Spring Gardening Tips
By admin | July 1, 2008
It’s April, the sun is shining, and there is this sudden feeling of panic in your body, its gardening season once again. Many people feel overwhelmed when gardening season hits, and they aren’t sure how best to get things going. Gardens are such complex, intricate plant and flower groups that it becomes a challenge to find the right way to start your spring garden off right. A few tips are below to help the average stressed out part time gardener be ready for the spring season. So take a deep breath, put down the miracle grow, and read on for insight into the wonderful world of gardening.
Make a plan that actually won’t require a greenhouse for this year. Some of us gardeners have a tendency to go over the top with our gardening plans. If you’re garden is to include trees, exotic plants, or science experiments you may want to reconsider. The hardest part of gardening is dedicating the time to plant, nourish, and tend to your garden on a daily basis. By making realistic plans you will save yourself hours of stress. For those over achievers that can’t help themselves, try over simplifying your garden plans for insured success.
Search magazines, and the internet for inspiration. Don’t be afraid to get ideas from others when it comes to gardening. There are many credible sources available online, and in books and magazines that offer many innovative ideas for gardens. Be sure to take advantage of such resources before planting your mixed garden of whatever you could find on sale at the local hardware store.
When in doubt, create a theme for your garden. There are many popular themes for gardens these days, including Asian, desert, and rock themes. Give your garden some personality and come up with a theme. Once a theme is chosen it should become much more clear as to what, and where, and how to plant certain things in your garden.
Plant something you can eat for instant gratification. Don’t be afraid to do it. Plant some mint, grow it, and put it in your ice tea. You’ll feel like a true American living off the land. If you’re daring, try planting some pepper seeds, those never tasted as fresh then from your own garden. When you put them in your kid’s fajita’s they’ll look at you with great admiration, if they don’t just tell them if they don’t save their lunch money everything is coming from the garden.
It’s now spring and gardeners are out of their burrows to plant, and watch their seeds grow. Be sure to follow these tips to allow for a pleasant gardening experience
Clark Covington is a professional writer who provides information on gardening for Home Decor 101 and also contributes to A1 Gourmet.
Tags: flower, garden, gardeners, gardening, home, plant, plantingMix Perennials into Your Garden for Staying Power
By admin | June 15, 2008
Perennial plants and flowers stay around for more than just one gardening season. Some of them bloom again for only about 3 years, while others will continue to bloom for many years to come.
Now sometimes the first year you plant a perennial, you won’t be overly impressed. You see, that first year the plants need to get used to the new environment. Some of them will produce blooms that first year, but some of them won’t do a thing until at least the second year. And that’s when you start seeing progress too. The perennial plants and flowers start really filling out and taking hold in the second year. And by the third year, they’re so well established you’ll look like a gardening pro.
When planting perennials - as with any plant, flower, shrub, bush or tree - you need to choose a location for the plant based on soil quality, water availability, and sunlight. Once you have the location chosen, plant your perennials with plenty of room for them to grow over the years. If you put them too closely together in the beginning, you’ll find yourself moving them frequently as time goes by.
Planting them with room to grow will make your perennial garden look sparse though, so you may be unhappy with it after you’re done. One way to help fill in the bare spots, and add some quick color, would be to scatter annuals in between.
Annual plants and flowers tend to grow and bloom for just one gardening season. They grow quickly though, and some of them flower for months on end. This makes them very popular with many gardeners.
Since annuals don’t usually come back on their own in the next season, you won’t have to worry about crowding out your budding perennial plants. So that first year when they look straggly and sparse, mix in some annuals to liven things up. Then when the second year comes along, if you still have a few bare spots: plant a few more annuals. You’ll probably need less this second year of course, because the perennials have started to flourish. By the third year, the perennials should be doing quite well on their own… so you won’t even have room to plant annuals in your perennial garden bed!
Popular perennial plants and flowers include: Calla Lilies, Coral Bells, Hibiscus, and Hosta.
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard, The Garden Source Network - A premier online publication featuring gardening articles, tips, advice, resources, shopping and supplies.
This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the author, copyright, website address and link, and this notice are left intact.
Tags: annual, bloom, flower, garden, perennial, Perennial Garden, perennial plants, plantDo You Know How to Repot a Root-Bound Houseplant
By admin | May 4, 2008
It is actually quite easy if you know the basics. It only takes a few minutes to give your houseplants a new lease on life. This article provides a few do’s and don’ts.
A Larger Container is not Always Necessary (or Better)
The mistake that many people make when they see roots migrating from the bottom of a pot is to buy a slightly larger container and place the overcrowded plant, root ball and all, in its new quarters.
This may be a mistake! The roots may have wandered out in search of more oxygen due to overwatering or hard-packed earth. Analyze the situation. If soil is of poor quality and you suspect overwatering, your plant may simply need more drainage and a change of dirt. A larger pot is unnecessary.
Poor Care Diagnosis?
If your verdict is ‘poor care’, make sure that the root ball of the plant is slightly moist, and then carefully remove it from the old pot. Hold your hand over the top of the soil, supporting the plant between your fingers as you tip it over. Usually a plant will dislodge easily. However, you may need to pass a sharp knife between the outside of the root ball and the pot if it is stubborn.
If the roots smell bad or appear to be rotting or discolored, you have an ailing patient!
Care and Cure
Add a 1-inch layer of gravel, broken pottery, or very small pebbles to the bottom of the pot for drainage. Very carefully loosen the roots, removing as much soil as possible with gentle shaking. A spray bottle filled with lukewarm water can be used to spray away even more soil. Cut off any roots that appear unhealthy. Make a small mound of good quality potting soil in the bottom of the pot. Position the plant gently to see how high it sits. You may need to add or subtract soil to place it at the correct level.
Next, gently fill the area around the plant with more soil, packing lightly with your fingertips or the handle of a wooden spoon to ensure that there are no large air pockets. Carefully tap the pot a few times to settle contents. Finally, water very lightly, add more soil if necessary, and place the plant in an area away from drafts and direct sunlight until it has had a chance to recover from its trauma.
Does it Just Need More Room to Grow?
If you are sure that your plant has received the best of soil, light, and watering conditions, but it definitely needs repotting, try this approach instead.
Remove the slightly moistened plant as previously mentioned. DO NOT LOOSEN THE ROOTS - you want the root ball to retain its shape. Use a very sharp butcher knife (not a serrated bread knife) - gently sawing about one inch off the bottom of the root ball. Gently loosen as much dirt as possible from the roots. Form a mound of soil in the pot and position as above, adding more soil and protecting from extremes of light and temperature for a week or so.
Spider Plants
Do not be in too big a rush to repot spider plants. ‘Spidering’ is triggered by overcrowding.
Establish a Routine
Some home gardeners repot their plants once every year, using the same treasured pots. Plants treated in this way do very well. Every potting cycle provides them with fresh nutrients. The old soil and roots can be composted and recycled.
Make Greenery a Part of your Life
Plants magically transform our homes, malls, and offices. They provide us with oxygen and filter impurities from the air. Even occupants of the tiniest apartments can protect the environment and their own health by carefully cultivating some indoor greenery.
Kathy is a webmaster and author with a green thumb who writes for several sites, including 1st Rate Articles, 111 Travel Directory, Adult Escapes, and others.
Tags: dirt, earth, flower, flowerpot, flowers, house, houseplant, houseplants, plant, Plants, repot, repotting, soil