Gardening Top Info

Unwanted insects in your garden are just that: unwanted. Unwanted insects may eat and destroy your crops, something shared by any farmer or home gardener. Organic gardening is a means of controlling unwanted insects naturally, without the use of dangerous pesticides. There are many ways to control garden unwanted insects naturally that are also cheap, easy and good for the earth. Protect your organic soil and beneficial insects While pesticides may eliminate the pest, they most often cause more harm than good. Unfortunately, many home and commercial gardeners are unaware of alternatives to pesticides. That’s because s are a big part of our culture. Reaching for a quick fix—albeit a dangerous fix—is a deep seeded and detrimental habit. Yet apart from damaging the soil and being a health hazard to people—including our children—pesticides present a major problem. They eradicate species indiscriminately, causing helpful garden co-habitants to disappear along with the harmful ones. An organ...

I’ve never laid carpet, tiles or lino but there is one floor I do know how to lay and that is the carpeting for the outdoor room. I speak of course of the most popular garden ground-cover the lawn. Prepare before you sow The best time to sow grass seed is between early April and early September, however you must firstly carry out some preparation. Ideally sometime between March and August you must “burn off” any unwanted growth. Achieve this by spraying all weedy soil areas on a dry day with a herbicide containing the active ingredient Glyphosate. Apply according to the manufacturers instructions and heed safety warnings. Grading the site A minimum of 1 month must elapse before you start to grade or level the site, this will allow the spray to reach the roots of weeds such as docks and dandelions. Ensure nothing but light rainfall occurs when you are carrying out soil movement and grading whether it be by hand or machine. This will prevent creating a pan in the soil (a layer of smeared...

Have you ever walked by someone's front garden and thought - what were they thinking? The mixture and variety of plants seems to make no sense and are placed haphazardly all over the place. Although you most definitely need to choose a variety of plant types and colors for your own garden layout, how do you know when you've gone too far? How do you keep your garden design focused, yet interesting at the same time?  Create a Theme Before you even place a plant in the ground you should decide on a theme. Take a good look at your home style and your planting terrain, while also keeping in mind the climate in your area. A tropical theme may be something you greatly desire, but if you live in a very dry, arid climate, that's going to be a tough garden to maintain. Choose a Color Scheme Once you decide on a general theme for your garden, you should think about color preferences. Although there is no hard and fast rule as to mixing plant colors, you will certainly want to avoid pl...

There are two kinds of winter gardening. The first method usually starts in January as the gardening catalogs begin to arrive in the mail. This type of gardening is as easy as sitting in your favorite chair, browsing the catalogs, and either dreaming about what you're going to do this spring, or actually drawing designs for the gardens you intend to work on. The second type of winter gardening is to actually get out in the yard and do a little work. Of course if it's bitter cold, you'd be better off waiting for a good day. Winter is a good time to do some pruning if the temperatures are around 30 degrees or so. I don't recommend pruning if it's considerably below freezing because the wood is brittle and will shatter when you make a cut. One of the advantages of pruning during the winter is that you can see much better what needs to be cut out and what should stay. At least that's true with deciduous plants. The other advantage is that the plants are dormant, and...

Deer and raccoons, rabbits and gophers, moles and chipmunks! They capture your heart when in a book or zoo, but when they invade your garden. Oh! That’s a different story. Yet how can a rabbit resist munching on your crisp lettuce? Or a possum or raccoon stay away from your sweet corn patch? And your berries will always be attractive to a squirrel. Fending off the various animals that want to enjoy both your flower and vegetable gardens can be both time consuming and frustrating. Learning how to chase them off without poisoning both them and your vegetables remains a crucial part of being a good gardener. As scientists begin to realize the damaging effects of pesticides and other poisons on the human body, the use of toxic methods needs to be carefully considered, and then rejected. Birds are a bird-watchers delight and somewhere between a mild and major nuisance to the gardeners. They actually do less harm than the four-legged animals. Birds have a number of natural enemies, so you ca...

As we drove by the plush residential homes, some recently covered with a fresh coating of paint and with the variously landscaped yards displaying their beautiful spired shrubs, flowering gardens and well watered green lawns, it could not be helped but to notice the evenly placed lawn bags filled to the brim with yard waste, just waiting to be carried away by the scheduled garbage pickup. So much labor must have gone into neatly and carefully packing each one of them so they wouldn't be torn open by a stiff twig or two. Each fall and spring a similar scene is reenacted by most of us who seasonally do our traditional yard cleanup.  Having been a fairly devout organic gardener in the 1980's and traditionally would save every bit of waste clippings from our yard that would then go into a 4x4 foot by 4 feet high loosely constructed wooden bin for later processing and churning into a fine mulch, it was difficult to see virtually truckloads of "Organic Gold Plant Food" just...

