Landscaping and Gardening

Perennials For Your Garden The Low Maintenance Choice

2009-03-04T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by Jason Albright

Perennials are plants and flowers that will stay in your garden for more than one gardening season. Some perennials will bloom for up to three years, and others will bloom for longer. One of the best things about perennials is that they are very low maintenance, which makes them popular choices for a lot of people. Annuals require much more care and tending to. If you are looking for a simple garden that doesn't require much time and attention, try planting perennials. When you choose perennials carefully and plan their planting, they will last for many years.

When you plant perennials in your garden, don't expect to see much in the first year. During this first growing season, the perennials are getting used to their new environment. Some perennials will produce new blooms in the first year, but some won't have any progress until the second year. The second year for perennials is often the most dramatic. During this growing season, perennial plants and flowers start to fill out and take hold of their environment.

When you plant perennials, you need to pay careful attention to soil quality, water availability and sunlight. These factors can all affect the growth and longevity of your perennials. During your planning, make sure to plant your perennials with plenty of space for them to grow. Make sure not to put them too close together because you may have to move them in the future. Although this leaves some bare spots in your garden, it is important to leave room.

If you are concerned about the sparse look of your perennial garden in the first year, try planting annuals in the spaces between the perennials. The annual flowers will add color and vibrancy to your garden, but won't be in the way of the growth of your perennials. Annual plants and flowers grow and bloom for just one growing season, but they do bloom quickly and have an instant gratification factor that perennials don't offer.

© Cookgroup Marketing LLC - All Rights Reserved. This article brought to you by Grow-Your-Garden.com/ . You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, author name, and URL remain intact. Jason Albright is a contributing editor at Cookgroup Marketing LLC. His background is with lifestyle topics including: Gardening, Outdoor Living, Home Decor & Travel Destinations.

The Garden Statue Stone Metal Or Gnome

2009-03-04T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Margarette Tustle

Enhance Your Yard Or Flower Bed

There are several types of garden statue available that will enhance your yard or flower bed with a tastefully decorative touch. You can choose from several different sizes, shapes, materials for your statue depending on your taste and your budget. You may want the statue to be a focal point on which all the other landscaping depends, or you may just want something to give that finishing touch to its small corner. There are statues on bases, statues that hang, and statues that are simply set on the ground. When you are putting in a garden statue you will need to consider the size, the location, the material, the design and where you will buy it.

Resin Statue

A resin statue is very popular because it is virtually indestructible and can be created to look like almost any other material. It is really hard plastic that can be molded into nearly any shape and painted to look like metal, stone, or wood. It is also a lightweight garden statue and can be cleaned simply by cleaning with soap and water.

Concrete Or Cement Statue

Another fairly inexpensive type of statue is the concrete or cement statue. These statues can be left "as-is" or painted. They can be molded into any shape, but they will not have the fine detail of some of the other garden statue materials so they are often fairly large. They are relatively inexpensive when compared to the real stone statues. They are heavy and withstand the elements fairly well, but if they are hit or knocked over they can be broken.

Fiberglass Statue

A fiberglass statue is much like a resin garden statue. Fiberglass is another form of lightweight plastic and can be easily cleaned, but they are often smoother than the resin statues and shinier as well. You can also clean it easily with soap and water.

Metallic Statue

For a more unusual look you might want to get a metallic garden statue. They come in copper, brass, iron, bronze and other metals. Some are meant to retain their sheen over time while others begin to oxidize and get a patina of green, turquoise, or rust coloring.

Stone Statue

When you think of stone statues you may envision the Roman or Greek masterpieces, but you will find that you can find some that may be perfect for your yard as well. Simulated stone is an alternative for your garden statue that allows the artist to get more detail without as much room for error. The simulated stone is just as strong and durable as real stone. Marble is a real stone that has been used for centuries to make statues in palaces and the finer homes. Marble comes in several colors and is beautiful and elegant and will add a touch of class to any garden statue.

Style Your Garden

If you want a new look for your garden, there are statues that have a beautiful glass ball incorporated into some part of the garden statue, either hanging from a chain or a hook or resting in a base. Some of the glass balls are just clear, but others have an iridescent quality. They reflect the sunlight and are really very charming.

As far as style, you can choose the whimsical-like fairies or gnomes, or the more classic styles that look like something from Rodin or Michelangelo's studio. There are modernistic forms filled with geometric shapes and straight lines. There are statues of children, animals, and almost anything you can think of. There is even a statue that fits right into the trunk of a tree that has an old gnome-like face, giving your tree a personality of its own.

Margarette Tustle writes ideas for home and family. Find statue resources for animal statues at dreamstatue.com

How To Attract Hummingbirds

2009-03-03T07:00:00.002-08:00

Writen by Clyde Dennis

Yes! You can attract hummingbirds to your home. Even if you live in the middle of the city, and even if you've never had any luck getting them to come in the past.

Try one or more of these tips, and you should begin to see hummers around your yard soon.

Plant A Hummingbird Garden:

One good way to attract Hummingbirds is by planting a Hummingbird garden. In addition to providing them a natural diet, a hummer garden is an excellent way to attract birds to your nearby feeder since hummingbirds feed by sight on regularly followed routes. This is called traplining. Their inquisitive nature will quickly lead them to investigate any possible new source of food.

Hummers, like most birds, have virtually no sense of smell, the flowers that attract them tend to have little or no fragrance, apparently directing their resources instead toward high visibility and nectar production.

Some plants to consider that will attract Hummingbirds include:

Azalea

- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
- Cape Honeysuckle
- Manzanita
- Mimosa
- Red Buckeye
- Coral Honeysuckle
- Cypress Vine
- Morning Glory
- Trumpet Creeper
- Bee Balm (Monarda)
- Cardinal Flower
- Columbine
- Coral Bells
- Four O'Clocks
- Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)
- Penstemon
- Yucca
- Fuchsia
- Jewelweed
- Petunia
- Shrimp Plant

Note: none of these need to be red in color although the color red is attractive to hummingbirds.

If you're in doubt as to whether any of these will flourish in your area check with your local nursery.

You should avoid using any pesticides at all in your Hummingbird garden. The insects that you would kill off serve as a good source of protein for hummingbirds, and can also sicken or kill the birds if ingested.

Set up Hummingbird Feeders:

If you use a feeder and make your own nectar, a few words of caution.

Never use honey or artificial sweeteners. Honey ferments easily, and can cause sores in a hummers mouth. Artificial sweeteners have no food value. DO NOT use red food coloring in your solution, as this could be harmful to your hummers. Most feeders have red on them and that should be enough.

Your hummingbird feeders needs to be cleaned, and nectar changed every 3-4 days. Even more often in hot weather.

If you see black spots inside your feeder this is mold and you will need to scrub it out with a good bottle brush, but if you can't reach it with a bottle brush you can add some sand with water and shake the feeder to remove the mold.

You should never use harsh detergent to clean your feeder. Rinse out each time you change your nectar with hot water, and if you do this on a regular basis you should not have a problem with mold inside the feeder. Don't fill the feeder more than half full, because they won't be able to drink it all before it will need to be changed.

It seems all hummingbird feeders available for purchase these days have red on them, but if you are in doubt that there is enough red, try tying a red ribbon on the feeder.

Another way to attract attention to your feeder is to place it among flowers that hummers like, or hang a basket of flowers nearby.

You will find that feeder activity slows as more flowers bloom in your yard. Do not panic! They prefer natural nectar over what we give them in our feeders, so they are still around, and you will see them at your feeders more often, as the blooms start to diminish.

If you live in the Eastern part of the United States, you'll find you only have one type of hummingbird that will visit for the summer, and that is the Ruby-throated. They are very territorial and defend flowers and feeders within their favorite roost spot, so if you want to attract more than one hummer, try putting up 2 or 3 more feeders out of sight from each other. Perhaps on another side of your house.

Get more information and tips on attracting Hummingbirds by going to http://www.easyhow-to.com/hummingbirds.html

Happy humming birding!

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. "SmoothLee" has been bumping around on the web since 1999 and is a self described "Web Head, and Life long AVID music fan". Smooth Jazz Music in particular. In addition to writing CD Reviews for I Love Smooth Jazz.com he is also the Program Director, and can be heard during his daily radio show which airs on one of the internets most listened to smooth jazz radio stations, Smooth Jazz 24/7

Planting Bulbs Part 4 Staking Mulching Storing

2009-03-03T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Bill Prudehome

With fall on the way, it is time to consider planting bulb flowers that we want for spring blooming. Bulbs are one of the best flower investments for the cost, properly cared for they will provide spring color in your garden for years.

