By: cyndinar

Just after winter, people dust off their trowels and take out the gloves, getting ready for another flowering season. This year it will be different. You'll have beautiful flowers, a fantastic display of colors and all your neighbors will stop in your front lawn to admire your garden. Does it have to be a dream? In fact, you could start your garden at any time and have a beautiful garden to enjoy all seasons.
The only prerequisite is planning and prep work and you'll have the garden of your dreams. One important step that some people tend to forget is that you have to plan the right garden for you.
Measure out the space you have set up as the garden area and give it a second and third look. a)What is the soil like, what additional fertilizer you need, will it be organic? Which type? Worm castings, seaweed, pet safe? b) Does it get enough sunlight? How is the irrigation system?Do you have to repair any leaks?Check the batteries of the system . It doesn't matter if your area has all the above parameters in the best proportions. Some plants need tough soil, not a lot of light and little water. You just need to be aware and plan of this, in order to pick plants that are suitable to your environment.One tip i highly recommend is to add worms in your garden.Check out with your local supplier if he has deliver-ready cocoons. What ever you will grow with earthworm castings will be as it use to be.
Talk with people at your local garden shop about setting up your dream garden. They can offer suggestions as to how to structure your garden and to put out your plants so you get to enjoy. You want to be able to take care of them easily. Some plants are more easy to grow than others.
It only takes a little bit of preparation work and a little of help from the experts and you'll have the garden you always dreamed of.

Growing and Caring for Rhododendrons and Azaleas by Michael J. McGroarty 

Azaleas can be either evergreen or deciduous. Deciduous Azaleas are known as Mollis or Exbury Azaleas. They bloom in the early spring with vivid orange and yellow colors. They can be grown from seed if the seeds are collected in the fall and sown on top of moist peat at about 70 degrees F. 

Evergreen Azaleas are known as broadleaf evergreens because they are do not have needles. They bloom later in the spring, and are usually propagated in the fall over bottom heat, discussed in detail at http://www.freeplants.com Rhododendrons are also broadleaf evergreens and are also propagated over bottom heat in early winter. 

The best time to prune Rhododendrons and Azaleas is in the spring right after they bloom. These plants start setting next year's flower buds over the summer, so late pruning will cost you some blooms next year, so get them pruned as soon as they finish blooming. It’s also a good idea to pick off the spent blooms so the plants don’t expel a lot of energy making seeds, unless of course you’d like to grow them from seed. But keep in mind that they don’t come true from seed. 

Seeds from a red Rhododendron are likely to flower pale lavender. Cuttings ensure a duplicate of the parent plant. 

How do you prune Rhododendrons and what does pinching a Rhododendron mean? These are frequently asked questions. 

Pinching is a low impact form of pruning that is very effective for creating nice, tight full plants when you are growing small plants from seeds or cuttings. Typically a Rhododendron forms a single new bud at the tip of each branch. This new bud will develop into another new branch, another bud will form and the process will continue. If left alone this will produce a very lanky plant with a lot of space between the branches forming a very unattractive plant. 

So if you are starting with a plant that is nothing more than a rooted cutting all you have to do is pinch off this new growth bud as soon as it is about 3/8” long. Just grab it between your fingers and snap it completely off. When you do this the plant usually responds by replacing that single bud with two, three, or even four new buds in a cluster around the bud that you pinched off. Each one of these buds will develop into branches and eventually a single bud will appear at the tip of each of these branches, and of course you should come along and pinch each one of those off, forcing the plant to produce multiple buds at the end of each of these branches. 

The more often you pinch off these single buds, the more branches the plant will form, making a nice, tight, full plant. This is especially helpful with young plants such as rooted cuttings or young seedlings. 

