Gardening

When creating a garden at your home, there is much that needs to be considered and thought out before the spade shovel will ever hit the dirt. The location of the garden is important. What type of sunlight will the garden be receiving? Is this a garden of flowers alone? Is it a fruit and vegetable garden? Is it any combination of the preceding? How big will it be? How much time are you able to devote to cultivating it? All of these are important questions that should be answered and well thought out before you attack the chore of planting.

A backyard may be a big or small space. The space that you will devote to your garden may be big or small. The size of the garden should be the first decision made. Take into account the time that is available to you to care for the garden thoroughly. You want to keep gardening a pleasurable experience, therefore, don’t try to squeeze more than you can comfortably handle into your garden. If you work full time and have small children at home, a smaller garden that requires less care would be better for you. On the other hand, if you’re retired or have the means to stay home and have little else to do with your time, a large many faceted garden would fit your life. Be realistic with the time that you have to devote, those plants depend on you in combination with nature to care for them.

Once you have decided the size of the garden, what will go in it should be the next decision. Again, this will have to do with the time you have to devote to the garden. Some plants need just a little water and they can sustain themselves well while others require constant pruning, fertilizing on a schedule, and watering. When choosing the plants that will be included in the garden, read the labels carefully and they will tell you how much care each particular plant requires. Also, be careful not to plant too many avid growers in the same location. Otherwise your garden will look overgrown in no time and it will be difficult to keep up with pruning.

When those important decisions have been made, it’s time to plot out your land, prepare it, and plant. When plotting out the land, many will have to pull up grass that is residing there currently. In doing this, be sure that you get the grass roots or the grass will make a reappearance in the middle of your garden. When all the grass has been pulled, it’s important to work soil with a hoe or rake about six to twelve inches down. In this way you will break it up and breathe new life into soil that has had little room to breathe in quite some time. Add some fresh topsoil, perhaps with nutrients included to allow for new root stimulation and root setting, and plant according to your plan.

When the plants have all been planted and you’re satisfied with your garden, be sure to fertilize, and water thoroughly. The garden will need to be watered daily for ten to twenty minutes with a garden hose. If fresh rainwater is available, use that for watering as there are more nutrients in that than in what comes out of the garden hose. In a matter of days you will see your plants flourish in their new environment. If it is a flower garden, fresh flower buds will be seen quickly. If it is a fruit and vegetable garden, you should quickly see the beginnings of what has been planted.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-for-creating-a-garden-to-enhance-your-home-103906.html

People ask me all the time what to do with their garden. I can immediately sense their frustration and disappointment. They feel intimidated and disconnected from their landscape. After studying garden magazines and design plans, they still don’t know where to begin. I often hear, "I thought it would be more fun." I agree. Gardening should be more fun. It should also be more natural. So how do we create these rich, inviting spaces that are both beautiful and personal? Perhaps it’s as simple as putting the gardener back into the garden, the inner gardener who speaks to us through the senses.

What is your preferred sense to enjoy the garden? Close your eyes and think about the word "garden." What memories, sounds, tastes, scents or images come to mind? Are you inundated with visuals or do you immediately imagine yourself biting into a ripe, red tomato? Maybe you see yourself sipping iced tea in the shade, or smelling roses. Take note of the impressions you receive and compile a list. It’s natural to give your dominant sense first priority. Just remember to include secondary elements to incorporate all of the senses.

Sight

Although the visual garden is the most obvious, it doesn’t have to be ordinary. Are you drawn to flowers with bright bold colors or tranquil landscapes with deep shade and minimalism? Maybe you prefer the intricacy and precision of an English formal garden. Sign up for your local garden tour and gather ideas from established gardens. Don’t forget solar lighting, candles and citronella torches to extend your enjoyment. Gardens can be magical at night!

Sound

Sound in the garden is often overlooked. For instant gratification, you can install wind chimes or a free standing fountain. To invite singing birds, add birdhouses and a feeder. Consider all-weather speakers if you like to entertain outdoors. You can purchase waterproof speaker systems in the shapes of rocks.

Smell

Everyone loves the fragrance of roses in bloom. Consider adding beds of lemon thyme and sage. Try growing moonflower vine on your fence. It blooms at night and has a clean, refreshing scent. Pick up a book on herb gardening, the possibilities are endless. I like to grow rosemary, patchouli and lavender for soap making.

Taste

There’s nothing like growing culinary herbs. Many of them can be dried or frozen to enjoy year-round. My favorites are basil and chives. Vegetable gardening is a passion for many. Don’t let a small yard inhibit your plans. I like to mix small vegetable plants among my perennials and annual flowers. You can grow tomatoes and peppers in a planter on your back porch. Small fruit trees are easy to grow and maintain. They add ornamental value as well. Try a dwarf peach or apple variety.