Staking

Dahlias and gladioli have heavy blooms and tall stalks and may need to be supported in order to stand straight during their blooming season. You can place stakes in the proper position at the time of planting, this avoids possibly damaging the bulbs or tubers by driving in stakes after the bulb has been buried beneath the soil. Another method that works quite well is the use of a support ring.

Mulching

For fall plantings of the larger bulbs, it is recommended that the planting bed be covered with two to three inches of mulch. The use of mulch over the bed will help to control temperature changes and keep moisture from evaporating prematurely. Planting beds of small bulbs that bloom in very early spring should not be mulched.

Digging and Storing Spring Bulbs

The dormant period for spring bulbs is the summer. Spring bulbs go dormant in late spring and early summer when the foliage dies. At the same time as the foliage dies, the roots are also dieing. Fall weather, will bring the bulbs out of their dormant stage and the root systems will commence growing bringing nutrients and moisture back to the bulbs.

The time to dig up bulbs is when they are in their dormant stage. By digging the bulbs up you can divide them and spread them out evenly across the bed when replanting.

Bulbs that have been dug up must be stored in a well ventilated location and replanted in the fall. If you do not dig up your bulbs every year, daffodils and crocus should be dug up at least every five years so that they can be thinned out. If you do not thin these plants out you will end up with uneven plant height, a smaller flower size and uneven blooms.

Use a spading fork to dig up summer flowering bulbs when the leaves have turned yellow. Bulbs should have all the soil washed off them and be dried with paper towel. This is not necessary if you are storing bulbs in pots with soil.

Some bulbs do much better if the soil is left around the bulb; achimenes, begonia, canna, caladium, dahlia and ismene are in that group. The best method to store the aforementioned bulbs is in clumps on slightly moist sawdust or peat moss in a cool location. Prior to planting separate and wash the bulbs.

Bulbs that are washed should be dried and then stored in a shaded dry location, keep away from sunlight. In most cases, bulbs should not be stored in areas where temperatures drop below 50 degrees or rise above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The best temperature range is 60 to 65 degrees.

Before storing your bulbs, they should be inspected for disease and insect problems. Bulbs that are unusually small, soft or do not look healthy should be discarded.

It is important that air circulates freely around the bulbs in storage. Placing your bulbs on wire screens, only two layers deep will prevent heat buildup that will lead to bulb decay.

When in doubt visit your local nursery and ask an expert this is not the time to speak to a part-time worker at your local big box retailer.

For additional information on Planting Bulbs
Part 1 Soil Preparation, Fertilizing;
Part 2 Planting Location, Planting Depth;
Part 3 Watering, Removing Foliage;

For additional information on gardening and landscaping or other home renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

Creating Woodland Gardens

2009-03-02T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tim Hallinan

Instead of trying to impose a garden through extensive pruning and soil conditioning, prepare the site for woodland plants, such ferns, shade loving shrubs and perennials. Plants suited to these conditions will grow and thrive without major site preparation.

Limited site manipulation if fine. Lower branches may need to be pruned to allow access into the garden, smaller trees may need to be removed to avoid competition and some organic compost can be added to the site in order to create optimal growing conditions.

Woodland gardens, which mimic the forest landscape, have four vertical elements; the canopy layer, the understory, the shrub layer and the ground layer. Try to incorporate each layer into your garden.

The canopy layer consists of the tallest trees which provide the shade and dictates what you'll be able to plant. The type of canopy determines the amount of light reaching the ground. Closed canopies allow little to reach the ground and are created by evergreens and large deciduous trees growing close together. Open canopies, on the other hand, create dappled shade and occur when trees are spaced far apart. The understory layer in made up of the smaller woodland trees such as the flowering dogwood. Viburnums, azaleas and other lower growing woody plants create the shrub layer. Ground layer plants include perennials, ferns and bulbs.

The forest landscape changes often so plan accordingly; design your garden giving thought to the seasonal changes in the landscape. In the spring, beneath deciduous trees, quite a bit of sunlight is able reaches the ground through the branches This allows flowering perennials and bulbs to bloom. Though the spring flower display can be stunning, be careful not to plan your woodland garden around these flowers as they will soon disappear and die back to the ground. Include plants with lush foliage which will last through the summer months. As spring progresses and the canopy begins to close, plants such as ferns, mosses and perennials become the focus of the garden as they create a lush green carpet.

In the fall, trees such as sugar maple, dogwood and hickory and deciduous shrubs such as viburnum and summersweet provide brilliant, colorful foliage. After their fall display, deciduous plants drop their leaves replenishing the soil with nutrients that has been stored in their foliage.

Don't overlook features such as a plant's form, colorful berries and interesting bark. It is these features which are treasured through the winter months. Berry producing plants also provide wildlife with food.

Many woodland plants can be considered year-round attractions. For example, the dogwood begins the season with flowers and red fruits. After its colorful fall foliage falls to the ground its bark, which flakes with age, provides the garden with interest through the winter. The birch tree's beautiful form is most noticeable in the winter after it sheds its brilliant yellow leaves. Red twig dogwood is a shrub layer plant which, as the name suggests, has red bark. It stands out wonderfully against the snow and the barren winter landscape.

When planning your woodland garden, be sure to include benches and spaces for rest as gardens in the shade provide a pleasant respite from the hot summer sun.

T Hallinan is a landscape designer and builder in Massachusetts. Visit his garden resource website http://www.gardenlistings.com for all kind of helpful information. For more garden guides visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/resources.htm

Lawn Mowers Buying The Best

2009-03-01T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by Timothy Anderson

It's that time of the year again: springtime! It's a new season that ushers in warm weather and sunny days. Unfortunately it also brings with it the chore of mowing the lawn. Perhaps this year you are in search of a new lawn mower that will make cutting the grass much easier and less time-consuming. This will mean more time to spend at the pool. If you are a smart consumer, you will want to research certain brands, models, and features of mowers before you set out to make your final purchase. After all, it is in your best interest to get the most for your money.

The first step to buying mowers is to consider what type of lawn you have. Obviously, you will not be interested in sit-down mowers or large tractor mowers if you only have a small yard to work on. The same holds true for people with large lawns they would be best to steer clear of or push mowers.

For those of you who are new to purchasing mowers, one of the first types of mowers invented was the push mower. A push mower has no engine, and therefore the grass cutting is a result of the force your body uses to push the mower forward. Push mowers are the cheapest type of mowers, typically costing between $150 to $200. However, if you have a hilly lawn or must push your mower up a hill, the task of cutting grass can become both tedious and physically draining. In this case, you would be better off with a self- propelled mower. A self-propelled mower has an engine that helps you push the mower along. Many standard self-propelled mowers cost approximately $500. For people with a large area of grass to cut let's say a half acre or more a sit down mower or tractor is most suitable. Most sit-down or tractor mowers are in the price range of $1500 to $2000.

It is key to remember, however, that the price of all of these types of mowers goes up significantly if special features are included. Some of these features are lever height adjustments, variable speeds, electric starts, optional bags, tank capacity, headlights (for sit-down or tractor mowers), and optional bags. One of the most popular features that many consumers pay more for is a mower that can cut grass three different ways. In other words, the majority of consumers like mowers that can mulch grass and bag it, as well as discharge it out of the side of the mower.

Finding a good deal on a mower is important. You should shop around and compare prices at you local Home Depot or Lowe's stores. It also never hurts to do some research on mowers using the Internet. Web sites such as www.speedwaysales.com, and www.hechinger.com have a wide variety of mower brands and models, as well as consumer reviews. By reading what others think of their purchase, you can get a feel for what is a good buy and what isn't.

Timothy Anderson writes for PowerfulChecklists.com. Before you spend any money, check out your next lawn mower carefully using the free Mower Checklist at PowerfulChecklists.com

Your Cottage Garden

2009-03-01T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Theresa Sontag

Cottage gardens exude charm and character, with an informal style, very unlike formal gardens with their immaculate lawns and regimented borders. The cottage garden style typically consists of lots of plants, heavy on the flowers, with paths meandering between. The plants are chosen to suit personal tastes with the emphases on the pleasure of growing plants and enjoying their color, fragrance and form. A medley of colors and textures that is all crammed into the beds and borders.

Cottage gardens were originally constructed to utilize every bit of growing space for family needs. This meant, flowers, fruit, herbs and vegetables were packed together into even the smallest plots. One tip is to incorporate wildflowers and herbs as well as the more traditional cottage garden plants. Plant in clumps with large blocks of color to introduce rich patters of color and movement. Also, don't restrict yourself to planting tall plants in the back, with smaller ones in front. Mix some of the taller plants in amongst the middle planting area as well.

You should grow hollyhock beside walls and fences, plant climbers, such as clematis and roses, in amongst the hedges and trees, or up wall and fences. Annuals can fill in between gaps in the planting.