But what about larger plants, how do I prune them? I prune mine with hedge shears!!! I just have at it and trim them like I would a Taxus or a Juniper, and guess what? The result is a very tight compact plant loaded with beautiful flowers. My Rhododendrons are so tightly branched that you can not see through them, and that is the result of vigorous pruning with hedge shears. Sure you can use hand shears, and you’ll have a nicer plant because of it, but I just use the hedge shears because that’s the tool that I happen to have in my hand as I am going by. 

Keeping Rhododendrons and Azaleas healthy and happy is a simple as understanding what they like. First of all they like to grow in a climate that suites their tastes. Many varieties of both don’t like it in the north, and to prove the point they will up and die as soon as extreme cold weather hits. Buy plants that are known to be hardy in your area. 

Here in zone 5 (northern Ohio) the following Azaleas seem to do well. Hino Crimson (red), Stewartstonia (red), Herbert (lavender), Cascade (white), Delaware Valley (white), and Rosebud (pink). Hardy Rhododendrons include Roseum Elegans (pinkish lavender), English Roseum (pinkish lavender), Nova Zembla (red), Lee’s Dark Purple, Chinoides (white), and Cunningham’s (white). 

How should you fertilize Rhododendrons and Azaleas? These broadleaf evergreens are laid back and like to take it slow and easy. Do not fertilize them with quick release nitrogen fertilizers, it could kill them. Instead give them an organic snack, like Millorganite or well rotted cow manure or compost. Millorganite is an organic fertilizer made of granulated sewage sludge. 

No it doesn’t smell any worse than other fertilizers, and plants like it because it is plant and soil friendly. It won’t burn the plants, and it actually reactivates the micro-organisms in the soil. That’s a good thing. Most full service garden centers carry Millorganite. 

A long time ago somebody let the word out that Rhododendrons are acid loving plants, and people are always asking me if I think their struggling Rhododendron needs more acid. The answer is no. Your struggling Rhododendron probably needs a great big gulp of oxygen around its root system. 

Rhododendrons do not like wet feet. They don’t even like high humidity let alone wet soil around their roots. They like to be high and dry, and like an unobstructed flow of oxygen to their roots. You can accomplish this by planting them in a bed raised at least 10” with good rich topsoil. They will be smiling from branch to branch. 

A few years back my friend Larry and I had several hundred small Rhododendrons that we were going to grow on to larger plants. We planted most of them in Larry’s backyard which is fairly good soil, but a little sticky. We didn’t have room for all of them so we planted the last 105 down the road from my house in a field we were renting. (Never heard of anybody renting a field? You should get out more.) 

This location had absolutely no water for irrigating and the soil was very dry and rocky. Other plants at that location often struggled during the dog days of summer due to the lack of water, but those Rhododendrons were as happy as pigs in mud. They outgrew the ones at Larry’s house by twice the rate and we sold them years earlier than the others. 

My point? Rhododendrons don’t like wet feet. They do well in the shade, but contrary to popular belief they do even better in full sunlight.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.  Article provided by  http://gardening-articles.com.

Summer gardening tips . . .by Michael J. McGroarty

Don't be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looks terrible.

If you make a mistake pruning, don't worry about it. It's like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I've written on pruning.

Summer gardening tips . . .

Along with summer time comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down of the chance fungus being a problem.

One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.

Summer gardening tips . . .

If you have Perennial Rye Grass in your lawn, and you probably do if you're in the north, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as Pythium Blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass.

If you have problems with pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and fill in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue grass.

You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is the wet if you have been watering.  To prevent pythium blight, water as early in the day as possible.

Summer gardening tips . . .

Another nasty little blight that likes summer time is Fire Blight. Fire Blight attacks ornamentals, especially Apple trees, Crabapple trees, Cotoneasters, and Pyracantha. You know you have Fire Blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the affected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.

Fire Blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.

Summer gardening tips . . .

Unfortunately, I've got one more summer time culprit to warn you about. It's a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specks. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn't that a cute name?

These tiny little brown specks will fly as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house? I know what they are. It's from the mulch!” Tell me I'm wrong, but I know I'm not.

