You Are What You Plant

It's often been mentioned, and now proved, that there is a high correlation between the features of dog owners and their pets. Think it's all delusional bunk? Well, after visiting this site you'll realise that the folklore is far more believable than first expected.

Which got me thinking. How similar are gardeners to their favourite plants? Are they like 'peas in a pod'? (Pun totally intended!) Would you walk around the garden admiring the flowers and saying things like.."Oh, that rose looks just like Aunty Jean" or "this hibiscus bloom reminds me so much of my neighbours accented jowels". Possibly not.

So I decided to *scientifically* observe some gardeners and marry their facial features up with their favourite plants. And what better place to start than by using some of the top users of Blotanical. It made sense because here we had pictures of each gardener plus I could view their favourite flowers in their Plot.

Then it just became a mere routine to match them up with their favourite blooms.

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Converting Unused Space Into A Practical Greenhouse

Ever since I began gardening I've had this nagging desire to have my own greenhouse. A place that was dedicated purely for propagating plants and storing them in some form of recognizable arrangement. Yet I've never had the chance, or the space, to construct one.

Even with our smallish suburban plot I found I was once again limited to making compromises. However, this time I was committed to seeing the 'half-full glass' rather than the 'half-empty' one.

And, Voila! Here is the logical outcome.

This is the side of my shed. Not any side, mind you, but a North-facing side - very important for us southern hemispherean gardeners! It's main purpose is to keep the other 3 side walls erect (and gives somewhere for the roof to hang on to as well). Apart from that, it's just a thoroughfare for the wood pile at the rear.

Look closer and you'll begin to be inspired by the possibilities. Here is a wall pleading to be utilised and so I consented by erecting some framework for future shelving.

What about the cover, I hear you ask? Well, here is the genius... One of the problems with our climate is that in summer it gets far too hot for far too long. So I couldn't just construct a standard greenhouse or all the plants would sizzle in summer and die. Therefore I needed another option and it came quite suddenly and somewhat divinely - in other words I can't remember how I came up with it!

I plan to have two types of cover - clear plastic sheeting for the cooler months and UV-resistant shade cloth for the warmer ones. Both of them will be made as single, continuous sheets that can be taken off and put back on again.

Here's how they will be attached;

1. Steel REO bars - approximately 2m long - will be concreted 500mm into the ground opposite the shed wall and on the other side of the 2m wide path. They will be spaced out at 1m intervals requiring 6 for my 5m long shed.
2. Channels will be sown into both the clear sheeting and the shade cloth at similar intervals wide enough for 20mm PVC pipe to travel through - much like a tent would work.
3. Then brackets will be attached to the roofline at the same width intervals and will hold the PVC piping.
4. Once these things are in place it's simply a matter of pushing the PVC piping through the channels on the cover and placing one end through the roof brackets and the other over the vertical REO bar. This will create a half-dome effect.
5. As the seasons switch the covers can be interchanged to turn the greenhouse into a shadehouse and vice versa.

It's a very simple system but will provide me with the space to grow a quantity of plants both for use in the garden and also for experimentation. I'll keep you updated with progress photos.

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Caring Your Bougainvillea

Caring for my bougainvillea has been a journey in foolishness right from the start. In essence it was more about my lack of respect for this plant that almost bought it undone.

My disrespect for bougainvillea began as a result of myths I had heard from other gardeners. Their 'wisdom' expressed that these plants needed very little to care to help them grow and once in the ground would virtually look after themselves. Their comments were partly right, but there are a heap of things that gardeners can do wrong to ensure these plants won't succeed.

Our faux pas was to plant it at the same time as many other plants in our new garden bed. I had trellised some wire along the fence to give it some support - which was good - but then inadvertently planted some faster growing plants in front of it.

It wasn't until our front garden makeover that we discovered this plant even existed having not seen it for nearly two years. The amazing thing about this bougainvillea was that while it had been ignored, hidden and competed against, it still survived. Sure, it didn't grow and it never flowered - but it was still alive.

