:
Annual—the herbs like basil, chamomile, dill, chives, lavender, lemon, mint, oregano rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme are planted each spring and live for only one season.
Perennial—the herbs like catnip, balm, lovage, marjoram or thyme live for many years. Although they shake off the leaves during winter, their roots remain alive and in the turn of spring they bloom into new foliage.
Biennial—The plant like Parsley grow for two years. The first season is for growing foliage, next the seeds are formed. After that they die at the end of the second season.
Choice of the location
For herb gardening the question as to where to plant is very critical. Not all the herbs have same light or temperature requirement. While most of the herbs need exposure to the sunlight for at least 6 hours per day, the herbs likes chives, cilantro, dill, and mint are grown in the shade.
Soil type
Make sure of the soil requirement of a particular herb before planting one. In general an extra rich and over fertilized soil is not suitable for planting good quality herbs. Over fertilization kills the flavor of the herb by reducing the essential oil content of the herbs. The herbs do better in the moderately rich soil. In addition to that, your herb garden must have excellent drainage quality, so that soil does not contain extra water. Growing herbs in raised beds or containers is also a good idea.
Daily care of your herb garden
Just like with vegetables, other herbs require about an inch of water per week. However, those planted in containers tend to dry out more quickly and hence need more frequent watering. To get a better grip, with the soil keep garden beds weeded.
One interesting thing about herb plants is: they have inherent power to resist pests and disease attacks. This is due the aromatic natural oil, they are bestowed with; the aroma repel pests and insects naturally. Still, herbs are susceptible to the attack of insects like aphids, and diseases such as powdery mildew.
Keep these information in mind when you are going to start your herb garden for the first time; your care for your herb garden will result into great pleasure everyday all through the year.