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, planting10 Tips for Successful Rose Planting
By admin | June 24, 2008
Planting roses isn’t actually complicated, as long as you have some good advice and tips to start with…
1. Check with your local gardening center or florist for the best type of roses to grow in you climate. If you are a novice, you should look fo? disease resistant types of roses because they require a lot less maintenance.
2. When planting roses, you want to pick a spot that is well lit in the morning. You also want an area that is sunlit for at least 6 hours a day. Roses need a great deal of light if they are to grow properly. If you live in a really hot climate though, you’ll probably get the best results by not planting your roses in direct sunlight.
3. Pick an area that has plenty of well drained soil. Great soil has a PH level where the amount of acid in the soil is at about 5.5-7.0. You can get a testing kit for your soil at any garden center.
4. Organic matter like manure or lime helps to nourish the roots of your roses. You should soak the roots in water or puddle clay for many minutes, and cut off any root’s ends that are broken.
5. The first 3-4 weeks after planting your roses, you should water them often. Usually this is when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Roses need a lot of hydration and food to remain healthy.
6. Four weeks after planting, you should start soaking the bed every 2 weeks or so. You should do this in the morning for the best results.
7. Begin fertilization approximately 3 months after planting. Use 3-6 inches of mulch to control the moisture, temperature, and to stops weeds from coming up. Mulch also helps to lock in the vital nutrients your roses need in order to remain healthy.
8. Planting in the Spring is the best.
9. You want to plant your roses in an area that is well circulated with air. Your roses will not grow in an enclosed or tight area.
10. Dig a hole that is two times bigger than the amount of space that your roses take up. It makes it easier to plant them and creates a spaced area for them to grow with freedom. Poor circulation for your roses can cause fungal diseases. Using a larger hole also makes it easier for you to pull them up later and pot them if you’d like.
© 2004, Kathy Burns-Millyard and Garden-Source.com
This article is provided courtesy of http://www.Garden-Source.com - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
Tags: flowers, gardening, planting, rose bush, rose garden, rosesTips for a Bulb-o-licious Garden
By admin | June 14, 2008
Want a successful garden? Try planting bulbs into your landscape. Flowering bulbs are not only easy to grow and popular among garden plants, but they can fit into nearly any type of gardening style. And with proper care, bulbs will continue to bloom year after year. Flowering bulbs make lovely additions to any garden, especially when planted in groups or mixed borders.
Bulbs are widely available at most garden centers; however, most of the more spectacular ones need to be purchased through mail-order catalogs or nurseries that specialize in these types of plants.
Actually, ordering your bulbs through catalogs or obtaining them from nurseries can provide many benefits. Since bulbs are dormant, shipping them is easy and done so according to their appropriate planting times. This means all you have to do is simply stick them in the ground. There’s no worrying with keeping particular bulbs stored elsewhere until needed.
The quality of your bulbs from a mail order company is normally better, too. They are healthier and picked for you by experts; whereas, picking them yourself may not always be easy, unless you know what to look for.
When selecting bulbs yourself, try choosing only those that are firm. You don’t want any soft, withered, or blemished bulbs as these will not produce a healthy plant.
Always consider your landscape prior to planting or choosing bulbs. Observe your surroundings, taking notes as to the types of plants already growing within the landscape.
Choose bulbs which will thrive in your particular area and climate. Check reference books, labels, and packaging for the bulb’s hardiness requirements.
Consider the color, bloom time, height, and compatibility of the plants you want to grow. You want to select bulbs that will offer significant blooming throughout the seasons with plenty of ongoing color year-round.
Mix them up with a variety of annuals and perennials as well as interesting foliage plants such as hostas and ferns.
Proper planting of bulbs will keep the garden full of blooms through the seasons and ensure healthy, vigorous growth for years to come. Place your bulbs in the ground as soon as possible; otherwise, keep them stored in a cool, dry area. Bulbs are normally planted well before the ground freezes in the fall or after the planting of perennials, annuals, and other plants in the spring.
Both winter and spring bulbs require a dormant period in cool temperatures in order to stimulate their growth and development. These types of bulbs include crocuses, cyclamens, tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, and hyacinths. Generally, these bulbs are hardy enough to be left in the ground throughout the year; however, your summer and fall bulbs may require lifting.
Gladiolus, begonias, dahlias, and autumn crocuses fall into the summer bulb category. These bulbs are usually considered to be quite tender and cannot survive in excessively cold environments. Spring is normally the best time to plant these bulbs. After the first initial frost, they should be dug up and kept in a dry, frost-free area.
Regardless of the type, bulbs prefer and thrive in light, well-drained soil. To improve the quality of your soil, you can easily work in some sand and compost. Make sure the site you choose for planting does not stand in water at any time as this will ultimately cause your bulbs to rot. Larger bulbs are planted about 8 inches deep; while the smaller ones can be placed about 5 inches in the ground. However, the lighter the soil, the deeper the bulb can be placed. Always place the bulb with its point facing upward. Water generously after planting, but take care not to drench the bulbs. Cover with a layer of mulch.
Flowering bulbs make great companions for woody plants, providing the landscape with an array of sizes, shapes, and colors. As spring bulbs die out, you can add various annuals and late-blooming bulbs, like lilies, to keep these areas of the garden looking their best. Adding an assortment of perennials into the bulb garden will provide a nonstop procession of flowers and foliage.
If you want to try a naturalized effect with your bulbs, take them by the handful and gently toss them out into the yard or garden. Plant the bulbs wherever they land.
If you want to test out different plant combinations before incorporating them into the garden or you simply don’t have a lot of space for one, you can grow your bulbs in a container. A variety of bulbs can thrive in containers, and when mixed with annuals, you will have a beautiful miniature garden. Choose a container that has sufficient drainage and line it with pebbles. Add some potting soil and a few bulbs and annuals. Keep the container moist but not too wet.
If you follow these tips, pretty soon you will have a bulb-o-licious garden.
This article was written by Nikki Phipps and sponsored by Gardening Know How - Tips for your garden. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a live link back to http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
Tags: Bulbs, flowers, garden, gardening, planting, Plants