Easy Home Gardening Tips

How to make the most of fall’s final harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:31:00 +0000

(ARA) – Your vegetable garden has supplied your family with flavorful, nutritious fare throughout the summer. But the arrival of autumn doesn’t mean your days of enjoying your garden are over. If you plant now for the future and prepare for the coming season, it’s possible to enjoy a few last tasty morsels from your garden and ensure next spring’s landscape will be dazzling.

Here are a few tips to ensure your fall harvest is as fresh and fabulous as possible:

Plant a bit of fall flavor

Add a few short-season vegetables to your garden for fresh-from-the-field flavor this fall. Simply count the days from planting to the average first fall frost to determine how many growing days are left in your area. Select vegetables that will mature and can be harvested in that time. Leaf lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, radishes and carrots grow quickly, tolerate cool weather and are great additions to your fall cuisine.

Get these vegetables off to a good start with a side dressing of low nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite. Incorporate it into the soil prior to planting or sprinkle a narrow band along the row of plants. “This organic nitrogen will provide needed nutrients without damaging the tender seedlings. It is safe to use on all your edible and ornamental plants,” says Melinda Myers, nationally known horticulturist and author.

Cover ‘em up

Protect tender vegetables like tomatoes and peppers from the first few fall frosts. Floating row covers, cloches and cold frames can protect tender plants from frost. Or harvest green tomatoes before the killing frost and finish ripening them indoors. Spread them out on heavy paper or wrap them in newspaper so the tomatoes don’t touch and store them in a 65-degree location. They will ripen over the next few weeks. Speed up the process by moving a few tomatoes to a bright, warm location a few days before they are needed. And don’t leave green tomatoes behind. They taste great fried or made into relish and other tasty treats.

Plant some spring color

A fall planting of daffodils, grape hyacinths and other long-lived bulbs can provide many springs of beauty. Prepare the soil and add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite to the soil. “This organic source of nitrogen releases needed nutrients including phosphorous and potassium from the soil without promoting unwanted fall growth,” according to Myers.

Give them a boost

Don’t forget about your trees. As the temperatures cool, and even after trees lose their leaves, tree roots are in their most active growth period. Fertilize trees in need of a nutrient boost about one month after the first killing frost but before the soil freezes. Use Milorganite to encourage balanced growth without the risk of damaging the roots. The organic source of nitrogen is slow release and stays in the soil. The non-staining iron is available to plants no matter the pH. So, you can give stressed trees a boost without encouraging excess growth or incurring root damage.

Prep your lawn for winter

Help your lawn recover from the heat and drought of summer and prepare it for winter with fall fertilization. University research has shown that fall fertilization is the most beneficial practice for home lawns. Less disease problems and slower weed growth mean your lawns -- not the pests -- benefit from the nutrients. Fall fertilization also helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer because it encourages deep roots and denser growth that can better compete with weeds, and tolerate disease and insects.

“Northern gardeners can follow the holiday schedule and fertilize Labor Day and Halloween. Southern gardeners should make their last fall fertilization at least 30 days before the lawn goes dormant or the average first killing frost to avoid winter kill,” recommends Myers. Use a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, for best results.

Tuck them in for winter

A good, long drink and bit of winter protection goes a long way to help struggling and less hardy plants through the winter ahead. A blanket of evergreen boughs, straw or marsh hay applied after the ground freezes will prevent frost heaving and early sprouting, and increase the chance of winter survival for bulbs and perennials.

Wind breaks and mulch can reduce winter drying and death of broadleaf and other evergreens. Water these and other plantings thoroughly before the ground freezes to increase overwintering success.

Add a layer of wood chip mulch on the soil surrounding trees and shrubs to moderate soil temperatures, conserve moisture and reduce weed competition. Keep mulch off tree trunks and shrub stems.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Water-conserving, money-saving tips for summer gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:25:00 +0000

(ARA) - Summer 2009 may be a bit less dry than last year in many areas of the country, according to the National Weather Service's Seasonal Drought Outlook. But it still makes sense, both environmentally and economically, to conserve water as much as possible in your gardening and landscaping efforts.

One way to conserve water is to irrigate efficiently with low-volume irrigation systems and smart watering practices. On average, micro sprinklers and drip irrigation uses 80 to 90 percent less water than traditional irrigation systems.

Irrigation manufacturers like Mister Landscaper are responding to increased consumer demand for low-volume systems by offering micro sprinkler and drip products that homeowners can easily install on their own. Mister Landscaper's Micro Sprinkler Starter Kits efficiently and slowly irrigate flower and vegetable gardens, as well as areas where trees and shrubs grow. They are available in the plumbing department at Lowe's Home Improvement stores or online at www.misterlandscaper.com. The system also offers a variety of retrofit products that allow you to replace or add on to an existing underground pvc sprinkler system so you can convert 120 gallons per hour (gph) heads to a 10 gph micro spray or 1-2gph dripper.

To learn more about low-volume irrigation, visit www.misterlandscaper.com.

Gardening With Kids: Create a Pizza Herb Pot

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:50:00 +0000

If your children are like most, they probably love pizza. What they may not realize, however, is that children can have a hand in making that pizza even better. Let your children create a pizza herb pot and watch their interest in gardening and cooking soar!

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow, especially for a beginner. You don’t need a large plot of land to create an herb garden; in fact, you can grow a number of herbs in clay pots. This will enable you to plant related herbs for each different type of cuisine you enjoy. Herb pots can also be grown on patios, porches, or even fire escapes – any place you have a sunny spot will do.

Since pizza is such a mainstay of the American diet, you may want to create an herb pot that grows the herbs you need for pizza. But which herbs would you grow in a pizza herb pot? You may want to plant basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and even cilantro. Here are the steps for making this herb pot -you can choose any other cuisine by changing the herbs being planted:

* Find a spot to place your herb pot that will receive at least five hours of sunlight each day. Place the herb pot on a saucer.

* Pick a large container, one that’s at least 20 inches in diameter. You can choose a plastic or clay pot that has a drainage hole to ensure the herbs don’t remain too wet. Some pots may have been glazed with leaded glaze; it would be best to avoid using this type to ensure you don’t transfer lead to the plants.

* Put a little bit of gravel into the bottom of the pot and covering the drainage hole. Doing this will keep the dirt in and allow the excess water to be released. After you have the gravel in the bottom, you’ll want to fill the container about two thirds of the way full. Sterilized potting soil is best to use.

* Go to your local garden center or home improvement center. Choose the plants you want and then place them in the pot, tallest growing plants in the center, and then placing the shorter plants around it.

* As you plant each individual herb, loosen the dirt around the roots and then put the plant into the soil. Cover the roots with more soil and then continue to the next plant. By the time the planter is full, you should have about two inches of space to the top of the planter. Be sure to water them in by adding plenty of water, although you don’t want water to stand in the planter or the saucer underneath it.

Instead of watering your plants each day, poke your finger into the dirt when you notice the top of the soil looking dry. If the soil is dry up to an inch below the top, it’s time to water your pizza herb garden. In a couple of weeks you can start harvesting your herbs. By carefully cutting the leaves and not pulling the plants out, your herb garden should produce fresh herbs for your home-made pizza all year long.

Natural Garden Care Is Best

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:48:00 +0000

Now that warmer weather is here, you can be expected to be bombarded by advertisements for chemical products to kill weeds or fertilize your plants. Maybe you don’t want to use chemicals on your garden because you feel natural garden care is best. By using natural products, you not only help protect the environment but you’re also doing your best to take care of your children.

One of the most natural ways to care for your garden is to use compost. This is natural, organic matter that has decomposed and been broken down into nutrients the soil can use to feed and nourish the plants. By incorporating the organic matter into your soil, the soil in your garden will become a living substance which will be able to ward off disease, weeds, and insects without the use of harmful chemicals. Natural fertilizers and pest control is used in place of chemicals, and they won’t bother the natural ecosystem.

