Hopefully you have noticed that the site has been completely revamped if you are a regular visitor. If this is your first time here I welcome you. The site is now running on the wordpress platform which will allow me to add content more easily.

I hope you like the new look. Stay tuned for more articles and information to help you with your gardening need.

Bye for now.

Don

By Nick Malloy

How are your tomatoes looking this year? Are those green peppers and radishes up to snuff? When it comes to our personal gardens, we like to work with a little concept called “perfection”. We can’t help it. It’s just one of those innate qualities we’ve all been afflicted with since the beginning of time. Okay, so maybe I just made that part up. Anyway, the point is we love our gardens, and that’s why we prefer to go to great lengths to keep them looking great and producing perfect vegetables. After all, aside from the sense of pride that they give us, that’s why we have them in the first place.

We don’t want that nasty, pesticide-coated produce from the local grocery store. However, not all of us know the absolute best and most efficient way to start a garden. Keeping these small patches of dirt in order can be a tad more difficult than it sounds. Fortunately now-a-days you don’t have to be a landscaping expert or work in a greenhouse in order to acquire an ideal garden of your own. All you need in a personal computer and some garden design software. Now, who’s got the hoe?

Have you ever come across the concept of garden design software? Okay, okay; this is probably a new one for most folks. So many of us learn proper gardening skills from our Mom or Dad. These tricks of the trade are passed down from generation to generation. Your mother carefully showed you exactly how to plant those carrots and prune those tomato vines. It’s a rather methodical process. I can remember the first time I worked in a garden. I have to admit that I really wasn’t interested to say the least. And there certainly wasn’t any garden design software around to offer me a helping hand. My father simply passed me some vegetable packets with seeds in them and said, “Okay, plant em.” Yeah, sure; that was easy for him to say. Regardless, I did the best I could at the time and learned some things in the process. In the end, I did produce some rather fine peas and tomatoes if I do say so myself.

Are you having trouble getting started in your back yard? Have you tilled that section of land yet in order to start your fresh garden? It may be a wise plan to pick up some garden design software first and give it a shot. Plan your entire garden scheme on your laptop. This will make things much easier. When you step into that backyard, you’ll know exactly where to begin. Hop online now and check out a variety of garden design software products.

Here is an interesting resource I found while researching this topic. There’s a 30 money back guarantee and I found the garden design demo on the site fascinating.

Garden Design Software  = http://www.gardencomposer.com/

by Bridget Mwape

The following lawn and garden care tips will help you get the most from your garden.

1. Different soil types have different watering needs. Loosen the soil around plants so it can quickly absorb water and nutrients. Early morning or night is the best time for watering to reduce evaporation. Lengthening the time between watering combined with deep, heavy watering encourages root growth while reducing top growth in lawns. This increases the root-to-shoot ratio and helps produce plants that are more resistant to wilting when exposed to infrequent watering.

2. When choosing plants for your garden, remember crops that are suited to your soil and climate will be more resistant to problems. If you experiment with exotics, be prepared to give them more care. Also, when placing plants around the home, remember as a general rule, plants with thick leaves can take lower light levels than those with thin leaves.

3. Fertilizers provide nutrients necessary for plant health and growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Test your soil to find out what nutrients are needed. Choose a fertilizer that has at least one-fourth of the nitrogen in a slow-release form, such as sulphur-coated urea.

4. Mow lawn frequently to chop up leaves and recycle them into the lawn. If the leaves are too thick or matted then rake them up.

5. Keep garden beds covered with shredded leaves to minimize the risk of soil erosion and nutrient run-off.

6. Leave the grass clippings to decompose on the lawn. This will provide nutrients equivalent to one or two fertilizer applications. Set mower at 2 inches to reduce water use during hot weather.

7. Consider using natural alternatives for chemical pesticides such as non-detergent insecticidal soaps, garlic, hot pepper sprays, used dishwater, or forceful stream of water to dislodge insects. Also consider using plants that naturally repel insects.

8. Organic Gardening – Since organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials are slow working in general, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting and the soil thoroughly prepared for the seed or transplants.

9. Where animal manures are available, they are probably the best source of fertilizer and organic matter for the organic gardener. Use manure which has been aged for at least 30 days, or composted.

