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For The Busy Or Inexperienced Gardener: Low Maintenance Plantings

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Those with a love and admiration of plants but lack of experience or time can still enjoy gardening; it is simply a matter of creating a garden space that works with the individual’s skills, time, and region. Using pots and containers of various sizes can allow easier access to the plants for pruning and maintenance, a more controlled and nutrient-rich soil, and less weeding. It may also allow the gardener to move temperature sensitive plants indoors as required. If planting directly in the ground, attention should be paid to the type of soil present in order to properly add any missing nutrients. For inexperienced gardeners, most areas have a local agricultural center that may be able to analyze a sample of the soil. By knowing what kind of soil and nutrients a plant prefers, a lot of stress and hassle can be eliminated later. Purchasing established and more mature plants will cut back on time spent nurturing a young seedling. A more mature plant will be able to withstand environmental changes better than a seedling. Local gardening centers should be able to provide a wealth of information about which plants will thrive in the area and which would be best to fit the individual gardener’s needs. Doing a small amount of research beforehand will not only be educational, but will also save a large amount of time later on in the season.

Plants For Creating Wildlife Habitats in Your Area

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It is fun to watch wildlife up close without being noticed. The birds sing delightful songs, the chattering of squirrels is comical and the grace and beauty of the butterfly is awe inspiring. It is also fun to watch a cottontail race across a field. It can be fun to landscape the property to provide a safe haven for wildlife.

Wildlife will appear on the property once a favorable habitat is created. The basics to provide for a favorable habitat are food, water, cover and a safe spot to raise young. Most wildlife does well with native trees, shrubs, ground cover, vines and wildflowers and among these, shelter is created. A small pond can create a water source. Native plants are maintained well with minimal care. The native wildlife will also feel at ease with the native habitat.

Native plants thrive with the current soil, rainfall and temperature conditions. These native plants have developed a defense system to insects and disease. It is important to not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Native plants help preserve the local ecosystems. The plant selections should not be based on looks only, but practicality for the ecosystem and the wildlife that is going to be sustained.

Examples of trees include Pecan, Hickory, Oak, Persimmon and Cedar. Shrubbery can include Red Buckeye, Black Huckleberry, Sumac and Black Elder. Wildflowers include Wild Ginger, Milkweeds, Coneflower and Sunflower. Groundcover includes Partridgeberry, Wild Strawberry, Goldenseal and Fragrant Bedstraw. The trees and shrubs make wind barriers especially if they are planted together in a row.

Using Native Plants In Your Landscaping Area

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Native plants grow naturally in certain areas. Unique landscapes can be created with natural plants because of the many different colors, textures and forms. A benefit of using native plants is the way they adjust to different areas according to frost, climate, soil and amount of rainfall. They generally aren’t affected by most pests and diseases. After they begin to grow, native plants are easy to take care of because they need less water and fertilizer than other types of plants. These plants will flourish with only a little attention. The conditions of the landscaping area should be considered before you choose sizes and shapes.

Using native plants in your landscaping has many benefits because when they’re matched to your ecosystem, it makes them perfectly suited to the environment where they grow. They add beautiful color to large landscaping areas and increase the soils ability to accumulate water. Native plants help clean the air and reduce air pollution. They can also be used in a landscape area to attract wildlife. This can be done by layering plants to help them grow at different heights. Another benefit of using native plants in your landscaping area is it helps sustain native butterflies and native birds.

Great Fall Plants

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve been watching a lot of football on your satellite-hq.com channels this year and you’ve grown to admire the University of Georgia’s famed hedges you may be feeling the pull to get back in your garden. Some plants work great this time of year and we’ve made a list:
Plentifall Pansies: They’re hearty enough to stand up to colder temperatures and they bring a much-needed punch of color to an otherwise barren fall landscape. They work well on porches and window boxes so plant away!
Spanish Bluebell: It sort of resembles lavender although it’s not as fragrant but Spanish Bluebell is far easier to cultivate. If you want some nice cool tones to even out all the fall reds and oranges this is your best bet.
Pitcher Plants: There are many varieties of pitcher plants and they work twofold, keeping your garden lush and feeding hummingbirds as well! They’re unique and one alone makes a great arrangement for indoors and bonus, they love cooler weather. Don’t over water these guys but give them some shade!