So, this season I decided to ensure that this battler of the warmer climate garden was permitted its far share of growing opportunities. And it has not let me down. At the beginning of spring, some five months prior, it weighed in at a little taller than 60cm. Today, it has surpassed the top of the 6ft fence and has branched out along some of the trellis wire. Plus, it is even flowering.

And not to get too confused with the semantics, the bougainvillea picture above is not of its flower. Its merely the colourful bracts that we all admire. The flower is hidden inside and is quite small and insignificant.

So, what changed in the care that I gave this plant that allowed it to succeed?

1. It started to get some light - the lack of sunlight is the reason most gardeners never enjoy the colourful bracts flourishing on the bougainvillea. If yours, and this one wasn't, isn't getting at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day then forget ever seeing colour on this climber. Cut away competing branches to let some light in or move your bougainvillea if you must.
2. I removed its competition - while bougainvillea is a fast-growing climber, it will struggle to get the water and nutrients needed if planted with other vigorous fast-growers. If similar speedy plants are grown near it you will need to ensure that top-ups of soluble fertiliser and required water is added.
3. I changed my attitude - caring for a bougainvillea wasn't high on my list of things to achieve in the garden. I expected that once it was planted it would take care of itself. And while that is predominantly true, I have had far more success this season while nurturing it than in the past couple of ignoring it.

While I failed to care for this bougainvillea in its early life - and had there been a Department for Plant Cruelty I'd be punished severely - it has been most forgiving. I look forward to sharing more pictures with you in the coming years - and maybe a story of how it took my appreciation for granted and took over the garden completely! Who knows?

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100 Plants Which Every Garden Should Have

Val Bourne from the UK's Telegraph has boldly gone where no other garden journalist would dare tread - creating her list of the Top 100 Plants Every Garden Should Have. The reason it's bold; a list of must-haves is incredibly biased to personal choice. Not to mention that many of these plants aren't available for most of the world's gardeners or they won't grow outside of the UK's climate.

All that aside, this is a great list and if you've some spare time to indulge in a little garden porn then flicking through the gallery of each plant is worth your while.

Val has broken the Top 100 down for each season. Eryngium giganteum, Knautia macedonica and Astrantia major 'Roma' for the summer garden while Galanthus 'S. Arnott' and Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Blue Spire' will brighten your winter blues. Not to mention 25 must-haves for both Spring and Autumn this list of 100 is sheer delight.

BTW - just for the record, of the 100 plants Val listed I only have a solitary 1 growing in my garden - Gaura lindheimeri. I feel so inadequate (sniff!..)

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Your Wild Bird Feeders Are Making a Difference

Most gardeners install bird feeders for the sheer pleasure of having wild birds enjoy their gardens. We plant bird-friendly plants, keep cats and other nuisance pets locked up and even make the effort to keep trees in our gardens for them to keep out of harms way.

Yet it appears that by installing wild bird feeders in our yards is having an even greater impact than we first assumed. It is, in fact, giving them a greater chance of survival.

Sure, this may seem an elementary observation. Of course feeding birds is going to help their chances of survival! Duh! However, for reasons that we may not initially contemplate, feeding wild birds is helping them breed better as well.

This article reporting on research from the University of Exeter clearly demonstrated that birds that are fed throughout the winter months are more likely to lay earlier - and lay more. It also showed that the parent birds were more robust and able to deal with their fledgling chicks.

However, calls from the other side of the equation remind us that this could be a problematic practice. Fears are held that migratory birds will face increasing competition from winter-fed wild birds. But this very argument seems more like the 'playing of God' than real concern for either bird camp. Which one should have the upper-hand? The migratory birds who've just enjoyed their sojourn in warmer climes feeding their faces on plentiful food supplies or those who stuck around scavenging for a morsel to remain alive?

Needless to say, while many have argued that bird feeders are ruining wild birds from their normal hunting, it now appears that we are helping them survive. And this is a good thing.

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Hydrangea flowers are our soil's litmus paper

When we talk about hydrangea flowers which part of these extraordinary blooms are we referring to? Do we mean the large ball shaped flower seemingly suspended about a salutary bunch of offset leaves? Or, are we suggesting the individual colourful bracts that make up the whole?

