Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

Best Small Greenhosues

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

If you have less space in your garden, then a mini greenhouse is the best option for you. A mini greenhouse performs all the functions of a big greenhouse but takes very little space. The basic function of a greenhouse is to protect plants from pests and other harmful elements. Your greenhouse should be facing southeast or southwest, because this is the best way to maximize sunlight. There are many types of mini greenhouses. Some have wheels and you can move them anywhere in your garden. Some mini greenhouses are placed against the wall while some greenhouses are free standing. Mini greenhouses are easy to assemble and mini greenhouses are the best way to enjoy home grown fruits and vegetables. These greenhouses are also available in different sizes. The size of the greenhouse will depend upon how much room you have and what you want to use it for. Mini greenhouses are the best way to grow plants at home and these greenhouses also protect plants from harsh weather.

Compost Wormery for the Home Gardener

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Most all home gardeners that have been doing it a while and have done their research have discovered that one of the best things they can do to prepare their soil each year is add some nutrient rich compost. Even better for the home gardener if they can make the compost at home by themselves from material that they would have normally thown out any way.

The easiest, and funnest, way to do this is with a home compost wormery. Basically you just set up a large rubbermaid container in your basement and fill it with newspaper and a bunch of red wiggler worms. Then each day after your meals you just add the leftover organic food that you were going to throw away. The red wiggler worms will eat your leftovers and turn the food and newspaper in to some of the best nutrient rich compost that you’ll ever add to you garden.

A compost wormery is also known as red worm composting because the most commonly chosen breed of worm to use is called the red wiggler worm. They eat quite a bit for their size and are very tolerant of crowded population density. So you can have quite a few of them in a relatively small space and each of them are going to eat quite a bit. And the more you have and the more they eat the quicker and more compost you’ll have to use in your garden this year.

So get your wormery set up and add your food each day, and in about 90 days or so you’ll have your first batch of compost ready to go. Then just add some new newspaper and keep the same worms and you can start the process all over again. Give it a try and this year your garden will be the envy of the neighborhood!

The Ethics of Releasing Butterflies

Monday, April 25th, 2011

When it comes to butterflies, almost everybody agrees that they are special insects. They are lovely to look at and the way that they flutter through the summer air, coming to rest on flowers and shrubs, can be truly captivating. But does that mean that we should be releasing them at weddings?

Butterfly releases can be a lot of fun. If you have raised a few of them in your home or classroom through a special kit, you almost want to celebrate the moment that you allow them to take fligt into your yard or your garden. But when you do, you have to ensure that the insects are going to find the resources they need to survive.

Is this always the case with more festive releases such as a wedding? It might be and it might not be. It actually depends on the surroundings. But one thing is for sure. Without the proper habitat, butterflies are at risk of losing their lives. And so when you commit to letting them go, you have a responsibility to them. You need to expose them to plants that will feed them and serve as host plants when they lay their eggs. Anything less than that and you are simply not being fair.

Winter and the Montbretia

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

If lifted each year, store Montbretia in a cool room or in a coldframe protected against frost. Lift in clumps and do not remove the soil. The soil should not be permitted to dry out. The bulbs may be separated in the Spring at replanting time.

A longer period of bloom may be enjoyed by lifting some and leaving the others in the ground since lifted bulbs bloom weeks later.

Tuberoses

The attempt to save tuberose bulbs from one season to the next is of doubtful value in the northern states. The bulbs pretty well exhaust themselves each year so that they seldom flower the second season. While each bulb produces many bulblets, these require planting in a greenhouse (luring the Winter in order to advance their growth so that they will flower the next season. If bulblets are held and planted outdoors the following season, they will not produce flowers, include that as a part of your landscaping plan. An added year is necessary. The chances of success with the exhausted bulb or the bulblets is hardly justified in view of the fact that new bulbs are so reasonable in price.

Tigridia

Tigridia can be harvested and stored in the same way as gladiolus corms.

No Garden? No Problem.

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Not everyone has the outdoor space to create their own slice of the Garden of Eden. Especially for inner city dwellers or people that live in apartments, owning a patch of land outside may be a fantasy that is not going to happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden landscape design. There are ways around it. If you live in Switzerland, you can often rent or buy a small piece of land for your own garden. These are all grouped together on larger pieces of land, with little garden sheds included for storing all the gardening tools. Some high-rise buildings may have gardens on their rooftops. There are many advantages to landscaping your garden from scratch. It gives you the opportunity to add exotic features to your garden that might otherwise be a lot of extra hassle and work such as a water feature. But if you know from the beginning that you want to include it Los Altos Landscape design, you can make the necessary preparations. You will save yourself a lot of hassle by hiring a landscaper to do the job as they find out where gas and water lines run and can give good advice on the best placement of your fountain or pond as well as suggest appropriate sizes. If you decide to add a pond to your garden the good news is they are pretty much self maintaining, however don’t be fooled, there will be certain jobs you need to do each season to keep it in top condition. An easier choice is a water fountain or feature, which you can often buy ready made from the garden center. Surround it with colored mosaic tiles from a splash of color and you will have an eye-catching centerpiece for your visitors to enjoy.

But the easiest way is to invest in some indoor plants. Hanging baskets with green ferns work well, although consider how you will water them. Miniature plants like bonsai trees or miniature roses are another good choice. Having plenty of greenery around will create a restful environment in your home, and if you can’t afford the investment, consider investing in some good quality artificial plants. Often you can’t tell the difference from the real thing and they have a long life span.