10. Weeds are easy to control when they are small. Shallow cultivation and hoeing are advised in order to reduce damage to the root system.
About the Author:

Bridget Mwape writes for the Garden Center web site at http://www.garden-center.org.uk/ and also contributes articles to the Plumbing Supplies web site at: http://www.plumbing-supplies-uk.co.uk/

Source: www.GoArticles.com

By Michael J. McGroarty

In the past few years I’ve read about and have seen more interest in wildflowers, so I figure it’s about time I jump in and add my two cents.   I have watched in despair as some of my friends have created a wildflower bed in their yards, and have ended up with the biggest, ugliest patch of weeds I have ever seen. Why did they get weeds instead of wildflowers?   Two reasons.

One, they were armed with a lack of good information, and two, they were led to believe that planting a beautiful bed of wildflowers is so easy that a child could do it. Actually, a child could do it, and with great success. But only if that child were extremely lucky, or had a basic understanding of exactly how to plant a bed of wildflowers and achieve incredible success.

In the next few minutes I intend to arm you with enough good information so you can successfully plant a beautiful bed of wildflowers, and have your neighbors hanging over the fence asking you how ya did it.   First of all, you’ve got to understand what kind of a neighborhood wildflowers like to live in. They tend to prefer wide open spaces with at least 8 hours of sunshine each day. It’s true, they are sun worshipers. They also like the soil to be rich in nutrients, and well drained. They don’t like hard packed soil, and they don’t like to get their sneakers wet, only for short periods of time.   If you have an area that tends to be wet, wildflowers are not the answer.

Wildflowers can be used for weed control, and with a great deal of success.  But you have to give the wildflowers a running start, or the weeds will keep the area “Wildflower Free”. Weeds and wildflowers are both sun worshipers, so whoever reaches the top first wins. Neither will grow well without adequate sunlight. If you use this to your advantage you can have a beautiful bed of wildflowers that requires little maintenance.

The secret is proper bed preparation. You must create a bed that is as weed free as possible. You can do this by removing all the vegetation from the area you intend to plant in, and then prepare the soil for planting by tilling or raking to a depth of just one inch or less. Do not disturb the soil any deeper than that, or you will just disturb dormant weed seeds that are just waiting to be brought back to the surface so they can grow. You should consider spraying the existing vegetation with Roundup before you remove it. This will kill all the roots that might still be in the soil.

Keep in mind that you need to spray the weeds or grass with Roundup at least three days before you disturb them. If you feel that the area you have chosen has a significant amount of weed seed near the surface, you might consider letting the soil sit for about six days after you work it, then work it again. Do this over and over, but don’t work the soil more than one inch deep. The longer you continue this process the more apt you are to get the bed as weed free as possible.

Most weed seeds germinate rather quickly, so when you bring them to the surface through your cultivation efforts, you are giving them a chance to germinate. But then when you work the soil again in six days, you will actually interrupt the germination process and the seed will be spent. The longer you continue the process, the fewer viable weed seeds you will have to contend with. Of course additional seeds are blowing in all the time, so it’s unrealistic to think that you can create a planting bed that is free of weed seed.

The most important aspect of this process is to have your bed as ready as possible, at the ideal time for planting wildflower seeds. The secret of success is to plant the wildflower seeds at the ideal time so they take off growing immediately, and beat the weeds at their own game.

The ideal time? Depends on where you live. If you’re in zones one through six, you should plant in the spring. If you’re in zones seven through 11, you should probably plant in the fall.

Wildflower seeds like warm soil. They will germinate best with a soil temperature of 68 to 70 degrees F. So if you live in a cooler region, you should wait until later in the spring to plant. There’s no point planting when the soil temperature is 45 degrees and have the seeds just lay there while some of the weed seeds germinate. You’d be much better off to continue working the soil as described above until the soil temperature is up to 68 degrees.

I’ll say it again, just in case you missed it earlier. Don’t work the soil any deeper than one inch.

Now for planting the wildflower seeds.

The best way to plant your wildflower seeds is to distribute them with a small hand held broadcast spreader, or to apply them in a manner that mimics that technique. In order to get the best coverage you should thoroughly mix the seeds with dry sand, vermiculite, or potting soil to increase the volume before you spread them. It’s a lot easier to evenly distribute five pounds of granular material over an area than it is 8 ounces.