Actually, hydrangea flowers are neither the massive dome-shaped bloom or the bracts that make it up. No. hydrangea flowers are the minutiae encased within the tonal bracts. But let's not be semantical!

So for this post we're going to take the view that hydrangea flowers are the dome-shaped blooms that catch our eye the moment they unfurl. And for the most part we're going to be looking at why their colours differ so vastly even when they are grown on the same bush in the same location.

H.macrophylla is the most common of the hydrangeas - probably the one your grandmother grew in her garden. It's responsible for many cultivars and differ in flower colour from heavily pigmented blues to pinks and reds and every shade in between. The bushes, mostly grown as perennial shrubs, can also range in size from 1-3m in height and similar width dimensions.

What I like most about hydrangea flowers is their ability to change colour. While a chameleon will change colour to fit in to its current habitat, hydrangea blooms change colour because of their habitat - namely their soil pH.

We've all heard the legend that adding some rusty nails to the soil surrounding your hydrangea will turn the blooms blue. In effect, this is quite possible as the rusty metal will increase the soil's acidity and alter the hue of the blooms. However, I'm not sure that putting rusty nails into the garden is a positive enhancement. It's great if you know exactly where they're located and how many you emptied into your garden. It would be disastrous for your children to find them before you did - and they found them in the bottom of their little feet!

Rusty nails aside, there are ways to alter the colour of your hydrangeas and this is where they become the litmus paper for your garden. Ours, for example, is delightfully pink - the colour demonstrating an alkaline soil - and it makes sense because our rhododendron planted next to it is struggling (R.'s appreciate slightly acidic soils).

Changing Hydrangea colour Pink!
If you're blooms are mostly blue and you'd like a change then the goal is to alter the pH of your soil. Note: achieving this in containers is far simpler than trying to make this happen in your garden soil - but it's still very possible.

Raising the pH level means adding lime - dolomitic lime to be exact. A few handfuls over the soil surrounding your plant every 3-4 months should ensure that the pH balance raise beyond 6-6.5. If your soil is a clay-based loam you may find that every 6 months is more appropriate and for sandy soils possibly every 2-3 months.

Changing Hydrangea colour Blue!
Blue hydrangea flowers are the seemingly be-all-and-end-all of the bloom colours. Our desires far more favour trying to reach this colour than the pink. Fortunately it's just as easy to achieve, but again you'll have more success in a container than your own garden soil.

To increase the acidity of your soil in favour of blue flowers you will need to add some aluminium sulphate. It's not a hard trace element to get hold of and most nurseries would stock it. The application would be as per the producers directions but usually a teaspoon or two in a 9l watering can would suffice. This is then applied to the plant during its growing season.

If your soil is as alkaline as mine then you might want to consider beefing it up with some home-made compost well before the season starts. Even mulching your hydrangeas with lawn clippings would be a helpful practice.

If you're looking for more resources on hydrangeas and how to change their colour try this site.

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A Challenge to the Gardening Blogging Community

Bloomingwriter's blogger, jodi DeLong, issued a challenge to the gardening blogging community to show where they are on the world's stage. Well, here I am in beautiful Busselton, Western Australia.

Busselton is a coastal town 220km south of WA's capital city Perth. With a mere 24,000 residents it's not exactly your bustling metropolis. But it does cater for most things and if we can't get it here, then Bunbury, a short 52kms north, makes up the difference.

For climate and gardening conditions, Busselton is second to none. Even with Austin's 18 garden bloggers they still fall far short of our blog per capita ratio of 1:24000 (Austin's is more like 1:83000) which proves that we are far more into gardening than this US city would let on.

Basically, Busselton is built on a flood plain 2m above sea level. The hills that surround it provide the necessary water for many of our low-lying wetlands and is diverted away from the town through a flood-mitigation program. Much of the water runoff also leeches into the soil and refills our vast Yarragadee Aquifier. This aquifer is the source of all our water consumption.

The town's history was born through the shipping of timber from Geographe Bay. While the bay is a safe harbour it's very shallow and required the building of an almost 2km long jetty. Shipping ceased soon after Cyclone Alby tore through the region in the early 1970's and the jetty has now become a tourist attraction and the source of much contention to who will foot the bill for maintenance.

