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Tomorrow, Ellen Hornig, from Seneca Hill Perennials, will be joining Homegrown (Martha Stewart Living Radio Sirius Channel 112) to share her knowledge about shade-loving perennials, as well as plant hardiness. Then, listen in to hear us …
Source: mslo1
Go organic, but don't expect instant resultsCherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - 41 minutes agoOrganic gardening generally is defined as growing without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. It means using natural ingredients to feed the …
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Do you have to plant pumpkin seeds in a hill? Also, what type of soil do pumpkins need? (answer). From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Source: The Old Farmer's Almanac
Author: Denny C. Review of: Ravenna Gardens A smaller "outpost" of the store that has also a very conspicuous presence in University Village (home to Restoration Hardware, etc.) but with a small, dedicated, gracious, low-key staff. …
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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
Hi everyone
Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:
Topiary
QUOTE: I don't know whether nice people tend to grow roses or growing roses makes people nice.
- Roland A Beowne
Topiary can be a lot of fun if you have an imagination and some patience.
Topiary is the art of shaping trees and shrubs into shapes of all types and sizes.
There have been some quite outstanding topiary shapes created by garden artists over the years and many people get pleasure from practicing this art in home gardens across the country.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html
While it is not quite as popular as it once was it is still something that can create a focal point in any garden and is an alternative to other forms of garden sculpture.
If you decide to try your hand at topiary you will need to have the right plants for the job.
The best plants to use are those that are evergreen. The plants should also have small leaves and the foliage should be as dense as possible to make shaping easier and the final result will look more professional.
From there it is time to start shaping the plant using your cutting shears.
As this is generally done freehand it can take some time to get the experience needed to create even lines and curves. Until you have the experience to do this, many people use shaped wires to assist as a guide.
You will need to be patient and only cut off small amounts while you let the shape develop, as a cut too large will result in delays while the plant grows back again.
There is an alternative method that some people use in their garden where the shape is already determined by the use of a wire cage and plants such as ivy are left to grow over the wire giving the impression that it is topiary.
This is the easy alternative but you will have to wait for the ivy to completely cover the cage before you have the desired effect. The benefit of using this method is the fact that you have a lot more control over the shape of the structure and there is less skill involved other than creating the wire cage.
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:
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:
The Right Stuff
QUOTE: In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.
- Albert Schweitzer
One of the most important rules of creating a garden is to ensure that you have the right plants for the right place.
There are many plants that will suffer if they aren't growing in conditions that are suited to them and by planting in these conditions you will always be fighting a battle to have them looking their best simply because they will always be struggling to survive.
If you have a specific theme that you would like to follow when planning your garden and that theme doesn't suit the growing conditions you only have two alternatives and they are;
1. you can change the plants you intend using to something more suitable but still in keeping with your overall theme or
2. you can change the conditions that the plants will be growing in.
Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/plants.html
While it is not possible to change the climate, you can make changes to the layout of the garden and surrounding area to create your own 'micro-climate' with other plants or trees offering shading or shelter.
You can plant windbreaks or construct them to reduce the effect that the wind might have on some of the more fragile plants.
If you are looking for color in your garden but the plants you prefer would suffer in the conditions your garden presents, then look for alternative plants that can offer the same color but are more suited to those conditions.
By using plants that are more suited to the conditions, they will thrive better and require a lot less maintenance while still giving you the 'look' you require.
It's all about getting your planning right before you even buy the first plants. If the plan is well executed the garden will look better, be easier to maintain and you will enjoy ownership more so than a garden that is a constant struggle.
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:
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