As you spread the seeds, walk in straight lines from one end of the bed to the other. Then do the same thing from the side of the bed in a crisscross pattern to the first set of footsteps you made. This will give you thorough and even distribution. This is why you should mix the seeds with some sort of filler material before you start, so you have plenty of volume to work with, and will be able to cover the area completely and evenly.

I urge you to visit www.wildseedfarms.com and ask for a catalog, or call their toll free number. 1-800-848-0078. This company publishes one of the most complete and informative catalogs I’ve ever seen. They have a color photo of each variety, along with a good description. They even tell you what percentage of seeds you can expect to germinate, and this varies from variety to variety, so they list this information for each variety.

They also tell you how long each variety takes to germinate, and what the ideal soil temperature is. They tell you how many seeds are in each pack, how many seeds in a pound, and how much seed you need to cover a given area. Wildflower seeds have germination periods of 6 to 28 days, so you have to keep this in mind as you plan your garden. If you select a variety that has a 28 day germination period, you should select a second variety with a much quicker germination period and mix them together before sowing.

If you were to sow only seeds with a 28 day germination period, the weeds would get a jump on the wildflowers, and you would likely end up with a weed garden. When you mix seeds with different germination periods, the faster germinating seeds will come up very quickly, and act as a nurse crop for the seeds that need more time, keeping the weeds and birds at bay until all the seeds can germinate.

Good luck with your wildflower garden! Have fun, and enjoy.

Michael J. McGroarty, the author of this article, would like to give you this Ebook: “The Gardener’s Secret Handbook”.

Stop by his http://www.freeplants.com website and get your copy right now. It’s his way of saying hello!

Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com
About the Author:
Michael J. McGroarty has more than 30 years experience in the landscape gardening/nursery industry. He’s spent the better part of his life on his hands and knees in the dirt working with plants and his hands-on experience allows Mike to write in a manner than many gardeners find to be helpful and beneficial.

Source: www.GoArticles.com

Have you ever wanted to have an amazing garden? … to have the pride, not only of ownership… but also that special pride that comes only from having done it yourself. This article could be just the insight you need to become the envy of the neighborhood!

A flower garden can be a peaceful and beautiful refuge from the rest of the world. Sitting in the midst of fragrant flowers while reading a book or strolling along paths lined with flowers in cheerful colors can help you to wind down after a busy, stressful day. With some planning and work, a lovely flower garden can be yours to enjoy.

Planning Flower Garden Designs

Creating beautiful flower garden designs takes much planning and consideration. You will need to consider the types of flowers and combinations of colors you desire for the garden. You will also need to think about the placement of borders and shrubs as well as seating and ornaments. It is a good idea to choose an overall style for the garden and stick with it. When you begin your flower garden designs project, you should make a scale drawing of the design to help visualize your concepts.

Shapes in Flower Garden Designs

Decide upon the shape and pattern for your flower garden designs. Rectangular flower garden designs are a traditional shape and always popular. Circular shaped gardens add interest to the standard rectangular lawn. Flower gardens planted on a diagonal to the house can make a lawn appear larger than it actually is.

Styles of Flower Garden Designs

There are a number of styles of gardens that you can plant, and many of them are not too difficult to achieve. Some favorite flower garden designs are listed here.

Rose Flower Garden Designs

Rose Gardens are easy to plant and beautiful to see. In addition to modern roses, include fragrant, old-fashioned varieties of roses whose scent will delight. Plant bulbs in the beds and border them with seasonal flowers to keep the garden full of color during the blooming seasons.

Cottage Flower Garden Designs

Informal cottage gardens have an old-fashioned, rustic look about them. These flower garden designs incorporate the use of flowers, plants and vegetables.

Shade Flower Garden Designs

Shade gardens are good flower garden designs for spaces with many trees blocking the sunlight. There are many flowers that do well in shady areas, including impatiens, begonia, azalea, hosta and viola. The lack of leaves on the trees in spring allows spring bulbs to grow, filling the space with color.