Besides composting, you want your garden soil to be aerated. How do you do that? Well, you can physically go out to the garden with tines of a pitch fork and aerate the soil, or you can allow earthworms to do it for you. By having healthy, composted soil, you’ll create a habitat where earthworms can thrive.

Use companion planting. By planting vegetables by flowers or other plants, it is feasible to drive pests away. For instance, if you plant tomatoes near marigolds, the plant secretions from the marigolds will cause harmful nematodes to find another garden to infest. You can also plant garlic near plants to drive insects away.

Rotate your crops every year. In other words, don’t layout your garden with the plants in the same location every year. This depletes the soil of vital nutrients. For example, move the legumes into the location where corn stalks are usually placed because one places nitrogen into the soil and the other uses a lot of nitrogen. Rotating plants can also help prevent the development of some types of soil disease.

After the harvesting has been done, use the tiller to turn the dead plants back into the ground. This will put organic matter back into the soil and nourish it. It will also allow you to plant cover crops like clover, alfalfa, and rye which will keep the soil from becoming compacted during the winter months and can protect the soil. When it’s time to prepare your garden in the spring, you can again till the plants back into the soil to add much needed nutrients.

Regularly hoeing or manually weeding your garden will help keep plants healthy. They’ll be more resistant to insects and the weeds won’t be leaching the nutrients from the plants. You can also pour boiling water over the weeds to kill them. Using mulch around the plants can also keep weeds at bay and will help the soil retain more moisture.

If you notice that your plants are looking sickly, realize that every garden is going to have some pests. Sick plants attract predators. Add back beneficial insects such as lacewings or ladybugs to help diminish the number of bad insects in your garden. Some insects, however, may need a more direct and personal approach such as tent caterpillars; they can only be removed by hand to ensure you get them all.

Try using some of these ideas for natural gardening care this year in your garden. You, too, may decide that natural gardening is best. You’ll find you have better crops, you’re not poisoning the environment, and not risking poisoning the family you love.

Nine Easy-to-Grow Plants for Children

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:46:00 +0000

It’s amazing how much children can learn if given the proper guidance. You want your children to eat foods that are healthy for them, but they may balk at trying some vegetables and fruits because they’re new to them. One way to get them to at least try new things is to use these ten easy-to-grow plants for children to encourage them to try what they’ve grown.

Your children may not like the canned veggies they’re given during meals, but they’re more likely to eat them if they’ve had a hand in growing them. Starting a small garden, even if you only include these ten items, can get your children on the road to eating healthier.

1. Carrots generally sprout quickly so your child can see the plant growing. Since they are sweet when fresh from the garden, your child may want more than just one when they’re ready to be harvested.

2. Radishes are another quick germinating vegetable. Young children don’t like to wait for things so they will be quickly rewarded when the radishes sprout in only a few days.

3. Lettuce is another reliable and quick vegetable to let your children grow. You may also encourage them to eat more of their salad when they've helped grow and pick the lettuce leaves. Choose a couple of varieties for a healthy mix.

4. Green beans are one vegetable that most children seem not to like. While they may take longer to sprout, the size of the sprout is considerably larger than either a carrot or radish. Children also have fun picking green beans, so that’s an added incentive to try them.

5. Pumpkins might take up a lot of room in a garden, but children love to watch the pumpkins grow to maturity. They take longer to mature, but your children will look forward to carving their own pumpkin in the fall.

6. Strawberries usually take up a large amount of a garden; however, you can also plant them in strawberry planters. What child wouldn’t love going outside to pick fresh strawberries to add to their cereal or a fruit smoothie?

7. Cherry tomatoes are a wonderful plant to encourage children to eat tomatoes. They can pick the tomatoes right off the vines and pop them in their mouth for a juicy treat. Of course, once they realize how good they are, your children may not be able to wait for the tomatoes to ripen.

8. Green onions are easy-to-grow but your children may not want to eat them. Of course, you might be surprised once they realize the onions are ready to picked.

9. Snow peas are other vegetables children don’t often like. However, children may be impressed by how quickly they come up and can be eaten right off the vine. The pod is edible and they are a small enough plant to grow without support.

Choosing any of these ten easy-to-grown plants for your child’s garden may be all your child needs to encourage them to eat more of their veggies. You might also start your child down the road to becoming a gardener in the future. Who knows, after a few years of successful gardening, your children may decide to take over the gardening altogether.

How Composting Helps the Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:45:00 +0000

You may have heard many people rant and rave about how composting helps the environment. But how is that possible? And how can you start using compost to aid your garden?

Composting is often considered to be nature’s way of recycling. In fact, if you walk through pristine forests you’ll find the ground covered with compost. Decaying leaves, limbs, and trees create composting that nourishes the forest floor. If left alone, nature will take care of the waste it produces.

If nature can use composting to dispose of leaves, limbs, and animals that die in the forest, why can’t we follow suit and use it, too? It’s really not that difficult to do and can help the environment in so many ways.

Environmentalists claim that twenty percent of the trash we produce, on the whole, comes from the clippings and waste generated when we care for our yards. Instead of taking that trash to the already overflowing landfills, you can use the clippings and organic waste to create something useful and beneficial for your yard and the environment.

Consider the five components needed to compost successfully: nutrition, moisture, surface area, volume and air. While you can include grass clippings from when you mow your yard to your compost pile, those are better left where they fall to help nourish the lawn by replacing nitrogen. If you do choose to compost some of them, the clippings will provide those same nutrients to the compost pile.

Composting requires a 50:50 mix of “green” sources and “brown” sources. Green plant matter would include spoiled fruits and vegetables from your refrigerator, as well as small amounts of manure from cows or other plant eating animals, fresh cut leaves and soft stems, and weeds that have not yet seeded. Brown matter would include dried leaves, straw, dead grass, and the tough stems from vegetable and flowers. This matter will provide the compost pile with all of the nutrients it needs.

Many recyclable items can be put into compost piles. The more items – such as newspapers, food scraps, twigs, and wood shavings – that can be composted means there’s less to go into the landfills. By composting, you limit the items being sent to landfills and help your plants grow faster and healthier.

Be sure to keep the composting pile damp to provide the moisture needed for microorganisms to break down the plant matter. You’ll want to give the compost pile more water in the summer and less in the spring. You’ll also want to turn or stir the compost periodically to ensure it has enough air to sustain decomposition.

After your compost is ready, you can use it to reduce the amount of water you have to use on your garden because compost will help the soil retain moisture. The compost will also provide the plants and soil with much-needed nutrients. Finally, by getting your children to help gather, place, and turn the compost you’ll be able to see how many items thrown in the garbage can be used to benefit the environment, and ultimately your family, by nourishing the fruits and vegetables in your garden.

Let Them Dig, Explore, Plant, and Play

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Teaching your children to garden can be a wonderful experience for both you and them. Let’s face it, children love to dig and get their hands dirty. They may even like it more that you do. Why not let them dig, explore, plant, and play by setting aside a part of your garden that they can call their own.

Start out by inviting them to help you in your garden. Explain how to plant both seeds and seedlings, how deep to dig, and how to recognize weeds. Be sure to answer any questions they may have and tell them why you do the things you do.

You don’t have to set aside a full-sized garden for them; that would overwhelm them and they’d probably end up letting the weeds overtake it. Instead, start small; a 6 feet by 12 feet area would be a good size for a child, depending upon their age. The garden may be separate from yours or it may be a marked off area of the bigger garden. Short rows, approximately 3 to 4 feet each, would be the perfect size.

Find kid-sized gardening tools and present them to your child with much fanfare. You might also want to create a sign showing the smaller garden is theirs. Child-sized gardening gloves would also be appropriate. Show them how to care for their tools and how to properly store them so they’ll be protected from the weather.

Help your child choose the plants they want to include in their garden. Do they want to grow only vegetables or do they want a flower garden? If they decide on vegetables, try to find starter plants such as tomatoes, lettuce, or strawberries. If they’re determined to start the plants from seed, try to find seeds that are larger so your child can easily handle them as they're being planted. For a flower garden they might choose to grow sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds.

