Welcome

Gardening is a great past-time and in today's stressful world it would actually help you live longer. In this rather simple blog, I hope to share with you tips, advice and resources that I have found useful in gaining skills for my own gardening adventure.

Do feel free to leave comments and kind words if you find the postings useful.

Cheers!
Maclean Patrick

Garden Plants for the Home Gardener

by JODI REICHENBERGER

Confused about which bedding plants to buy? Bedding plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and many more. There are also gardening plants that are in season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others in spring and summer. The type of garden you are planting will determine the bedding plant choice; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your preferences.

If you want garden plants that you can eventually eat instead of just look at, vegetables, herbs, and fruits are the clear choice. Edible plants add an excitement to gardening because of the produce available at harvest time. The main vegetables grown in smaller, home gardens as well as larger ones include corn, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, peppers, onions, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and beets. Popular fruits are pears, plums, tomatoes, blueberries, apricots, cherries, and strawberries. Herbs are used for their wonderful fragrances, to spice up a salad, and in cooking. Herbs that are often home grown include thyme, sage, dill, mint, lavender, and chives.

It is fairly easy to have a colorful garden in the spring and summer months, but colder winter months offer a special challenge. Even though it is difficult, with planning and a little more care you can have a colorful garden year round. One gardening plant that thrives in the fall and winter months is the Rudbeckia, a beautiful yellow perennial. Others include the Christmas rose, the Japanese Anemone, and Cosmos.

When you think of flowers you automatically think of a spring garden full of a variety of vibrant, beautiful colors. Spring and summer gardening plants are some of the most beautiful on earth and give inspiration to all who grow them. Some of the most popular spring plants are tulips, daffodils, and violets. Favorites of the warmer months of summer are lilies, dahlias, and roses.

When landscaping, many opt for decorative grasses or shrubs. Monkey grass is an all time favorite, especially for a sidewalk. These will gardening plants can be for looks, can act as a border or fence, and can be used for privacy. Shrubs are easy to take care of and add a defining look to any yard or garden.

There are so many different kinds of gardening plants available. Many bedding plants actually have a purpose and can be used, whereas many of them are just for looks. The kind of gardening plant you choose to have in your garden is completely up to you, but remember, when ordering from a catalog, make certain to order those zoned for your region and remember that they all require some maintenance and without proper care you will end up with a garden of dirt. Organic Gardening provides education enhancing you and your family's health through good eating, organic gardening techniques, and tips to help you get the most of your effort. Live an all around sustainable lifestyle reading the lastest community and sustainable gardening news out there. It's serious information for serious fun! Join us! Sustainability is a community effort!

Creating You Landscaping your garden

by JAKOB JELLING

Landscaping your garden allows you to use your imagination and creativity as well as it can be very relaxing and fulfilling once you see the result of your work. But, despite of this, this task involves specific knowledge and several techniques which you should be aware of in order to succeed and create an appealing design.

Before you start landscaping your garden, you must have a clear plan and idea of what you will do. In order to plan your landscape, you should first consider several factors, such as if you have children, if you have pets, if you plan on placing a pool, and what you wish to grow. A garden landscape will imply different requirements depending on what you will grow in it: flowers, plants, trees, or vegetables.

Also, before planning your garden design, try to have a clear idea on what your budget for it is, and how much available time you have to work on it. Once you have all these factors clear, you should proceed to measure the space in which you will work and if possible make a drawing of it as accurately as possible.

There are many different elements you can consider when landscaping your garden. Depending on the different factors that affect your specific case, you should consider, for example, lawn, an herb garden, a children's play area, shade trees, a garden seat, a pond, a vegetable garden, flowers, and statues or other ornaments.

Always keep in mind the space and dimensions of your garden. Try to avoid adding too many elements to the garden, respect its dimensions. A garden which has so many elements that walking around and circulating is difficult is not welcoming or attractive. If your garden is very small, then plan it as simple as possible, trying to keep enough free space for circulating easily in it. On the other hand, if your garden is very big, try to divide it in different areas and work each one of them separately, while keeping in mind a harmonious result when the work is completed and the garden is seen as a whole.

Jelling is the founder of Dwank.com.

How to build a garden pond ?

by PAT LORRAIN

Hi, today I will show you how to build a water pond by yourself.

The first thing you need to do is, ask yourself where you want to put the pond. It should be in a place where you see it instantly upon entering the yard. You may also choose to install it at the back of your back yard. By installing the pond in the back portion of your yard, you will make the yard look deeper. I recommend installing the pond where it can be visible from the house at almost any angle. The second step is to pick the liner for your pond. You can choose a pre-formed liner or a soft liner. For this article we will discuss using the pre-formed liner. This liner is more durable, easier to install, and easier to clean. You have to choose the form before digging so you will have the exact shape and the depth of the hole. Now that you know how big, how deep, and where your pond is going to be, you may need to check with local housing authorities to ensure your plans conform to established zoning rules. Better safe than sorry! When this is complete, it’s time to dig. Trace the form of your pond on your lawn and measure how deep you will have to dig. Be sure to dig two inches deeper than the depth of the pond liner. To fit your liner properly, put two inches of sand in the hole before inserting your liner. This will provide a much better fit, while at the same time protecting the liner from rocks.