Wildflower Flower Garden Designs

Wildflower gardens are flower garden designs that feature plants indigenous to the area where the garden is located. These gardens tend to require less pampering than some of the other types listed here, usually not requiring much weeding or amendments to the soil.

Butterfly Flower Garden Designs

Butterfly gardens are delightful flower garden designs, planted with flowers known to attract butterflies. Plants such as marigold, lilac, coreopsis, lavender, black-eyed susan and goldenrod are all good choices for butterfly gardens.

Hummingbird Flower Garden Designs

Likewise, hummingbird gardens are a good choice for those who enjoy spotting these small birds. Hummingbirds like richly colored flowers with sweet nectar and a tubular shape. Red and fuschia flowers in particular tend to attract hummingbirds. Some hummingbird garden favorites are morning glory, petunias, azalea, rose of sharon, delphinium and honeysuckle.
About the Author:
Want more Garden Design Tips?? Learn more tips and techniques at our Garden Design resource site – your-one-stop-shop for Garden Design!!! If learning the latest garden design techniques is important for you then visit out site now!!! http://www.gardendesignshq.com

Source: www.GoArticles.com

By Francis Kilkelly

If you’ve ever wondered why soil can make or break your gardening efforts, this article will teach you not only why, but what you can do to dramatically improve any gardening project!

Have you ever looked at the soil in your garden and considered it as anything more than soil? If not you should because there is a lot more there than meets the eye. It performs many functions that you may not be aware of and having good quality soil in your garden is essential for your plants. In this article we will look at the functions of soil, what different types there are and finally some ways to make it healthier.

Functions of Soil

The most immediately apparent function of soil is a medium to support plant life. It provides support both physically and biologically. Physical support is provided by allowing the plant to grow its roots through the soil to hold itself in place. Biological support is provided by its ability to hold nutrients and water that the plant needs. It also supports other types of life as well. Microorganisms and insects live in the soil and they in turn aid plant life by helping to decay organic material and adding structure to the soil. Soil allows the growth of food crops which are consumed by humans and also plants used in the creation of medicines. Microorganisms like fungi and bacteria that live in soil and are used to produce antibiotics. All life on earth is dependant on it either directly and indirectly. This includes the plant life in your garden.

What is Soil Made of?

The four major components of soil are mineral matter, organic matter (humus), water and air. Mineral matter refers to the inorganic elements in the soil e.g. stones, gravel and makes up to 40%-60% of its volume. This part of the soil usually originates from the bedrock that lies beneath the soil. Organic matter (humus) is the decayed remains and waste products of plants and animals and has a great effect on the chemical properties of the soil e.g. availability of nutrients. Almost 40%-60% of a soil’s volume can be space and this is occupied by water and air.

Different Types of Soil Texture

Soil texture is defined as the size distribution of different mineral particles. These mineral particles are at their most basic level the following: sand, silt and clay. Sand particles are 2 to 0.05 mm diameter, silt particles are 0.05 to 0.002 mm diameter and clay particles are less than 0.002 mm diameter. Combination of these particles exhibit different properties in soil and some combinations favour plant life better than others. The following are the most common classes of soil texture:

Clay soil Contains a high percentage of clay particles and feels lumpy to the touch. The small size of the clay particles means that they clump together quite readily and there is less room for air spaces. Consequently clay soils have poor drainage and do not hold nutrients very well. This is a heavy soil and is sticky when wet making it hard to work with. As much as possible you should take steps to improve the drainage of this type of soil. You will learn how later on in this article.

Silty soil Contains a high percentage of silt particles and feels smooth to the touch. This soil is a well drained soil due to the size of the particles allowing space for water to permeate. This soil holds nutrients more readily than clay soil due to the spaces. It is easy to cultivate but can be compacted quite easily.

Sandy soil Contains a high percentage of sand particles and feels gritty to the touch, Allows for quite a lot of space in between particles and as a result is very free draining. This has its disadvantages however as it does not hold water and essential nutrients can get washed away.

Loamy soil This is the best type of soil texture you can have in your garden. This is soil whose properties are controlled equally by the percentages of clay, silt and sand particles. It is well drained but does not loose water too easily as is the case with sandy and sometimes silty soils. The fact that it retains water means it also retains nutrients for your plants to use. It has a great structure and is easy to cultivate.