You will find many of the flowers that are featured in traditional cottage gardens are self-sowing, so leave old flower spikes intact for self-seeding.

All gardens require care and attention and cottage gardens are no exception. You will need to do frequent deadheading in order to encourage a long season of blooming flowers. Divide and replant where appropriate depending on the plant, and, of course, the weeding necessary in any garden.

The first step in creating your cottage garden is to plan your layout. A classic cottage garden has a straight path to the front door, a simple fence and perhaps an arc over the gate, the path or doorway. A more modern design has a curving path. You will need to decide which path option works best for you.

A climbing rose or a wisteria would be a good choice to adorn the wall by and above the front door. The path should be edged with plants that will spill over and soften the edges. You should have a few evergreen shrubs, this will provide green all year and will provide a background to show off your flowers, as well as contrast with autumn foliage and your spring bulbs. Also in winter, your evergreen shrubs will provide color and inject interest while the rest of your garden is dormant.

Adding a tree will give scale to your garden, and lift the eye over the flowers. Deciduous trees have more than one season of interest since they provide autumn color, also many of them have beautiful flowers and fruits. Also, the frameworks of the branches provide height in winter and will not block the winter sunlight in small plots. Deciduous flowering shrubs will provide spring and summer pleasure, and some will give you autumn foliage and berries in the winter.

I believe one cannot have a cottage garden without roses. There are so many types available now, whether heritage roses or the modern roses bred for ease of maintenance and disease resistance, you have your colors and degree of work you wish to commit. There are wonderful climbers to adorn arches, doorways, fences and pergolas. Work roses into your overall scheme, and let them play their part, and they will contribute beauty, scent and structure to your garden.

Add different climbers, such as roses, clematis and others to the same support, whether it is a tree, arbor or fence. It is a good space-saving technique that creates colorful features for months on end and adds height to the garden.

Your landscaping should include more than plants. Add seating areas and containers to help you enjoy your garden. They contrast well with the flow and look of your plants. Containers are also a convenient way to add lots of extra color around buildings, seats and benches. Containers can be anything, use your imagination, for example, objects such as old chimney pots, old watering cans, and bottomless metal buckets can be recycled to make authentic, aged features that will add color and character to your cottage garden.

Your cottage garden should be a color palate of your imagination, blending plants, objects and colors into a whole that is uniquely you. Add and change it through the years and watch it evolve.

Theresa is an avid gardener. For more information on creating lush, vibrant gardens visit her sites at Rose Gardens, Lawn and Garden and Garden.

Cannibals On The Porch

2009-02-28T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jim Burnell

No, ghosts of the Donner Party have not started haunting my porch, nor have others of the human type I may have reference to. I am speaking of cannibals in the insect world of which there are many, but two in particuIar that make me stop and wonder. The first is waxy black with a small red hourglass on her abdomen. She dangles on a thin thread late on warm summer nights in doorways or dark corners waiting for the what ever comes her way. I am sure you guessed, it is the female black widow spider, (Latrodectus Mactans) that I am referring to, and she is no stranger to many porches and gardens around the world . Her potent neurotoxic venom is more deadly than a rattle snake, although the actual bite is less noticeable. But she is only one of the many cannibals waiting outside.

If you are lucky, your porch may attract a less deadly, human friendly cannibal, with lightning strike reflexes and human like characteristics. The adult praying mantis, of whom its been said, is the only insect able to swivel its head around 180 degrees. Mantis is the Greek word for prophet, and if you see one of these on your porch you are immediately impressed by its show of awareness and seeming lack of fear as it turns its head and watches you walk by. The praying mantis, also commonly called mantids, like the black widow, have a reputation of sexual cannibalism, in that the females are known for eating the males head after and sometimes during mating, which in truth only happens some of the time, however in the case of the mantids, the young nymphs emerging from their egg cases will begin to eat each other if another food source is not found within one or two days and they are kept caged together with no means of escape. They emerge from their eggs as tiny strings, one attached to the next, through a row of pin-sized holes in the egg. As the string grows longer they individually begin to unfold into tiny little creatures looking just like their parents, only wingless, stringy and weak, but able to walk or run to high ground, or I should say elevated branches and leaves as they seem to have an instinct to climb, like tiny infantry soldiers searching for a safe place to lie in wait for any soft bodied insect they can over-power while avoiding any large ants or meat bees which can easily carry them of at this age.

As a gardener and amateur entomologist I am naturally drawn to these two insects. In the case of the black widow, it is the possibility of a nasty bite, and a trip to the emergency room, which has always concerned me. In the case of the praying mantis, besides its mysterious fascination and pre-historic looks, it is its reputation as a beneficial insect for pest control that got my attention. Then I got a crazy idea about using the talents of the mantis to control the black-widow population by setting them out as sentinels on the porch and in the yard and so I went about gathering mantid egg cases from neighboring areas, "oothecas", as they are called, and began waiting for them to hatch, while I designed several cages which I thought appropriate. The first ootheca hatched in mid-April and I somehow missed it. I turned to look in the glass container as usual and there were over one-hundred little guys about five sixteenths of an inch long, running and jumping from branch to branch exploring the gallon container. They had all come from one egg case! Little did I know at that time what I was getting into as I tried to figure out how to get the other egg cases out of the container without half of the little guys escaping in the process. The first thing I realized was that I was going to need a good pair of glasses, and a lot of time and patience to journey into this insects world.

Since then four months have passed and since this is not the place for a novel, I will only share information, as it would relate to gardening and pest control. As for the black widow, we will just have to wait and see, but for once I would say that the "little prophet", lives up to the hype of its reputation as a good beneficial, provided certain procedures are taken.

Most beneficial insect companies recommend releasing your mantids immediately or just placing the egg cases out in the garden to hatch on their own. I would not recommend this as most of them will fall prey to other predatory insects at this age, as they do not get their wings till the end of their third month and their only defenses are camouflage and stealth during the first few days. If a colony of large ants track them down, the whole population from an egg case can become ant food in a few hours. It is better to wait three to four weeks before releasing them, letting them grow to between five eighths and three quarters of an inch, during this time they have learned a little self-defense from practicing with each other. This can be done very easily with a self-feeding ant proof cage that can be kept outdoors with very little maintenance and reused year after year. If this is done the survival rate will increase dramatically and many more mantids will be found protecting the garden later in the season. At this point you can release them strategically or randomly. If you want to target specific plants with a pest problem, you can release them every four inches apart or so and after they find a spot they like they will most likely stay in or near to that spot ranging no more than twelve inches or so contrary to popular belief. They will usually stay in that general area for several weeks until they can no longer find food, or until they become prey for meat bees, which constantly hover in search of a meal, and crafty spiders that sneak up from underneath and in a surprise attack inject their poison. Many times it may seem that they are gone and then several days later they are back again when all the time they were hiding right in front of you. Some of my outside mantids have stayed in the same place for two months. Do not expect miracles. If a pest infestation has already occurred it is most likely too late for these beneficials to be of much help. At this age they may eat only four or five aphids or small flies a day but they can survive on less and they will not eat if they are not hungry. They will also help control the mosquito population as I found out when I introduced a few mosquitoes into their cages. In fact there is the possibility of them being very effective for mosquito control if released in marshlands or around stagnant water.

As time goes by they will begin eating larger and more difficult prey. At about ninety days, give or take a day or two, after they have shed their last exoskeleton they will show their wings. It usually happens at night and in the morning, there they are, a beautiful set of wings. It seems like a small miracle the first time you see this happen. This is the easiest time to differentiate between the sexes and when the females start their domination although if you have the eyes of a child, or a good magnifying glass, the sexes can be determined by counting body segments at a very early age. This is also the point at which they start traveling about the yard, or flying over to the yard next door to look for a mate and search for larger prey like grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, moths, etc. They have now grown to between two and a half to three inches, and can no longer catch the smaller prey. Their hunting skills have developed into a form of art and they have reached their full potential The female now looks like a miniature version from the Jurassic period, with strong hooked arms and columns of sharp, tapered spikes. She can flare up her wings in defiance vibrating delicate webbing which extends to her body causing her to appear large and ferocious to any approaching threat. Most humans would step back upon seeing this display for the first time, kind of like hearing a rattlesnake when you are not expecting it. This is also the time when you might expect me to place them on the porch as sentinels to complete this experiment. Well I said in the beginning it was a crazy idea and I cannot find one black widow on the porch anyway, or in the yard. Besides, raising these wonderful creatures in captivity they have become like family pets some of which I have given names to and praise or scold according to their behavior. To subject one of my pets to a life or death battle with a black widow is no longer an option. I am sure they would not stay on the porch for more than a couple of days anyway, just long enough to say good bye and maybe scare off a few solicitors before flying off in the night to safely deposit their eggs and then face their deadliest of prey, the futile first frost.

