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Now we're getting into Summer, I've started upon the garden. This inevitably starts with me ripping a bush out, and this year is no exception - so far this week I've removed four huuuge hawthorn bushes from one side of the garden, …
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And thankfully, by adding lots of the right kinds of organic matter, a clayey loam can be built up over time that is quite manageable and good for gardening. Some advice: don’t even think of enjoying gardening in this red clay …
Source: Joel
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Weed Killer Damage
QUOTE: If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done
- Anonymous
If by chance you are using a weed killer and it accidentally gets on to your plants you should hose it off immediately.
The sooner you can do this the less chance of damage affecting the condition of your plant.
Sometimes while we are spraying elsewhere a wind can carry the spray to other plants and it won't be until sometime later that the damage from this appears.
This damage will appear as leaves that have become smaller, narrowed and twisted.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Once this damage is seen there is nothing that can be done other than to remove the damaged portions of the plant and hope that more damage will not occur over the following days. Often a plant will recover if it has only received a light residual amount of weed killer that has blown over from a breeze. It really depends on how much weed killer it was exposed to and how big, or how durable the plant it. Some plants are a lot more susceptible to weed killer than others and only a small amount of exposure to this will be enough to kill the plant.
You really need to take care when using weed killer to ensure that none of it drifts to areas where it shouldn't be.
Only use weed killer when there is no wind and hold the sprayer close to the weeds so it will only go on them and nowhere else.
It is also wise to have dedicated containers for weed killer and other sprays in the garden as residual weed killer left in a container that you would use for other things in the garden could ruin your plants. If it is not possible to have more than one container for poison and another for other garden sprays then you should always ensure that you clean it thoroughly after use to remove all the poison.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Themes in Your Garden
QUOTE: Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn't room for any other thought….
- Sophie Scholl
It is good to have a theme that you can follow throughout your garden and work on a plan and a selection of plants that will go along with that theme.
By having a theme to follow this will dictate, not only the types of plants that you will be buying, but also anything else that you put in the garden. This will include everything from sculptures and garden furniture, to the colors of the pots that you will choose.
While some people might think this is restricting their freedom of creation, it does in fact allow you to create a garden that has more freedom of flow rather than being disjointed with a variety of different themes that never quite gel together.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html
Sometimes the theme of your garden will be determined by the style of the house that you have on the property, and other times it will be determined by the geographical location that you are living in.
If for instance you are living near a beach, you will probably want the theme to tie in with the beach setting. By doing this you are likely to get plants for your garden that are more appropriate and will endure the conditions that they will be growing in.
Plants that are suitable for growing in coastal areas will be able to withstand the winds and the salt of the sea air that could quickly damage other plants that aren't suitable for those conditions.
Likewise it wouldn't look quite as appropriate to have a tropical garden with palms where a cottage garden would compliment the style of the house.
And tropical plants are not going to flourish as well in cold harsh climates so there are many factors that need to be taken into account when deciding on your garden theme.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Small Spaces in the Garden
QUOTE: Always try to grow in your garden some plant or plants out of the ordinary, something your neighbors never attempted. For you can receive no greater flattery than to have a gardener of equal intelligence stand before your plant and ask, "What is that?"
- Richardson Wright
There are often small spaces in the garden that are left abandoned simply because we can't think of anything to do with them.
This doesn't have to be the case as almost any area can be enhanced with a little thought and planning.
Simply adding a garden seat can add to the enjoyment you can get from a garden as it offers a quite place to rest and relax and look at the beauty of your work.
Replacing a wet area with some paving and adding a pot or two can transform an unused area into some place that you and your friends will like to visit.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Even adding a water feature or a pond for fish will make areas like this a focal point of the garden.
There are so many things that can be done to almost any area of any garden that you are only limited by your imagination.
Careful design can make an area look bigger than it is or lead you on to other areas of interest in the garden.
Color choices in the surrounding plants will also determine the atmosphere that area will create for you.
We need these small areas of the garden that are tucked away to compliment the bigger spaces and add a degree of interest to the overall plan.
There are other alternatives if you don't want the focus to be taken away from the main planting and this might mean that the area will be used better for hiding away an implements shed or, provided it is in a sunny position you might decide to use the space for a greenhouse.
Sometimes, with a little thought, these spaces on your property can become your favorite places, rather than something that you would prefer to forget about.
And if you can't think of anything whatsoever to do with such a space, then it sounds like it would be an ideal place to have a compost 
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Plants Have a Mind of Their Own
QUOTE: If I'm ever reborn, I want to be a gardener?
There's too much to do for one lifetime!
- Karl Forester
Plants are a lot cleverer than we might think. If you are aware of the changes that occur with the plants in the garden, you can sometimes predict everything from the coming weather to the changing of the seasons without ever having to consult the weather charts or your diary.
The weather can, however trick flowers into 'thinking' there has been a change in the weather or even the season.
This can be seen when there is unseasonal hot weather after a cold snap in winter. Plants can 'assume' that it is the start of Spring and bulbs will start flowering.