Chookie from Chookie's Backyard asked about info relating to our founding 'amateur botanist' Georgianna Molloy. While there's much written about this great pioneer you will get a very different story about her from many people who live in Busselton. Whereas she should have been honoured for her gardening work she is reasonably vilified for introducing the arum lily to our moist wetlands. All because she thought they looked wonderful in her English garden back home.

Gardening in Busselton is not as easy as it seems though. Sandy soils that leech nutrients faster than a greyhound on race day and soil alkalinity from the ocean's salt, take their toll. But once the soil's been built up with rich humus there's not a lot that won't grow in this environment. Hot summers reaching into the mid 30's C and mild winters with minimum's still above 0° C ensure gardeners don't give up easily.

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The Water Garden Landscaping TIps

by Carlo Morelli

There are a lot of new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the new interests. Water gardening can include waterfalls, ponds, streams and fountains, all of which can be combined with lighting, plants, and fish. Water gardening need not have a pond or natural water source moreover, it could be a plastic tub, plastic lined shallow in the back yard or, almost anything that will hold water.

An important consideration in planning a water garden is the choosing a location. Plants and fish both need plenty of sunlight, places in direct light away from trees and bushes are the top places. This will also help prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the water.

When planning for a water garden the next step is to choose the size you want. This depends of course on the resources you want to dedicate to it, how much money and time you are willing to spend. A water garden can be expensive if you go for a big garden filled with plants, rocks, fish, and lights. Also think about your property's size, which will also affect amount of time you'll spend maintaining your water garden.

Aquatic pond plants can be free floating, submerged, or marginal. What type you select is a matter of aesthetics and preference. Some plants are known for their scents, some for supplying oxygen keep the pool healthy, and some are just picturesque. Remember that the plants should only cover about half of the water, especially if you have fish. Fish are not only nice to look at; they're beneficial in that they help keep debris at a minimum and help in controlling larva and other insects.

One of the big challenges in water gardening is maintaining water free of algae. Algae problems are usually the result of nutrients in the water from feeding fish too often or over fertilizing plants. By cutting back on feeding and fertilizing, adding more plants, putting in a pond filtering system, or replacing the water with fresh water, algae is easily controlled. If a pond is constructed correctly and maintained properly algae problems can be kept at a minimum. All garden pools, no matter the size, require some maintenance during the year. With proper planning you can create a healthy equilibrium between living and decorative features of a water garden that can almost care for itself with simple maintenance inputs from you.

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Planning Your Flower Garden

by Lisa Sousa

You've wanted a flower garden for such a long time. They just add so much color and interest to your yard. You have waited in anticipation through the winter to start digging a place for a flower bed, purchase and plant your bulbs, seeds or plants, and to reap the many benefits of a well cared for flower garden. But maybe you need some tips and ideas for getting started. Here are some helpful hints for you to get going on that special gardening project.

It is wise to plan out your flower garden before getting your flowers. The fist step is make a sketch of your house, garage, trees, and any other buildings or landscaping on your property. An important consideration is the direction your property is facing as well. You don't want to plant a flower garden, and then find that it doesn't get enough sunlight for the flowers to grow. Flower gardens are also best when planted on a level or gently sloping ground because the water runoff from steep slopes will cause the soil to erode.

Another thing to consider would be the style of flower garden that you would like. Flower gardens can be straight or curved in shape, formal or casual. Your house can be a guide on deciding on your particular style. For example, if you have a traditional house, then a symmetrical, formal design might be for you. If you have a country-style house with gingerbread trim, then a less symmetrical and more casual planting maybe for you.

The next step in planning your garden is to decide what kind of flower beds would be desirable to your yard and you. A flower border is set against a backdrop such as a house, shrubs, or the edge of your patio as well as other places such as property edges. This choice of flower bed is a good option for those with smaller yards. Another type of flower bed which will work well with bigger lawns is called an island bed. An island bed is a flower bed that is planted in the middle of the lawn itself so it will give the effect of a splash of color washed up on the lawn itself. It is best to plant the taller plants in the middle of the island and to have the smaller plants around the them so they will look great on all sides. It is advisable though, to avoid making the island too small and having it made in the middle of the yard when the yard is otherwise empty.