Touch

Few people think about the tactile sense while planning a garden. It’s a key element that we take for granted. We may have forgotten how much we enjoyed walking barefoot in the grass as a child. Have you ever stopped to watch people in a garden nursery? You’ll notice people touching pine needles, rubbing leaves or blades of grass. It’s a natural inclination. There are many subtle ways to connect with the sense of touch in the garden.. Think about adding a hammock or porch swing to enjoy the breeze against your skin. I love to use my copper fire pit as often as possible for warmth and ambience on a cool night. Try stargazing in a hot tub. The heat and stimulating jets can sooth aching muscles and rejuvenate the spirit. Anything that makes you feel physically comfortable in the garden can satisfy your sense of touch.

Now that you have an appealing list for inspiration, grab your shovel and get back out there. Indulge the senses, and your inner gardener will emerge.

John Conti
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/garden-design-by-the-senses-101411.html

Gardening Books is brought to you by http://gardeners-handbook.info

Are you a gardening enthusiast? Have you ever gone to a book store to
find a particular gardening book only to be bombarded by shelf upon
shelf of books on every type of gardening imaginable except the one
that you really want? How about the internet?

You’ve heard that it’s a good place to find information, so you
laboriously turn on your computer and enter whatever keywords you
have into whatever search engine you fancy, and you’re bombarded
by information. Again.

The solution? Simple really when you come to think about it. No, not
buying out the whole bookstore. Not even finding some willing victim
to trawl through those web pages for you, although that does sound
like a good idea. All you have to do is write your own gardening book!

I know, I know, that sort of defeats the purpose of your trying to
find the information you need for yourself. But just think of all
those lost souls, wandering out there in a daze searching with
mounting despair through the same maze of information that you
yourself searched through only days before.

You probably think that you’re unable to write, but hey, if you can
string two sentences together in a manner pleasing to read, and you
can capture the attention of your audience, then you’ve got it made!

You don’t know enough to write a gardening book? I don’t believe that!
If you’re an honest-to-goodness gardening fanatic, then likely as not,
you’ve been gardening for most of your life. You must remember
digging up your mother’s nice neat flower beds to see exactly
‘how it worked’!

So, you’ve got the requisite experience necessary to write more than
one gardening book.

Now what? Well, now it’s all a matter of finding someone to cook your
meals and remind you to eat regularly while you expound to the world
at large, or in this case, your word processor, your views on
gardening. You won’t need to be reminded to water your garden,
because conscientious gardener that you are, that’ll be the last
thing that you forget. Besides, it wouldn’t look too good to let
your garden wither away while you’re writing a gardening book!

And afterwards what do you do? Well, you could always start on a
sequel, because really you didn’t do justice to all that could be
mentioned in a gardening book. Or, you could just sit back in your
easy chair, a mimosa in your hand, the drink, not the flower, and
reap the benefits of your very own gardening book.

As for that little nugget of information that you were so desperately
searching for in the beginning? Well it turns out that you really knew
more than you thought you did, and it too, is now in your gardening
book.

Tomorrow’s article will be on Gardening Clubs – see you then!

All the Best – Ian Fleming

http://gardeners-handbook.info

Ian Fleming
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/gardening-book-53178.html

One London gardener on a mission to make our green spaces brighter.

Duration : 0:7:28

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Technorati Tags: activism, community, gardening, guerilla, landscaping

The best time to put grass seed down is in the fall, when the nights are still warm, or in the spring, when the night’s start to warm up. Rake in grass seeds after placing them in the dirt with help from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening tips.

Expert: Yolanda Vanveen
Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com
Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. She is the owner of VanveenBulbs.com.
Filmmaker: Daron Stetner

Duration : 0:2:31

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Technorati Tags: care, flowering, flowers, gardening, gardens, growing, horticulture, Plant, planting, plants, pruning, tips

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If you love HGTV, watch this! DIY Home and Garden Tips & Ideas to help you Design, Decorate & Furnish your Home – naturally & intuitively. Learn how to Personalize your Decorating Style, Save Money on your Bedroom & Living Room Makeovers, and how to get Free Interior Design service. Introducing Alie James – Design Consultant and Author.

Duration : 0:10:0

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Technorati Tags: alie james, decor bedroom, decor furnishings, decorating ideas, decorating room, decorating room ideas, decorating style, design room, diy home garden, free decorating, free interior design, furniture room, hgtv, home design, home garden, house decorate, house home, how to decorate a room, how to diy, ideas for design, ideas for home, ideas room, ideas rooms, interior décor, interior ideas, living room home, living room ideas, room décor, room makeover, room style, room styles

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http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/canada-internet-shopping-tips-135331.html

Lots of people consider their garden as an extension of their home or living area; a place to doll up and refurbish with decorations, similarly like their home’s interiors. The real beauty of the garden emanates from the well-designed layout, the greenery and the flowers, the trees, the lawn, and the terrace or patio. The birds and butterflies that come to visit just add more vibrancy and energy to the garden. Of course, such beauty can always be enhanced by the use of appropriate garden décor.