Explain to your children that there are good creepy crawlies that visit your garden, but there are also bad ones. Good visitors would include butterflies, bees, worms, and ladybugs. Bad visitors as far as plants are concerned include moths, caterpillars, aphids, deer, and bunny rabbits. You’ll also want to explain how some plants prefer full sunlight and some prefer shadier areas.

Show them how to water their plants and tell them how important it is that the plants are watered regularly without over-watering them. Let them be responsible for watering their garden by making a watering can or garden hose easily accessible to them. You can also teach them how using mulch in their garden can help keep moisture in the soil and how it can make weeding the garden easier.

Watch the wonder on your child’s face as they watch their garden grow over the summer. You’ll also see a sense of accomplishment and pride, and possibly increased self-esteem, as they begin to harvest the vegetables or pick flowers to share with those they love. They may even be able to sell some of their crop at a roadside vegetable market rather than having a lemonade stand.

Organic Weed Control

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Weeds are a problem for almost everyone. Controlling them without harming pets or the environment can be done if you use certain techniques. Organic weed control is becoming more and more popular because it is cheap, safe for the environment and it works!

The most obvious way to get rid of weeds in your yard or garden is to simply remove them by hand. There is actually a technique to this that will help you better control weed growth. If you simply pull the weed out, you can break off roots, allowing the weed to grow right back. Using a shovel or spade does the same thing. Cutting roots can actually allow each root to grow its own plant, causing the weeds to only multiply. Use a small forked garden tool to gently work the roots up out of the soil without damaging them and the weed will not grow back.

If weeds are in your lawn, there is a very simple and safe solution. Mow your grass before weeds have a chance to seed. You may have to be very dedicated to mowing on a schedule, even twice a week, to avoid maturing weeds that can spread. One good thing about weeds is that they add drainability to the soil. This will help your grass to quickly choke out cut weeds. As weeds are eliminated, nitrogen will return to the soil making your grass more aggressively take over future weeds. Make sure that your mower is on a high setting so that your grass will keep cut weeds shaded. Weeds need a lot of sun and cannot grow if the grass is high. Grass that is left longer will also grow slower because it is not in a hurry to make more nutrients for the roots.

You may notice that weeds shoot up after a rain. They love water and can quickly take water from your grass. Make sure that you spot check your lawn after a rain and get rid of any new weeds. Do not water your lawn unless your grass starts to wilt over or seriously dry out. This will help starve out weeds that are waiting to spring up.

Using the right fertilizer can help keep weeds under control. If you have a lot of dandelions, chances are your soil pH is too high. Adding a thin dusting of lime will bring the pH back down to where your grass likes it and the dandelions do not. Use organic compost or organic fertilizers to avoid creating a perfect weed habitat. Weeds generally pop up where grass has a short coming. Creating the right environment for grass will help ensure that weak spots do not occur.

Check with your local nursery to identify weeds. Change your lawn according to which weeds are thriving and your grass can take over. Keep items picked up off of your lawn to avoid creating a weak spot where weeds can grow. For example, leaving your garden hose lying on the ground can block out light, killing grass and creating a perfect spot for a weed to take hold. Use a hose reel to keep your water hose up off of the ground and neatly stored away. When your soil is right, your lawn will be right, without the use of harmful chemicals.

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

Your First Vegetable Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Suggestions from a guy who has gardened for more than 25 years ...

Start Small - For most beginners, smaller is better. A 100 square foot garden - say, 10 feet by 10 feet - is plenty. Even a 4 ft. by 5 ft. garden or a few containers on your deck or patio can be very rewarding.

The Basics - there are 5 basic requirements:- Good soil- Seeds and/or plants- Water- Fertilizer- Weed and bug control.

Good Soil - Good gardening starts with good soil. Good soil contains a mixture of small and large mineral particles, organic materials, air, water, and millions of living organisms, from microorganisms to worms. If you have either thick clay or loose sandy soil, the best solution is to add compost or top soil to your garden. Rent or borrow a mini-tiller, like the Mantis tiller, to do this most effectively.

For a more thorough discussion of garden soil, see The Dirt on Soil, elsewhere on this site.

When You Should Start - Ideally, you should prepare your soil a couple of weeks prior to your last frost date. To estimate your last frost date, see http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/
Start gardening anytime after your last frost date. You can even start a garden in mid summer.
Seeds and Plants - Rule #1 is to grow what you'll eat. And, grow the right quantity. Six zucchini plants will produce more squash than you and all of your friends and relatives can handle! Start with 1 or 2.

Tomatoes - 1 or 2 beefsteak tomato plants for sandwiches, salads, and sauces. One cherry tomato plant for snacking and for salads.

Leaf Lettuce - easy to grow, and high yielding.

Spinach - easy to grow, very nutritious, and somewhat more heat tolerant than lettuce.

Bush Beans - easy to grow and very nutritional. The big seeds are easy to handle.

Summer Squash - options range from buttery yellow varieties of squash to the traditional green zucchini.

Beets - easy to grow and good for you. Thin the young seedlings so that the remaining plants have room to develop.

Water - Plants get their food by absorbing water and dissolved nutrients through their roots. Rule of thumb - about 1" of rainfall or watering per week.

To reduce the amount of soil moisture lost to evaporation, add a layer of mulch to the top of your garden soil. Grass clippings, shredded dry leaves, hay, and straw are excellent mulches.

Fertilizer - Plants, like people, need food. Organic fertilizer can be added when you plant and throughout the season.

The best long-term solution for creating healthy soil is to continuously add compost. For lots of practical information, see Composting 101, or visit HowToCompost.org.

Weeds and Bugs - The best treatment for weeds is prevention - lots of mulch will significantly reduce weeds.

Bugs are more complex. Some bugs are good, some are bad. Consider using a natural pesticide like Pyola® or Bulls-Eye™; both are environmentally responsible and available from Gardens Alive!

Simple Steps to Stylish and Affordable Outdoor Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:24:00 +0000

(ARA) - When the sun is shining and the summer breezes are blowing, it's difficult to resist the call to relax outdoors. But if you have a blank canvas of grass or a cement slab it doesn't exactly call to mind visions of barbeques and family gatherings. Don't stare longingly out the windows this summer when you can expand your living space to include the outdoors in just a few simple steps.

Patio
A deck or cement patio can be an expensive home improvement project. If you're not ready for the work or the investment, try ready-made patio blocks that make it easy to have a sunny and stable outdoor space.

Seating Area
Create your own outdoor cafe with a bistro set. The three piece Crown Bistro set from Seventh Avenue (SeventhAvenue.com) is an affordable way to add outdoor seating no matter what size your space is.

Lighting
For walkways and paths, make sure to keep it safe with low-voltage or solar lighting.

Outdoor Cooking
Making your space into an outdoor kitchen is as easy as adding a grill.

Wildlife
Bird houses and bird feeders are a wonderful way to welcome nature into your outdoor space.

Flavorful Landscapes -- A Growing Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:14:00 +0000

(ARA) - Nothing beats the flavor of a fresh-from-the-garden tomato; warmed by the sun, plucked right from the plant and eaten in the garden.

More than 43 percent of U.S. households plan to experience this and the other benefits of homegrown fruits, vegetables and herbs this summer, according to a recent survey by the National Gardening Association.

Space Limited? Get Creative

The good news is you don’t need much space to have an edible garden. Many gardeners grow food in containers or mixed in with their flowers, shrubs and other ornamental plantings.

Look for creative ways to include vegetables in your landscape. “I like to mix them with flowers in my container gardeners” says Melinda Myers, horticulturist and author. “One of my favorite combinations is ornamental corn, eggplant, tri-color sage, purple ruffle basil and trailing verbena. For a quick burst of spring beauty and produce I use Swiss chard as a vertical accent, add a few pansies -- they are edible -- colorful leaf lettuce or ornamental mustard and a trailing ivy or two for aesthetics, not eating.”