When digging your flower bed, be sure to consider the width of the flower bed, so that it will be wide enough to accommodate the front, middle and back layers, and provides enough room for your plants to grow. As a rule, the longer your flower bed is, the wider it should be as well. Most flowers need well drained soil, so it is advisable to avoid locating your garden where there is standing water after heavy rains or during a spring thaw. The exception to this woud be when plants that can tolerate boggy soil conditions are desired. You should take the sun exposure into consideration as well because this is key to your garden planting. Some plants like full sun while other love shade

After the flower bed is dug up, and the landscaping is in place, the next thing to consider is the plants themselves. Do you want to have color throughout the year or only in certain seasons? Do you leave town in certain times such as the mid summer? If this is often the case, be sure to obtain flowers that are low maintenance during those times, such as mid summer or that bloom in the springtime. Flowers that bloom in late summer, as well as a few shrubs and trees that provide great autumn color can also add beauty to your garden through out the year if year round enjoyment is desired. Light-colored flowers, evening-scented plants, as well as garden lighting, can make your flower garden into a pleasant evening retreat after a long day at work.
Now for the fun part of planning your garden begins. The overall color of your garden is very much based on your own personal tastes. However, there are a few guidelines to follow. It is not a good idea to add too much contrast or too many colors to your flower bed due to the fact that these colors will cancel out each other and will give a visual overload. However, if the contrasts are used in moderation, it can add some spark. Colors can also reflect mood as well as the seasons themselves. Hotter colors such as reds, oranges and yellows work very well in mid summer, while the soothing effects of lighter, pastel colors go well with the springtime of early summer. Or perhaps you would like a single color garden is more to your tastes.

With careful planning and preparation, you can create a spectacular spectrum of color and fragrant scents right outside your door for you and your family to enjoy.

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Gardening Tips To Keep Your Garden Beautiful After The Winter Months

by Gary Milroy

Some simple gardening tips to keep your garden tip-top after the winter months. Sometimes getting into the garden and doing the simple things will be most beneficial to your garden.

February has lived up to being a cold and windy month (for most of us). However, with all the changes in the weather recently, who knows, we might get a heat wave soon. This is a good time to take stock and check the condition of trees and shrubs.

Recently planted stock should be checked to make sure that they are still firm in the ground. The frosts can kill the roots if exposed. If they are too unstable, support them with a suitable stake. Also make sure that existing staked trees don't have their ties too tight.

The cold frosts can be your friend too. If you have heavy clay soil you should dig it over leaving it in big lumps. Pick a dry day when the soil itself is not too wet. A lawn that is prone to inadequate drainage will benefit from aeration. Ideally use a hollow tined fork (although an ordinary garden fork will do). This will remove small plugs of soil to a depth of about 6 inches, which can then be incorporated in the beds. If using a garden fork push it in to the full depth of the tines and wiggle it back and forth to leave holes. In each case immediately brush washed sharp sand all over the lawn, which will fill the holes. The area may look messy when you are finished but a shower of rain will soon clean it up.

Lawn Maintenance
DON'T FEED OR CUT YOUR LAWN YET.
Any reputable gardener will tell you that feeding your lawn too early will do it more harm than good.

Feeding the lawn causes fresh new young growth, which would be damaged by frost. The first feed should be no earlier than April and should be a lawn sand with a low level of feed, just enough to act as a tonic for the grass. Let it start the new season gently. Also don't be tempted to cut the grass yet even if it started growing during the recent warm spell. Frost damage could again result.

Being a gardener is one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have. But remember to keep doing the simple things.... Your garden will pay you back for doing it.

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Tips For Your 'Full of Bulbs' Garden

by Nikki Phipps

Want a successful garden? Try planting bulbs into your landscape. Flowering bulbs are not only easy to grow and popular among garden plants, but they can fit into nearly any type of gardening style. And with proper care, bulbs will continue to bloom year after year. Flowering bulbs make lovely additions to any garden, especially when planted in groups or mixed borders.

