MyGarden

Here's a brilliantly quick and easy idea for growing beans in volume from a man who is a highly serious collector of rare heirloom vegetables. You won't find him building cute bean wigwams, though. Beans will grow in a very small root space, he reasons, so why not exploit that? Here is his Ultra-Intensive Trellis. 'I first build a frame from PVC pipe, he told me. 'It comes in 10ft lengths, which is ideal. I use three uprights (to prevent sagging in the middle) and I bury them 18in deep, with a crosspiece at the top. Along the top rail I tie degradable string every six inches. So at season's end, the whole thing can be cut down for the compost bin. Another string is tied at ground level, from one...

With the summer months coming to a close, many green gardens are losing the charm it once held in the wee months of spring. Although the planting and harvesting of freshly grown vegetables might be over, there is still a lot of upkeep and preparation for the active green gardener! 1. Spray lawn weed killer 2. - If you are reseeding late this month, spraying the lawn now will permit the seeding then by killing grasses and broadleaf weeds. Make sure the weed killer doesn't have pesticides or other harmful materials. 3. Renovate the lawn 4. - Exposing the lawn and enough soil will make overseeing more successful; for the best results use a conventional rake. 5. In drought, hold off on lawns 6. - Do...

Just like us, plants need a balanced diet. They obtain this in part from soil that has been enriched with bulky manures, but such manures do not contain large quantities of food - their value lies more in their soil-conditioning properties. For this reason, fertilizers are used to provide plants with nutrients in concentrated form. General fertilizers Plants have a need for three main foods - nitrogen (N), phosphates (P) and potassium (K). I always think of these as the starter, the main course and the pudding. Phosphates are the starter - they promote root growth. Nitrogen is the main course - it fuels the development of leaves and shoots, making the plant grow well and stay green. Potassium, or...

Although gardening can be enjoyable I've written the following article to help you be safe in your garden all year round. I hope you find the following article informative and useful. Don't forget that if you need further information friends, family and your local nursery can be great sources of information. I regards to safety in your garden I would recommend the following things- 1. Wait for a dry, calm day to use chemicals in the garden. Rain will dilute and flush the chemicals away and may interfere with water sources. The wind may also blow it away. 2. When using noisy equipment in the garden I would always recommend using ear defenders so that you do not damage your hearing for give yourself a...

All soils need conditioning and improving - mainly because each year the plants that grow there are taking valuable nutrients from it in order for them to grow and flourish. Improving soil with manures and fertilizers will go a long way to creating the beautiful plants and flowers you want from your garden. Spent Hops A by-product of the brewing industry. Although smelly, this is a good soil conditioner and one which is easy to handle. You might have to live with an 'aromatic' garden for a few days afterwards. Leaf Mould Autumn leaves can be rotted down in a wire netting enclosure of their own and then used as soil enrichment. Sweep them up while they are damp, pile them into the wire-netting...

As springtime approaches, weather warms up and leaves turn green, many people will spend more time outside planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety. The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all the major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb. By performing these simple stretches before undertaking any garden task will help prevent injuries, pain and stiffness. Garden Fitness Stretcheso Before stretching, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Breathe in and out slowly throughout each stretching exercise until the...

There is nothing more satisfying than growing and cultivating your own fruit and vegetables at home. It is a great way to save money as well as having health benefits too, as there is no pesticides or harmful chemicals that have been added to the foods as you have complete control over how it is prepared and grown. The great news is you do not need much cash to start with. Pretty much any crop can be grown in a pot, if it's big enough. Luckily all you really need to get going is a hand trowel, some seedlings, a few pots and a bag of compost to create a harvest on your balcony or a couple of windowsills. If you have some nice gardening gloves then great, you probably won't even break any nails! Don't...

By the time you notice the tiny dark gray or black gnats buzzing around, one generation of these common plant pests has already infested the soil of your herb garden. To find a natural cure for soil gnats in herb gardens you should understand the life cycle of the fungus (soil) gnat or Sciaridae. The eighth inch long gnat you see is the mature adult and it is in the process of laying approximately 300 eggs on the moist soil surface of your garden for a new generation. These gnats prefer to lay their eggs on damp soil which is rich in organic matter. During the winter, when overwatering is more common, the soil gnats may become a problem. The entire life cycle of this garden pest is about four weeks...

