Pruning Roses Secrets
July 31, 2008
Pruning your roses is one of the most needed and the most annoyingly difficult tasks that goes with proper rose care. It takes a steady hand the proper procedure to ensure the best possible roses that you can get.
Pruning your roses is basically the act of getting rid of dead and damaged pieces, and teaching the new growth to grow in the correct outward facing direction. That just means that you are training them to grow facing the outside of the shrub or bush. This gives your roses the correct amount of circulating air to thrive in.
Here is a list of the proper techniques to guide through the pruning process.
* Soak your pruning shears in equal parts of water and bleach. This will help to protect your roses from diseases and insects.
* Pruning in the early spring, just after the snow melts is best. However you want to do it before any new growth appears. The best time would be when the buds are swelled, or red.
Build a Rain Garden
July 30, 2008
There’s a new garden in town. It is (mostly) easy to install, looks good year-round, requires almost no maintenance and has a terrifically upbeat impact on the environment. No wonder rain gardens are such a great new gardening trend!
Storm water runoff can be a big problem in summer during heavy thunderstorms. As the water rushes across roofs and driveways, it picks up oil and other pollutants. Municipal storm water treatment plants often can’t handle the deluge of water, and in many locations the untreated water ends up in natural waterways. The EPA estimates as much as 70 percent of the pollution in our streams, rivers, and lakes is carried there by storm water! By taking responsibility for the rainwater that falls on your own roof and driveway, you’ll be helping to protect our rivers, streams and lakes from stormwater pollution.
To reduce the excess water runoff, many towns are encouraging businesses and homeowners to install rain gardens in their yards. Rain gardens are specially constructed gardens located in low areas of a yard where storm water can collect. The idea is to have the water naturally funnel to this garden. The rain garden collects water runoff and stores and filters it until it can be slowly absorbed by the soil. Rather than rushing off into a storm sewer or a local waterway, the rainwater can collect in a garden where it will be naturally filtered by plants and soil.
Garden for Birds #4
July 29, 2008
I would like to know…………………
WHO STOLE SUMMER?????????????/
What did you do with it?
And where are you hiding it?
It seems as though just last week we were celebrating the beginning of summer.
Looking forward to our yards and gardens.
Planning vacations.
Now, parents are celebrating “BACK TO SCHOOL!”
That could mean more time in our yards and enjoying the fruits of our labor, however.
Enjoying our backyard guests.
We’ve seen visitors come and go.
And all the feathered families we helped raise.
Now it’s time to think of visitors heading south.
Keep your feeders cleaned and filled.
Very important is a source of fresh water.
Quite often a stranger will stop for a drink and you may be fortunate enough to see your guests.
You may want to keep a camera handy.
It’s getting time to think about fall projects in our yards.
It’s time to let annuals go to seed and let some perennials go as well.
Say……………. do you have any grasses in your yard?
I’m not referring to the grass you mow, or the stuff “Cheech and Chong” made so popular either.
A Quick Overview of Outdoor Hot Tubs
July 28, 2008
There is nothing quite as relaxing as a leisurely evening soak in the hot tub after a long, hard day’s work. Sore muscles can finally relax as the water jets massage aches and pains away. It is no wonder that hot tubs are so popular. However, how do you decide which of the many outdoor hot tubs is right for you?
First, think about who will be using your new hot tub. If you and your spouse plan to spend quiet evenings soaking and relaxing, you will want a smaller hot tub than four friends who are sharing a small bungalow and plan to use their hot tub for entertaining. If a disabled person or an elderly person will be using the hot tub, look for handicap accessible features.
Next, consider whether you want to just soak quietly or whether you want the hot tub to really massage aching muscles. If you want to avoid having to scrunch down to have the jets reach your back, you will want to look for a tub with plenty of jets and a more powerful motor. You may also want to consider features such as an underwater light, a storm seat, and even a built in CD player. For those people who are attached to their television sets, there is even a model with a built in TV/DVD player combination.
Rose Meanings Explained
July 28, 2008
Roses are the traditional gift given on Valentines Day, but they’re well-received any time of year. The color and type of rose does carry a meaning, though. Be aware of what you’re giving: the color of a rose can have a very different meaning from what you intend. If you’re giving roses as a gift, follow this guide to make sure you send the message you want to send:
? Red Roses: Red roses say, “I love you.” Red roses are the ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion. Florists can’t keep up with the Valentines Day demand for red roses, which makes them especially expensive in February.
? Pale Pink Roses: Pale pink roses imply grace, gentleness, and joy.
? Light Pink Roses: Light pink roses express a sense of fun, happiness, and whimsy.
? Deep Pink Roses: Deep pink roses say, “Thank you.”
? Lilac Roses: Lilac roses indicate the sender has fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and is enchanted. (To make sure the recipient doesn’t miss the message, an appropriate card might also be a good idea. The meaning of lilac roses isn’t as widely-known as the meaning of red roses, for instance.)