What Makes a Soil Healthy?

Healthy soil must be fertile and have a good structure.

For a soil to be fertile it must have nutrients readily available and a pH value at a recommended level for the plants that will reside in it. Nutrients that should be available are the essential nutrients nitrogen (leaf growth), phosphorous (root growth) and phosphorous (overall health). As well as the essential nutrients there should also be trace elements like calcium and magnesium. The pH level of the soil refers to its acidity or alkalinity and each plant has its own preferred value range. Plants placed into fertile soil will grow up to be very strong and healthy specimens (that is if other conditions like light levels and climate are favourable as well).

The other determiner of a healthy soil is its texture. We learned about different types of soil texture earlier in this article. Soil having a loamy texture is the healthiest and it should be strived for if at all possible. In general a soil that retain nutrients and allow water and air to permeate it will be beneficial for the life of your plants.

How to Create Healthy Soil No matter what type of soil you have the addition of organic matter will work wonders for its health. Organic matter is plant and animal residues in varying forms of decomposition. It will replenish the nutrients in your soil and improve its texture. You may have heard countless times about adding your leftovers and glass clippings to a compost heap. This is a great idea as your compost is the best form of organic matter. Compost in an advanced stage of decomposition (dark and without smell) is magic for your soil. It encourages microorganism activity causing soil particles to clump together and form aggregates. The aggregates allows for spaces in the soil therefore increasing its drainage. This is especially beneficial for clay soils, which have poor drainage. Other forms of organic matter are animal manure and peat moss.

If your soil is lacking in nutrients and you don’t have access to a compost heap you have a choice of using inorganic or organic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers (inorganic salts, manufactured chemically) can be purchased at your local garden and are applied in a dry form that is raked lightly at the base of a plant or in a liquid form. While inorganic fertilizers will work fine they have a number of disadvantages: they release their nutrients too quickly and there is some evidence to show that plants develop a resistance to inorganic fertilizer methods over time, requiring more and more to achieve the same effect. Organic fertilizers are more in tune with nature because they are created from the remains or by-product of an organism. They act slower but they ‘amend’ the soil rather than the quick ‘feeding’ it like inorganic fertilizers.

The pH of your soil will also affect its fertility. Each plant has its own preferred pH value range. To learn more pH and how to change it read my Soil pH article here http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e3-9-soil-ph-and-its-effect-on-your-garden.html

Conclusion Soil like a lot of things in the garden requires maintenance. We have learned about the different types of soil texture, what constitutes a fertile, healthy soil and how to create it if it does not exist. The next step is to step out into your garden, take a look at your soil and help your plants out if your soil is of a poor quality. Your plants will thank you ten-fold believe me. Good luck!
About the Author:
Francis Kilkelly runs a great gardening community at http://www.gardenstew.com/ containing forums and gardening blogs ( http://www.gardenstew.com/blogs.php ).

Original Article Location:  www.GoArticles.com

How to build a Home Pond the Easy Way

By Thomas Peter

Imagine a situation where you walk into your backyard and you are greeted by the unruffled sound of water coming from a beautiful pond. How about the pond having colorful fishes and exotic plants, all giving an impression that you are in Paradise Island. Won’t that be great? If you think it is, then it’s about time you start thinking of having a pond in your backyard.

Think having a pond is a tough job? Think again! By some clever planning and informed spending you can get yourself an excellent pond in less time by spending much lesser than what you have in mind. Discussed in this article are three techniques which you can employ to build a garden pond.

Techniques to Build the Pond

Basically you can employ any one of the three techniques mentioned below to build your pond. The first two techniques are the best ones in-case you are planning to build the pond on your own. The third option of using concrete ponds can be chosen in-case you decide to make use of professional labor. So let’s look at these options:

1.) Making use of a flexible Pond Liner

Making use of a pond liner is the best way to build a pond especially if you are a beginner. The process involves choosing the spot in your backyard where you want the pond located. Making use of a garden hose or clack to mark the spot and finally taking measurements for buying the flexible liner. You can buy the liner from any store dealing with pond products, making sure they deal with quality materials.