Every season some homeowners toil with changing the look of the garden to get it just right and, no matter what is done, the ideal picture does not come to fruition. On the other hand, the guy down the street has a beautifully flawless yard year after year. Landscaping photos of his design will aid in the quest to get what is desired while learning some new tricks. If one is not equipped with camouflage and night vision goggles, perhaps just asking if taking a few pictures would be permissible might be a better option. Most people would not have a problem with this and might even take some pride in the fact that their yard is being admired. Obtaining a visual record can help in the decision-making...

When you purchase a new house or decide to improve your old one, you should focus some of your attention on gardening, which can make your entire property usable and enjoyable. Adding soil, grading, fencing, or terracing can make even hilly land attractive and useful. New hardier bulbs and seeds and hybrids in every color, will make gardens even more beautiful. At the modern home improvement store, you can find new gardening tools which can speed the tedious process. Large picture windows make a garden view even more important. Beautiful gardens, green grass, and flowers can add a lot to your home. The time you spend on your lawn and garden is well worth it. Many of the principles you can use to...

Fruits and vegetables in the supermarket often contain toxins that most of us don't want in our bodies. Because of this, organically grown vegetables have become popular because they don't contain these chemicals. These chemicals build up over time and can cause serious health problems later in life. A great way to cut the chemicals is to grow your own vegetables. Farming a small garden at home is simple and takes very little work once you understand the process. Lots of research will be the key in your garden's success. Think about the things you want to grow and find out if they will be able to in your climate. Sometimes it is best to grow two or three easy vegetables until you master growing at...

Many people that live in apartments can appreciate the benefits that container gardening can offer. You can grow a bunch of plants, whether flowers or vegetables, in a relatively small space, if you use container gardening. The other fun thing about this type of gardening is choosing what container you will use because you can get quite creative with the choices. Imagine a salad garden in a child's red wagon that you can pull around the patio to get the sun it needs. Of course traditional container gardening might involve traditional box planters or hanging baskets, but you can look at any kind of container and think of plant mixtures that complement each other. Some plants can shade other plants...

Hi everyone What a week I have had this week with all the rain, that even the gardens are sighing and saying enough is enough, we want the sun. Anyway, where should I start I wonder? At the beginning would be good I hear you say. Well, you know how one small thing can start a chain reaction, that is exactly what happened on Monday morning. I went to one of the amenity sites, where we are contracted to keep the grass and hedgerows cut back for visibility for people going in and out of the site. I started cutting the grass as usual with a John Deere F1145 four wheel drive ride on machine, running alongside a ditch when suddenly I felt the ground move and the front of the mower started to sink. No...

Hi Everyone Firstly I would like to thank you for some of the comments received. To answer your questions on Rusty our faithful friend, he is a cross breed – German- Shepherd and Doberman, and yes he has quite a character. We have had his since he was about 10 months old and found him at a rescue home, he was quite a handful then. We will get a picture of him on the web some time in the future and I’m sure you will fall in love with him as we all have. As I said before there is nothing like natural rainfall to make things bloom and grow, unfortunately that means the good old weeds as well, so out comes the hoe. Its best to get rid of those pesky weeds while they are small and the ground...

Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries even strawberries, whichever your favorite is, there is nothing like fresh berries grown in you home garden. Packet full of flavor, fresh grown berries can be a great addition to your garden. Berries are one of the easiest crops to grow and affordable, but take some care to maintain them to keep them productive. To start your own garden with your favorite types berries doesn't take much space. They can be grown in a variety of ways like, raised beds, containers, potted or in a garden in the backyard. The soil that berries best thrive in is a soil with a high organic content and one that drains well. Try to stay away from areas that are low-lying areas and areas...

Herbs have used for healing and cooking from since the beginning of time. Some people even believed that they were magical and that ingesting, lighting or just having them near would bring good luck to them and their family. For whatever reason, if you are thinking of having your own herb garden, then here are a few good ideas to start the ball rolling. Plan Your Space. Do you know what type of herbs you want to plant? Consider your pantry and refrigerator and see what you would like to have fresh anytime you need it. Would you like perennials, biennials or annuals. Know what you are working towards before you start. How much space do you have to or want to use? There are many books that give you...