Limited sunlight? No worries

Full sun will give you the best results, but you can still grow edibles where sunshine is limited. Save the sunniest spot for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and other vegetables where you eat the flowers or fruit. They produce their best and have fewest disease problems when grown in eight to 12 hours of sunlight. Root crops such as beets, radishes and carrots can get by with about a half a day of direct sun and leafy crops like lettuce and spinach can still produce in a shady location with only four hours of sunlight.

Get Your Garden Off to a Good Start

Use a quality potting mix when growing in containers. It should have good drainage and retain moisture. In the garden, it’s important to properly prepare the soil before planting. Add several inches of compost, peat moss or other organic matter to the top 6- to 12-inches of soil. This improves drainage in heavy soils and increases water holding capacity for sandy or rocky soils.

Add a slow release fertilizer like Milorganite to the soil. This goof-proof organic source of nitrogen meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s Exceptional Quality standards and will help encourage growth without interfering with flowering and fruiting.

Time it Right

Let the weather be your planting guide. Cool season crops like lettuce, peas and broccoli can tolerate chilly air and soil. Wait for the danger of frost to pass and soil to warm before planting tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons. Myers suggests anxious gardeners can, “Jump start the season with the help of floating row covers. These polypropylene fabrics let air, light and water through while trapping the heat near the plants. The best part, you won’t need a hammer, nail or other tools. Simply lay the fabric over your planting leaving enough slack for the plants to grow and anchor the edges to the ground with stones, boards or other items.”

Maximize Your Efforts

Check the seed packets and plant tags for details on when and how to plant each herb and vegetable seed or transplant. Increase productivity with succession plantings. Simply start with lettuce, radishes or another cool weather plant. Once harvested, replant the area with onions or beans. After these are done you can replant the area once again with a fall crop of lettuce, spinach or radishes.

Double your harvest with interplanting. Plant quick-to-mature crops like radishes and lettuce in between longer maturing plantings of cabbage, tomatoes or eggplant. The short season vegetables will be ready to harvest just about the time the bigger plants are crowding them out.

Consider planting vegetables closer together in wider rows. You’ll waste less space for pathways putting more room in plantings. Make sure each plant has enough space to grow and that you can reach all planted areas to weed and harvest.

Just a Bit More Care Needed

Water new plantings thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil moist but not too wet. Add a layer of shredded leaves, evergreen needles or other organic material to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and moderate soil temperatures. Midsummer, give your plants a boost with a slow release organic nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite. And don’t worry if the weather turns hot and dry, Milorganite won’t burn. It will remain in the soil until the plants are ready to use it.

Pull weeds as they appear, watch for bugs and wait for the produce to come pouring in. You may find this is a great family activity that gets even the most reluctant vegetable eaters munching on a few fresh carrots and maybe even broccoli.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Gardens with Color Combos and Foliage Factor

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

(ARA) - Lawns and gardens that are eye-catching have harmonious colorful plants in bloom and dramatic foliage varieties patterned in a way that appeals to the senses.

Unifying blooming and foliage plants in gardens has become a popular trend because it allows homeowners to think outside the box of traditional flower beds. From bold plant selection contrasts to color continuity, understanding bloom and foliage combinations will lead to an alluring escape in any backyard.

Ambiance Matters
Foliage is all about leaf shape, vein coloration, outlines and textures. Some foliage selections are tall and dramatic others are soft, and petite. Arrangements often focus on creating a mood, drawing the eye outward or upward and creating dimension.

The blue-green leaves of Heucherella 'Tapestry' are accented with deep-red veins which complement dark foliage plants such as the deep purple of Heuchera 'Plum Royale.' These two plants from Terra Nova Nurseries work well together to infuse drama and fullness to beds or containers.

Two other options from the growers of Garden Splendor varieties include Sedum 'Angelina' with yellow foliage that makes a stunning ground cover or container plant and Sorbaria 'Sem' boasting a chartreuse leaf accented with bronze-red tips that turn green in summer.

Learn more about these plants and gardening tips at www.terranovanurseries.com
and www.gardensplendor.com

Have a Great Lawn That’s Good to the Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:59:00 +0000

(ARA) - Caring for the environment means caring for a full, green lawn. Properly maintaining your lawn will produce strong grass and can help protect and conserve water resources at the same time.

To enjoy a great lawn and protect fresh water resources, follow these lawn care tips from the experts at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and the Alliance for the Great Lakes:

* Use a mulching mower to return nutrient-rich grass clippings to the soil.

* The best time to fertilize is in the spring and fall. For mature lawns, choose a fertilizer that is low-phosphorus or phosphorus-free.

* Set your mower to its highest setting to build strong, deep grass roots that can find water and nutrients.

* Water your lawn in the morning before the sun is at full strength.

* Use native plants in your landscape and garden.

* Storm sewers often lead directly into streams and lakes. Never dispose of clippings or pet waste in or around sewers or water resources, such as rivers, lakes and streams. Make it a habit to sweep up any fertilizer, grass clippings and leaves.

For more information and water-safe lawn care tips, visit LawnsandLakes.com.

Gardening Fun the Whole Family Can Do Together

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:03:00 +0000

Before beginning your garden consult one of the maps that certain books, magazines, agricultural bulletins, and seed catalogs print, showing temperature belts, or one of the weather tables showing the date of the last probable frost in each state. Find out who the best gardeners are quite near you, preferably by watching whose gardens seem to do best, and then boldly ask their advice on when to plant, which things do best, which things need special attention, and what kind of attention. Whether you are a beginner or a newcomer to a community, most of them will be quick to help.

By now you may be wondering whether gardening is not a lot of work. I cannot answer that one, because the word "work" means different things to different people. If you mean by work something disagreeable that requires a lot of effort to do but that you do in order to get paid money, I can only answer that gardening in order to make money, or even to save money, is hard work.

But if you mean by work doing something intelligent that involves both your mind and your body, and doing it for so sensible and primary a purpose as to grow your family's food, then gardening is delightful and rewarding "work." You plant grains of corn, cultivate the cornstalk which the seed produces, harvest the ears when the silk gets brown, and eat delicious corn. The work of planting, cultivating, and harvesting is so plainly connected with eating good corn that it is interesting: we know why we are doing it.

Finally, gardening is something a whole family can do together... father, mother, and even quite small children with no fear that unequal skill will spoil the fun. In a garden families learn to work well together using garden hand tools in order that they may eat well together. A home garden has dimensions and meaning which few hobbies possess.

Is it an expensive hobby? The answer is an emphatic no. Like every other hobby, gardening can be made to cost a good deal of money: through expensive and often unnecessary tools; through interesting but expensive experiments. But a good vegetable garden can be run very cheaply. The basic tools are few and simple: a shovel, a spade, a steel rake, a "draw" hoe, a trowel, and a ball of twine to stretch between sticks to run a straight row. Before long you will want a wheelbarrow. These tools should be kept clean and dry when not in use.

Now you can remove the confusion in your mind on the topic of garden hand tiller tool. It's time for a better insight on zone10.com.

Spring Cleaning: Clearing Your Flower Beds

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:43:00 +0000

With spring just around the corner; so is clearing your flower beds. Here are some tips on what to do.

While this has probably been the worst winter ever, you may have your work cut out for you as you prepare to clear your flower beds of debris.

What you’ll need:

* Rake* Clippers* Shovel* Garden Gloves* Mulch

Now you are ready to begin:

* Take away any debris such as branches or leaves.

* Get rid of all the dead foliage from your perennials by cutting them back just near ground level. * Rake the flower bed clean.

* Pile up the debris in a compost pile.

* Remove the mulch off the bed and replace it with a fresh layer of compost.

* Toss the compost with a shovel.

* Rake the compost as you spread it over the flower bed.

* Replace a fresh layer of mulch.

Winter has not been kind to us, in fact, every forecast you listen to describes this winter as the worst in America. Therefore, you may not be able to clear your flower beds just yet, but in case you do – hopefully the spring cleaning of your garden will be a successful one. Clearing your flower beds is a relaxing and enjoyable task. Hopefully, the weather will be as enjoyable.

