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A modern home demands a modern backyard. Landscape designer Matt Olson helps homeowners Paul and Sarah complete the look by installing a driveway grid that is entwined with strips of grass and a hip one-of-a-kind gabion fence. …

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Sean and Allison have taken great care in updating their 1912 home to give it a modern vibe, but the backyard still feels old and boring. Landscape designer Matt Olson comes to the rescue bringing modern clean lines and rich colors to …

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Homeowners Matt and Kristi Meyer love the outdoors except when it comes to their backyard. Designer Eric Van Thomme turns their tiny rectangular yard into a North Woods paradise. We learn how to install a boulder wall, boulder seating …

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Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Which Ones are the Weeds?

QUOTE: Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
- Henry Ford

I have always wondered who ever determined what was a weed and what was a flower.  There are some delightful looking weeds that grow in the garden even when we don't want them to be there.

I guess the best explanation of what represents a weed, and what represents a flower is, a weed is a plant that is growing somewhere that it shouldn't be.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html

I'm sure that if we started planting these plants that we call weeds, the ones that we call flowers now would start sprouting up everywhere.

I have known people who will happily leave weeds in the garden if they think their color and style will add to the variety of their garden.

More often than not however, we fight the never-ending battle to eradicate these unwanted residents from our gardens only to have them grow back faster than ever.

Adding a covering of mulch will help to reduce the return of weeds.  Another method that helps is to lay dampened newspaper on the ground before covering it with mulch. This is very effective.

The problem with weeds is the fact that many of these plants are better at seeking out the nutrients in the soil and by doing so they are using the goodness that we want for the plants that we choose to have in the garden.

Many weeds also attract insects to the garden that can affect the condition of other plants.

No matter how diligent we are at removing weeds from the garden they will always reappear as their seeds are transported by insects, the wind, and even on the clothing and shoes that we wear.

Replanting from one garden to another can easily introduce new weeds so it is always important to check the soil and the roots of the plants that you are moving to ensure you aren't transplanting weeds also.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

Ok, here are a few things that could help keep you busy if you are in the middle of a cold winter.  If you are in the middle of your summer (you lucky people) enjoy! 

1. Give your grass a high cut every now and then. If you can, choose a dry, windy day when the dew has lifted so the clippings are removed.  Where I am, finding a windy day is not so much of a problem, finding a dry one… now that is a different matter altogether.  But if you are like me, hang in there, one will turn up soon.

2. Check the ties of shrubs grown against walls (Ceanothus, Pyracantha, Moroccan broom, etc) - those sudden gusts of wind that are all too frequent this time of year can throw them forward and crack roots.

3. Take old honeysuckles back to a strong, well-spaced framework of not-too-old stems, keeping a few young ones around the edges.

4. Clear away and burn the dead leaves from under roses to reduce the chance of any disease lingering.

5. Do not forget that central heating, as nice as it is this time of year, will play havoc with tropical houseplants. Increase the humidity by simply standing the pots on saucers or trays of damp gravel and keep them away from radiators (which is easy) and draughts (perhaps not so easy this time of year!)

6. If you have ever dreamt of scooping a prize at the local summer gardening show, start planning for it now. Have you ever thought about onions?  Exhibition ones are fairly easy to grow.  The biggest bulbs come from varieties such as Mammoth, which are sown any time now.

7. Try to remember where you have bulbs growing in grass. The new leaves should be well through by now and it is all too easy to walk on them unawares.  I am thinking of things like snowdrops, narcissi, crocus, fritillary, etc.

8. Have you worked out what you want to plant this season?  Well, if you still have to then why not fish out last years seed packets and you can work out what you want to buy for this season.  Great excuse to get down to the local garden centre, as if you needed one!

9. If you are lucky enough to be a gardener with a warm greenhouses (and do not forget your minimum winter temperature in there should be 55F), why not start growing indoor tomatoes such as Sparta, Shirley and Big Boy.  Now, early to mid January, is the perfect time.

10. Now wisteria has dropped its leaves, you can prune it. Just take back the long stems you pruned last summer to two or three buds. Also, cut out stray stems wrapped around gutters and slithering along walls. Be careful though: do not forget those buds can be thorny.

11. Why not treat your much-abused and maligned garden shears to a professional sharpening?  Afterall, they are not really needed at the moment and you will notice a big difference. You will not regret it!

12. In those long spells of freezing weather we can unfortunately experience this time of year, winter-flowering pansies can sometimes receive a knock to their growth. If this happens, wait until the weather warms up a little, then deadhead any spent flower stems. This should induce a mass of new flowers to emerge for you to enjoy.

Well, that little lot should keep you busy for a while and enjoy your gardening.  It can be just as much fun in the winter!

Take care for now.

The Gardener 

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Moss

QUOTE: Gardening requires lots of water…
Most of it in the form of perspiration
- Lou Erickson

If you have moss on your lawn then this can be a sign of two main problems.  Either you have a drainage problem or poor nutrition.

With moss on your lawn you will need to remove as much of the moss as possible before you start to take action to prevent it from coming back again.

Aerating the lawn will help to solve the problem.  There are various ways that this can be done.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/lawncare.html

The best way to aerate your lawn is with a coring machine that actually pulls small plugs of approximately 2 inches from the lawn.  It is possible to hire these machines or get a professional to do the job for you.  Alternatively you can aerate your lawn by using a garden fork and punching holes throughout the affected area.  This can be quite time consuming and tiring.