The Best Perennials and Ornamentals For Sunny Areas

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When choosing plants for your landscaping needs one of the most important things to consider is the amount of sun your yard has. You will need to choose flowers and shrubs according to whether they can handle full sun or will need full shade or will do well in either.

The best perennials and ornamentals for sunny areas are the daylilies. These flowers can grow and thrive in full sun areas of your yard and can actually be up to six feet tall. They are easy to care for and come in a variety of colors. The daylilies bloom from mid-summer to early fall but the blooms only last one day, hence the name of the plant. Another sunny area plant is the purple coneflower. These plants survive and thrive in full sun and in drought conditions. The purple coneflower grows to about two feet high and are known for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. They prefer well drained sandy soil and blooms through spring and summer. The garden peony is another flower that thrives in full sun areas. This plant blooms from May to mid-summer and needs to have at least six hours of full sun every day to bloom.

Paula Bowen

The Best Perennials and Ornamentals For Shady Areas

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Are you looking for creative ways to beautify your lawn? Do you have a love for decorative plants but are not sure which varieties would be best for your shady lawn? If sunlight is at a minimum in your yard due to heavy tree cover, certain plants will work better than others. Read on for a list of the best perennials and ornamentals in shady areas.

– Japanese Painted Fern

This deciduous fern variety is hardy enough to survive in cooler climates and is a mixture of silver, red, purple, green and blueish grey colors.

- Foam-flowers

This ground flower features delicate pink and white blossoms which bloom in the late spring or early summer.

- Foxglove

These unique pink blossoms are quite hardy. They grow well not only in shade but also in dry soil. Although technically biennials, if treated well they will last for many years.

- Bleeding Hearts

This perennial plant is another example of extremely unique-looking blossoms. They add interest to any shady garden but are great on their own.

- Coral Bells

These flowers come in many colors, including red, orange, almost-black, purple or green. They are the perfect “finishing touch” to any gardening scheme.

Do I Need To Add Amendments To My Soil?

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It can be difficult to determine if your soil needs amendments and if it does, to determine what to add. The simplest way to evaluate your soil is to conduct a PH test. Determining the PH of soil does not have to be a difficult process, there are kits for purchase on the internet and in local garden stores. It is also common to take a soil sample to a local garden supply center where the PH balance is determined for you. As for what to add to the soil, that depends on your needs. The PH level of the soil can dictate what types of plants will thrive; however, it is also very possible to change the PH of your soil to fit your specific purpose. More often than not when you test the PH level certain products will be advertised to adjust the level, but also remember your garden store professional is an excellent resource. You don’t need to buy expensive products though, there are some simple fixes for PH, for example if your soil’s PH is too high for your purposes, try sulfur; if your PH is too low, adding wood ashes can bring the PH up.

Know The pH Of Your Soil

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Knowing the pH of your soil can definitely help you in your gardening endeavors. Some quick ways to determine your soil’s pH are as follows:
Testing kit – This is an inexpensive way to test the pH of your soil. These kits typically use the powdered form of barium sulphate. When mixed with distilled water and a small sample of your soil, the mixture changes color based on the level of acidity or basicity.
Litmus paper – This method uses litmus paper inserted into a mixture of distilled water and a small sample of soil.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. An acid soil will turn the paper red, a basic soil turns the paper blue.
pH meter – This is probably the easiest method for testing pH. The electronic pH meter is inserted into moist soil and the pH reading is read from the device.
Visual observation of existing flora – The most inexpensive method, but not necessarily the easiest, is to simply observe the existing plants in the soil and see what grows well. If your garden is supporting mostly plants such as roses, rhododendrons, hydrangea, and magnolia, chances are your soil is acidic. If your garden features such plants as lilacs, thyme, honeysuckle, and dogwoods, chances are that your soil is alkaline.