"How to" Hydroponics - A Guide to General Hydroponics

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:16:00 +0000

The field of general hydroponics is not new. Believe it or not you can find evidence of this technique dating back many hundreds of years some of which include the floating gardens of the Aztecs and China, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and you can also find records of it in Egyptian hieroglyphics. With newer technology these days though there has been some really incredible progress made in this totally awesome field of agriculture.

Many different experiments have been done by horticulturists and scientists using several different types of hydroponics in general. This technique is widely needed in the parts of the world that are not suitable for cultivation. This technique was even used widely during World War II to help provide fresh vegetables to our troops who were stationed in the non-arable islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Commercial Success

Commercial growers are becoming highly favorable towards the use of general hydroponics for growing fresh vegetables and produce. It is also becoming a favorite method of traditional farmers as well.

The independent state of Israel has been developing really advanced hydroponic technology due to its harsh climate. They market this technology heavily to Nicaragua who uses it to produce pepper for selling around the world as well as to the United States. One of the largest hydroponic facilities in the world is the state of Arizona, where they sold 125 million pounds of tomatoes in the year 2005.

General Hydroponics and Its Advantages

One advantage of using general hydroponics is that it allows you to produce a higher yield than normal soil based agricultural methods. For areas of the world where you can't grow vegetables in the soil it is a real blessing and God send. Being that you have total control of the growing environment it eliminates the need for pesticides and insecticides which in turn back the soil, water, air, and food whole lot healthier.

Nutrients

The methods that you use for general hydroponics vary for each type of plant that you are growing. The needs of the plants also very during each cycle of their growth. You can use a variety of different combinations of products for both growing and booming during each growth cycle of your plants. You can then know precisely which nutrients are required for each growth cycle of your plants.

The nutrients that are used in hydroponics dissolve in water and are most commonly in the Ionic and inorganic form. Some of the most commonly used macro nutrients include potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium phosphate.

Some Advancements

The practice of general hydroponics is highly productive because of the lack of pests and because there is a constant supply of nutrients provided for the plants. Because most of your hydroponic activity is done indoors and in sealed greenhouses, the growth of the plant can be limited, however, the yield of the indoor growing operation can be increased by adding CO2 into the environment, which makes it an incredibly beneficial growing atmosphere for all plants.

If you're interested in the field of hydroponics Or just like to find out some basic information on how to use hydroponics, then visit my site at http://www.hydroponichelp.com where you will find a plethora of informative articles to help you with you needs.

Raised Beds = The New Victory Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Times are tough. And when the going gets tough, the tough get growing. With the news that President and Mrs. Obama have broken ground on the first ever organic garden on the grounds of the White House, we are realizing that the idea of growing your own healthy sustainable food sources is more than just a trend; it is a new and greener way of life.

If you have considered starting a garden, whether as a hobby, a serious food source, a way to offset climbing food costs, or any other reason, now is the time to get serious. There are dozens of good books available to instruct the would-be or pro gardener in ways of producing more yield per square foot of garden plot, and doing so in the healthiest, most eco-friendly way possible.

This is why we love the raised bed so much. It is a wonderful way of keeping your herbs and vegetables growing in small spaces, and virtually eliminates the tedious job of weeding.

A raised bed is a plant sanctuary, providing them with all of the elements necessary to thrive and produce, while eliminating many of the competitive natural forces that work to rob your plants of nutrients and a disease- and pest-free life.

No matter what kind of space you have available for gardening, there is a raised bed system that is just right for you. These days, even an apartment or condo patio is not unimaginable as a beautiful and productive urban garden. Some raised beds are tiered, which provides additional compactness, because plants are not directly competing with neighboring plants on all sides, but rather are elevated to their own level playing field.

Disabled or wheelchair-bound individuals can finally garden again with the use of a good raised bed system. Plant tables provide a wonderful way to pull up a chair and garden comfortably, and higher ground-based beds offer relief to tired backs and stiff muscles. Add a sitting rail all the way around the perimeter of a raised bed, and you even have a comfortable bench on which to sit as you tend to your tomatoes and peppers.

We have started seeing beautiful raised beds made out of recycled plastic materials, such as milk jugs and plastic grocery bags. Timbers made from these materials are an environmentally sensible way to garden, and they have the additional benefit of lasting longer than most wooden raised beds, because of the impermeability of the materials to water and bugs.

Cedar presents the most economical choice for raised bed gardeners. It is naturally repellent to many common garden pests, and is beautiful and fragrant as it ages.

So go ahead and plant that victory garden raised bed you have been thinking about all winter. The cost of the bed and the seeds you plant are offset by the abundant produce you will be enjoying all season long. And as the First Family will soon discover if they do not already know, organic gardening is a lot of fun!

Find a raised bed that is perfect for your yard and other gardening tips and alternatives.

Spring Equipment Check-Up Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:41:00 +0000

(ARA) - You’ve put your winter coat away, and the days are getting longer. Welcome to spring! Unfortunately, that’s not all that is getting longer. Your lawn is calling and you need to be ready to answer.

Spring is the start of the lawn care season, and with a little work early in the year your lawn and garden equipment will be ready to perform all season long. This guide will help you move into the yard without a hitch.

Safety First

* Remove the power cord, spark plug wire, or battery for cordless equipment prior to performing any service. Also gloves and eye protection are required to safely perform service.

* Next, check all of the unit’s fasteners, replace any that are missing, and tighten loose fasteners to the manufacturer’s recommended tightness. Loose and missing fasteners are a frequent cause of trips to the repair shop, and can be dangerous.

Sharp Cutters are Key

* Evaluate the condition of any blades, cutting attachments or blower impellers. If in poor condition, these items will impair performance and can cause injury.

* It’s probably best to leave maintenance of these items to a professional unless you are a very skillful mechanic and instructions for removal, replacement and sharpening are readily available.

Electric Equipment

* Electric equipment’s external cords and wires should be checked for fraying.

* Check all extension cords used to power these products. Any frayed cords and wires should be repaired immediately by a certified technician. Replace any bad extension cords. Don’t risk using the unit or extension cord even once as dangerous shocks can result.

* Ensure that all switches are intact and activate freely. Fully charge the battery, if applicable.

Gas Powered Equipment

* Perform the simple maintenance procedures from the owner’s manual.

* Check the oil before starting any small engine that doesn’t use gas/oil fuel mix. Place the product on level ground to avoid false readings. If the oil is low, fill it to the recommended level with the specified oil. Also, while some oil consumption is normal for small engines, now is a good time to check for oil leaks that need to be addressed by a professional.

* Check the air filter; carefully clean dirt, oil, and debris off the filter cover and the surrounding area before removing the cover. Examine the filter, and if it is dirty, replace or clean it per manufacturer’s instructions.

* More experienced DIYers might want to change the oil and filter and check the spark plug. Make sure that your fuel is fresh as stale fuel can damage your engine. Unless you used a fuel stabilizer like Sta-Bil from Gold Eagle Co., any fuel more than 90 days old needs to be properly disposed of.

Cables and Levers

* Check to make sure all of these cables and levers operate smoothly. If they don’t, lubricate or replace them.

Start Up

* Connect the spark plug wire and fire up engine-powered equipment. Following the operator’s manual instructions, fill up the fuel tank with fresh fuel, making sure there are no fuel leaks, and start the engine.

* If the engine doesn’t start, it is often because unstabilized fuel was left in the unit during storage. This stale fuel doesn’t like to burn, and leaves varnish in your carburetor’s small passages and the fuel line. But all is not lost. If stale fuel and a dirty fuel system are the causes of hard starting, try a product like Start Your Engines! fuel system revitalizer. These starting fluids/system cleaners can refresh stale fuel and clean muck out of your fuel system just by pouring them into the unit’s fuel tank. It’s an easy and economical way to fix a gunked-up engine.

