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Hi everyone

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

"Bonsai", the art of growing and designing miniature trees.

Bonsai is something that requires quite a lot of patience on your behalf as well as a little bit of knowledge. It actually not as difficult as you might think. In this week's Gardening Weekly we are going to have a look at 4 things you should know that will get you well on your way.

Bonsai Are Not Houseplants.

The majority of bonsai are actually outdoor plants and should remain outdoors all year long. Of course, just because they should be outside for the most part does not mean that they cannot be brought indoors briefly so they can be enjoyed there too. Bonsai are temperate climate plants that actually require a period of dormancy. Why? Well it is actually a survival strategy that temperate climate species have evolved to stay alive during the winter months. They cleverly have an internal clock that tells them when they should slow down their growth activity. They can therefore survive pretty extreme and cold temperatures. The home bonsai artist will therefore need a place your bonsai outside.

You Must "Train" Your Bonsai.

Bonsai don't just end up in those wonderful shapes by themselves, they have to be "trained" through a number of different techniques. This can be accomplished through manipulating the trunk and branches through pruning and wiring. This is where the heart of the bonsai artistry resides. To make mistakes in this area of training could lead to catostrophic results. Don't be disheartened though, because with some correct, simple training and time anyone can learn how to correctly train their bonsai.

Bonsai Must be Watered And Fed.

Bonsai are no different to any other plant life, they require three things to survive: sun, food and water. Assuming your bonsai resides primarily outside, as the bonsai artist, your primary concern is to feed and water your trees. Feeding your bonsai with the proper nutrients and trace elements is crucial to promote the proper and healthy growth. Like most plants, there is a right and a wrong way to water and this is probably the most common mistake made by beginners. Again, with the proper teaching resource, whether that is a Master Bonsai artist or a reputable how to book, anyone can easily learn how to properly care for their bonsai.

Be Patient, Bonsai Require Time.

You must remember that growing bonsai is truly an art form. For many first time bonsai artists think that "owning' a bonsai is what it is all about. Don't be fooled, this is not what bonsai is all about. It is about the enjoyment of caring for the bonsai and ultimately their creation. This takes time. As an aspiring bonsai artist you will need time to learn how to properly care for and train your tree, but you must also have the time to see it come to fruition. Bonsai are not created over night. A typical bonsai may not even be placed into a bonsai pot until after a few years of training. Don't rush the process, enjoy it! It's more about the journey than the destination.

For a great way to learn more about the truly wonderful world bonsai, take a look at our page at Bonsai Gardening Secrets.

Watch Out For Your Next Gardening Weekly Entitled:

Growing Orchids In The Home

Bye for now!

The My Gardening Home Blog Team

Hi everyone

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

Testing the pH of your soil

QUOTE: The rose has thorns only for those who would gather it.
- Chinese Proverb

It is easy to test the pH of the soil in your garden with the use of a simple and inexpensive test kit.  All you need to do with the test kit is take a sample of the soil and mix it with water and then compare the results in the sample to the colors on the chart.  This will tell you whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.

If the soil is too acidic you can add lime to bring it back into balance.  If on the other hand there is too much lime and the pH reading is high you can add more compost to reduce the levels of the lime in the soil.

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

Soil that is slightly acidic tends to be more fertile.

Old gardeners used to use a simple taste test to determine the condition of the soil.  This method isn't recommended but it can be quite accurate.

If the soil tastes sour then it is likely to be acid. This is also represented by a sour smell.

Vinegar is another way to test whether there is enough lime in the soil, as lime will cause the vinegar to bubble.
Drop some soil into a cup of vinegar and if it starts to bubble then you know there is enough lime in the soil.

For the low cost of a pH tester, you will get a lot more accurate reading and this will allow you to easily monitor the condition of your soils and adjust the nutrients accordingly rather than guessing what is needed and not having optimum nutrition.

You should also take samples at different points throughout your garden, as there can be changes in the soil from one area to the next depending on what has been added over the years and what has been growing in the various sections of the garden.

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:

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, 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:

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

Author: teddybear Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 5:27 am (GMT 0) I wish I could help. I've always wanted to grow herbs but, I wouldn't know what to do with them if I did . Good luck and have fun! …

Source: teddybear

Author: hope Subject: First Attempt & Lots of Questions Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 4:19 am (GMT 0) Hello there. I just bought my first packet of seeds tonight. This is my first attempt at growing anything and I'm SO SO EXCITED! …

Source: hope

Flowers come in many shapes and colors, this way you have many choices to choose from to make the arrangement you want. Once the flower is cut the life expectancy is not very long, you can use tricks like aspirin in the water to keep …

Source: unknown

Check with your local gardening center on which plants attract the good pests. Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your garden clean. The harmful pests are often attracted to piles of leaves, grass cuttings and dense spots of weeds …

Source: Fine