In recent years many areas throughout the world have experienced unseasonal weather and extremes of weather and this has caused many problems for people growing crops.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Creating sheltered areas on your property can help you to control your plants and ensure that you get the flowers or fruits when you expect them to be ready. This will also help you to reduce damage that might occur from conditions such as hail or heavy rain.
Shading plants can also create a false reduction in daylight hours, which will affect the plants growth patterns as they measure the seasons by the amount of daylight.
Hothouses can create a false environment and this can be beneficial if you want to produce plants throughout the year for flowers or fruit.
Temperature can be adjusted to control the plant growth and to a lesser extent this can also be done by the placement of your plants in various different positions on your property depending on their exposure to sunlight, wind, cold and rain.
Designing your garden by taking into account all these factors will allow you to read your plants mind in advance, allowing you to get what you want, when you want from your garden.
It will allow you to plan the progression of plants from one season to the next.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Plants From Cuttings
QUOTE: The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before
- Vita Sackville-West
One of the most cost effective ways of getting plants for your garden is from cuttings off other plants.
Many people avoid trying to grow plants from cuttings assuming it is too difficult. If you know what to do it isn't quite as hard as many people believe.
When you take a cutting off the plant that you want to grow, make sure it is approximately the length of a pencil.
You will then need to remove all but the top two leaves on the cutting. If the cutting is from a large leaf plant you should also consider removing another leaf from the top to ensure there isn't too much leaf for the cutting.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
You will find where to cut the plant by looking at the stem. Where there is swelling on the stem, these are called nodes and this is where the growth of the plant occurs. You should always cut below a node when taking your cutting.
Once you have a good cutting you should treat it with a suitable hormone formulation. There are different types of hormone formulations specifically for the various types of plants and you will need to match the correct hormone with the plant cuttings you are growing. Your garden center can help with this.
Dip approximately 1/2 inch of the bottom of the stem into the correct hormone and then insert the stem into a suitable rooting medium. This rooting medium can be a mixture of pumice and sand for good results.
Compact the mix lightly around the stem to hold it in place.
If you cut the top off a clear plastic drink bottle it will act as a mini hot house once turned upside down and placed over the plant.
This will help raise the temperature inside and stimulate growth.
After about a month your cutting will have roots and you will be able to remove it and pot it as you would any other plant.
It really is quite simple once you know what to do.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Planting By the Moon
QUOTE: A garden is never so good as it will be next year
- Thomas Cooper
As plants are approximately 90% water, it is believed by many gardeners that all planting should be done according to the phases of the moon.
The moon affects the movement of water on the earth and this is their reason for believing that the moon also has an effect on the growth patterns of plants.
Some people also believe that by planting according to the lunar cycles you will get tastier fruits from your plants and bigger, more vibrant colors from their flowers.
While many people don't follow this idea of planting according to the moon, it is surprising to see that there are a lot of people who will still follow the suggestions of recommended planting times even though they are skeptical.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
There are some grounds to believe that the moon does affect the growth of plants, and quite apart from the aspect of the gravitational pull and the relationship to the movement of the water, there is the added belief that the amount of light that the moon emits during it's changing phases has a greater effect than some people first thought.
As plants are extremely responsive to the changes in light, which is called photoperiodism, it is correct to assume that the light from the moon could influence growing patterns.
Plants have been shown to respond to light levels that are lower than those experienced during a full moon so changes in moonlight would have an affect on them.
It is possible to buy calendars specifically for gardeners where the various planting times are listed for the different types of plants throughout the year according to the phases of the moon.
You might not believe the affect this can have on your garden but there is certainly no harm to plant by these suggestions.
You might just have a bumper crop in doing so.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Mulch
QUOTE: What is a weed?
A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered
- Emerson
Soil is a main food supply for your plants but sometimes plants need a little more help and that can be in the form of fertilizer or mulch.
Mulch is great for plants, simply because you are turning something that would normally be thrown out as waste into a food supply and a very effective one at that.
Mulch will help to maintain moisture in the soil and reduce the weeds in the garden too.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Generally you should use mulch in damp weather so the plants will have sufficient moisture in the soil. If you are using mulch in dry conditions make sure you water the soil first to retain some moisture as it will be harder for any water to get to the roots of your plants through the covering of mulch.
Mulch keeps the soil moist but it can also stop the soil getting moist if the water can't penetrate.
If you are using lawn clippings for mulch make sure you haven't used any chemicals on the lawn prior to cutting, that could have a detrimental affect on your plants.
If you leave the clippings to rot this will often reduce any side effects that these chemicals might have on your plants.
Lawn clippings can also generate a lot of heat so spread them around lightly in thin layers and don't smother your plants with it.
There are many different things that can be used for mulch, from lawn clippings and plant cuttings to straw, hay and bark.
All those autumn leaves that are blowing around your property can make good mulch but they really need to be left to rot before being used, as they can be quite acidic if used too soon.
If in doubt with anything you are using for mulch, leave it to rot and you can be sure it will be better for your garden.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com