There are all sorts of garden décor to utilize when you want to improve or redesign your garden. Although “décor” itself is a traditional term used to describe the decorations and furnishings of an interior area, which includes the furniture, accessories, and even the wall treatments, I don’t see why a garden cannot be treated in much the same way. In this article, we shall use the terms “garden décor” to signify the decorations that are included or added to the garden, both for functional and aesthetic purposes.

Statues – Statues go way, way back to ancient times as one of the most popular decorative elements for any area. There are classical statues that are created for adorning stately homes, mansions, public sites, memorials, etc. But there has also been a special niche for smaller statues that are used to beautify smaller, more modern gardens. These come in varied styles, such as cherubs and angels. Other popular designs include cats, dogs, lions, frogs, and other domestic or wild animals.

Waterfalls and Fountains – Experienced landscape artists know that a garden’s appearance and ambience can be significantly enhanced by the addition of water elements. People just like and appreciate the look and sound of flowing water, which is also a big help if you want to relax. In fact, lots of people find it comforting just sitting near or strolling by water. You can add some artificial waterfalls and fountains to your garden to improve its overall look and feel. These can be incorporated into a water garden or just added as stand-alone elements.

Planters – The containers or planters used for some of your plants can be important decorative pieces in any garden, especially for those with terraces or patios. Some people even consider planter gardening as a specific type of gardening in itself. There are many helpful books on the subject if you want to learn what types of plants are best grown in planters. They come in a wide variety of designs and materials. You will easily find planters made out of concrete, terra cotta, fiberstone, fiberglass, or plastic.

Other Items – Don’t let yourself be limited to what I have mentioned here. The possibilities and options for decorating your garden are endless. When special holidays come around, you can add ornaments and other items to create a relevant theme. You can also get pieces that play dual roles as functional and decorative elements, like garden lighting or bird houses.

Allow your creativity and imagination to run free while decorating your garden, and keep your eyes open while you visit public gardens, read magazines, and browse the Internet. Chances are, you will discover new ideas that will reenergize your garden and become the envy of everyone.

Syahrul Azlan Idris
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/types-of-garden-deacutecor-139041.html

It is a misnomer that only people possessing a “green thumb” can create a garden! As a matter of fact, anyone and everyone can create a beautiful garden, provided proper information about plants, skills required and sincere efforts are there! Let us take indoor gardening or container gardening as an example here.

People who live in apartment complexes or small houses are unable to fulfill their desires to have large outdoor gardens. Sometimes climatic conditions do not cooperate where an outdoor garden is concerned, even if the area is large enough to have a beautiful one! The only solution is indoor gardening. Not only can it be a relaxing hobby, but a garden indoors also serves the dual purpose of beautifying the surroundings as well as keeping the air fresh.

Some considerations to be kept in mind regarding indoor gardening are–

(1) What type of plants can be grown within the house? They must be easy to look after, not too large and not take up too much of your time. Foliage or ornamental plants are highly suitable for indoor gardening as maintenance is easy.

(2) These plants can only be grown in containers, of course; so each container must suit that particular plant.

(3) In general, the containers must have a good drainage system. Stagnant water in the containers will cause the roots to rot and destroy the plants. Additionally, mosquitoes get a beautiful breeding ground!

(4) Indoor gardening also has a set of rules where watering of plants is concerned–how much of water for each plant, how often should it be watered, and what is the best time to water it.

(5) All plants do not require the same amount of water. Some like the cactus plant do not need much watering at all. This desert plant survives on very little. Other plants may require more. Whatever the case may be, there should not be overwatering or underwatering!

(6) The amount of water should be just enough to keep the soil wet, but not allow it to become soggy. That is why holes in containers are required to enable excess water to drain off.

(7) Neither hot water nor cold water is to be used for house plants. Plants can also receive shocks! Water at room temperature, that is, warm water should do.

(8) A very important aspect of indoor gardening is temperature control. The temperature should be maintained between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, temperature cannot remain constant, fluctuations are bound to take place. Plants can withstand between 8 to 10 degrees of fluctuations daily, but not lesser or greater. Too low a temperature can cause yellowing of plant leaves. Failure to thrive indicates that temperatures are too high.

(9) Another important factor is optimum humidity. A humidifier should work fine, but water sprayed on the leaves each morning is helpful too. This is not to be done at nighttime, since there is a tendency for the plants to rot as the leaves are unable to undergo much evaporation.

(10) Plants grown within the house also require light. Many of them require enough sunlight to survive. Natural light may be difficult to provide sometimes. Artificial lights can therefore be installed to do the needful.

Thus, a “cheerless” day can be turned into a “cheerful” day with the fruits of indoor gardening.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/indoor-gardening-10-tips-to-invite-plants-into-your-home-with-indoor-gardening-753793.html

Since it’s spring I would get straight into your gardening,
get your lawn green and plant bright plants and plants that
have bright flowers, really put some colour into your garden.
some good plants for colour are; Bromiliads, canna lilies,
agapanthus (blue and white) and fairy fountains, also
you can add some green box hedges. also mabe a pond.
Good luck!