Bulbs are widely available at most garden centers; however, most of the more spectacular ones need to be purchased through mail-order catalogs or nurseries that specialize in these types of plants.

Actually, ordering your bulbs through catalogs or obtaining them from nurseries can provide many benefits. Since bulbs are dormant, shipping them is easy and done so according to their appropriate planting times. This means all you have to do is simply stick them in the ground. There's no worrying with keeping particular bulbs stored elsewhere until needed.

The quality of your bulbs from a mail order company is normally better, too. They are healthier and picked for you by experts; whereas, picking them yourself may not always be easy, unless you know what to look for.

When selecting bulbs yourself, try choosing only those that are firm. You don't want any soft, withered, or blemished bulbs as these will not produce a healthy plant.

Always consider your landscape prior to planting or choosing bulbs. Observe your surroundings, taking notes as to the types of plants already growing within the landscape.

Choose bulbs which will thrive in your particular area and climate. Check reference books, labels, and packaging for the bulb's hardiness requirements.

Consider the color, bloom time, height, and compatibility of the plants you want to grow. You want to select bulbs that will offer significant blooming throughout the seasons with plenty of ongoing color year-round.

Mix them up with a variety of annuals and perennials as well as interesting foliage plants such as hostas and ferns.

Proper planting of bulbs will keep the garden full of blooms through the seasons and ensure healthy, vigorous growth for years to come. Place your bulbs in the ground as soon as possible; otherwise, keep them stored in a cool, dry area. Bulbs are normally planted well before the ground freezes in the fall or after the planting of perennials, annuals, and other plants in the spring.

Both winter and spring bulbs require a dormant period in cool temperatures in order to stimulate their growth and development. These types of bulbs include crocuses, cyclamens, tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, and hyacinths. Generally, these bulbs are hardy enough to be left in the ground throughout the year; however, your summer and fall bulbs may require lifting.

Gladiolus, begonias, dahlias, and autumn crocuses fall into the summer bulb category. These bulbs are usually considered to be quite tender and cannot survive in excessively cold environments. Spring is normally the best time to plant these bulbs. After the first initial frost, they should be dug up and kept in a dry, frost-free area.

Regardless of the type, bulbs prefer and thrive in light, well-drained soil. To improve the quality of your soil, you can easily work in some sand and compost. Make sure the site you choose for planting does not stand in water at any time as this will ultimately cause your bulbs to rot. Larger bulbs are planted about 8 inches deep; while the smaller ones can be placed about 5 inches in the ground. However, the lighter the soil, the deeper the bulb can be placed. Always place the bulb with its point facing upward. Water generously after planting, but take care not to drench the bulbs. Cover with a layer of mulch.

Flowering bulbs make great companions for woody plants, providing the landscape with an array of sizes, shapes, and colors. As spring bulbs die out, you can add various annuals and late-blooming bulbs, like lilies, to keep these areas of the garden looking their best. Adding an assortment of perennials into the bulb garden will provide a nonstop procession of flowers and foliage.

If you want to try a naturalized effect with your bulbs, take them by the handful and gently toss them out into the yard or garden. Plant the bulbs wherever they land.

If you want to test out different plant combinations before incorporating them into the garden or you simply don't have a lot of space for one, you can grow your bulbs in a container. A variety of bulbs can thrive in containers, and when mixed with annuals, you will have a beautiful miniature garden. Choose a container that has sufficient drainage and line it with pebbles. Add some potting soil and a few bulbs and annuals. Keep the container moist but not too wet.
If you follow these tips, pretty soon you will have a bulb-o-licious garden.

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Tips For Easier Garden Care

by Lee Dobbins

Gardening is an enjoyable leisure time activity for many and it can be quite easy to see the fruits of your labor bloom all summer long. Although gardening can be simple and rewarding, that doesn't mean that you won't have to put some hard work into it. There are times when gardening can be a lot of hard work!

In this article, you will learn about how you can get ahead of your gardening tasks. Keeping up with the chores and being organized and prepared can make you're the whole thing much easier.