Jim Burnell is a carpenter/cabinet maker and small business owner with a lifetime of varied hobbies from boat building to studying Zeno's paradox. Currently he is studying the effects of catnip on mosquitoes and other insects, the testing and raising of certain beneficial insects in the garden and in captivity, and simplifying certain gardening procedures in transplanting and cloning. For links to his other articles, journals and ideas he can be reached at his website: http://www.spreadtheworld.blogspot.com or e-mail jimbkayak@yahoo.com

Six Rose Diseases And How To Treat Them

2009-02-27T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by Lee Dobbins

Roses are beautiful but can be a bit challenging to grow. There are many insects and diseases that can chip away at the health of your roses. He are six symptoms of disease in your roses and how to treat them.

1. Malformed young canes or canes that are stunted

this is a fungal disease which is called powdery mildew. It covers stems bods and leaves with a white powder that spreads in the breeze. The leaves will turn purple and curl. To treat this, spray with Benomyl or Funginex.

2. Black spots on leaves

Aptly named, this disease is usually referred to as black spot. These spots are circular and have fringed edges causing the leaves to yellow. To treat this you want to remove infected leaves and pick up any that have fallen around the plant. You can also buy artificial sprays to treat and prevent black spot.

3. Stunted or malformed flowers and leaves

Malformed leaves and flowers can be caused by spider mites. These little tiny mites can be green red or yellow and usually hang around on the underside of the leaves where they have a good old time sucking the juices. You can try applying Isotox or Orthene to help treat these little pests.

4. Blistered leaves

If you notice the underside of your roses leaves are blistered you may have the disease known as rust. Blisters are an orange red color in turn black in the fall. This disease can live throughout the winter and in spring when new sprouts formidable attack them. To treat this get rid of any leaves that are infected both on the plants and on the ground. Spray Funginex or Benomyl every seven to 10 days for treatment.

5. Flowers which are malformed or do not open

this is another problem with roses that can be caused by bugs called Thrips. These are fain brownish yellow bugs that have fringed wings and damage your plant by sucking the juices from the flower buds. To get rid of them you'll have to cut off the infested flowers. Malathion and Orthene may also be used to treat this problem.

6. Leaves that are weak and mottled or show tiny white webs underneath

here you may have a problem with aphids. These tiny blogs can be green and brown or red and often hang around in clusters under the leaves and flower buds where they suck juices. Try spraying with diazinon or malathion in on to get rid of them.

If you're roses to not have any of these pests or diseases but are still unhealthy looking you might want to look at the way you are fertilizing them. Roses are very hungry and do require fertilization. Talk to your local gardening store to find out what's best for your area.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://gardening.subjectmonster.com where you can learn more about all types of gardening including indoor gardening, container gardening and organic gardening. Get gardening tips to help improve your gardens today!

All About Gardening

2009-02-27T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lisa Marx

Gardening is perhaps one of the best hobbies that a more laborious nature lover can take up. The reason why I choose to call this hobby laborious is because it surely does involve a good deal of physical activity. This hobby is not meant for those nature lovers who simply want to bask in the natural beauty that already exists. Rather it is an ideal pass time for those who want to make their own contribution to the nature.

In order to be successful in gardening one must have the following qualities: -

1.) Besides having a love for gardening you should also have the will and determination to pursue your hobby.

2.) You must be physically fit and agile. Laziness and gardening are anonymous to each other.

3.) Learn to exchange your ideas and information with like-minded people who can show an equal passion for gardening.

4.) Try laying your hands on almost any books, magazines or articles that can enhance your knowledge on gardening.

5.) Be prepared to invest a small amount of your earnings in purchasing the "Can't do without", gardening tools.

The world of gardening is wide and it has immense possibilities for those who want to explore it with the right zeal and enthusiasm. You can choose from indoor gardening, outdoor gardening, landscaping, cultivating exotic herbs, growing bonsais and thus the list is endless. However it is important to do a fair amount of research work before delving into any of the above fields. You should master up the art of choosing the right plants and also learn the techniques favorable for their productivity and growth.

Growing plants is not enough. Deciding where the plants should grow is also an important aspect of gardening. Nothing can be more distasteful than a garden which has color clashing flowers growing all around in a haphazardly manner. So be careful about allocating the plants their respective locations. Arrange the assortments of flowers in accordance with their heights, textures and colors so that they complement each other without diminishing the beauty of your garden.

Keep aside one day from the entire week to be your gardening day. Generally week -ends would be a good choice. On this day, equip your self with all the essential gardening tools and accessories and get down to your work. If you have children or friends who are equally interested in gardening call for their assistance. The more the merrier!

Once you are done for the day clean your tools well and store them in their right place. Be sure to maintain your gardening tools because well maintained tools can give you years of good performance. After all tools aren't something that you can afford to buy every week.

Whether you are an efficient gardener or not can be best proved by your garden itself. So stop twiddling your thumbs and put your green fingers to use. As far as gardening is concerned, if you have really put in hard work your efforts will never go futile.

Lisa Marx for http://www.gardening-information-online.com.

Planning Your Herb Garden The Right Way

2009-02-26T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mary Hanna

This article is dedicated to planning a successful herb garden. If you have planted herb gardens in previous years this will help to revamp and refresh one already have.

Go to your Garden Center and see what herbs are available and suitable for your area. This is important if you are planning an outside herb garden. If you are planning an inside herb garden, since you control the atmosphere, you can choose whatever you like.

My suggestion here would be to select a theme for your herb garden. You can plant them for culinary, cosmetic, medicinal or fragrance use. Be realistic about your plants. Check your whole property to find the right spot. Look for sun or shade, type of soil, and how well the spot drains. These are all very import for picking the best place for your herb garden.

Once you have accomplished the above, pick your sunniest spot because herbs need a lot of sun (a good four top six hours daily). Be sure that the herb garden site is level and sheltered from wind. If your soil is a bit heavy ad lots of compost when preparing your site which will make the soil looser and help with drainage and texture.

Try to keep the herb garden close to the house to facilitate in picking the harvest and checking for troubles. If you can't find a suitable sunny spot plant them in a garden container that you can move around to follow the sun. (This movement is a bit time consuming but it pay off in the end).

Look at the rest of your gardens. Are they formal or informal? You will want your herb garden to complement your house and garden. Look in books or magazine to get some inspiration. If you are creating a formal herb garden you will need to plant in straight lines and geometric shapes framing them with low hedges and paths. A fountain, bench or topiary shrubs are almost always used as the main focal point. Arrange the layout around a central axis. Then plant one kind of herb in each block, go for bold color and texture. Be warned a formal garden is labor intensive and will be expensive.

In an informal herb garden you can plant more flowing, curved beds and walkways. Add flowers and shrubs for a really exciting look. This type of herb garden requires less initial work and will be easier and cheaper to maintain.

Now it's time to decide on which herbs to plant. The easy way is to make a list of the ones that follow your theme. Make up your wish list in three columns. Column one is the absolutely must have plants, Column two will be the ones that would be nice to have and Column three is oh well, not necessary. If you're just starting out do between 5-10 herbs, (depending on your space). This makes the herb gardening more manageable.

Know which herb plants or annual or perennial, and make a note of them so you won't forget. A small spiral notebook is a good place to make comments on the care of each of your herbs. Situate each plant according to height for maximum enjoyment of your herb garden.

Lastly keep them well feed and give them lots of love and you will a beautiful herb garden that is multi-purpose. You get to plant the herb garden, watch it flourish, and then you get to harvest it for whatever your purpose was: Culinary, Medicinal, Fragrance or Cosmetic.

Happy Planting!

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and this resource box are unchanged.

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About the Author

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningLandscapingTips.com, http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com, and http://www.GourmetChefAtHome.com

Drying Herbs

2009-02-25T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Doug Green

Now is the perfect time to harvest most herbs for fresh use as well as drying for winter use. This is extremely easy to do and quite a simple task. Select plants that are just ready to bloom as this is when the leaves contain the highest amounts of flavour. It is a really good idea to forcefully spray the plants daily with water to knock off any insects and clean the leaves of garden dirt or insect detritus. Never spray with chemicals before harvest.

Cut off the stems early in the morning before the leaves start growing (and releasing their oils naturally) to obtain the best flavours. Each plant can have up to one half of their leaves removed (cut the stems down by half). This pruning will give you ample herb leaves as well as stimulate the plant to produce more leaves. Naturally, this means you'll be able to get a second harvest later in the season.

I generally put all my stalks together and tie them with a shoelace or bit of string. Mine are all hung upside down from the ceiling in a warm spot (not over the air conditioning) so the leaves will dry without mildewing. Good air circulation is essential.

