Early Spring Garden Guide: What To Do In The Yard And Garden Now
September 30, 2007
Can’t wait to get back to the garden? Use this handy spring garden guide to get started. Believe it or not, the key is avoid getting too impatient and doing certain jobs too soon. Early spring jobs: in the yard
- Start winter cleanup of the lawn when the grass is no longer sopping wet and planting beds stop being a sea of mud. Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris and let light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow.
- Re-seed bare or damaged patches of lawn. Scratch up the soil with a rake first. Mix a shovel of soil with a couple of scoops of grass seed and spread in the patch you’re fixing. Rake level and keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes.
- Remove tree guards or burlap winter protection from any young trees or shrubs. Try not to leave tree guards in place over the summer. They keep rabbits and mice from nibbling on tender bark over the winter, but trees don’t need them in summer. They don’t allow enough air movement around the base of the trunk and that can promote rot of the bark.
- Transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.
- Weeds start growing vigorously early, so when you spot them, go to it. Getting on top of the weeding now means a lot less work later. Weeds are easier to pull out while their roots are still shallow in early spring.
- Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymous to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven’t opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F (4-21 degrees C).
- Get your lawn mower checked and its blades sharpened if you didn’t get the job done in late winter. Sharp blades cut better and leave your lawn grass healthier.
- Don’t be in a rush to remove winter mulch or to cut back evergreen plants such as lavender until temperatures are reliably warm.
- Freeze and thaw cycles over the winter may given some of your plants the heave-ho. Replant any perennials that the frost has heaved out of the ground as soon as you can.
- Cut back any remaining dead perennial foliage from last season (trimmings can go into the compost).
- Cut back ornamental grasses to about 10 inches from the ground.
- Remove winter protection of mounded earth from roses. Prune rose bushes before they start to leaf out.
- Resist the urge to start digging in your flower beds too early. You can damage the soil’s structure. If you pick up a handful of soil, it should fall apart, not stick together like glue. When it’s dry enough, you can start to dig beds and add compost or manure in preparation for planting.
- Grass growth is vigorous in the early spring garden, so edge your flower beds with a sharp trench between them and the grass to keep it in bounds. Repeat this job a couple of times through the season, or installing permanent edging goes a long way towards having a lower maintenance flower garden.
Professional Lawn Watering Techniques - Wireless Sensors for Lawns in Drought Areas
September 29, 2007
The technnology secrets will help home owners maintain lawns in drought areas using a fraction of the normal water use. Professional Landscapers know that by burying wirless sensors on a rod in several places on a golf course to measure the exact amount of water getting to the roots. A healthy lawn only needs to be watered done to the roots and approximately three quarters of an inch below that. Any more is a waste and counter productive for the lawns health. Professional lawn watering techniques have often been studied;
http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/D…at?cat=ir-ln-la .
Over watering the laws or greens does no one any good, as a matter of fact invites International Terrorists with Disease Vectors, such as Mosquitoes with West Nile Virus. Municipal parks would also be advised to take notice.
Flower Meanings
September 28, 2007
Certain types or colors of flowers mean different things, and you don’t want to send the wrong message if you give them as a gift! Of course, not everyone knows what a particular flower means, but you can never be too sure!