Fall is the Time to Get Your Garden Trees and Shrubs Ready for Winter: Heres What to Do
July 27, 2008
Tips for winter care of trees and shrubs
With the garden season drawing to a close, it’s awfully tempting to forget about your plants. But you should continue to water all woody plants - especially newly planted trees and shrubs and all evergreens. Helping your valuable garden trees and shrubs sail through winter starts with thorough watering in the fall.
Water your plants well until the ground freezes, and make sure you water enough through a dry fall. Your plants will need the equivalent of one inch of rain per week. (In a wet fall, you can relax.)
Evergreens and broadleaf evergreens (shrubs such as rhododendron and boxwood) don’t lose their leaves, so they need a good store of moisture going into winter because they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) through the cold months.
Most winter damage to evergreens doesn’t actually come from cold, but from the drying effects of late winter sun and wind. With the soil frozen hard, plant roots can’t take up water to make up for moisture losses from transpiration and, as a result, dehydration can cause browning or burning of foliage.
Winterizing trees and shrubs: To wrap or not to wrap?
Planting Roses in Pots
July 26, 2008
In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a potted rose on their property unless it was just waiting for its home to be prepared in the garden.
Times have changed and potted roses now have a place in the lives of condo and apartment dwellers, city slickers who don’t live within sight of a tree, and anyone who has an empty space on their terrace or patio in need of the beauty that only a rose can bring.
Not all roses are good candidates for growing in pots. The following varieties have been found to do best. However, you should feel free to experiment with any other varieties, even climbers, and see how they make out.
All that Jazz Ballerina Blush Noisette Bonica Cecile Brunner Clotilde Soupert Green Rose Gruss an Aachen Hannah Gordon Hermosa Katharina Zeimet Mrs. Oakley Fisher Peace Perfume Delight Precious Platinum Sea Foam Sexy Rexy Souvenir de la Malmaison Stanwell Perpetual The Fairy Valentine Whiskey Mac
Planting potted roses is relatively easy, as long as you do your planting in the spring after any chance of a frost is long past. If you live in a warm climate, then hold off planting until autumn when the ravages of July and August are far behind.
The Tools of Rose Gardening
July 25, 2008
Like any job you tackle, it’s always easier if you have the right tools. Before heading out to your rose garden, make sure you arm yourself with these basic rose gardening tools.
Gloves
“You can complain because a rose has thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have a rose.” - Tom Wilson.
The rose garden is no place for thin, wimpy gloves. Unless you enjoy feeling the thorns pierce your skin, opt for leather work gloves with those big, fold-down cuffs.
Pruners
A good pruner is one tool that you will use almost daily. There are two types of pruners on the market. One is called an “anvil” pruner, and the other is called a “bypass” pruner. An anvil pruner has blades that meet on top of each other. Bypass pruners have blades that pass each other like scissors. Always use bypass pruners so you don’t crush your canes and stems.
Loppers
When your rose garden starts to mature there will come a time when loppers will be indispensable for cutting back old, thick canes that are too much for pruning shears. If you are just starting your rose garden, save your money, since you won’t need this for a few years.
8 Simple Tips to Keep Your Lawn Mower Running
July 24, 2008
1. If you have a non-electric mower which runs on petrol or gas have a look in the instruction manual to find out how to check and change the oil. Check the oil level often, add more oil when necessary and change it when it’s dirty.
2. Store the lawn mower in a shed or in some kind of protective environment so that it isn’t sitting in the elements.
3. Check your lawn mower to see if it contains instructions for sharpening your mower blade. Some lawn mowers do encourage you to sharpen the blade and others do not. If the manual does direct you to sharpen the blade then do so frequently.
4. The best time to mow your lawn is after any dew from the night before has had time to evaporate. This means that the late afternoon is usually better than the morning as the grass cuts better when it’s dry and the humidity has left the air. Also, wet grass can cause problems with the mower and generally just makes a bigger mess!
5. Try mowing your lawn in different directions each time you mow. This will help keep your lawn healthy and will reduce the likelihood of any patterns forming over multiple sessions.
10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Ceramics
July 23, 2008
To care for your antique ceramics you need a gentle touch and they’ll last you a long time. This month we’ll give you some useful tips to help you care for them.
1. When you are cleaning delicate ceramics, remember to use a soft-bristled brush to wash antique ceramics in warm soapy water.
2. Rinse with warm, clear water.
3. Don’t rub ceramics dry; let them dry naturally.
4. Avoid abrasive products and bleach.
5. Avoid soaking antique ceramics. If there are any repairs, extended soaking could loosen them.
6. Avoid plate hangers. They do great damage to antique ceramics because over time the pressure from the hanger will cause cracks.
7. Display ceramics on sturdy plate stands or plate rails.
8. Avoid hanging antique ceramics such as cups, pots or vases by their handles or other weak areas.
9. Don’t attempt repairs. It is tricky work and you’ll never be able to match the paint colours exactly on your own. Bring a damaged ceramic to a qualified ceramics restorer. Repairing a bad restoration disaster will cost you more than fixing it right the first time.
