Late Summer Garden: Easy and Cheap Gardening Tips
October 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Kathy Wilson asked:
Has your late summer garden seen better days? If your outdoor paradise is getting a little ragged, and you would like some easy and cheap gardening tips to get it back into shape in time for fall, keep reading!
Most gardens, no matter how well they are designed will have periods without a lot of bloom. But a late summer garden is more than just lack of bloom; it’s overgrown plants, ratty leaves, spindly annuals and brown spots in the lawn. Here’s how to fix these garden problems.
Cut back your blooming perennials by half. This will stimulate new growth, and create need for another flush of flowers in the fall for many varieties. It will also clean up the overgrown look of your flower beds.
If you still have brown foliage from spring bulbs showing, it is safe to cut them to the ground now. They have already stored all the energy they need for spring bloom, and the dead plant matter isn’t doing anything for the look of your garden.
If you have a pest problem, you should be addressing it. You can use commercially available Sevin dust for many of the most common predators, or seek out an organic alternative. One good way to identify what is eating your plants is place a piece of white paper under the leaves of the plant being attached and give the plant a good tap or shake. Whatever pest is the culprit should fall onto the paper for easy identification. If you’re stumped, pop it in a jar and take it to your local nursery for identification and advice on how to eradicate it while doing the least damage to beneficial bugs. Remember, we need those bees! Don’t’ poison them.
If you have annuals planted in containers or beds that have seen better days, cut them back hard. Apply a good dose of water soluble fertilizer and they will bounce back and start re-blooming for you. Petunias, alyssum and geraniums all need a good rejuvenation this time of year, but will bloom well into fall if you try this trick.
If your lawn has developed some dry spots, try raking in an organic compost or fine bark to protect the soil and hold in moisture. Water frequently during the day for a week or two until you start to see new green growth. Cut back on the watering gradually, but be consistent until the lawn is once again green in the spot.
A late summer garden may seem to have gone to sleep, but its pretty easy to throw a big basket of water on it and wake it back up. (Both literally, and figuratively!) Use these easy and cheap gardening tips to renew your garden, and have a beautiful spot to spend those quiet autumn afternoons.
Want free gardening tips and ideas? Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden ideas at www.TheGardenGlove.com and www.TheBudgetDecorator.com . Also visit her at www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn to make money on the internet!
Has your late summer garden seen better days? If your outdoor paradise is getting a little ragged, and you would like some easy and cheap gardening tips to get it back into shape in time for fall, keep reading!
Most gardens, no matter how well they are designed will have periods without a lot of bloom. But a late summer garden is more than just lack of bloom; it’s overgrown plants, ratty leaves, spindly annuals and brown spots in the lawn. Here’s how to fix these garden problems.
Cut back your blooming perennials by half. This will stimulate new growth, and create need for another flush of flowers in the fall for many varieties. It will also clean up the overgrown look of your flower beds.
If you still have brown foliage from spring bulbs showing, it is safe to cut them to the ground now. They have already stored all the energy they need for spring bloom, and the dead plant matter isn’t doing anything for the look of your garden.
If you have a pest problem, you should be addressing it. You can use commercially available Sevin dust for many of the most common predators, or seek out an organic alternative. One good way to identify what is eating your plants is place a piece of white paper under the leaves of the plant being attached and give the plant a good tap or shake. Whatever pest is the culprit should fall onto the paper for easy identification. If you’re stumped, pop it in a jar and take it to your local nursery for identification and advice on how to eradicate it while doing the least damage to beneficial bugs. Remember, we need those bees! Don’t’ poison them.
If you have annuals planted in containers or beds that have seen better days, cut them back hard. Apply a good dose of water soluble fertilizer and they will bounce back and start re-blooming for you. Petunias, alyssum and geraniums all need a good rejuvenation this time of year, but will bloom well into fall if you try this trick.