Another way to improve your lawn is to rake the lawn vigorously, and in doing so you will be removing the moss and any old grass clippings and other debris that is lying around.  This procedure is called scarifying.

You can then use a lawn specific moss killer to kill off any moss that is left.  It is important that you get a moss specifically formulated for lawns as ordinary moss killers can also kill your lawn.

As the moss dies it will turn black and the lawn might look unsightly for a while but once the moss has died you can scarify it again to remove the dead matter.

Scarifying the lawn will allow the water and fertilizer to reach the roots of the grass and improve the quality of your lawn.

In areas of your property where there is little or no sunlight and quite a lot of dampness, you might need to consider if it would be better to transform it into a garden that will cope better with the conditions than lawn.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/lawncare.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, and a very Happy New Year to you all.  Today's edition, is entitled:

Making the Most of Any Soil

QUOTE: Gardening is a kind of disease.
It infects you, you cannot escape it.
When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed.
- Lewis Gannit

It's not what you start with when it comes to the quality of the soil in your garden, but the results you have when the preparation has finished that really matters.  With the correct information and procedures you can make any soil fertile but the key factor here is getting the right information in the first place.

Even poor quality soil can be improved to the extent that you can have a lush garden.

Planning your garden ahead of planting will make all the difference as you will be able to get proper drainage sorted out while also allowing for good water and nutrient retention.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

Digging the soil will give you a good feel for it's quality and allow you to look at factors such as the density of the soil and whether it needs breaking up to allow for more water, air and nutrients to be retained within it.

The types of plants you intend to have in your garden will determine what you will need to do with the soil, as some plants thrive in heavy conditions, such as those found in clay soils, whereas other plant roots will struggle to get through anything other than light sandy soils.

Mixing in compost, sand, and other grades of soil when you are digging your garden can change the structure considerably.  Having additional information from pH test kits will also ensure you have the right balance of lime in your garden.

You might need to add fertilizer to get the quality of the land up to suitable levels for planting but almost any soil can be made fit with the right preparation.

Consider raising the garden beds where the ground is particularly poor or where there could be problems with drainage.

Light sandy soils will have space for air, water and nutrients but the nutrients can get washed away easily leaving the plants to suffer.  Heavy clay soils can hold the nutrients better but the roots of the plants might have trouble getting to them.  Clay soils can also become waterlogged or alternatively in hot dry weather they can become very hard, cracked and dry.

The climate will play a big part in determining how you prepare your soil.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Growing in Baskets

QUOTE: We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden.
- Anonymous

If you are growing plants in baskets there are a few things that you will need to take care of if the plants are to survive.
Obviously you will need to start with the best and healthiest seeds or plants.  It is important that you choose good quality container mix too. There are proprietary hanging basket mixes that you really should use as they have been developed to provide the best growing conditions in these unique situations.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html

For aesthetics you will probably want to get the basket looking as 'full' as possible so you will be cramming the plants in.  It is best to put the larger plants in the middle of the basket with smaller plants trailing out to the edges and the sides.

The larger the basket the better chance your plants will have to survive and they will also require less maintenance.

As with all plants no matter where they are growing water will be essential and with baskets more care is required than normal.

You can place a water trough between the plants and the liner to maintain a place to hold water that would normally seep through the liner.

In warmer weather you will need to water the plants more often and this is best handled with a long watering wand, which makes reaching the plants easier.

Occasionally, where you have baskets that are easily moved, you can soak the entire basket in a tub of water.
If the basket has been quite dry you will need to soak it until the bubbles stop rising.

Always use quality liquid plant feed to ensure your plants are getting all the nutrients that they require.

To prevent the plants from drying out in the sun and the wind aim to get maximum foliage coverage.

If you take the time to give your basket plants the additional care that they need, you will be rewarded with a pleasant addition to any living area.

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:

Getting Rid of Garden Pests

QUOTE: A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in
- Greek proverb

There are many different types of pests that can ruin your good work in the garden.  The most common are insects and they can destroy a garden in a very short time if left to their own devices.  Even the neighbor's cat can be a pest if it is always using your garden as a toilet.  Birds can be another reason for concern if they are eating your plants and can become quite smelly if they are nesting in trees or hedges in abundance.
 
Pests will use your garden primarily for food and shelter.  To reduce the amount of pests in your garden you need to create an environment that isn't as inviting.

By clearing leaves and waste from the base of your plants you will reduce the amount of shelter.  This will allow you to work the soil better and eliminate the incidence of in-ground insects that can suck the nutrients out of the soil.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

You can stop cats, rats and mice from digging in the soil by using effective ground cover in the form of mesh where it becomes too difficult for them to get through to the soil.

By keeping your compost in the correct composting containers there won't be any decaying matter lying around the yard that will attract rats and mice.  Having a tidy garden and yard will not encourage them to make their home on your property.  Traps might be needed as a final deterrent for rats and mice.

Spraying your plants with suitable insecticides will also reduce the unwanted insect population.  There are some good natural applications on the market that will do the job of the commercial insecticides or you can make your own effective natural insecticide.

If you prune back trees and hedges you might make them less appealing to birds and this might help to reduce the population in your garden.  Keep in mind that some insects do a good job of maintaining a balance in the garden by eating other insects and birds will also eat insects that could be causing damage to your plants.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com