Remember plants and dogs are just like babies you need to look after them like that. Just like you would pamper you child from time to time, you should take give your garden a facelift as well. If you don't have the time or resources for that make sure you have a few garden basics.
Garden Tools
Every one needs a good gardening kit. It should have all the basic tools like garden scissors, pitch fork, garden hoe, plough, rake and fork. These are just the basics; you can also upgrade to lawn aerators, lawn sweepers and blowers.
Lawn Mower
Trimming the grass is essential for it to grow well and look lush. Having a lawn mower makes everything easier and much simpler. It s blades make sure that the grass is cut evenly. The type and capacity of the mower depends on the length and growth of the lawn. You can choose between reel mowers, rotary movers, electric cord and cordless mowers and riding mowers.
Water feature
You can have a pond constructed and have the most beautiful lotuses and other water plants in it. How about a waterfall? They look beautiful and are not difficult to install. If you are worried about water wastage you need not worry as you now have water fountains that use the same water that doesn't need to be changed from time to time. If you are looking for something smaller you can install a bird bath. They look beautiful, the children will love it and so will the birds!
Garden Edging
This is an aesthetic feature that has many benefits. Edging frames the garden and segregates the grass from the plant area. This way you can trim the plants easily, protect the plants from weed and ensure that there is no erosion. Garden edging adds a special touch to the space. Edging is available in wood, plastic, metal and concrete. You can opt for various colours and styles. Once installed it will change how your garden looks or how you see your garden!
You can also consider installing a sand box for the children in the garden corner so they can enjoy the garden as much as you. We also suggest lights along the edging or flower bed. It will look beautiful and make your home come alive in the night. You must construct a garden shed to store all your equipment and manure. Last, but not the least, consider some garden furniture to add to the space for Sunday morning breakfasts!
For more on garden essentials and garden edging you can visit www.hillskerbs.com.au.
About the Author
Nick Heidfeld is a Commercial and Domestic kerbing specialist working in the industry for 15 years. He specialises in innovative ways of kerbing and edging.
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est gardening. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est gardening. Afficher tous les articles
21/12/2009
16/11/2009
Fresh Herb Gardening by Winry Beckwell
For anyone, fresh herb gardening can be quite the rewarding adventure. You can get your fresh herb gardening off to a great start with a little preparation.
Herb Garden Design
First off, think carefully about which herbs you'd like to plant and where to place them in your allotted space. A great place for frequently used herbs such as basil and parsley is along the borders of your garden. If planting both annuals and perennials - which you'll likely want - leave the perennials enough room to grow and expand.
Some herbs are well suited to inclusion in the vegetable garden, where they can be harvested as needed. Their self-seeding may even be welcome there. Annual herbs such as basil, coriander, and dill are quite convenient in fact if they are near the vegetables they will be cooked with.
Soil and location
Soil and site conditions are a few more elements that will affect the success of your fresh herb gardening. It is especially important that your soil have proper drainage. Too much water is detrimental and overly damp herbs will not grow well. Poor soil drainage all puts your herbs at risk of root rot. Keep this in mind with fresh herb gardening and when selecting the location for your garden.
Even if you don't have a well drained area for your fresh herb gardening, all is not lost. Remove the garden soil down 16 inches, and then add about three inches of gravel. On top of that, mix in a little bit of sand with the soil you removed before replacing it above the gravel. This will remedy any problem you're having with spoil drainage.
Planting herb seeds
Aside from a few exceptions, many herbs can be successfully cultivated from seed. When going this route, it is recommended to begin your fresh herb gardening in the late winter by planting the seeds in boxes. In spring, transplant the sprouts outdoors into the garden.
Since herb seeds are so small, take care not to sow them too deep. It may sound surprising, but 1/8 of an inch of soil is often enough for exceptionally fine seeds such as marjoram, savory, or thyme. Cover fine seeds with burlap during germination to keep the soil moist. A few other herbs, such as fennel, dill, and coriander, don't transplant well. If starting these herbs from seed, plant them straight into the garden.
Harvesting Herbs
One of the best parts of fresh herb gardening naturally is the harvest. As soon as your plants have enough leaves to maintain growth, you can begin harvesting. Some herbs are well suited to the vegetable garden. Herbs such as basil, rosemary, and sage are often used in cooking so placing them in a vegetable garden makes it easy to harvest at the same time the vegetables and herbs that go well together. A great bonus to inter-planting your herbs in the vegetable or flower garden is that, again, many herbs attract beneficial insects to the garden. This will certainly help in overall pest control.
The best time to harvest the leaves or seeds from your fresh herb garden is early in the morning. The essential oils that insure excellent flavor and aroma are at their best before the sun gets hot so harvest your herbs just after the dew has gone away.
You should now be all set to begin your adventure in fresh herb gardening!
About the Author
Winry is an herb expert. For more information on fresh herb gardening, visit http://herb-garden-information.com/fresh-herb-gardening.html.
Herb Garden Design
First off, think carefully about which herbs you'd like to plant and where to place them in your allotted space. A great place for frequently used herbs such as basil and parsley is along the borders of your garden. If planting both annuals and perennials - which you'll likely want - leave the perennials enough room to grow and expand.