FLOWER NAME and/or COLOR — FLOWER MEANINGS
Carnations
Carnation (General) — Fascination Carnation, Pink — Emblem of Mother’s Day, I will never forget you Carnation, Purple — Antipathy and Capriciousness Carnation, Red — Admiration, my heart aches for you Carnation, Striped — No, Sorry, I cannot be with you Carnation, White — Pure Love, Sweet Love, Innocence Carnation, Yellow — Disdain and Rejection
Lilies
Lily, Calla — Majestic Beauty Lily, Day — Coquetry Lily, Orange — Hatred and Disdain, Wealth, Pride Lily, White — Majesty and Purity, Virginity Lily of the Valley — Purity and Humility, Sweetness
Roses
Rose, Coral/Orange — Enthusiasm, Desire Rose, Dark Pink — Thank you Rose, Light Pink — Admiration Rose, Musk — Capricious Beauty Rose, Pale — Friendship Rose, Peach — Let’s get together, Closing of the deal Rose, Pink — Love, Grace, Gentility, You’re so Lovely Rose, Pink & White — Love, Desire, Respect, Courage, Job well done Rose, Red — Majesty and Purity, Virginity Rose, Red & Yellow — Congratulations Rose, White — Charm, Secrecy, Silence, You’re Heavenly Rose, White on Red — Unity/Flower Emblem of England Rose, Yellow — Infidelity, Joy, Friendship, Welcome Back, Remember me Rose, Yellow & Orange — Passionate thoughts
Planting Bare Root Roses
September 27, 2007
Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions will help insure that your roses grow into healthy bushes, trees, etc.:
1. Your new roses have probably dried out during shipping or storage, therefore before planting, either bury the roots in wet saw dust or peat moss for several days or soak them overnight in water. Keep the roots wet when planting, do not let them dry out.
2. Prune damaged and broken roots.
3. Prune main roots just enough to reveal white healthy tissue. This will help more roots grow.
4. Prune the plant back to three or four healthy canes. Try to keep the center of the plant empty. Prune the healthy canes back to about six (6) inches using sharp pruning shears. Keep the cutting blade on the lower side. Cut at a 45 to 60 degree angle. Cut about one fourth inch above an outside bud union.
5. In order to prevent infection, treat the cuts with some type of sealent or sealing paint.
6. Make sure that you have removed any suckers that may have started growing during shipping or storage.
New for 2006 - Granite Flexible Preformed Rock Ponds
September 27, 2007
Traditionally, preformed ponds are large shells, which are extremely burdensome and difficult to transport. For example, a typical preformed pond kit would come in a box that is 60" x 48" x 24", which is too large for many car trunk sizes. Liner kits, on the other hand, present many difficulties for the beginner pond gardener. Since every liner pond shape is different, pond gardeners must customize their own pond and ensure that it is level, and that it does not have excessive wrinkling.
Recently, Algreen Products Inc. has helped leverage both these problems by introducing a flexible preformed pond. The folding preformed/liner hybrid is created with a proprietary blend of materials, which allows it to hold a customized shape. Yet it is easily transportable, since a typical folding kit comes in a box one-sixth the size of a regular preformed kit.
The only problem with the folding pond shell was that it was a dark solid black color. Black is a color that does not occur naturally in a pond environment, nor is it very easy to disguise. No matter how much landscaping you apply around the black shell, it is still extremely difficult to hide the fact that you are using a preformed pond.
Tips for Choosing a Chiminea for Your Backyard or Patio
September 26, 2007
Imagine that you want to stay warm in your backyard on a cool, starry night. One of the ways you can do so is to invest in a clay or cast iron chiminea. A chiminea is nothing more than the modern version of a traditional Mexican outdoor fireplace. This type of outdoor fireplace was used for hundreds of years as a source of warmth and a place to cook. Nowadays you see them in many backyards as sources of warmth and as accent pieces adding charm to a patio or garden.
You can find chimineas made of clay, aluminum and cast iron. Which one you choose depends on what style fits your patio or backyard and how much money you are willing to invest. (Note: There are several accepted spellings for a Mexican fireplace. The common spellings are: chiminea, chimenea, chiminia, chimenia.)
Choosing a Clay Chiminea
When choosing a clay chiminea, you should look to see if the fireplace was air-dried or kiln-dried. In general, an air-dried fireplace is usually "untreated." This means you would need to paint it and seal it before use. Kiln-dried versions are typically prepainted and sealed.
5 Secrets to Growing Beautiful Roses
September 25, 2007
A rose is a rose is a rose - and there are few things in the garden more beautiful. There are 5 secrets I want to share that will help you to grow healthy roses.
1. Sunshine: Plan to put your rose bush in a spot where it will get as much sun at least 6 hours of sunshine a day.
2. Water: Drops of water on the leaves can cause burning, and lead to black spot disease so always water from underneath, soaking the earth until it is damp but not soggy. It is better to water thoroughly once a week than lightly several times in the same period.