Got a Shovel?? Ok, time to put that to good use. Take you shovel and start digging the part you have already marked with clack. Dig to a good depth based on the type of pond you are planning to build before introducing the liner. Place the liner on the excavated part and cover the edges with some decorative stones to hide it. Now fill the pond with water using a garden hose. Features such as pond filters can then be introduced to keep the pond water clean and safe for the fishes and plants.

2.) Making use of Preformed Garden Ponds

Want to make things simpler? Make use of preformed garden ponds that are available in the market in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can buy them readymade and make use of them as preferred by you, above the ground or below the ground. If you are going for a below the ground pond, then you have to start the digging process as described before and then lay the preformed pond.

Water can be introduced in the pond at the time of laying to help it settle down well. Make sure to remove any stone or debris from the excavated area, to prevent the preformed liner from getting damaged.

3.) Making use of Concrete

If you are planning to use concrete for building your pond then it is best to make use of expert help. This is because the processes involved in developing the concrete mixture, pouring the mixture into the excavated area and finally setting it up by painting the outer layer all involve expert knowledge. After the concrete pond is ready, you can fill it with water and then empty it to make sure that all chemicals are removed. You can repeat this process two to three times over a period of two weeks. This is to be done in-case you are planning to include exotic fishes and plants in your pond.

So take your pick of the above choices and you will have a great pond adoring your backyard in no time at all. Happy Pondscaping!!

About the Author:

Author is the webmaster of abcponds.com a site dedicated to offering quality content and product information on backyard pond building.

Source: www.GoArticles.com

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The Art of Landscaping Your Garden

By Marie K Fisher

Landscaping is the one gardening endeavor that can consume lots and lots of your time and energy. If you are thinking of tackling it on a grand scale, you will need some major preparation. If you were to consider hiring a professional landscaper, you would most probably find that the costs would be quite horrendous.

Now that’s fine if money is no object, but I personally get great pleasure from my own endeavors, gardening is after all my great passion in life.

I would strongly suggest however, that you have a clear idea in your mind about how you would like your garden to look, rather than simply starting off without a clear plan in mind.

Having said all that,here are simple but indispensable tips to guide you in making your landscaping activities extremely rewarding.

Draw Your Landscape Plan.

However not just any plan. It needs to be a well thought out landscape plan, or you are certainly doomed to lose money as well as time and energy. You really need to take account of the style and function of your landscape, and a good idea of the plants that you also want to include. Focus on that area where you spend most of your time, because this is where your landscaping labors should all be directed.

Investigate A Free Planning Service.

Hiring an independent designer would probly cost you hundreds of dollars, but you might well discover that many nurseries offer a free planning service, particularly if you are likely to be spending some money with them.

Take Account Of The Style Of Your Home.

When planning your landscape, the style should complement the design of your house and your personality as well. There are various landscape styles which you can choose for your garden:-

1. Formal – This style uses lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes. Orderly arrangement of plants instead of random positioning is employed, and close arrangement and pruning is used on many landscaped gardens with this style.

2. Informal – This kind of landscaping goes well with houses which have a cozy look to them. Beds with curved edges instead of straight lines and random placement of plants suit this landscape style.

3. English Garden – This style emphasizes on the harmony between the house’s architecture and the garden.

4. Formal/Informal Garden – This style often comes with a brick walkway that exudes formality. This walkway leads to the rear with a circle of plants. The arrangement of plants resembles the English garden style, but it has no formal borders.

5. Oriental – It is often the kind of garden found in houses with small backyards. It uses rocks, evergreens and water, and a wide variety of plants to create several angles with this style.

6. Woodland – This landscaping suits a house that has a wooded backyard and an inclined terrain.

Keeping those tips in mind will not only make your landscaping a very fruitful activity, but will save you considerable expense as well as time.

Don,t be frightened to use your imagination and flair for color in this project, after all it is primarily to please yourself and your family. I suggest that the satisfaction that you will gain from creating and designing your own personal landscaped garden, will make you feel like a true artist.
About the Author

Marie K Fisher is an avid gardening enthusiast with a passion for exotic flowers and wonderful colors. She is a regular contributor to Garden Center Showplace a leading online Garden Center. For more details of the superb range of products offered, and also more Featured Articles and Tips on Gardening visit http://www.gardencentershowplace.com/

Source: www.GoArticles.com