* If the engine still will not start after trying a fuel system revitalizer, it’s best to get a professional to evaluate the problem.

Spring lawn care season is a great way to get active and enjoy the outdoors. It can be rewarding and easy if your tools are ready from the start. So what are you waiting for? Get going!

For more information on Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer, Start Your Engines! fuel revitalizer, or other Gold Eagle Co. products, visit www.goldeagle.com or call (800) 367-3245.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

No Backyard? No Problem. Reap the Rewards of a Vegetable Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:44:00 +0000

(ARA) - During World War II, Americans were encouraged to convert their backyards into Victory Gardens to contribute to the war effort. The gardens also saved families money, something that was not abundant to most at the time. With the current economic downturn affecting many families’ budgets and in light of produce scares in 2008, starting a backyard vegetable garden is a great way to help reduce grocery bills during the summer months while keeping your family supplied with healthy foods.

Even if you don't have a lot of space -- maybe only a balcony -- you can still produce plump red tomatoes, fresh lettuce, spicy peppers and more before the end of summer. Here are some simple tips for gardening in small spaces for big results:

Mix Vegetables with Your Flowers

If you already have an established flower bed, but no more land available for a vegetable patch, work some of your vegetables in between perennials. Carrots and onions don't need a lot of root space, and their foliage above ground can bring variety to the overall look of your landscape. Just make sure your vegetables will have plenty of sunshine and are protected from hungry wildlife.

Start a Container Garden

Balconies and porches are perfect locations for container gardens. Start easy with lettuce seeds or onions set in a deep window box. Or use a larger pot for peppers or tomatoes.

To kick off the growing season for your tomatoes and peppers, use a Season Starter from Dalen Products, Inc. in your container. This innovative insulating system helps protect seedlings from frost conditions and extends the growing season.

Once established, growing plants can benefit from other Dalen products that help contribute to larger yields and vegetation protection. For instance, Dalen’s patented Tomato Tray is designed to channel water directly to a vining plant’s root system – critical for establishing healthy tomato plants in the early season. Also, items like Better Reds Mulch Film and Harvest Guard work to ensure that throughout the growing and harvesting season your plants are protected from weeds, drought conditions and early frosts.

Some helpful tips for container gardening are:

* Find containers that are large enough for the fully-grown plant to prevent root binding.

* Make sure containers have adequate drainage holes and are not plugged with soil or rocks.

* Avoid container materials that contain products toxic or harmful to plants.

* Don't use regular garden soil. Instead, use potting soil or a mix of garden soil with compost or perlite for enhanced drainage.

* Water plants frequently as plants in containers are more likely to dry out due to sun and wind exposure.

Grow Tall Gardens

Cucumbers, squash and melon plants take up plenty of space when they're sprawling across your ground. But getting them off the ground is an ideal solution for maximizing your harvest in a minimum amount of area. Installing a trellis next to plants allows you to direct vine plants' growth upward, while protecting fruit and vegetables from ground rot and pests. Using nylon netting, like Trellis Netting from Dalen Products, around your container pots, a porch railing or your garden beds is a great and durable way to encourage climbing vines.

With good management, you will have beautiful fruits and vegetables available this summer for cooking, canning and snacking - saving you money at the grocery store and giving your family safe and healthy food options. Visit www.dalenproducts.com to find more products perfect for growing your favorite vegetables or fruits in any size garden.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Call of the Wild (Flowers)

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:42:00 +0000

(ARA) – At a time when “green” is the color of thoughtful lifestyles, gardening practices are going greener, too. Some gardens awash in the biggest, brightest, newest flowers are sadly lifeless, lacking the buzz of the bees, the fluttering of butterflies and the zip of hummingbirds. To make these creatures welcome, gardeners need to go a little wild themselves, setting aside their visions of gardens groomed and sprayed into submission.

Gardeners need to re-imagine their gardens as an outdoor café and build safe havens for birds, bees and butterflies. How? By setting the table with nectar and seeds that are on the menus of local wildlife. This spring, plant a patch of wildflowers and watch the garden come alive.

Wildflowers and their dependents -- insects and birds -- work together in harmony with local climates. Naturally adapted to soil, sun and moisture conditions, wildflowers offer more than simple grace and unaffected charm.

They represent an earth-friendly, attractive alternative, thriving without fertilizers, pesticides and constant irrigation.

In nature, wildflowers mark the seasons with glorious bursts of color. Spring bluebells and columbines might give way to yarrows and rues, which in turn leave the season’s last word to coneflowers and asters.

The wildflower patch is typically an exuberant and ever-changing continuous carpet of carefree blossoms. Since the look is more relaxed than that of formal garden beds, wildflowers can beautify areas that are very difficult to maintain -- hillsides, woodland edges, lake borders or that awkward strip between the driveway and the property line.

While the aim is a casual, unstudied appearance, wildflower gardens do require some planning. One key is choosing a seed mix created for your region, taking into account the hardiness zone, elevation and typical soil, sun and moisture conditions.

Wild-flower-seed.com offers a wide variety of blends for nine areas of the country, from the rainy northeast to the dry southwest. The company also has specialty mixes specifically designed to attract beneficial insects and butterflies -- as well as a blend deer find unappealing. Each mix includes 10 to 20 plant species, providing flowers season-long and a mix of annuals and perennials for both quick color and staying power.

Site preparation is important and a little up-front effort can pay big dividends. Follow these steps:

* Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Most wildflowers want six to eight hours of direct sunlight and few will tolerate “wet feet.”

* Remove any sod and till to a depth of just 1 or 2 inches. More will only bring additional weed seeds to the surface.

* Weed control is crucial to get wildflowers off to a good start. Instead of using a strong, chemical pesticide to kill weeds, manage weeds naturally. Encourage weeds to grow with regular watering and then pull the weeds before sowing wildflowers, or use a low-toxicity herbicide.

* Sow seeds according to directions -- the maximum amount recommended will produce a dense patch, the minimum a more scattered look.

* For easier sowing, mix seed with dry sand, which is more visible against the soil. Blend well, using a ratio of one part seed to one or two parts sand.

* Good seed-to-soil contact encourages germination. A lawn roller is ideal, but stepping across the bed, compressing soil underfoot, will do the job.

* No fertilizer is necessary, but the seedbed should be kept moist for about four weeks until seeds sprout. Then watering can taper off unless conditions are unusually dry.

Once established, a wildflower garden requires little routine maintenance. A once-a-year mowing to 4 to 6 inches in late fall will keep tree seedlings from intruding and spread the season’s crop of seeds.

To see wildflower mixes offered for your region and view details on individual species, visit http://www.wild-flower-seed.com/regionalwildflowerseed.php.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Top Spring Projects for Your Lawn and Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:54:00 +0000

(ARA) - With the weather beginning to warm across the country, many people are venturing out into their yards to begin the process of turning what was once a winter wonderland into a lush green escape. The task might look overwhelming at first, but with a little help from the experts, you can have a fresh-looking lawn and garden in no time.

According to Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man,” there are three projects that every homeowner should do to spruce up your lawn and garden: Prune your shrubs and trees, grow new grass and plant brightly colored flowers. “The best part about these projects,” says Manfredini “is that anyone can do them, and once they are finished they make a big difference."

Pruning

Pruning works by cutting away the excess growth and dead weight that keeps your shrubs and trees from filling out. By trimming this away, more buds will be able to show, allowing you to cultivate a stronger, more vibrant plant.

“One thing to remember is not to over-prune,” says Manfredini. “Too much pruning will shock your plant and could inhibit growth.” To avoid this, hold out your first two fingers; if these were stems on a plant you would never want to cut below your first knuckle.

As with most home improvement projects, it’s very important to have the right tools on hand. Certain pruners, such as rose pruners, are made specifically for roses, while head shears can be used on most heavy-duty pruning projects. Make sure you purchase pruners that are sturdy enough to do the job and feel comfortable and manageable in your hand. If you already have pruners, consider having them sharpened at your local hardware store before you begin working. You’ll notice the difference immediately.