Beware if your Roses get too much water, they’ll drown. Water in the morning or at least four or five hours before dusk so that any excess moisture can be absorbed by the heat of the day.
3. Planting & Soil: As soon as the ground can be worked in the Spring, turn the soil to the depth of the spade. To the loosened soil add 1/3 to 1/2 as much again of composted humus like leaf mold, peat moss, or composted manure, together with coarse sand. Make sure to work the soil at least a month before planting.
Blue Wild Flowers for Your Garden
September 24, 2007
Planting wild flowers in your garden, or simply scattering wild flower seeds around an area of your yard are both ways to take advantage of Mother Nature’s treasured gifts. Wild flowers are carefree, colorful, and tend to attract bees, butterflys and birds. So planting wild flowers not only gives you an easy maintenance flower garden… it also promises to be a constant source of interesting activity throughout the year.
The following wild flowers are blue to purple in color, and some say this is a favorite color of bees.
VIRGINIA or COMMON DAY-FLOWER (Commelina Virginica) - Spiderwort family
The Day Flower has blue, one inch wide or smaller flowers which tend to be irregular. The flowers are grouped at the end of the stem, and are upheld by long leaf-like bracts. The leaves are lance-shaped and 3-5 inches long. The upper leaves form like a hood of sorts about the flower. These wild flowers prefer moist, shady ground and flower from June through September.
The day flower tends to open in the morning and looking somewhat “alert”. In the afternoon, or after the bees have visited and fertilized it, the petals roll up and quickly wilt into a wet, shapeless mass which will leave a sticky blue fluid on your fingers if you touch it.
What is the Right Plant and Where Do I Put It?
September 23, 2007
Know if your plants are disease-susceptible. Your choice of plants used in your garden is as important as the soil that you put those plants in. Select plants that are disease resistant and they will be much more easy to maintain and will give you the look you are wanting. Food for thought is use plants that are native to your area.
The experience you get will tell you which are the troublesome plants. Obtain your plants from reliable sources and ask those people for their suggestions. They should be happy to help you because of return sales. The local cooperative extension service should provide much needed info for you. Some catalogs will list disease resistance plants.
Experience will eventually tell you which plant diseases are most troublesome in your region. Your local nursery and cooperative extension service are also good sources for information on local diseases and disease-resistant plants. Seed and nursery catalogs often list disease resistance in plant descriptions.
There are resistant varieties that exist for such diseases as apple scab, armillaria root rot, bean mosaic virus, blueberry mummyberry, cherry viruses, juniper tips and twig blights, lilac bacterial blight, powdery mildew, pea enation mosaic virus, potato scab, black spot, rust, tomato fusarium and root-knot nematode, fireblight, verticillium wilt, and other diseases.
The Ultimate Magic Garden
September 22, 2007
Spring is the season to start planting seeds for the future. For me, the ultimate Magic Garden would be planted using the Feng Shui bagua as a guideline for the boundaries of the plot and incorporate flowers herbs and plants that correspond to each signifigant direction..
The first thing I would suggest, is to mark off your garden(or balcony full of pots) as a square (or as close to a square as you can get it) and determine the directions — north, south, east and west. Then use the rough guideline below, taking into account your climate and seasons to know what to plant where to bring you health, wealth, peace, guidance, happiness and protection. You donšt have to incorporate all the suggestions below of course — just a couple of touches here in there might do wonders.
The SOUTHERN corner of your garden governs recognition and fame. The flowers you plant there should be predominantly red in colour. Red and pinks should be main theme, although there well be flowers in there included for properties besides colour. Flowers that bring you fame: poppies, roses, bluebells,violets. Trees: Cherry, orange. Foilage: Holly, hazel, heather and all ferns. Herbs: Star anise, veviter. Trees: .Produce: strawberries, leeks, chili peppers. This corner also represents the Fire element so it is a good area to string up lights, put the barbeque or have a little hearth for fire.