It may take several weeks and each herb's drying time will vary but the leaves will eventually become dry and crumbly to the touch. I generally put the herbs in a bag and knock them about to separate the leaves from the stems. Then I put the leaves in old glass sealer jars and store them in cool, dry spots while discarding the stems. You can get even more information about drying herbs right here.

Next winter, let me suggest you consider adding mint leaves to hot apple juice to get a pleasant reminder of summer flavours and fragrances.

Doug Green, award winning garden author of 7 published books answers gardening questions in his free newsletter at http://www.beginner-gardening.com/gardeningflowertips.html

A Few Iron Fencing Maintenance Tips

2009-02-24T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by Gabriel J. Adams

Although iron fencing is some of the strongest fencing available (especially when compared to wood fencing), it can always use a little helping hand from its owner. In fact, a properly maintained wrought iron fence can last a hundred years or more!

Fight Rust With Finish

What attracts us to iron in the first place? Iron is known for its strength and ability to withstand the elements better than fencing made with other materials. But without sufficient coating, it can become vulnerable to rust from constant moisture. Morning dew, rain, and snow are the usual culprits of rust, but you can fight them off by coating your iron fence with a nice coat of rust-resistant finish.

Stick With the Solids

In addition to rust, iron fencing is vulnerable deep scratches, dents and chips. Rust-resistant finish does an excellent job of warding off surface scratches and chips, but offers little protection against deep scratches or chipping. And it certainly does nothing to protect against dents or bending. Your best defense against fence dents and bending is to resist using hollow iron.

Wash and Wax

To keep your iron fence looking new, give it a good washing with warm soapy water between seasons. Follow up with a wax and then oil the fence's joint, springs, latches, etc. with mineral oil. Steel wool can be used to sand away light scratches, while specially formulated paint will cover small holes. While painting, let each layer dry between one another. Otherwise you'll risk dripping (while wet) and flaking (while dry).

If you're not careful to quickly nip those little scratches or spots of rust in the bud, they'll increase in size and form noticeable holes before you know it - holes that will require even more maintenance than what's described above!

Find Wrought Iron fences and more at http://www.stonebank-ironcraft.co.uk/

A Look At Garden Gazebos

2009-02-24T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Alison Cole

A garden gazebo is the perfect way to accent your garden. Imagine being able to walk along the path between the koi pond and the flowers, the hedges and the willow tree, pausing to rest on a bench inside a gazebo. Its shade will comfort you, and its architecture will add that special geometric touch to your garden, striking the balance between nature and humanity. No matter what the environment of your garden, there is a garden gazebo out there just waiting to be bought.

In creating a garden gazebo, first choose your material from wood, metal, or vinyl options. Wood is the most common choice, and for good reason: it goes with any natural environment. Wood is available in pine, cedar, and redwood. Pine is the softest wood, ages to a rich yellow, and complements surrounding evergreens. Cedar is higher in overall sturdiness, is less prone to rot, and ages to a gray-brown. American redwood is the darkest, longest-lasting wood. Other woods can be used, but those are the most common.

Metal gazebos come in cast aluminum or steel and wrought iron. Go with steel and wrought iron if you want your garden gazebo to add a lovely dark and long lasting effect. These gazebos are often open-roofed, and so are great for stocking with plants, climbers, and other materials, making for a lush shade that changes with the seasons. Vinyl comes in white or black. Just as with wood and metal gazebos, they come in a variety of shapes and styles. Get trellis walls for a cottage feeling.

For enhanced usability in harsher weather conditions, get an enclosed garden gazebo. These can be partially enclosed, with partitions and movable screens, or totally enclosed, with solid walls and tinted windows.

Whether looking to expand a large corporate garden, or just to complement a small neighborhood plot, a garden gazebo is an inviting structure for rest, meditation, or meeting up with other people to enjoy the weather.

Gazebos Info provides detailed information about spa, garden, patio, canopy, screened, metal, and vinyl gazebos, as well as gazebo plans and kits. Gazebos Info is the sister site of Awnings Web.

Birch Leaf Miner

2009-02-23T07:00:00.002-08:00

Writen by Paul Burke

Appearance:

Generally speaking the first most obvious sign of this pest is browning and wilting of the foliage on your birch tree. The larvae cause this discolouration and distortion by feeding that create tunnels within the individual leaves. These tunnels first appear as a greenish colour but quickly turn to a grey, then eventually a brown. These tunnels contain the waste of the larvae and are blackish in colour. This waste is known as frass. The larvae are flat to aid them in their tunneling habits and are a greenish yellow in colouration. They also have four black spots on their underside at the front. By holding the leaves up to a light the eggs and larvae will appear as transparent spots.

Life Cycle:

Birch leaf miner will create 3-4 generations per year. The adult will emerge from the soil in May and June and will deposit their eggs in slits created in the surface of a newly developed leaf. The larvae consume the tissue situated between the upper and lower leaf surface. They will eventually eat their way through to the surface of the leaf and fall to the ground to pupate. The adults emerge again and continue the cycle. They will over-winter below the tree and emerge again in the spring.

Controlling the problem:

An infestation of birch leaf miner generally speaking will not kill a healthy mature tree. By defoliating the host tree they can however weaken it, making it more susceptible to attack by other insects and diseases. If you are using insecticides to control this pest, please be sure to follow all directions on the label before and while applying. By controlling the initial generation of birch leaf miner you can go a long way to minimize the damage caused by additional generations. Use a systemic insecticide before the buds open to prevent this pest from egg laying. You can also apply insecticides as the new leaves emerge.

Paul is a Certified Pesticide Applicator in Alberta, Canada. He has over 15 years experience in the lawn care industry.

For more lawn care information, please visit http://www.fairyring.ca

Pond Liners

2009-02-23T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Eric Morris

Ponds are small water spaces that provide beauty and calm to their surroundings, whether large concrete constructions or small private gardens. Even the Romans, Egyptians and Chinese of the ancient world loved to decorate their gardens with attractive ponds.

The most important task while building a pond is to lay a Pond Liner, just like laying a foundation for a building. A natural lake or pond has dirt, rock and silt at its bottom. A Pond Liner helps prevent the pond water from penetrating the soil, making the soil silty.

Pond Liners come in different options. The first choice is between preformed and custom-made or flexible. Preformed liners are suitable for small garden ponds. Preformed Pond Liners are quick and easy to install. Flexible liners are suitable for medium-sized ponds. Flexible liners are made of natural materials like rubber and clay, as well as synthetics such as PVC liners.

Installing a preformed Pond Liner requires creating a hole suited to the space of the pond. But installing flexible liners requires checking whether any sharp objects will penetrate the liner.

Preformed Pond Liners made of plastic are strong and not likely to leak. They are difficult to fit, due to their varying shapes and depth sizes, and are suited to small ponds. Such ponds are usually expensive, with high delivery charges. Flexible liners include rubber products like butyl rubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene dyiene monomer) rubber, and clay like sodium bentonyte clay. Synthetic plastics include P.V.C. (polyvinyl chloride), polyethylene (a thermo plastic) and Ultra Guard (polymeric alloy).

The primary advantage of flexible Pond Liners is that they are easy to transport. They are not affected by limits of size or shape. The materials can be molded into the pond shape of your choice. It is easy to make adjustments. There is a variety of material to suit every need. The pond will look natural as it blends with the landscape.

Synthetic rubber is most versatile. Called EPDM, it is economical, durable and easy to install. And really flexible. Flexible plastic liners such as PVC and HDPE are available, but not as effective as rubber liners.

With the advent of garden pools and preformed pool liners, all the hassles of concrete and other raw material are saved. Heavy-duty Pond Liners are available with long-term guarantees, and sell for less than $1 per square foot. Large ponds require a large Pond Liner that is safe for fish and plant life, inexpensive, easy to install, and durable to last over 20 years. Polyethylene is suitable for such ponds.

Pond Liners are available in black, and U.V. protected. Many people install pre-liners to provide an insulating layer between the soil and Pond Liner. Ultimately, to select a Pond Liner, a number of criteria must be considered such as size, quality goals, budget, property value, and wildlife.

Pond Liners provides detailed information about pond liners, garden pond liners, preformed pond liners, rubber pond liners and more. Pond Liners is the sister site of Natural Waterfalls.

Flowers How To Buy Them When They Are Fresh

2009-02-22T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by John Gibb

Flowers form the best gifts and it takes some time and consideration for selecting the right Flower for the right occasion. Buying Flowers is an Art like presenting them for that particular occasion. Due to the advancement of transport facilities and Cold Storage facilities it has become possible to get flowers from around the World to any other place in the World.