Some herbs are well suited to inclusion in the vegetable garden, where they can be harvested as needed. Their self-seeding may even be welcome there. Annual herbs such as basil, coriander, and dill are quite convenient in fact if they are near the vegetables they will be cooked with.
Soil and location
Soil and site conditions are a few more elements that will affect the success of your fresh herb gardening. It is especially important that your soil have proper drainage. Too much water is detrimental and overly damp herbs will not grow well. Poor soil drainage all puts your herbs at risk of root rot. Keep this in mind with fresh herb gardening and when selecting the location for your garden.
Even if you don't have a well drained area for your fresh herb gardening, all is not lost. Remove the garden soil down 16 inches, and then add about three inches of gravel. On top of that, mix in a little bit of sand with the soil you removed before replacing it above the gravel. This will remedy any problem you're having with spoil drainage.
Planting herb seeds
Aside from a few exceptions, many herbs can be successfully cultivated from seed. When going this route, it is recommended to begin your fresh herb gardening in the late winter by planting the seeds in boxes. In spring, transplant the sprouts outdoors into the garden.
Since herb seeds are so small, take care not to sow them too deep. It may sound surprising, but 1/8 of an inch of soil is often enough for exceptionally fine seeds such as marjoram, savory, or thyme. Cover fine seeds with burlap during germination to keep the soil moist. A few other herbs, such as fennel, dill, and coriander, don't transplant well. If starting these herbs from seed, plant them straight into the garden.
Harvesting Herbs
One of the best parts of fresh herb gardening naturally is the harvest. As soon as your plants have enough leaves to maintain growth, you can begin harvesting. Some herbs are well suited to the vegetable garden. Herbs such as basil, rosemary, and sage are often used in cooking so placing them in a vegetable garden makes it easy to harvest at the same time the vegetables and herbs that go well together. A great bonus to inter-planting your herbs in the vegetable or flower garden is that, again, many herbs attract beneficial insects to the garden. This will certainly help in overall pest control.
The best time to harvest the leaves or seeds from your fresh herb garden is early in the morning. The essential oils that insure excellent flavor and aroma are at their best before the sun gets hot so harvest your herbs just after the dew has gone away.
You should now be all set to begin your adventure in fresh herb gardening!
About the Author
Winry is an herb expert. For more information on fresh herb gardening, visit http://herb-garden-information.com/fresh-herb-gardening.html.
29/01/2008
Winter Gardening
Just because the garden is asleep doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do for winter gardeners. Winter gardening takes advantage of little or no plant growth at this time of year to force us to concentrate on admittedly less attractive, but equally important tasks. There are many things you can do this time of year to make sure that your winter garden turns into the spring garden of your dreams.
*If the cold permits, use the winter in the garden to work on structure and hardscaping. This is a great time to plan or build arbors, built in seating, edging and paths. Winter allows you to see the bones of the garden to help you visualize where it needs some hardscaping. Perhaps your paths need to be redirected, or you see a spot that could use a trellis and some height. Take advantage of the bare winter garden to provide your plants with a background and structure.
*Use this time to redesign your flower beds. If you haven't already created a garden notebook, now is a good time to start. Draw a diagram of each part of your garden, and mark the spot of the flowers, shrubs and bulbs. You may have to add items as spring approaches, and up pops that plant you had forgotten about! Get a basic layout of your garden, and consider what worked last year, and what didn't. Note blank spots in the garden, and use paper templates to try new combinations of flowers within your beds. Color your paper templates to help you visualize the effect on the garden. Make a separate page for each plant you have in your garden, and note as much information as you can about it.
*This is the time to browse those garden seed catalogs! Don't wait until spring, by then it will be too late to grow from seed for this season for most plants. Consider ordering some new varieties of old garden favorites such as sunflowers, coneflower and foxglove.
*If you want to plant vegetables this year, now is the time to prepare your beds. Till or spade under your chosen vegetable plot, then add organic matter and fertilizer and till in. Allow to sit several weeks to settle, until proper plating time for your area. This will prevent any hot spots in the garden from your organic matter and fertilizer, and allow the soil to settle to prevent drying out of the roots.
*Start some seeds indoors to have plants ready to put out in the garden after last frost. Now is the time to grow those plants from seed you can't find at the nursery. Your indoor seed growing station can be as complicated as a deluxe indoor greenhouse with lights, or as simple as a re-used egg carton on a windowsill. Some easy plants to grow indoors from seed include most sun loving annuals and such perennials as Shasta Daisy, Black Eyed Susan, Coneflower, Coreopsis and many ornamental grasses. Growing perennials from seed can save you hundreds of dollars, as the average 4 inch pot perennial sells for $3-$6, and a packet of seeds that might produce 100 plants averages $2.
*Finally, go over all your tools and supplies, and find out what needs repair, attention or replacement. The last thing you want is for that first spring day to arrive and you rush out to pop those first seeds in the ground, only to find your gloves need to be replaced or your spade handle is breaking!
Just because the weather is cold doesn't mean gardeners must sleep! Use the time wisely, and you will be rewarded with plenty of time to enjoy those spring bulbs and fragrant flowers in just a short time!
About the Author
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 http://www.TheGardenGlove.com and http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com .
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