Organic Help for Green Gardeners Wouldn't it be nice to be able to grow your own vegetables & fruit without having to worry about pests? If you have ever taken a morning stroll through your vegetable patch, only to find it decimated by slugs, snails, caterpillars or the like, you will undoubtedly agree. For some, the answer lies in pesticides and chemicals but for greener gardeners, this is not an option. Chemicals kill good insects as well as bad ones and sometimes the birds or animals that feed on them. So what is the answer for those trying to be more environmentally friendly? One method worth trying is companion planting. Strictly speaking, companion planting is about more than just pest...

It may be very tempting to use garden soil, but don't. The reason is that although it's rich with nutrients, garden soil does not provide enough drainage and normally carries bacteria and weed seed. Even if you feel you have very good garden soil, don't use it for container gardening. Garden soil tends to form a heavy mass, preventing root respiration and fertilizer absorption, resulting in strained and hungry plants. Containers require special formulized potting soil that provides fast drainage of water while still holding moisture, air and fertilizer suspended in a clean and lightweight growing medium. Commercial potting mixes are composed of organic materials such as peat, fir bark or composted...

Ever wished to have a nice garden at home, but later realized it is impossible because you live in an apartment? Good new for you! I will tell you how to make your wish come true. Follow my tips to create a mini garden on your balcony and you will discover its magic without so much effort. To create an earthy look, you can use small containers and pots to form a mini garden at the corner of your balcony. You can buy containers that can easily be hanged on your balcony railing. You can also hang medium size pots on the roof of your balcony, if you have one. However, do refer to your apartment rules before you install any fixtures to your outdoor area. Be sure to select containers which have good...

In many ways, the tomato plant is the victim of its own success. It grows so fast that it sometimes is growing too quickly for its own good. One friend of mine calls the tomato plant a "solar-powered sugar factory." In many ways he's right on the mark. For the first month of growth, just about all the sugar a plant produces is directed toward the growth of new leaves. During this time, they grow rapidly. The average plant, in fact, nearly doubles its size every two weeks. Eventually, the plant actually manufactures more sugar than the single growing tip really needs. This is the signal that the plant is ready to grow new branches and then flower. Carefully watch your plants. You'll see that this...

Landscaping shrubs and bushes have a number of functions in the garden. In the abstract, landscape architects and designers see them as the "walls" of the garden, whereas trees and prostrate plants are viewed respectively, as its "ceiling" and the "floor". Shrubs and bushes, by virtue of their dimensions, are the one group of landscape plants that relate to human beings in terms of scale - both trees and low-growing plants being either beyond or beneath the size that relate to people. As the usual height of garden shrubs is between 1 to 3 meters (3-9ft) it follows that people eye them without either having to look upwards in the case of trees, or downwards with flowers or ground covers. The...

Leaf miners are a nuisance that are more aesthetically displeasing to humans than harmful to the trees. The most common trees effected by this pest are: Siberian Elm Bur Oak Hawthorn IDENTIFICATION From a distance the tree canopy will appear to be browning out. With a closer look the individual leaves will look clear or almost translucent. When the leaf is examined in the hand it will be noted that it is actually hollowed out in the middle like an envelope. The top and bottom of the leaf will be intact, but clear, and the center will be filled with little black granules and worms if it is June or early July. A very common statement from our customers is that, "Worms are raining down on us!" This can...

Roses, if they are grown in containers, can be planted at any time in a mild winter climate. Planting in the winter however, allows the gardener to choose and plant bare-root specimens. The principle benefit being that one can see and examine the roots, something that cannot be done with pot plants. All that glitters is not gold, and a splendid looking plant may have a poor root system, which is liable to cause disappointment in the future. Choosing the Right Plant What should you be looking for then in a bare-root rose? A good specimen has at least three main roots that are more or less evenly spaced. They appear whole and healthy, without wounds or other blemishes. Beware of knotted or twisted...

Lawns, trees & shrubs are mainstays in residential and commercial landscapes, maintained by horticultural service providers who take care of applying fertilizer and pesticides. In such horticultural landscapes, trees are valued not only for their aesthetic contribution but also, and more often, for the shade they provide to residential and commercial areas in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough. Don Janssen, an extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, wrote an article at the UNL website on how to choose trees for shade. He reminds us of the factors to take into consideration when choosing trees. This could mean substantial savings in the long run since trees are quite expensive...