The third step is to bring electricity to the pond. This step should be done by a professional, if more than one extension cord is needed. You can purchase a solar pump to avoid the hassle of cords. Now you can put water into your new pond to see if everything is right. Start the pump to make sure it’s working properly before you start decorating your pond. The fourth step, the one people like the most, is decorating your pond. Make it look as natural as you can. Use rocks and plants to hide extension cords and to hide the contour of the liner. You can now add decorative solar lighting which will provide a nice accent to your pond at night.

The only limitation you have in decorating your pond is your own imagination! Don’t be afraid to experiment. You will love the result! The thing I love the most about this hobby is that I can upgrade or change things as much as I want. Every year I add something or change something, which becomes a great conversation piece when we have friends or family over for a visit.

Good luck!

Pat owns http://www.mywaterpondsite.com which help people find pond supply and solar lights at discount prices.

Knowing Your Miniature Roses

by KEN AUSTIN

This article on miniture roses should be of great interest to anyone with even a passing interest in gardening, especially rose gardening. It lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with caring for miniature rose bushes.

Miniature roses 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 varieties 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 miniature roses is no more difficult then caring for the larger variety. But, taking the time to learn about the miniature rose is key in maintaining them over a long period of time.

If you don't have accurate details regarding miniature roses, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.

Miniature roses come in many colors and varieties. There truly is something to please everyone. These roses are great additions to a flower bed, window box or even inside the home or office as a potted variety. With so many choices available, the demand for these roses has risen.

Once hard to find, they are now available in most garden centers and even in discount department stores as well. Now, this is not to say that the consumer can't find better, more hardy options other places.

If a consumer is dead set on a color, shape, or texture in their miniature rose, they should use the internet to help them find the right miniature rose for them. This is as simple as going a search in a search engine and finding wholesale sellers. There is a constant demand for miniature roses and in that they are always developing more varieties to please the public. So, many of these wholesalers can offer more then the local garden center can.

Anyone in the market for miniature roses needs to know their facts. The miniature rose is no different from other plants in that it needs certain elements to help maintain it. The soil type, sun exposure, and nutrients it needs all depend on the variety. Asking the retailer for this information is a must.

Grab a book on caring for miniature roses if needed to give the most information possible. Doing all these things will lead to owning a beautiful miniature rose or several. It will also be the foundation of a love of miniature roses as well.

So now you know a little bit about miniature roses. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge. Ken Austin runs a website devoted to gardening and landsacping. Visit our gardening articles section for gardening ideas and gardening tips, or visit our low maintenance gardening article for some interesting information on low maintenance gardening.

Some organic gardening tips

by JAKOB JELLING

Most synthetic fertilizers contain components and chemicals which can be harmful to living organisms, and therefore organic gardening usually is a wiser option. If you wish to apply organic gardening techniques, you should start by avoiding all synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and use natural options instead.

Once you have decided where you will plant, you should apply natural compost and rock materials to it. If you have flower beds, you should add about 3" of organic material to them; this will add enough nutrients and humus as well as help conserving water.

If you have acid-loving plants, a good idea is to place a layer of pine needles over their bed every fall, since these needles have a nourishing acid which will help the plants growing strong and healthy. Try to avoid using any pesticide by making sure of adding enough organic soil, since this component strengthens the immune system of the plants and helps them growing strong.

At the time of choosing plants, try to opt for the ones which better adapt to the temperature, shade, and soil in which they will be. If these factors are not the appropriate ones for the plants you choose, you might not succeed in growing them as strong and healthy as you might have intended.

Compost is the main organic matter which should not be missing in an organic garden. Ideally, the compost should be made from organic elements such as grass clippings, leaves, or kitchen waste. Also, in order to avoid using chemical pesticides you should try to have as many different plants as possible, since this variety will create a biodiversity with many different microbes and insects that will control each other.

You should mulch your organic garden often, since this offers an important protection and helps avoiding the erosion produced by natural elements such as the rain. You can make your mulch with elements such as grass, sticks, shredding leaves, and compost as well as other organic materials. Mulching protects roots, helping them being strong during winter cold or preventing the adverse effects of the sun’s heat.

Jelling is the founder of Dwank.com.

Gardening made Easy

will help you learn the basics of gardening, and get your own garden started ready for showing off to everyone, even if your thumb is far from green!

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