Start feeding your soil. You need to start a healthy soil before you can grow healthy plants. You should also remember that healthy plants have fewer possibilities to succumb to disease. You should make sure your soil is perfect at the beginning of the season and then fertilize all summer as needed for each type of flower you have.

Using organic fertilizer is the best course of action. Other fertilizers may kill all the beneficial organisms that are essential for plant growth. Organic is better for your plants and for the environment as a whole.

To get healthy vibrant plants, make sure you plant them in a spot where they will be happiest. Plants that need direct sunlight must be placed in a spot where there is an adequate source of sunlight. Plants that need large amounts of water can be placed near a spot that has an abundant water supply.

You should also remember to choose plants that grow profusely, reseed or come back every year. Choosing plants like this can cut your gardening time in half. There are plants like sedums and astilbes that grow in any season. It is easier and even economical, because you do not need to change it every season.

A large garden is fun, but a smaller garden will be easier to manage and will require less of your time. You can also make some container gardens which are easier to control, water, and maintain.

All plants need consistent watering so consider installing dripping irrigation so you do not need to water your plants by hand everyday. Make sure that you only drip enough water for your plants and avoid over watering as standing water in the garden can invite disease as well as make some plants get droopy and sick.

To add beauty to your garden and keep down on weeds you can add mulch to it. Mulch not only looks good but keeps the soil and plants cool. It also retains moisture so you don't have to worry so much about watering your plants.

To make the job of gardening easier, invest in some good gardening tools. A rocker chair and knee pads are a must. Make sure you have the appropriate tool for the job and remember, a cheap tool will probably make you work harder, so go for the best quality you can afford.

Happy gardening!

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The Rose Gardener Tips

by Gray Rollins

Rose gardens are probably the most popular type of garden in the world, ranging from Marie Antoinette's famous gardens before the French revolution to a few shrubs tucked in a tiny backyard. With their wonderful scents and lovely blossoms, it is no wonder these surprisingly sturdy plants are so popular. After all, no other flowers are used as frequently as roses to symbolize love and friendship. If you'd like to grow beautiful roses in your yard, try a few of these simple rose gardening tips.

1. Roses need to eat regularly, just like any other living thing. Start feeding your roses before you even place them in the planting hole by adding a scoop of compost.

2. Use specially formulated rose food to help your roses really bloom. If you prefer organic methods, give your roses each a small scoop of Epsom salts, a banana peel, and some rotted compost. They will absolutely love these homegrown garden remedies.

3. Roses need to breathe. Be sure you don't allow other plants to get to close to your roses. Keep weeds away from the base of your roses with a 2 to 4 inch layer of rotted compost or chip mulch, but be sure you don't place these weed barriers right against the rose's stems.

4. Mulch also helps keep your roses from getting too dry. Mulch retains water, so your roses need to be watered less frequently during the summer months.

5. Trim out dead wood. Rose canes that are brown and dead may even be harboring insect pests, so remove them immediately. Always make a clean cut instead of crushing the canes as you remove them.

6. Prune out canes that cross over other canes. Those sharp thorns damage the rose's outer skin as easily as they snag your hands. Always prune a cane above a bud that faces away from the inside of the plant. This bud will react to the pruning by sending out a new shoot.

7. If your roses are infested by aphids, spray them with insecticidal soap.
8. Always remove pruned canes and spotty leaves from the ground. If you don't, any fungus on them will re-infect your roses when there is a heavy rainfall.
Finally, the most important rose gardening tip may just be to wear long sleeves and thick gloves when you are working with your roses. A rose thorn can really hurt, especially if it becomes deeply embedded in your hand.

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Ideas For Your Vegetable Garden

by Kara Kelso

The first year I lived in a "real house" I was excited to get a garden started. I just couldn't wait until spring when I could plant all kinds of veggies. While this seems like a good idea, it really wasn't. Being a new gardner, I let my excitement get the best of me. Luckily, part of my family made sure I still had a very nice garden that year.