A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don't know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specks on the house that look like paint. So far they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.

There's not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don't just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it flat it will look like you've just mulched.  Mulch is great, just don't let it get packed down hard.  Loosen it up at least once a year.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.  Article provided by  http://gardening-articles.com.

Hot Climate Annuals By: J. Brian Keith 

Have you ever wondered if what you know about hot climate annuals is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on hot climate annuals.

One of the most critical considerations for a successful garden is choosing the types of plants that will grow the best in your particular environment. Matching the plants to the climate in which they will be grown is the best way to ensure your garden will thrive.

Those who live in hot, dry climates often think that they will be unable to enjoy a lush garden without constant watering and attention. Fortunately, however, there are a great many annuals that love just such a climate. The list below is a sample of annuals that can take the heat.
Annuals best suited for hot and dry climates
While all types of annuals and other plants require regular watering and close attention as they become established, the annuals listed below are much more able to tolerate consistently dry conditions once they have established their root system.

·African Daisy (Dimorphotheca)
·Annual Vinca (Cataranthus roseus)
·Calliopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)
·Cosmos (Cosmos species)
·Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)
·Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria)
·Gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella)
·Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
·Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)
·Gold Medallion (Melampoddium paludosum)
·Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
·Snow-on-the-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
·Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana)
·Verbena (Verbena species)
·Zinnia (Zinnia species)

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I'm sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Heat seeking varieties of annuals
The annuals is the list below are generally able to tolerate very hot conditions, but they do usually require additional moisture.

·Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomerata)
·Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
·Cockscomb (Celosia argentea)
·Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
·Dahlia (Dahlia species and hybrids)
·Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula)
·Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana species)
·Four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa)
·Hyacinth Bean Vine (Dolichos lablab)
·Joseph’s Coat (Amaranthustricolor)
·Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)
·Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
·Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
·Moon Vine (Ipomoea alba)
·Morning Glory (Ipomoea species)
·Salvia (Salvia species)
·Silk Flower (Abelmoschus manihot)
·Starflower (Pentas lanceolata)
·Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

A combination of the varieties of annuals listed above can be great choices for those people living in hot, dry climates. These heat and drought tolerant annuals provide a wide variety of colors, sizes, shapes and textures, enough to meet the needs of any gardener.

Gardening in a hot, dry climate can provide a great many challenges, particularly when water use restrictions make providing supplemental moisture impossible. Matching the types of flowers you plant to the climate in which they will be growing is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy garden and a healthy environment.

Now you can be a confident expert on hot climate annuals. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on annuals.

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

Learning About Health In The Garden by Beverly Hartsfield

Healthy Plants don't get disease. The same goes for the Human Body.

Healthy soil feeds the plants. Just like the body, if the plants get the right nutrients, they will be able to fight off any disease.

When you treat a disease with a chemical, you may kill the disease, but the underlying condition that created the weakness, allowing the disease, is most likely still present. It will just manifest itself as another disease or symptom.

When you create health through nutrition, the plant will become strong and its immune system, which is more capable and nuanced at fighting disease than any chemical, will eliminate the disease naturally. The plant is now using the disease-fighting mechanism that Mother Nature gave it and that science cannot recreate artificially.

Don't forget that using chemicals comes with many health hazards for you, the microorganisms in the soil, and the wildlife.

Microorganisms in the soil, in the human body and in all of life are so very critical for health.

Why are the good bacteria important?

* Healthy bacteria are essential for any type of immune system to be strong and fight off disease and infection.

* Healthy bacteria are essential for delivering life sustaining
nutrients to all forms of life, including our horticulture.

* Healthy bacteria are the first step to absorbing essential nutrients.

* Healthy bacteria aid in the defense of pests and fungal attacks
without the use of any chemicals.

An organic, biodynamic plant food preparation, cultured or fermented to contain microorganisms, is wonderful for restoring the nutrients in the soil and feeding the earthworms that help keep the soil healthy.