The Flowers that grow in one part of the World go to the other part of the World still looking fresh and fragrant. But there are occasions when the Flowers we buy get spoiled and shrunken sooner than expected completely spoiling the occasion for which they have been bought. So what went wrong? Was the flowers that seemed perfectly fresh at the Florist have lost their freshness before we reach our home.

In reality it is not always as easy to tell if the flowers you buy are as fresh as they look. Your problem becomes more as the Flowers don't come with a "best consumed before" date stamped on them. This makes you more confused so there really isn't a way to know how fresh they really are. It is equally not possible to say how long they will remain fresh.

You must be aware that the flowers that you find at the Florist shop have already been through quite a bit by the time they reach you. Usually Flower growers spend their day selling many of their beautiful Blooms directly to Consumers. At the end of the day when they have quite a bit of stock left over. These Flowers are bundled up and shipped off to auctions and wholesalers throughout the Country and often to other Countries.

They are sold at a discount, because they are no longer fresh. They are passed on from wholesalers to the local Florists who stock them in their coolers in hopes of selling them to their Customers in various arrangements. All these take time and when the time they are stocked in the Cooling Box are also added the Bouquet Flowers delivered to you from your local Florist, might already be anywhere from 3 to 5 days old and the chances of it lasting very long are slim.

The best and most exquisite bouquets come from using only the freshest of Flowers. If you want to purchase Flowers that are fresh, you have to eliminate the middlemen and try to buy from sources that are as close as possible to the Growers of the Flowers. When you buy blossoms direct from the Growers, they won't bloom into their full glory prematurely, giving you many more days of pleasure.

John Gibb is the owner of flower sources , For more information on flowers check out http://www.Flowers-resources2k.info

What You Should Know About Solar Greenhouses

2009-02-22T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ken Wilssens

Although every greenhouse is a solar greenhouse to some extent, there are differences in the type of solar heating and lighting that you can use. The covering you use, whether it is fibreglass, glass or heavy plastic, traps the heat from the sun inside each day. The trick in having a successful greenhouse is learning how to store this solar heat to keep the temperature the same during the night. A traditional greenhouse captures the solar heat during the day, but it loses significant amounts of this heat at night.

One way of maintaining the heat during the night is to use what is called passive solar heating. This consists of collecting water in barrels. The water retains the heat and allows it to escape during the night and heat the greenhouse. Another way, which involves more expense, is to have a concrete wall or rocks that can supply the needed heat.

You can also revert to using electricity to power a heater during the night. If you use a heat pump, it will pump the stored heat from the water into the greenhouse, thus maintaining the humidity that the plants need. Without having humidity of some kind in addition to the heat, the plants may become dehydrated.

If you have your greenhouse attached to a building, you can consider having that wall covered with bricks. Those that use this system paint the bricks black so that they absorb the maximum heat from the sun during the day. Although this method does work well, it takes a lot of extra time getting the greenhouse set up.

Recent research has looked at using cheap chemical compounds called eutectics to maintain the solar heat in a greenhouse. These are salts that store the heat from the sun at a constant temperature for use during the nights and for cloudy days.

You do need to have a backup system for heating in greenhouse because you can't rely on receiving heat from the sun on a continuous basis.

For lots of helpful information on greenhouse humidification and related topics, visit The Greenhouses Guide at http://www.thegreenhousesguide.com.

Can Your Sundial Really Tell The Time

2009-02-21T07:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by Hugh Harris-Evans

"I am a sundial, and I make a botch
Of what is done far better by a watch"

So wrote Hilaire Belloc, but is this really fair? Sundials are the earliest known form of time-keeping having been used for some five thousand years. The Greek historian Herodotus stated that sundials were first used by the Chaldeans and Sumerians in Babylonia which was part of the modern Iraq. They used vertical rods on their buildings and noted the position of the shadow to record the passing of the hours. The concept was developed by the Greeks and Romans who constructed various different shapes of dial to enable them to tell the time and the season of the year. Usually these were bowl-shaped dials with vertical or horizontal gnomons (shadow-casters) and hour lines marked in the hollow of the bowl. Over the years more elaborate designs were produced until the advent of accurate clocks when the function of the sundial became more decorative than as a reliable means of telling the time.

The question is often asked "Can a sundial really tell the correct time?" to which you will receive the Alice in Wonderland reply that it depends upon what you mean by "the correct time". Our clocks and watches work on the basis of there being exactly twenty-four hours between one day and the next but, because of the eliptical nature of the earth's orbit around the sun, the time shown on the sundial will vary according to the seasons. In February by the clock the sun is almost fifteen minutes slow, whereas during the spring and summer months it gains and loses between four and six minutes in two cycles. At the other extreme in November the sundial appears to be some seventeen minutes fast. In fact the sundial is accurate on only four days of the year, about April 15, June 14, September 2 and December 25. Some sundials include a table showing the deviation from "clock time" according to the date.

The time indicated by the sun will also vary with the location of the dial. The sun travels across the sky at the rate of fifteen degrees per hour so every degree of longditude represents a difference of four minutes from the standard meridian for the region. The angle of the gnomon also depends on the situation, so to set up your sundial correctly you need to know both the latitude and longditude of its location. For the United States and the United Kingdom this site can provide the information. The gnomon should be set at the angle in degrees which is equal to the latitude of your location. The sundial can then be fixed with the gnomon pointing to the Pole Star. There are various ways of achieving this, the easiest of which, is to use a compass adjusted for the magnetic variation. Further details are beyond the scope of this article, but for those interested look at this site.

If you have read this far you will have discovered that there is a great deal more to the sundial than a mere item of garden decoration. If this has piqued your interest in the subject, then you are not alone. There are Sundial Societies in countries around the world. The North American Sundial Society has details of its objects and activities on its website.

A number of sundial trails have been established. A good example is the Thames Sundial Trail in London, England. This site lists a number of other trails in countries all over the world but only two in the United States. However the North American Sundial Society has a complete list on its website.

Two rather different designs are shown here. The first, which is commonly referred to as a Human Sundial, uses the person's shadow to indicate the time. By standing in the appropriate box for the date the shadow will show the correct time. The second is a Digital Sundial which sounds like a contradiction in terms but in reality is just a rather clever design.

Many sundials have a motto inscribed on the face. Often these are rather serious in tone and of the "Tempus fugit" variety but you also find some written in a lighter vein. Here are a few of my favourites:

The shadow of my finger cast
Divides the future from the past

The clock the time may wrongly tell,
I never if the sun shines well

I stand amid the summer flowers
To tell the passage of the hours

And finally again from Hilaire Belloc:

I am a sundial, turned the wrong way round.
I cost my foolish mistress fifty pounds!

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

Gardening To Stay Fit

2009-02-21T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mary Hanna

Love to garden? Well here's good news. Gardening can get you in shape; call it backyard fitness.

You remember when you joined the gym and vowed to go three times a week. Or when you bought the treadmill knowing you would use it everyday. Well, that didn't happen, did it?

Work in the garden and on the lawn works the heart and other muscles just as effectively as other forms of exercise. Little did we know that pushing a hand mower burns more calories then an hour on the treadmill at 4 miles per hour. Digging and raking burn even more calories. Any amount of aerobic exercise will decrease your risk of heart disease. The risk of heart disease declines for each day of 30 minute yard work you perform.

Before you go out to your yard with you gardening gloves and hat, do some stretching to warm up your muscles for the job ahead. After stretching take a brisk 5 minute walk around your garden to spot where you will be working that day Check out exercise routines on websites and libraries or go to the bookstore.

You don't need fancy equipment to get warmed up. You can use a broom held behind you back and rotate your body left and right. Grasp a couple of soup cans and do some arm curls. If things were perfect, you should start conditioning about six weeks before the planting season. But if you didn't plan it that way, it's alright. Just do some stretching and do the yard work in small sections until you feel stronger.

To avoid overuse injuries, switch chores often. Start with weeding and then switch to digging in the dirt. Takes some breaks, the 30 minutes does not have to be continuous.

It is important to change positions frequently so you don't freeze up. When you're weeding kneel on a pad and then switch to a seated position. Don't bend over to work.

Make sure you have the right gear. Always wear sturdy shoes and garden gloves. I never work in the garden without a hat and good sunglasses. If you have a back problem wear a brace to avoid further injury. Spend a little extra time warming up an area that may be venerable.

Lift and carry correctly. When lifting, bend from your knees not your waist. This will keep you from a back injury. When carrying heavy loads like bags of soil, hold them close to your body and centered rather than out in front. If something is really heavy, rather than risk injury, use a wheel barrel.

It is most important is to stay hydrated. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, drink water constantly.

And lastly: don't overdo it. Pace yourself when you first begin yard work. Spread the yard work over a couple of days and your muscles will thank you.

Happy Gardening!

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com or contact her at mary@webmarketingreviews.com

The Benefits Of Organic Gardening

2009-02-20T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Laura Fox

Organic Gardening refers to the system in which plants are grown in an organic environment. According to the USDA regulations, those who are involved in the process of organic gardening are prohibited from using irradiation, sewage sludge or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in organic production. This type of food production would be certified as organic farming or gardening.

Accordingly, the important aspects of organic gardening will include the following:

Those who engage in organic gardening or farming can't use synthetic or chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
There should be a systematic approach in organic gardening. This means that a system needs to be implemented. This system will describe the methodologies about sowing, production and reaping of plants.
Records must be also kept which will keep a track of the products till they are sold.
Buffer zones should be maintained so that there are no inadvertent contaminations from the gardens and the farms, which use the conventional method of farming or gardening.

Those involved in organic gardening understand the importance of crops, the soil, the pests and the insects as well as the interdependency of all these factors. Organic gardening helps to care and the nurture the very soil of the crops. Thus the benefits that we get are naturally grown flowers, trees and plants.

Organic gardening can also be certified by state organizations and private organizations, which have been accredited by the USDA. The farms and gardens, which are looking to certify themselves, have to submit their organic systems on an annual basis.

Based upon these systems inspectors will come and inspect their establishments and verify with the systems that they have submitted. All facilities are included in the inspection and this includes pest control method, livestock, feedstock for livestock, soil management programs etc.

The organically grown products are minimally processed to retain their natural freshness and nutritious value. However irradiation, synthetic and genetically engineered foods and products can't be used in organic farming or gardening.

The biggest advantage is that there are no chemicals and pesticides used. Hence there are no residues when we eat the fruits. There is nothing to wash off or fear like normal produce.

This means that we live a healthy life and we beget a healthy life for our children and the generations to come. As humans we want to lead a healthy life and this gives us a right to choose what foods we eat as well as how we get the foods.

Laura Fox makes it easy to learn organic gardening. To get started organic gardening and claim your free guide to organic gardening visit http://www.organicgardeningmagic.com now.

10 Tips For Successful Rose Planting

2009-02-19T07:00:00.002-08:00

Writen by Kathy Burns-Millyard

Planting roses isn't actually complicated, as long as you have some good advice and tips to start with...

1. Check with your local gardening center or florist for the best type of roses to grow in you climate. If you are a novice, you should look fo? disease resistant types of roses because they require a lot less maintenance.

2. When planting roses, you want to pick a spot that is well lit in the morning. You also want an area that is sunlit for at least 6 hours a day. Roses need a great deal of light if they are to grow properly. If you live in a really hot climate though, you'll probably get the best results by not planting your roses in direct sunlight.

3. Pick an area that has plenty of well drained soil. Great soil has a PH level where the amount of acid in the soil is at about 5.5-7.0. You can get a testing kit for your soil at any garden center.

4. Organic matter like manure or lime helps to nourish the roots of your roses. You should soak the roots in water or puddle clay for many minutes, and cut off any root's ends that are broken.

5. The first 3-4 weeks after planting your roses, you should water them often. Usually this is when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Roses need a lot of hydration and food to remain healthy.

6. Four weeks after planting, you should start soaking the bed every 2 weeks or so. You should do this in the morning for the best results.

7. Begin fertilization approximately 3 months after planting. Use 3-6 inches of mulch to control the moisture, temperature, and to stops weeds from coming up. Mulch also helps to lock in the vital nutrients your roses need in order to remain healthy.

8. Planting in the Spring is the best.

9. You want to plant your roses in an area that is well circulated with air. Your roses will not grow in an enclosed or tight area.

10. Dig a hole that is two times bigger than the amount of space that your roses take up. It makes it easier to plant them and creates a spaced area for them to grow with freedom. Poor circulation for your roses can cause fungal diseases. Using a larger hole also makes it easier for you to pull them up later and pot them if you'd like.

This article is provided courtesy of http://www.Garden-Source.com - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

How To Create A Wildflower Garden

2009-02-19T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lesley Dietschy

In today's gardens often populated by geraniums, roses, and zinnias, wildflowers can provide a simple and graceful flair. Almost any garden or landscape can be beautified by their presence. Not only are wildflowers easy to grow but they possess a natural resistance to pests, disease, and harsh climates. They can survive in clay soil, nutrient poor soil, sandy soil, and practically no soil at all. Once established in their preferred habitat, wildflowers can survive on their own without pruning, weeding, primping, and little or no watering.

The easiest way to create and grow a wildflower garden is to sow the seeds (to plant seeds by scattering) on well-prepped ground where they will not be in competition with weeds and grasses. The basic steps are as follows:

1. Decide when to plant (sow) the seeds. Wildflower seeds like warm soil and they can be planted in either spring or fall, depending on the species and where you live. They typically germinate best with a soil temperature of 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, if you live in zones 1-6 you should plant in the spring and if you live in zones 7-11 you should plant in the fall. For best results, follow the instructions on the seed packet or ask your local nursery.

2. Choose a sunny, well-drained gardening site. Most wildflowers need at least five to eight hours of sunlight a day and well-drained soil.

3. Prepare the ground by removing any existing vegetation and/or weeds.

4. Plant (sow) the seeds. Before spreading, mix the seeds in a bucket with fine-grade builder's sand. Use four parts sand to one part seed. This will help to ensure even coverage. Spread the seeds in a sweeping motion either by hand or by using a handheld broadcast seeder.

5. Tap in the seeds. A seed that is buried too deep will not germinate. To ensure good contact between the seeds and the ground, walk over the seedbed and tap it down with your foot or use the head of a garden rake.

6. Water seeds. Wildflower seeds need water to germinate. Water frequently until the plants grow 1 to 2 inches tall. After that, only water the wildflowers if they look wilted or stressed.

7. Pull weeds. If weeds grow in the midst of your wildflower garden, pull them by hand before they have a chance to flower and populate. If your wildflowers grow thickly, they will eventually choke out most weeds.

The types of wildflowers or native plants you can grow basically depend on the characteristics of your garden and environment. Typically, it's easier to grow native wildflowers that are already adapted to the climate and growing conditions in their native range. However, there are wildflowers that will survive in virtually any setting and adaptable enough to grow in many regions of the country. A few of the most popular wildflowers that grow in North America are Texas Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, Butterfly Weed, Autumn Sage, Goldenrod, Sunflower, Black-eyed Susan, Winecup, and the California Poppy.

Wildflower seeds or plants can be purchased from a local nursery, mail order, or on the internet. Normally, wildflower seed mixes contain seeds of both annual and perennial plants. This is done so that the annuals grow rapidly and cover the ground, while the perennial plants are taking time to get established.

Growing wildflowers from seeds can be more economical than buying mature plants. However, one disadvantage of growing wildflowers from seeds is that many native plants require a long time to germinate and mature. Also, the seeds of some species require pretreatment before they can be planted. This process involves stratification, which is placing seeds in a refrigerated storage in a non-soil growing medium for one to two months and sometimes longer. So, if you are not proficient at growing plants from seed, it may be best to start your wildflower garden by purchasing a few mature plants from a reputable nursery.

Whether adding wildflowers to your existing garden or creating a little garden unto itself, it can be a lot of fun to experiment with seeds and mature plants and learn which species adapts the best to your garden. To further research wildflowers, visit a few of the wildflower organizations that can be found on the internet.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.

http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com

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The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design

2009-02-18T07:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Steve Boulden

Whether you plan to "borrow ideas" or plan on creating your own landscaping design, you should have at the very least a basic understanding of the principles of landscape design.

Don't feel that you have to apply every principle to every part of your plan. Just having an understanding of these principles can help you generate ideas and increase your creativity.

Great landscaping lies in the eyes of the its creator. So, while the principles of landscape design are great guidelines to follow, don't feel like they're the "have to rules" of landscaping. Abstract and creativity are allowed.

Unity should be one of your main goals in your design. It may be better understood and applied as consistency and repetition. Repetition creates unity by repeating alike elements like plants, plant groups, or decor throughout the landscape. Consistency creates unity in the sense that some or all of the different elements of the landscape fit together to create a whole.

Unity can be created by the consistency of character of elements in the design. By character, I mean the size, height, texture, color schemes, etc. of different elements.

A good example would be in the use of accent rocks and boulders. If you've ever seen a landscape design that had several different colors and sizes of boulders, then you've seen that unity wasn't created by this particular element.

This is just one example but the principle applies to all other elements such as groups of plants and materials.

A simple way to create unity in your landscape is by creating theme gardens. Creating a theme garden is easier when it's related to something you're interested in or have a passion for.

If you're interested in butterflies for instance, you could create a theme using plants that attract butterflies as well as using statues, ornaments, and other decor that are related to butterflies.

Unity should be expressed through at least one element in your landscape and preferably more. Using elements to express a main idea through consistent style and a specific theme is what creates harmony.

Simplicity is actually one of the principles in design and art. It's one of the best guidelines you can follow as a beginner or do it yourselfer. Just keep things simple to begin with. You can do more later.

Simplicity in planting, for instance, would be to pick two or three colors and repeat them throughout the garden or landscape. Keeping decor to a minimum and within a specific theme as well as keeping hardscapes such as boulders consistent is also practicing simplicity.

Balance in design is just as the word implies. A sense of equality. There are basically two types of balance in landscape design. Symmetrical and Asymmetrical.

Symmetrical balance is where there are more or less equally spaced matching elements, areas, and shapes of the garden design. With a garden equally divided, both sides could share all or part of the same shape, form, plant height, plant groupings, colors, bed shapes, theme, etc.

You may remember creating something like this when you were a kid in art class at school. Where you take a piece of paper, splash paint on it, fold it in half, unfold it, and then it magically creates an interesting symmetrical design. So symmetrical balance or design is somewhat of a mirror image or reflection.

Asymmetrical balance on the other hand is one of the principles of landscape design that's a little more complex. While textures, forms, colors, etc. may remain constant to create some unity, shapes and hardscapes may be more random. This form of balance often has separate or different themes with each having an equal but different type of attraction.

Asymmetrical may be better understood as actually being unbalanced, abstract, or free form while still creating unity and balance through the repetition of some elements.

A good example of this would be where bed shapes or paths differ on both sides of the landscape dividing line while still sharing some of the same elements and plants. One side could be curved with a sense of flow while the other side is straight, direct, hard, and completely opposite. Again, unity and balance will be created through other elements.

Contrast can be very interesting and this type of form can create a neat contrast. Flowing lines are pleasing to the eye but the bold contrast of a curve combined with a straight line can be very interesting.

Asymmetrical balance isn't dependant on the shape of your garden. It can be but generally it's not.

An example might be where one side of the garden is mostly large shade trees while the other side is predominately a lower growing flower garden or even a mix of both examples. Like I stated earlier, the landscaping can be abstract while still maintaining unity through other elements such as rocks, plants, and decor.

Contrast and harmony can also be achieved using plants. Fine foliage verses coarser foliage, round leaves verses spiked leaves as well as color compliments and contrasts.

Plant height, color, and texture may be varied from one area to the next but each area should stay consistent within its own theme.

You'll hear me talk about "themes" a lot. Many successful do it yourself designs follow a basic theme to achieve most of the principles of landscape design described on this page. It's a simple starting point for do it yourselfers that can be added to later.

Color adds the dimension of real life and interest to the landscape. Bright colors like reds, yellows and oranges seem to advance toward you and can actually make an object seem closer to you. Cool colors like greens, blues, and pastels seem to move away from you and can make an object seem farther from you.

Grays, blacks, and whites are considered neutral colors and are best used in the background with bright colors in the foreground. However, to increase depth in a landscape, you can use dark and coarse textured plants in the foreground and use fine textured and light colored plants in the background.

Colors can also be used to direct your attention to a specific area of the garden. A bright display among cooler colors would naturally catch the eye.

Natural transition can be applied to avoid radical or abrupt changes in your landscape design. Transition is basically gradual change. It can best be illustrated in terms of plant height or color but can also be applied to all elements in the landscape including but not limited to textures, foliage shape or size, and the size and shape of different elements.

In other words transition can be achieved by the gradual, ascending or descending, arrangement of different elements with varying textures, forms, colors, or sizes.

An example of a good transition would be a stair step effect from large trees to medium trees to shrubs to bedding plants. This example is where a little knowledge of proper plant selection would come in handy.

Transition is one of the principles of landscape design that can be used to "create illusions" in the landscape. For example a transition from taller to shorter plants can give a sense of depth and distance (like in a painting), making the garden seem larger than it really is. A transition from shorter to taller plants could be used to frame a focal point to make it stand out and seem closer than it really is.

Line is of the more structural principles of landscape design. It can mostly be related to the way beds, walkways, and entryways move and flow.

Straight lines are forceful and direct while curvy lines have a more natural, gentle, flowing effect.

Proportion simply refers to the size of elements in relation to each other. Of all the principles of landscape design, this one is quite obvious but still requires a little thought and planning. Most of the elements in landscape design can be intentionally planned to meet the proper proportions.

For instance if you are creating a small courtyard garden, an enormous seven foot garden statue placed in the center would be way out of proportion and a little tacky to say the least. Or a small four foot waterfall and pond placed in the center of a large open yard would get lost in the expanse.

Don't misunderstand this to mean that if you have a large yard you can't have smaller features or garden decor. Proportion is relative and elements can be scaled to fit by creating different rooms in the garden. The goal is to create a pleasing relationship among the three dimensions of length, breadth, and depth or height.

A small water feature can be proportionate if placed in a corner or on the edge of a large area and becomes a focal point of the larger area while creating its own distinct atmosphere. An entire room, sitting area, or theme can be created around it. Other rooms and themes can be created as well. See small gardens for ideas on creating rooms and creating illusions.

Also, special consideration and study should be given to proper plant selection to avoid using plants that are out of proportion.

Repetition is directly related to unity. Its good to have a variety of elements and forms in the garden but repeating these elements gives variety expression.

Unity is achieved by repeating objects or elements that are alike. Too many unrelated objects can make the garden look cluttered and unplanned.

There's a fine line here. It's possible that too much of one element can make a garden or landscape feel uninteresting, boring and monotonous.

However, unity can still be created by using several different elements repeatedly. This in turn keeps the garden interesting.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the owner and chief designer for S&S Designed Landscaping in Carlsbad, NM. He is also the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more free landscaping and garden ideas, visit his site at: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com

The Best Types Of Fish For Your Garden Pond

2009-02-17T07:00:00.002-08:00

Writen by Anne Clarke

There are many reasons as to why you might want to have fish in your garden pond they add beauty, color, and interest to your garden and act as a sort of outdoor "pet." But there are other good reasons for putting fish in your pond, as well. For one, fish will eat pesky mosquitoes as well as pond algae. Overall, pond fish are also fairly easy to care for, too.

Now that I have convinced you to get some fish for your garden pond, let us go over a few types of popular outdoor pond fish most outdoor pond fish are freshwater-coldwater types.

Comet goldfish

This type of goldfish is going to be able to handle varied conditions in your pond this includes varied conditions due to weather, as well as conditions due to your inexperience with pond fish. Comet fish can endure variations in both temperature and water quality. Comet goldfish are distinguishable by their long single tails like a comet. They come in a variety of colors, including red and white. Also, comet goldfish tend to be fairly inexpensive. Chances are, your comet gold fish will live for 14 years and grow up to 10 inches long.

Shubunkin goldfish (aka calico goldfish)

This is a very interesting goldfish like a common goldfish, shubunkin goldfish have long bodies and a single tail, but they are brightly colored in a mix of fantastic colors red, brown, blue, yellow, and violet. They are also distinguished by black spots on their bodies and tails. This is a very tough goldfish type. Make sure that your pond has plenty of plants and open areas for swimming. If you have shubunkin goldfish, do not put telescope goldfish or bubble eye goldfish (and other slow swimming fish) in with them they might end up starving because shubunkin goldfish will get to the food first and they do not share. Rather, you should get your shubunkins a koi or two as buddies.

Koi

Koi range from very inexpensive to very expensive there is quite a variety as to the type and quality of koi. By quality, I am referring to the color and patterns displayed on the koi's scales. As abovementioned, koi can cohabitate with other goldfish like comets and shubunkins very well. Koi can grow to be several feet long, and they can live from 25-50 years! Some people think that koi are gold fish, but they are only distant cousins to the goldfish they are actually much more closely related to the common carp. While koi can handle a wide range of temperatures, as sudden change in temperature can affect them adversely. Koi will get along with other tropical fish, as well.

Whichever type of fish that you decide to get for your pond, be sure that you get ones that will cohabitate well and ones that are durable (like the abovementioned types of fish). Also make sure that you do not try to stick too many fish in too small of a pond. Consider having only one inch of fish per gallon of pond water. A 10 foot by 10 foot pond can typically support about 20 five inch fish This math equation might be a bit too much a general rule of thumb is to start with just a few, and go from there. Remember that your fish will grow!

Just a note: If you are new to having fish in your pond, you may want to avoid fantail varieties these are not quite as durable as other types of goldfish.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on fish and ponds, please visit Pond Filters.