Grow New Grass

After lying dormant for a few months, your grass might need a little coaxing to get it to its pre-winter state. To prepare your lawn, thatch it by lightly running a rake across the top to pick up any sticks, leaves, debris or dead grass.

Next you will need to purchase grass seed that is indigenous to your area and that will grow with the amount of shade your lawn has. You’ll need to purchase between 2 to 4 pounds of seed for every 1,000 feet you are planting. Spread the seed either by hand or with a mechanical spreader that you can rent at your local hardware store, but be sure to keep it even.

Once your seed is down, it’s a good idea to lay fertilizer and water the entire lawn. In the weeks and months to come, be sure your lawn gets at least 1 or 2 inches of water a week, either naturally or from a sprinkler.

Plant Flowers

Flowers can spruce up any landscape design. Consider adding them around the base of a tree or on either side of your walkway.

“Consider purchasing established plants rather than seeds as they are easier to grow,” explains Manfredini. “And look for bright colored plants like impatiens or black-eyed Susans.”

Before planting, you’ll need to make sure your soil is prepared. Loosen the soil in the area where you plan on planting and add an organic matter like peat moss to help give the plant more nutrients.

Next, dig a small hole, just deep enough to fit the roots of your plant and place the plant inside. Once the plant is in the hole, fill it in with dirt and lightly pack it down. Don’t forget to water and fertilize the plant regularly and you’ll have gorgeous flowers for months to come.

For more lawn and garden tips and advice, visit www.acehardware.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Seeding Secrets for a Sensational Lawn

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:48:00 +0000

(ARA) – Watering, fertilizing and proper mowing are all important aspects of lawn care. But to maintain that healthy, lush lawn you also need to be smart about seeding.

Fixing some bare spots on the lawn or filling out thinning grass requires the right type of seed, a little know-how and the patience to, literally, watch grass grow.

“Even the most well-cared-for lawn can develop a bald patch here or there over the winter,” says John Marshall, manager of The Scotts Training Institute for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. “And if your turf has multiple bare spots or is just thin all over, proper seeding can be the solution for your lackluster lawn.”

Paying attention to four factors when seeding can help turn your lawn from flop to fabulous:

Timing is Everything

Many people wait until warm weather to turn a critical eye on their lawn, even though the very best time to seed is in the fall. But seeding can successfully spruce up your spring lawn -- if you start early enough.

Even if you suspect your region may experience one or two more frosts before spring, go ahead and seed. “Cold will not hurt grass seed,” Marshall says. “Better to seed too early than too late.”

If you’re unsure of proper timing for your area, check with a local lawn expert or university extension program for advice.

Prepare the Ground

Failing to prepare the ground to receive seed is one of the top mistakes homeowners make, Marshall says. If you are seeding bare spots or dead areas, take a rake and scratch the spot until you see more dirt than dead grass. In order to take root, grass seeds must be in direct contact with soil.

If you’re overseeding an entire thin lawn, rent a core aerator or slit seeder and go over the lawn first in order to achieve the best possible seed/soil contact.

Choosing the Right Seed

Watering deeply and infrequently is the usual recommendation for an established lawn, but a newly seeded lawn requires more watering than usual because grass seed dies when it dries out.

In order to get the most out of your grass seed, opt for a seed, such as Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed with Water Smart, that helps create a good looking lawn with less water. The seed is wrapped in a super absorbent coating that actually holds water to keep the seed moist even if a day of watering is missed. The coated seed will require water once a day and possibly even every other day depending on the climate where you live. Hotter regions may need more frequent watering.

Non-coated seed, by contrast, requires watering multiple times each day in order to keep the seed wet. “When grass seed dries, it dies,” Marshall says.

Caring for Your Grass Seedlings

Once your grass seedlings appear, some simple steps can help you care for your growing lawn, including:

* Fertilize the lawn -- Remember to fertilize the same day you seed. After that, for most areas of the country, it’s OK to fertilize your lawn every two months during warm weather.

* Keeping off the grass-- Contrary to popular belief, simply walking on grass seedlings isn’t likely to do much harm, but it’s a good idea to avoid walking on them if possible. If you’ve seeded in a high-traffic area it’s a good idea to rope off the spot until the seed is well established -- usually after the first mowing.

* Mowing is good for your grass seedlings – Once grass seedlings reach 2 to 3 inches in height, it’s time to mow them. Marshall recommends setting your mower on one of the two highest settings. Trimming the top off new grass actually encourages it to grow laterally, spreading out to fill thin areas.

For more tips on successful seeding and general lawn care help, visit www.scotts.com or call Scott’s consumer help line at (888) 270-3714.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Greenhouse Kits - Getting Started

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Greenhouse kits are a versatile option for both amateur and professional gardeners. Different people decide to use greenhouses for different reasons. For instance, one person may wish to raise plants for winter use. Another may wish to get an earlier start in the year for growing trickier plants. Still another may wish to better hold over existing plants for use during the next season.

Whatever the reason for selecting a greenhouse, there is certain to be a design suited for every gardener's needs. While it is always possible to build a custom structure, it may be much easier to purchase a ready-to-assemble kit.

Here are some tips for selecting the right greenhouse and setting it up correctly:

Make a list of desirable plants to maintain. Under each species, take notes on the required climate and space as well as general life spans. This information will assist in determining what functions a greenhouse needs to perform during different times of the year.
Compare that list to the regional climate. Growing tropical plants in a cold environment will take a lot more work than growing them in warmer areas. Different greenhouse kits will provide different potentials for control.
Determine how much space is necessary for the plants. After that, choose a structure that is a bit bigger. This allows room for changes in plans of cultivation. A person may also discover that, though plants may fit easily into their allotted amount of space, the area is still too crowded for adequate ventilation. The truth is more plants die from overheating within a greenhouse than they do from the winter cold.
Decide where the greenhouse will be placed. Light is an important consideration for this matter. In particular, the amount of winter light should be kept in mind. The change of the angle of the sun over the year will affect placement. Obviously, there should not be any shading structures within a location. It is also important to remember that trees may grow and lose leaves over time.
Remember that if the ideal situation for the summer is different than that of the winter, perhaps the best option is to purchase a portable greenhouse kit. Another situation where this may be excellent is if great changes of terrain may be expected over the years. For instance, if a new shed may be built in an area, blocking sunlight, then an option which is capable of eventually being transported with ease may be best.
Choose the material type carefully. Wooden frames often come with the risk of rotting or developing mold and mildew. Some are created with PVC tubing, which is more affordable. Aluminum and steel options are much more durable, though more expensive.
Calculate any additional purchases necessary. A sturdy, reliable frame may come at a great low price. However, it is possible that it does not include the other elements which many kits do, such as shelves. The need for additional purchases can bring the price up. Also, if it is not built in an adaptive manner, the cost of altering greenhouse kits through drilling and other such practices may also increase the expense.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, yoga, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on greenhouse supplies, please visit Greenhouse Kits, supplier of greenhouse news and information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke
http://EzineArticles.com/?Greenhouse-Kits---Getting-Started&id=1816694

When it’s Cold Outside, Bring Nature’s Warmth Indoors

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:26:00 +0000

(ARA) - At this time of year, many of us feel confined to our homes and trapped by bitter wind, biting cold and harsh weather. It’s snowy, the days are shorter and we long for that time when we can be outdoors, digging in the dirt.

If you have dreams of gardens, here are some ways to make your dreams a reality. Keith McCleary, academic director of The Art Institute of York – Pennsylvania suggests the following to bring the outdoors inside:

Head to the local garden center and find all those special effects that stimulate your senses in the warmer seasons. Look for a few fragrant herbs like sage, lavender and rosemary to place on your windowsills. Hearty and relatively easy to grow, these herbs will add color and “homemade” aromas to your kitchen and even powder rooms. In addition, they’ll help freshen and clean the stuffy winter air.