Whenever spring arrives here we start getting a lot of questions about getting rid of the ants that are building their anthill condos on our properties and ruining picnics everywhere. Anthills seem to sneak up on home owners. One day there are no ants and then BAM they are everywhere and in everything. Then the anthill starts growing on a daily basis. Not too many people like ants, except little boys with magnifying glasses. There are a number of recipes for killing ants where they expand until they explode. Baking soda and icing sugar. Ants seem to have insatiable appetites and are always on the hunt for something to eat. A good home remedy of baking soda and icing sugar will temporarily satisfy...

Many of us think of a beautiful garden as an almost unattainable goal, and certainly, a rose garden seems even more intimidating. Rose gardening has earned a reputation as being very difficult, a task only the most ambitious gardener with plenty of time on her hands would undertake. In reality, however, rose gardening just takes a little planning, a bit of maintenance and some patience. As with any garden, a rose garden should be cleaned regularly. Keeping fallen leaves and other garden debris away from the roots of the plants will enable you to water the plants directly at the roots as well as keep fungus and other problems at bay. Mulch is a wonderful ally to rose gardens. It weeds away and...

Just because it is winter and most of the more desirable flowers and vegetables will not grow until spring, this hardly means that there is nothing to do. Although it may not seem like it, your soil remains active and continues to lose nutrients during the winter months, especially if you have a lot of evergreen plants. Even without evergreens, your soil will lose many nutrients simply because many of the microorganisms that produce them stop working in the cold and those that keep working during the cold will consume and convert the remaining nutrients into something else. Therefore it is important to continue replenishing your garden's nutrients, even in the middle of the winter. An excellent way...

After moving into a newly constructed home in a new subdivision, homeowners are often confronted with the problem of having to landscape their barren backyards. If the house is like an expensive suit, the landscaping is the perfect tie that brings the whole look together. Bad landscaping can make even the most beautiful house look bad, while great landscaping can make an average house look stunning. Today, landscaping companies offer a variety of services that can transform any backyard into a beautiful oasis that can be enjoyed by all members of the family. One of the first things that new homeowners have to do in order to make their backyards livable is to install grass. Depending on the region...

uestion is often asked as to when be the right and correct time to “prune” your trees? This is always a topical and highly relevant important question when it comes to the topic of tree care – for your yard and garden landscaping – whether it is your city house or rural cottage or chalet. When considering the timeliness of pruning one must consider various factors. The correct timing is not always when it is easiest and most convenient for the landscape artist or technician. The first factor to consider is that every pruning cut on a living branch is a direct insult and injury to that plant is it tree, bush or shrub. These wounds take away energy from the plants vital stores...

Garden Plants Trees With rising cost of the electricity, shade trees for garden or yard are very important. In addition, planting trees is environmentally friendly. Here are the things to consider when choosing trees to plant. The trees should not have invasive root system, particularly if they are to be planted near the house foundation, septic system or concrete patio. They should not also be overly messy. This is why most gardeners prefer male trees than female, since male trees are a shedding less and neater one. - Planting Small Trees Here is a list of a few fine trees to be planted in gardens. Small trees are larger compared to other plants and shrubs, thus there is a challenge when planting...

Landscape and Fruit Trees in Mediterranean Climate Home Gardens Spring is the season for pruning broadleaved, evergreen trees, and cold sensitive species of tropical or sub-tropical origin. While pruning, the home gardener should treat the fruit trees as though they were ornamental landscape trees. Deciduous trees should be pruned in their dormant season, which in Mediterranean and similar mild winter climates, means towards the end of winter. They should not be pruned in the spring as pruning causes the sap that is rising in the plant to “bleed” thereby depleting the tree of valuable energy and nutrients. If you have missed the boat, either wait till next year or carryout a very light pruning in...

contribute more to the overall finished and tailored look of your new lawn than perhaps any other part of your landscaping. Many new homes that are on the market, unfortunately, often are absent any great landscaping, including trees– it just isn't in the budget for many new home builders. But the appeal of trees and shrubs really adds to the appearance of the home; curb appeal, after all, is what sells many homes in the first place. If you have just built a home or purchased a home that doesn't have an adequate amount of landscaping in place, now's the time to decide which trees and shrubs you will use in your new lawn and landscaping plans. Shade Trees Most landscapers agree that having a...