The garden gazebo is a thing of beauty, it has been known that in the past kings and queens had enjoyed gazebos in their royal gardens, setting up a trend of garden gazebos for history’s rich and famous. Using a garden gazebo to any property is a wise step, it seems that what was true many years ago is even more convincing today. Some people use a garden gazebo to increase the value of their property, gifted gardeners can use a garden gazebo to create a division between parts of a garden. In some cases, a big enough garden needs a garden gazebo to hold all the tools that are needed to manicure the flowers and mown. These days almost anyone can own a garden gazebo, and assemble a garden gazebo in the backyard, garden gazebo kits offer the beauty of a wooden gazebo, many gazebos are available in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from Victorian and Amish styles to small to party size in diameter. Garden owners can purchase a garden gazebo kit and build their own gazebo by themse...

Have you ever looked at the soil in your garden and considered it as anything more than soil? If not you should because there is a lot more there than meets the eye. It performs many functions that you may not be aware of and having good quality soil in your garden is essential for your plants. In this article we will look at the functions of soil, what different types there are and finally some ways to make it healthier. Functions of Soil The most immediately apparent function of soil is a medium to support plant life. It provides support both physically and biologically. Physical support is provided by allowing the plant to grow its roots through the soil to hold itself in place. Biological support is provided by its ability to hold nutrients and water that the plant needs. It also supports other types of life as well. Microorganisms and insects live in the soil and they in turn aid plant life by helping to decay organic material and adding structure to the soil. Soil allows the grow...

There is immense satisfaction in creating your own garden plan -- the satisfaction derived from relaxing or entertaining in the garden as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The effort that you expend in planning and executing a design unique to you will add to the enjoyment your garden provides for years to come. How do you begin to create a garden space that is unique to you? Here are ten simple steps that will help you move effortlessly through the process. 1. Identify WHY you want a garden. How will you use it? Who else will enjoy the garden? Remember that you may not be the sole inhabitant, so get input from all family members on how your outdoor space will be used. 2. Do a little dreaming. Now that you know why you want a garden and how you intend to use it, let your imagination play with all the possible features in your special space. A little dreaming will uncover those attributes that will put your personal imprint on the garden. Also decide whether you ...

A great deal about fountains has changed over the last decade. Now there are really high class ones made of copper, stainless steel, bronze, concrete, and stone, and some fairly nice ones made of resin and fiberglass. There are several things to consider, though. As a pump wholesaler, I speak with fountain owners all the time and also look at lots of samples of fountains at trade shows and in magazines. Before purchasing a fountain, there are quite a few questions to ask. What looks good in a store might not look good at your home or business. Bronze and Stainless Steel Fountains These are at the high end of fountains, and can retail for ten to twenty thousand dollars. They are plain classy. But will one of these fit in where you want to put it? Do you have the right yard or business or location for such a classic kind of display? Also, do you like the aging process (the verdigris patina) that bronze undergoes? Can you afford one of these? If you answered yes to these questions, a bro...

Container gardening is fantastic. On its own, a terracotta pot is just a container and summer bedding is just some plants. However, selectively plant the summer bedding in the container, add a few sprinkles of green-fingered expertise and you have created a miniature garden-scape. You are effectively planting a garden in miniature. This is known to some people as container design planting. The constructive planting of containers allows people who may just have a balcony to enjoy a taste of horticulture; containerised planting also brings the garden within the reach of a disabled persons fork and trowel. * Cleaning containers To help you create thriving container plantings for the summer, please consider the following… If you intend replanting any containers you should get rid of all traces of compost from the previous year. Be scrupulous in your washing as particles of previous year’s compost can harbour pests, diseases and mould spores. To ensure a clean environment for growing, wash ...

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.  Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting. 1. Materials After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed. These items are safe to compost at home: * grass clippings * trimmings from hedges * vegetable scraps * leaves * potting soil that has grown old * twigs * coffee filters with coffee grounds * tea bags * weeds that have not went to seed * plant stalks These items are Not safe to compost at home: * weeds that have went to seed * dead animals * pet feces * bread and grains * meat * grease * cooking oil * oily f...

It’s not always easy to be an organic gardener. Even committed organic gardeners sometimes long to spray herbicide on goutweed or pesky poison ivy. When Japanese beetles or rose chafers arrive in throngs just before your garden party, you may suffer an urge for the good old days — the time before you understood that spraying an insecticide would kill beneficial bugs along with the bad, aggravating your pest problems. But there are also problems that are more easily addressed with organic solutions. Each winter, the Ecological Landscaping Association (www.ela. org) holds a conference and eco-marketplace where researchers, landscapers, gardeners and environmentalists meet to share knowledge and ideas. This year, one of the presentations I liked best was by Dr. Richard Casagrande of the University of Rhode Island, who spoke on biocontrol of invasive species. He explained that for some problems, organic controls work better than chemical controls. Casagrande said that when gardeners hear t...