McCleary also suggests that you keep in mind bright colors, which can be introduced by forcing bulbs indoors. Amaryllis, in full bloom, will brighten any room. Paperwhites, with their not-so-subtle scents, will refresh a dull room and add life as they bloom and grow, almost before your eyes. Another seasonal plant that welcomes the season is the Christmas cactus.

You can use a variety of cacti and other green plants, large and small, from Ficus to African violets, to make the rooms feel like the great outdoors. And don’t forget orchids. These tropical beauties love humidity, and adding them to your decor offers a great reason to incorporate a fountain into any room. The extra moisture will aid plants and people alike. They add a lovely touch to the bathroom too.

Shorter days in winter mean less light but it’s easy to combat those winter blues with the right lighting. “Whether it’s changing the light bulbs in your home or buying a lamp that is specifically designed to recreate the effect of sunlight, changing the lighting values in your home is a great way to bring the outdoors in,” says Nancy Bohnett, academic director of interior design at The Art Institute of Las Vegas. “Utilize your fireplace to recreate the warmth of your outdoor spaces in summer.”

McCleary suggests losing your window coverings altogether and instead opting for a large hanging plant, or a series of them hung at varying heights in a window. They will screen sunlight, thrive on the direct light and provide privacy.

Brighter spaces feel larger. “Use mirrors to add reflected light to darker spaces and to visually increase room size,” says McCleary. Take a trip to the paint store and freshen your decor with brighter colors. Sometimes it takes just one wall with a contrasting outdoor color like cornflower, rose or tomato red to feel like you’re closer to Mother Nature’s gifts. There are dozens of colors in nature’s palette that mimic bright sunshine, begonias, green pears, cut hay and more.

There are few easier ways to switch up your decor than with the accents. Replace a dark, fall-themed print with framed photos of your summer garden or introduce florals and leafy patterns mimicking nature in your accent pillows.

And don’t forget the sounds of your garden, says Bohnett. “Introduce a water feature to remind you of your backyard pond and time spent outdoors.”

Whether you’re longing for your garden or simply looking for a way to freshen your home during the winter months, bringing the sights, sounds and smells of nature indoors does wonders in combating winter gloom.

To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Top Ten 2009 Gardening Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:39:00 +0000

(ARA) – Americans craving authenticity and fretting over a bleak economy have reinvigorated the trend to grow-it-yourself (GIY). From blueberries to houseplants, GIY is the new mantra as folks turn "back to the future" to simplify their lives while gardening for the greener good.

"It’s a resurgence of gardening for the greater good -- for the earth and our wallets," says Susan McCoy, trend spotter and president of the Garden Media Group (GMG). "The most exciting movement seems to be that gardening is popular again, particularly among younger homeowners," she adds.

GMG’s gardening trends for 2009 reveal a resurgence in perennials, growing native plants, creating "blended" gardens using vegetables and herbs in flower beds, cultivating with best practices, planting to attract wildlife and going local.

"The urgent commitment to environmental sustainability and the basic desire to make our homes our havens is reflected in all gardening trends for 2009," predicts McCoy.

What’s in: Eco-boosting

What’s out: Conspicuous consumption

One simple way to be an eco-booster is to create natural habitats for wildlife with native plants that attract birds, bees and butterflies. Look for eco-friendly plants like the line of native plants from American Beauties (www.ABNativeplants.com) or the Knock Out family of roses (www.TheKnockoutRose.com), which are drought- and disease-resistant, and require little care or chemicals. Go organic with peat-free soil from The Organic Mechanics Soil Company (www.OrganicMechanicSoil.com) that supports sustainable practices and feeds plants from the soil up.

What’s in: Grow-it-Yourself (GIY)

What’s out: Having someone do it all for you

Tranquil moments may be few but the recent rise in gardening reconnects us with nature, family and friends as we share our bounty. With the increase in demand for year-round fresh fruits and vegetables, local farmers markets are seeing an upsurge in business, community gardens have waiting lists, and plant swaps are on the rise.

What’s in: Blended gardens

What’s out: Segregated gardens

Plant mint and fragrant thyme varietals in between cracks of stone pathways and grow strawberries for a delightful edible groundcover around trees. Fruit-bearing shrubs and trees provide color, privacy and fruitful bounty mingling among veggies and perennials. Garden centers are reporting an increase in demand for fruit-bearing shrubs like blueberries and raspberries as ornamentals. Briggs Nursery (www.BriggsNursery.com) is introducing the first-ever pink blueberry, "Pink Lemonade."

What’s in: Locavore

What’s out: Big carbon footprint

Buying local is all the rage. Gardeners are aware of their role as naturalists and conservationists, and are looking for native plants that thrive in their own backyards. “Native plant cultivars are selected to perform better in specific areas under local conditions,” says Steve Castorani, from American Beauties Native Plants. “When you select a plant that is native to the local area, it will thrive with little to no water, fertilizer or effort.”

What’s in: Water

What’s out: Water

For the first time, water is in and out. Whether bringing in fountains, endless waterfalls, or fish ponds, the soothing sounds of water can turn any backyard into a private oasis. Costa Farms (www.CostaFarms.com) offers plants that drink responsibly like succulents, cactus, yucca and ferns, which are easy, conserve water, and add sizzle to your landscape. The Knock Out family of roses, from bright red to sunny yellow, is drought-resistant.

"Water features such as fountains are showing up not only in the garden but on tabletops, and sometimes more than one in the garden," says Jon Carloftis, a renowned garden designer. He likes the classic and contemporary options from Campania International (www.CampaniaInternational.com) to bring the sight and sound of water into gardens without a lot of fuss or maintenance.

What’s in: Outside inside

What’s out: Outside only

From bean sprouts on kitchen countertops to green walls laden with herbs and micro-greens, plants are decorating spaces as "art- in-motion." Tropical plants like bromeliads and orchids create instant beauty and give a boost of oxygen and clean the air.

"It’s easy to expand your home’s boundaries and add indoor charm to your patio, deck and garden using great indoor plants like ferns and palms. And ornamentals continue to be fashionistas beautifying containers, landscapes, mixed or mass planted," McCoy adds.

What’s in: Info lust

What’s out: Lack of knowledge

Lack of time and knowledge have been primary reasons people hesitate to garden. Not anymore. Novices and experienced gardeners hungry for inspiration, information, and instruction are packing master garden classes for instruction and gardening "how-to" tips. Gardeners are gobbling up information from friends, classes and workshops, local garden media, magazines, and the Internet and sharing their success stories with bloggers and friends

What’s in: Quick and simple

What’s out: Over-the-top and complicated

As time-starved consumers try to juggle busy schedules most seek quick and simple solutions to meet their gardening needs. Containers are no longer a trend but a garden staple in large and small spaces.

Select natural materials like cast stone and terra cotta containers and accessories that are perfect eco-friendly accents. "Big and bold is ‘in’ and square is the new round," says Peter Cilio, creative director for Campania International.

What’s in: Global colors

What’s out: Safe colors

The 2009 color forecasters predict a funky mix of colors that reflect a jambalaya of world cultures. Today’s main color influencers are our global connectivity, cultural unity, and environmental responsibility.

"Colors are bold, crazy, exaggerated, and in-your-face, almost like pop-art, and reflect a playful spirit in the face of world events," says Donna Dorian, former style editor of Garden Design Magazine.

Be uber-trendy with anything red this spring from the Carefree Spirit shrub rose and true red rhododendron "Trocadero" to tropical red Sun Parasol Crimson mandevilla.

What’s in: Worldly

What’s out: Cookie-cutter

Americans have embraced the world bazaar of vibrant colors, textures, sights and sounds. Asian, African, Indian, and Mid-Eastern influences are showing up in patterns, textures and colors.

"As we travel more, we tend to bring more of our memories home -- creating escapist retreats," says John Kinsella, brand director for terrain (www.terrainathome.com).

For a complete look at the GMG 2009 Garden Trends, visit www.GardenMediaGroup.com or subscribe to www.GardenPlot.Blogspot.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent