How to Use Color in Your Perennial Garden

Posted on: 18 March, 2005

Author: Jeff Pozniak

Just like most things in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If purple blooms put a smile on your face, then you should most definitely use plants with purple blooms. The same is true for any color you find pleasing. There are different disciplines to pull from when trying to decide on color choices, but those disciplines speak in generalities; your own personal experiences mold your tastes into something unique, something your own, something a text or curriculum can’t possibly pinpoint. That being said, one of the disciplines I like to pull from often, especially when it...

Control Snakes in the Garden

Posted on: 18 March, 2005

To have a snake or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonoussnakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficialcreatures because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae,slugs, snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even othersnakes which may be poisonous. But if you really don't want snakes in your yard and gardenhere are a few tips to eliminate them without hurting orkilling them. Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weedeaters because the sting from the fast moving string cankill them. Snakes need cover for protection. Don’t leave wood or brushpiles sit in one spot for more than...

Easter Lilies, and the Number One Gardening Question Right Now

Posted on: 18 March, 2005

Author: Doug Green

Everybody asks about Easter lilies! Can they go outside; can I plant them in my garden? And to this I reply, "Why not?" Like other bulbs,there are two options if you plant your leftover Easter lily bulbs - either they will live and flower for many years (it is perfectly hardy into zone 4) or they will immediately die. If you don't plant the bulb, it will definitely die. So you have nothing to lose by planting.Once the Easter lily bloom has faded in the house, cut the stem back as far as you can. Grow the plant in a...

How to Attract Butterfly Activity...

Posted on: 17 March, 2005

Author: Gordon Goh

The flittering of the butterfly through your garden is no accident if you planned your garden carefully. The adult butterfly flitters from flower to flower - sipping nectar from many flowers in your gardens, while other adult butterflies search for areas to lay their larvae. It is good to take note that the butterfly garden is going to differ from other areas of your garden. Your natural instincts will be to kill off pests, larvae and creatures in the garden, but in the butterfly garden your best results are noticed when you use organic gardening: Which means no chemicals at...

How to Grow Healthy Food

Posted on: 17 March, 2005

Author: Linda Paquette

To grow healthy food, you literally have to start at rock bottom. No matter what you’re growing, from chickpeas to chickens, the truth is that you are what they eat! It’s no secret that all life begins with the soil. Although it may look like dirt to the naked eye, organically rich soil is a living, breathing community of microorganisms. These little denizens of the dirt are born, grow, breed, give birth and die leaving an estate of nutrition-filled remains to the soil. While they live, many of these little critters feed on undesirable elements like harmful bacteria. Every year,...

Growing Tomatoes, etc. in Early Spring - "Poor Man's Hydroponics"

Posted on: 13 March, 2005

Q. I've heard about so many ways to grow tomato and other tender plants early - from using Wall-O-Water's to taking the bottom out of wastebaskets, and they all seem to be a lot of work, with no guarantee of success. What do you suggest for someone who's serious about growing the high-value crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants? A. If you are only growing a few plants the methods you use may not be all that important. However, if you are wanting to grow a sizeable garden or maximize your production, you should pay careful attention to the following...

Fake Grass

Posted on: 12 March, 2005

Author: Brad Slade

The history of artificial or fake grass is to say the least an interesting one and arose out of the social desire to in-effect ward off what could be seen, as far back as the 1950s, as an increasingly unhealthy tendency by youngsters not to exercise. History has it that birth of synthetic grass began through attempts by scientists trying to develop a type of grass that would not only allow children and adolescents to play on regardless of the weather condition but encouraged them to do so, in other words, a surface that they enjoyed using or a user...

“How to” for Lawns – Mowing

Posted on: 12 March, 2005

Author: Brad Slade

How often you mow your lawn will depend on a number of factors. Firstly how much time you have to devote to your lawn’s maintenance. How fast your lawn grows, and this in turn will depend on whether you fertilise it regularly and whether it receives adequate water and sunlight. Normally, lawns should be mowed at least one a fortnight to keep them in check, so to speak. One of the worst things you can do for a lawn and a big misconception is that you can or should mow your lawn very short in order to reduce the number...

The True Beauty of Climbing Roses

Posted on: 07 March, 2005

Author: Ken Austin

What is more beautiful than seeing a home or building with an arch of climbing roses in the landscaping? Climbing roses are one of many plants that branch out and intertwine themselves among arches, trellises, or even buildings and railings. They can add a great landscape element to any foundation. Climbing roses are different from the regular roses that are planted as they are trained to grow upward like vines. Some of them are hybrid teas, wichuraine, and large flowered climbers. They are a beautiful addition to the look of one´s house Would you like more information about climbing roses?...

All About Miniature Roses

Posted on: 07 March, 2005

Author: Ken Austin

Miniature roses are exactly what they sound like. They have all of the fragrance and beauty of a regular rose, but they have smaller blooms. These particular roses are great for indoor planting. Miniature roses are one of many types of roses available widely. These roses, as their name implies, are smaller versions of the more common roses. They offer the same beauty and fragrances as their larger cousins. The consumer can find a large selection in a variety of colors and shape available to them. Caring for these miniature roses is no more difficult then caring for the larger...