In the human body, cultured or fermented foods and liquids are the best way to restore healthy bacteria to the colon because they can actually pass through all the acids of digestion and get to the colon still active. These types of foods are more effective at restoring the microflora which is the first line of defense for our immune systems.

I love the garden and Mother Nature. It is so ancient and wise and has many gifts to give us if we just listen and watch. It makes sense and if you listen to your intuition, you will know that it is true.

What I have just told you is how I learned to recreate health for myself. I had been ill with mercury toxicity and resulting immune dysfunction, candida, chemical sensitivities and allergies for over 10 years. I implemented this theory and have regained my health and the health of the plants in my garden without the use of chemicals or drugs or expensive medical procedures. And we continue to grow stronger every day.

Nature provides the tools we need. Trust your intuition.

Beverly

Beverly Hartsfield lives in the Portland, OR area and runs http://www.earthincommon.com

Article Source: ArticleCube.com Article Directory | Submit Articles | Search & Find Free Articles

Make the Most Of Your Garden by Diane Ashe

Today many people regard their greenspaces as an extra room. They view them as a room which requires designing and styling, like any other. And like any other room, the garden can provide the ambient background that you desire, whether tranquil and serene, or bright and stimulating.

Whether we are talking about a window box on a balcony twenty floors up, or a tiny backyard terrace, these spaces can all be stylishly greened-up and themed with distinctive garden accessories and accents to offer you an oasis of tranquility in an otherwise hectic world.

There are many types of garden decor and design. You may choose to have a peaceful and tranquil water garden. Water fountains are fabulous accents for your home as well as your gardens and greenspaces. And these days, they come in all sizes, to fit all spaces and all pockets. There are many which would even fit the tiniest balcony or terrace. They don’t need intricate plumbing or installing, so don’t let that put you off.

There are so many stylish designs available, you are sure to find one which suits your overall look. Whether it is an Egyptian Pharaoh fountain, with its background of gently lapping water, or a granite pagoda fountain softly trickling. A fountain can really help you achieve a sense of calm and tranquility.

There are many home and garden stores or home and garden shops. It seems that they are springing up everywhere to meet the demand for all our décor needs. The internet can offer a good selection of websites. The better web based home and garden decor stores offer high quality products, with many handmade and finely crafted objects. Sometimes you will find original pieces at very reasonable rates. It is these pieces which will form the heirlooms of tomorrow.

When styling your greenspace, and outside areas, do not neglect to place some magical wind chimes, wind bells or wind circles in strategic positions, to delight the sense of sound. The soothing tinkling of these chimes is the perfect accompaniment to the gentle background of trickling water from your water fountain.

Make sure that you search out wind chimes which are well made from waterproof materials, if they are to be left outside full time. There are many types of chimes and bells available making different sounds, from wood to metal. You are sure to find something to suit your requirements.

Look out also for very unusually styled and beautifully designed weathervanes. These are sometimes offered in a variety of themes, ensuring there is something for everyone’s tastes. The highest quality weathervanes have an old hammered copper finish. These may be easily fixed to your roof, to shops, barns, gazebos or fence posts. If you want to add a stylish accent to your garden, then a themed weathervane would do the job instantly.

If you are a keen gardener, your greenspace would also benefit from a practical as well as stylish rain gauge. You may be lucky enough to find some with a delightful flamed copper finish, bringing a warm autumnal feel to your outside areas. The better home and garden decor websites offer rain gauges featuring delightful silhouettes, filling your greenspace with charm and giving an accurate measure of the day’s rainfall.

So don’t neglect your extra room -- create your dream greenspace by searching out stylish and well made quality garden accents to give your garden decor that extra something, and to give you an extra room.

By Diane Ashe, owner of www.unusualhomeaccents.com All copyrights reserved ©www.unusualhomeaccents.com

Article Source: ArticleCube.com Article Directory | Submit Articles | Search & Find Free Articles