Here are a few tips I learned:

1. Make sure you have enough room Some plants get bigger than others, and take up more space. Make sure you give certain plants more room than others, and plan enough sunlight for smaller plants. I've had smaller plans die in previous years because they eventually end up in the shadow.

2. Start small Don't plant everything you can find. Ask your local gardening supply store what will work best in your area for beginners. Tomatoes work best where I live, but don't work well in other areas.

3. Start with plants, not seeds Instead of throwing seeds in the ground, start off easy buying plants that are already started. They have been started at the right time of year by experts, and are much easier to grow.

4. Know your time limits If you can only devote 10mins per day to your garden, make sure you only have a few plants. Pulling weeds can quickly become a problem, so if you have limited time don't make a big area that will take a long time to weed.

I hope these ideas will help you this spring when you start your first garden!

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Vegetable Gardening Tips At Your Backyard

by George Hapgood

Would it be possible for you to grow a vegetable garden at your backyard? Consider this option, healthy foods just within your reach. Even your children can help and cultivate their own vegetables. Having fun while learning is not a bad idea right? But you have to plan ahead before you start.

Which Veggie?
Plan which vegetables you would like to grow in your garden. Choose early, middle of the season and late kinds of these vegetables, which you like best.

Against all veggie odds
You have to know the odd characteristics of certain vegetables and use them to best advantage. Some vegetables bloom even in partially shaded positions, while others require lots of sunshine.

Goodie veggies
Good vegetables are of exceptionally slow growth during the seedling stage of development. You have to take advantage of this by using space between rows for quick-growing crops. For example, propagate beet seed by middle of April and position young lettuce plants between the rows.

Don't let the water run dry
Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

De-pest the infested
During the growing season be attentive against insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will make it much easier to take suitable action and get rid of the pests. But be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable have grown unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the used up vegetable matter into your fertilizer pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

Animal appeal not needed
It is important to protect your vegetable garden. In most cases, the garden is surrounded by a fence adequately high and close-woven to keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during a season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work would pay off if necessary precaution has been made. Learning is a process, vegetable gardening needs time. See to it you have patience and dedication to it.

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Gardening in Small Spaces

An effective garden doesn’t mean it has to be huge and hold tons of plants. Not everyone has the space for a garden like that, but they can grow thriving plants in a small area as long as there’s access to sunlight.

Gardens have grown in many places - from a small patch of ground outside of a home to planting pots placed outside one’s front door. The size of your garden doesn’t matter because it’s the quality of your gardening skills that will provide you with thriving plants.

You’ll want to research the plants you want to grow within your garden. Find out what plants can be planted near each other, which ones need the most sunlight and any care instructions needed to grow a particular type of plant.

This will help you plan the placement of your garden, whether you plant in a small patch of land or in planters. Next, you’ll need to find out when each plant should be planted. Some need to be planted ahead of others, so plan accordingly.

Now you’re ready to purchase the plants or seeds, whichever you choose to grow in your garden. Make sure you have the right size planters for your garden if you go with gardening pots. The plants need some space to grow, so don’t overcrowd them.

Make sure you use top quality potting soil. Your plants could use the extra effort to provide them with the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. Your local gardening center can help you decide which soil would be best for you to use.

Even gardens grown in small areas will have problems with insects that feed on your plants, so make sure you purchase plants that are inviting to the insects that will keep the harmful ones under control so they won’t have time to destroy your garden.

Some fertilizing soil has ingredients mixed in that will help repel some of the pests, so check them out as well. If you feel you must use pesticides, use them sparingly. Most of these harmful chemicals can affect the plants as well as animals and children, so use only what’s absolutely necessary for your garden.

Every garden, no matter if it’s big or small, needs to be nurtured. Stay on top of the weeds, aerate the soil once in awhile and water as often as needed. No garden will thrive without the proper care and nurturing from the gardener, so don’t neglect them.

Small gardens can thrive just as much as larger ones, so if you don’t have the space for a big garden, just make use of the space you do have and grow healthy and robust plants. With the proper care, any garden can produce excellent plants.

Take the time to plan out your garden to use the best areas of the small space that you have. Your small garden could then outmatch any large one if you put forth your best effort and make it successful.

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