If your lawn has developed some dry spots, try raking in an organic compost or fine bark to protect the soil and hold in moisture. Water frequently during the day for a week or two until you start to see new green growth. Cut back on the watering gradually, but be consistent until the lawn is once again green in the spot.
A late summer garden may seem to have gone to sleep, but its pretty easy to throw a big basket of water on it and wake it back up. (Both literally, and figuratively!) Use these easy and cheap gardening tips to renew your garden, and have a beautiful spot to spend those quiet autumn afternoons.
Want free gardening tips and ideas? Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden ideas at www.TheGardenGlove.com and www.TheBudgetDecorator.com . Also visit her at www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn to make money on the internet!
Winter Gardening Tips
August 29, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
anonymous asked:
By December, most gardeners have raked all their leaves, finished planting their spring bulbs and are preparing to patiently wait until spring to visit the garden again. If, however, you don’t mind the snow or freezing temperatures you don’t need to put all those tools away just yet. Winter can be a busy time for gardeners. Planning, of course, is important but there are a few other things which can be done as well which require
Here are a few gardening tips to help you get through winter.
Browse through all those gardening catalogs that are lying around or spend a little time online searching for the shrubs and flowers you’ll plant during the upcoming season. First, however, plan your new garden or update your existing one.
Rework your garden design while the ground is frozen. Think about what was missing in the garden during the previous season. Also, walk though the garden and determine what could make the landscape more interesting during the winter months. Often, a large evergreen serving as an anchor or specimen shrub can improve a winter landscape. Deciduous shrubs and trees with winter berries, unique form or colorful bark can also provide the garden with winter interest.
Forethought is essential when planning a successful garden. After you’ve decided what you’d like your new garden to offer, begin a site analysis. Having a clear understanding of your site’s conditions is important as it will enable you to make informed decisions regarding design and plant selection. Determine the following factors; climate & micro-climate, sun & shade conditions, wind exposure, soil composition and existing vegetation.
Plant hardiness zone maps divide the country into zones based on the lowest average winter temperature. A plant that is adapted to your hardiness zone is one that can tolerate the lowest winter temperature your zone typically experiences. Find out the zone in which you live and use it as guide during your plant selection process.
Along with the overall climate conditions of your area, micro-climates within your specific site also determine what is appropriate for your garden. A sunny spot against a brick wall with a southern exposure, for example, will be warmer than its surrounding environment. In a space such as this, plants which are borderline hardy have a better chance at survival than if planted elsewhere in the garden.
The canopy of the existing trees can protect plants by reducing their radiant heat loss. In winter, the micro-climate beneath a tree may be several degrees warmer than the surrounding air, this slight difference in temperature can be beneficial to some plants.
Being aware of the sun and shade conditions in your garden is critical to proper plant placement and, in turn, to the long term health of your plants. Improperly placed plants are a main reason for unnecessary transplants.
Getting to know the conditions of your site before you begin planning and planting can be the difference between success and disappointment. Properly planned gardens ensure the time you invest in you garden is worth it, as each properly placed plant thrives.
Another gardening chore which could be done during the winter is pruning deciduous trees and shrubs. During the winter, while there are no leaves on the trees, you’re able to see more clearly a plant’s branching structure. Prune any branches which are criss crossed or that are growing inward toward the trunk of the tree or shrub. Any upward pointing branches on a weeping plant should also be removed. When pruning, make your cuts slightly above the branch collar. Check on your evergreen shrubs after snow storms and shake off the snow if any has accumulated on the branches.
Check your perennial gardens for heaving, especially in areas prone to repeated freezing and thawing. Recycle your Christmas tree as garden mulch and don’t forget to feed the birds and provide them with some unfrozen water. Remember to sharpen your tools so you’ll be ready to get to work when the ground thaws.
Though you won’t be planting new flowers and cultivating the soil, winter is the perfect time to prepare for next spring whether your preparing for new garden projects or out amongst the trees and shrubs pruning.