Native to the Andean region of South American and under cultivation in Peru in the sixteenth century, tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) have been grown for thousands of years. The Spanish introduced them to the European cultures. Europeans were not open to trying tomatoes until the end of the sixteenth century, as tomatoes, being part of the nightshade family, were considered poisonous. Later, the French tried them and began to call them “pommes d’amour”, apples of love. They felt that tomatoes carried aphrodisiac qualities. It wasn’t until the 1900’s when the tomato gained popularity in North America.   Scientific research shows the health benefits from this tasty fruit. In recent years, researchers discovered that tomatoes were natural sources of the element lycopene. This antioxidant has been shown in tests to dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and many cancers, including prostate and colon cancers. Tomatoes are an excellent source of phytochemicals, nutr...

The potting bench that you are about to read about is not fancy, but very functional. It is also very easy to build and use. Except it doesn't have any legs! Don't panic, having a legless potting bench is actually a benefit. I'll get to that a little later.   The potting bench described in this article is actually identical to the potting bench that we have been using for years in our backyard nursery, and it has served us well, potting up tens of thousands of plants.  I like it because it is large enough to pot up around ten small plants at a time, and it holds a significant amount of soil. However, since I originally wrote this article, I designed and built a potting bench for home gardeners that you may like better.  There are lots of photos and step by step plans for building it on this page:  http://www.freeplants.com/free-potting-bench-plans.htm On the above page you will also find a photo of one of my other potting bench designs, an outhouse with a flip out potting ...

The rose is a very beautiful flower, often considered to be the queen of all flowers. The inherent beauty of the rose is peerless; no other flower can ever compare to it. Gardeners who have successfully cultivated their own rose gardens prize the fruit of their own labors highly and take a lot of effort to care for and maintain their gardens. For indeed, if you want to be able to enjoy the beauty of a rose plant, you must be prepared to exert the effort needed to cultivate, care for and protect these plants. The task of caring for roses is no easy feat. To take care of roses can be arduous and can consume a good amount of time every day. But no matter how laborious cultivating roses can be, the effort exerted is very much worth it. To see a healthy and thriving rose plant in your garden is certainly very rewarding. Caring for rose plants involves regular watering, pruning and constant protection from the weather and from disease. Watering Your Roses There are flowers and plants t...

Pergolas are a shady, garden structure whose beginnings date back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and were common features in early Renaissance gardens throughout Europe. Their primary purpose was to provide shade on walkways, terraces, or pools. The earlier versions were often constructed from stone pillars with wooden cross-beams with a lattice roof. It was common to see ivy, grapevines, or other climbing plants winding around the wood, and filling the open spaces between the lattice. Today they are often constructed from pressure-treated wood or cedar. The many varieties of maintenance-free lumber products are also widely used. They give the look of wood, but never need painting, resist rot, peeling, and fading, and are available in a variety of colors.  A pergola makes a striking accent to any landscaping theme; not only are they eye-catching, but functional as well. Depending on their size, pergolas often become an extension of the main home, and may be used for entertaining, d...

The devices and implements used for fighting plant enemies are of two sorts: (1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants;  (2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides. Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables.  Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants, such as tomatoes or cabbage, from the cut-worm, are stiff, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are made several inches high and large enough to be put around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.  For applying...

Are you looking for the best and most innovative lawn mower? Are you tired of using the ancient type of lawn mower that provides less performance than what you have expected? Then RobotShop knows just what you need. At RobotShop, you can almost find every kind of robot that you are looking for. They are all built to provide the necessary services and products that most robot enthusiasts are looking form. Robotic devices are very hot these days considering the fact that they offer more than technology itself. This time, they are offering technology that you can use. Now, you can use robots to help you out with home improvement chores. One of the more popular domestic robots is the robot lawn mower. Robot lawn mowers are uniquely and innovatively designed to take the place of traditional lawn mowers. These robot lawn mowers offer more than what the traditional lawn mowers can do. They do other things aside from cutting the lawn. One of the best things about these robot lawn mowers is tha...

Home remodeling is a very common event that the home owners undertake. This is in fact true for I know that all of us want our homes to look better and be more comfortable to live in. So for those who are thinking about home remodeling, here are some of the essential guides to help you in your project. The first step to be considered for home remodeling is the home design. At first most of the people think on what way will their home look better and what is the possible design that will fit for the natural aura of the place. The concept of design for home remodeling in this sense comes in. So for the design for home remodeling you should decide if you want to hire an architect, a designer expert, or other home remodeling masters to visualize your home remodeling ideas. In such case, it is necessary to think for the design for home remodeling that you can afford and you really love. A certain rapport with the home remodeling contractor is important as well for a solid work. And t...