By December, most gardeners have raked all their leaves, finished planting their spring bulbs and are preparing to patiently wait until spring to visit the garden again. If, however, you don’t mind the snow or freezing temperatures you don’t need to put all those tools away just yet. Winter can be a busy time for gardeners. Planning, of course, is important but there are a few other things which can be done as well which require
Here are a few gardening tips to help you get through winter.
Browse through all those gardening catalogs that are lying around or spend a little time online searching for the shrubs and flowers you’ll plant during the upcoming season. First, however, plan your new garden or update your existing one.
Rework your garden design while the ground is frozen. Think about what was missing in the garden during the previous season. Also, walk though the garden and determine what could make the landscape more interesting during the winter months. Often, a large evergreen serving as an anchor or specimen shrub can improve a winter landscape. Deciduous shrubs and trees with winter berries, unique form or colorful bark can also provide the garden with winter interest.
Forethought is essential when planning a successful garden. After you’ve decided what you’d like your new garden to offer, begin a site analysis. Having a clear understanding of your site’s conditions is important as it will enable you to make informed decisions regarding design and plant selection. Determine the following factors; climate & micro-climate, sun & shade conditions, wind exposure, soil composition and existing vegetation.
Plant hardiness zone maps divide the country into zones based on the lowest average winter temperature. A plant that is adapted to your hardiness zone is one that can tolerate the lowest winter temperature your zone typically experiences. Find out the zone in which you live and use it as guide during your plant selection process.
Along with the overall climate conditions of your area, micro-climates within your specific site also determine what is appropriate for your garden. A sunny spot against a brick wall with a southern exposure, for example, will be warmer than its surrounding environment. In a space such as this, plants which are borderline hardy have a better chance at survival than if planted elsewhere in the garden.
The canopy of the existing trees can protect plants by reducing their radiant heat loss. In winter, the micro-climate beneath a tree may be several degrees warmer than the surrounding air, this slight difference in temperature can be beneficial to some plants.
Being aware of the sun and shade conditions in your garden is critical to proper plant placement and, in turn, to the long term health of your plants. Improperly placed plants are a main reason for unnecessary transplants.
Getting to know the conditions of your site before you begin planning and planting can be the difference between success and disappointment. Properly planned gardens ensure the time you invest in you garden is worth it, as each properly placed plant thrives.
Another gardening chore which could be done during the winter is pruning deciduous trees and shrubs. During the winter, while there are no leaves on the trees, you’re able to see more clearly a plant’s branching structure. Prune any branches which are criss crossed or that are growing inward toward the trunk of the tree or shrub. Any upward pointing branches on a weeping plant should also be removed. When pruning, make your cuts slightly above the branch collar. Check on your evergreen shrubs after snow storms and shake off the snow if any has accumulated on the branches.
Check your perennial gardens for heaving, especially in areas prone to repeated freezing and thawing. Recycle your Christmas tree as garden mulch and don’t forget to feed the birds and provide them with some unfrozen water. Remember to sharpen your tools so you’ll be ready to get to work when the ground thaws.
Though you won’t be planting new flowers and cultivating the soil, winter is the perfect time to prepare for next spring whether your preparing for new garden projects or out amongst the trees and shrubs pruning.
Gardening Tips – 5 Amazing Gardening Tips To Make Heads Turn!
May 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Abhishek Agarwal asked:
People who are passionate about gardening are always working hard to make their gardens look even better than before. Any type of garden is wonderful to look at or to stroll in and gardening is an equally pleasurable hobby practiced all over the world. As the weather changes during the fall season and we are about to experience the chill of the windy cold nights, there are many tasks that need to be completed in your garden to have them ready for the following season.
1. If you still can’t spot any frost in your garden yet, it may just be the right time to start planting few flowers, trees and shrubs. In case your garden bears a quite forlorn look post the blooming season, follow the following tips and your garden will remain full of life the entire year.
2. Gardens that are looking a little bare right now only require some mums and pansies to smarten things up. You can take assistance of some modern annuals that will have plants blooming until frost in your garden. As mentioned earlier, fall is also the most appropriate time to plant perennials, shrubs, trees and spring bulbs. Among these varieties, the trees and shrubs must be in place by the early fall to help them acclimatize before the winters onslaught.
Some plant species that can withstand the cold winter season are deciduous shrubs, crabapple trees, honey locust and hawthorn. Birch, willows and oak are the tree types that must either be planted in early spring or early fall.
3. People that get bored with the same look of their gardens can look for new designer avenues during the fall as it is the best time to dig out plants and move them to different places in the garden. If deciduous trees or shrubs are also in your shifting plan, you must pay heed to the following points.
4. In order to maintain stable growth in your garden, it is advisable to spare trees and shrubs the move until the fall season. You can go about transplantation of trees during their dormant phase, which normally starts from fall and lasts until early spring. You must take good care while moving the trees as their root balls are usually pretty heavy and would require external help.
Also be sure to have the new location of the tree properly dug up before hand so that the tree can be directly placed there without any delay. The shrubs are also moved the same way as trees. You’ll be amazed to see the difference that such movements can bring about to the visual appeal of your gardens.
5. There is a separate set of instructions to be followed while you are planning a similar move for the perennials. This is due to their different growing and dormancy seasons. The right time to move the herbaceous plants or the woody perennials that are not produced out of bulbs, tubes or corns, is the early spring when one starts noticing fresh growth. There are a few other types of shrubs that should ideally be moved prior to the new growth. In case you are unsure about all such details, you can have them from your nearest gardening center.
If followed well, all the above-mentioned gardening tips will ensure that your gardens sport that prized look throughout the year.
People who are passionate about gardening are always working hard to make their gardens look even better than before. Any type of garden is wonderful to look at or to stroll in and gardening is an equally pleasurable hobby practiced all over the world. As the weather changes during the fall season and we are about to experience the chill of the windy cold nights, there are many tasks that need to be completed in your garden to have them ready for the following season.
1. If you still can’t spot any frost in your garden yet, it may just be the right time to start planting few flowers, trees and shrubs. In case your garden bears a quite forlorn look post the blooming season, follow the following tips and your garden will remain full of life the entire year.
2. Gardens that are looking a little bare right now only require some mums and pansies to smarten things up. You can take assistance of some modern annuals that will have plants blooming until frost in your garden. As mentioned earlier, fall is also the most appropriate time to plant perennials, shrubs, trees and spring bulbs. Among these varieties, the trees and shrubs must be in place by the early fall to help them acclimatize before the winters onslaught.
Some plant species that can withstand the cold winter season are deciduous shrubs, crabapple trees, honey locust and hawthorn. Birch, willows and oak are the tree types that must either be planted in early spring or early fall.
3. People that get bored with the same look of their gardens can look for new designer avenues during the fall as it is the best time to dig out plants and move them to different places in the garden. If deciduous trees or shrubs are also in your shifting plan, you must pay heed to the following points.
4. In order to maintain stable growth in your garden, it is advisable to spare trees and shrubs the move until the fall season. You can go about transplantation of trees during their dormant phase, which normally starts from fall and lasts until early spring. You must take good care while moving the trees as their root balls are usually pretty heavy and would require external help.
Also be sure to have the new location of the tree properly dug up before hand so that the tree can be directly placed there without any delay. The shrubs are also moved the same way as trees. You’ll be amazed to see the difference that such movements can bring about to the visual appeal of your gardens.
5. There is a separate set of instructions to be followed while you are planning a similar move for the perennials. This is due to their different growing and dormancy seasons. The right time to move the herbaceous plants or the woody perennials that are not produced out of bulbs, tubes or corns, is the early spring when one starts noticing fresh growth. There are a few other types of shrubs that should ideally be moved prior to the new growth. In case you are unsure about all such details, you can have them from your nearest gardening center.
If followed well, all the above-mentioned gardening tips will ensure that your gardens sport that prized look throughout the year.
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