An Insight Into Garden Furniture Sets

An Insight Into Garden Furniture Sets
By Greg O' Sullivan

Garden furniture sets are a type of furniture specifically designed for outdoor use. They are typically made of weather resistant materials which do not rust. Many people's perception of outdoor furniture is simply that of a patio set consisting of a table and chairs and quite frequently a parasol which provides shade from the sun or shelter from rain. The range today, however, is enormous and garden furniture has been adapted to suit all space sizes from large garden spaces to patios to conservatories and foldable tables and chairs are ideal for balconies. Today you can choose from tables, chairs, sofas, arm chairs, loungers, weather proof cushions, parasols and gazebos which now come with UV protection. Usage of garden sets is enhanced by the addition of a patio heater which allows people to sit outside at night or in cold weather.

A garden is often referred to as an outdoor living room so you need to choose outdoor furniture sets wisely so that they enhance and make a statement in your garden without of course dominating it. It is important therefore to take the size of your garden and the space into which you will be putting the furniture into account. How many people will it have to accommodate? Will there be room to move freely when it is in place? Is it for entertaining or simply relaxing in the sun? Perhaps it may simply be for garden decoration? Is it for outdoor dining? The garden furniture you purchase will therefore be influenced by all these factors plus of course price.

The type of material you choose for your outdoor furniture is generally determined on how durable and weather resistant it is plus of course your own personal preference and as mentioned earlier price. It is not practical to constantly have to move garden furniture into a designated storage area or into a conservatory so furniture that is durable, weather resistant and requires minimum maintenance will give you a better return on your money at the end of the day. Garden furniture sets made of rattan are quite popular as it is maintenance free, practical and UV durable so it won't fade over time. Neither does it rust or warp consequently is ideal for outdoor use. Garden furniture made from metal are strong and solid as we all know and by definition quite durable. Those made of aluminium are lightweight and do not rust. Those made from wood are generally quite attractive, easy to clean and maintain and resilient. Garden furniture made of plastic today comes in all shapes and sizes and can bring a touch of colour and indeed style to your garden. If on a tight budget then plastic can be quite suitable.

Prior to purchasing your dream garden furniture check everything out. Will it fit in the space allocated by you? Are you satisfied with the comfort of the chairs or sofas? Is the height of the chairs chosen compatible with the table height? Are the cushions weatherproof? Should you consider purchasing covers for your garden furniture set or are you confident in your ability to keep it in good shape year round? Talk with the supplier or store and get all the necessary maintenance information at time of purchasing.

Finally sit back and relax and enjoy the added value that your garden furniture will bring to you and your family.

To learn more on garden furniture sets please visit my gardening guide for further information.

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A Birdhouse From the Bird's Perspective

A Birdhouse From the Bird's Perspective
By Dana L Aden

Birdhouses are often as much for the person providing the birdhouse as it is for the birds. Humans often choose the whimsical birdhouse. The cuter the better. There is nothing wrong with a decorative birdhouse that enhances your garden or yard but the birds aren't visiting your birdhouse for the d�cor. After all, the reason to provide a birdhouse is to provide shelter for birds often where habitat loss has driven them away from former nesting spaces. If we asked the birds what they wanted in a birdhouse what would they say?

1) The entry hole size is extremely important. A larger hole means predators can access the bird's home. A large hole can allow for possoms or rats to steal the eggs or more aggressive birds such as sparrows to enter. The most common size hole is 1-1/2" in diameter. Some birds can have smaller holes based on the species. If you know the species you are trying to attract you can choose the perfect hole size.

2) Location is crucial as well. If the birdhouse is too low snakes can get inside and pay a visit to our feathery friends. Also, mounting your birdhouses on poles is a great way to protect against unfriendly guests. Many predators find poles difficult to climb.

Although gardens, yards, golf course and cultivated fields are typically good places to place birdhouses be mindful of pesticides and herbicides that are being used. These can be harmful to birds and eliminate insects which is the primary food source for many birds.

3) Secure your birdhouse. We mentioned a pole is a great way to mount your birdhouse also be sure your birdhouse is secure. You need to guard against heavy winds and severe weather.

4) Birds like a spacious residence just like us humans. Of course, birds are a lot smaller than us so their needs compared to ours is minuscule, but they do need enough space to allow their hatchlings to have room to grow. Depending on the species the size varies. For small birds such as chickadees or wrens a 4x4 should suffice. Larger birds will need more space.

5) Don't forget about drainage. Drain holes in the bottom will allow water to get out and help prevent mold and bacteria. Also, an inch or so roof overhang will help prevent rain from getting in the entrance hole. In addition to drainage a clean out hole in the back of the birdhouse is a nice feature to allow for simple access to cleaning.

6) Birds like water. Open water is essential for birds. To assist them in their efforts to find water, place a birdbath near the birdhouse. Not only is this great for the birds but imagine how much fun it will be to watch your new residents fly from their home to their bath.

So, now that we know what our feathery friends would like it's also okay to have a little of what us humans would like as well. There is nothing wrong with having a whimsical, decorative and fun birdhouse. Many of these types of birdhouses provide for all of the birds needs. So, choose to your heart's content but keep in mind what our flying friends need as well.

To find birdhouses that you will love, but more importantly the birds will love visit http://www.smartstockonline.com/garden for all your birdhouse and home garden needs.

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How To Naturally Control Algae: Natural Algae Control and Water Aeration

How To Naturally Control Algae: Natural Algae Control and Water Aeration
By Peter Van Smith

Algae control in ponds is a very taxing process and the major cause of eutrophication is caused by an increase in nutrients. These nutrient rich element contain phosphorous or nitrogen. This inclusion of nutrients in the aquatic ecosystem lead to an increase of algae in the pond. This scenario could also lead to a decline in oxygen levels and depletion of fish and other marine animals and plant life. Hence algae control becomes imperative for these reasons.

In a few cases algal blooms are referred to as "harmful algal blooms" which can be extremely damaging to animals, aquatic plants, and sometimes humans. In worst case scenario, a pond or body of water can become anaerobic and result in evolution of harmful bacteria that produce toxins.

Popular Algae Control Methods: Why They Don't Always Work

Algaecides: The most common method is to restrict the flow of oxygen in the pond. When oxygen is reduced in an aquatic environment, the living creatures in the pond suffers the most. Hence its advised to use it in a limited manner as they can do harm to the aquatic life, than help in controlling the growth of algae. They are also known to affect natural fish reproduction. When used sparingly they are a great option for spot treatment.

Alum: Alum is yet another way to control algae in ponds. This process can leave an aluminum hydroxide on the pond or lake bottom that can interfere with fish reproduction, and beneficial bacteria and insects that naturally feed on lake and pond muck.

One of the best ways to control algae bloom in a pond is to reduce the overabundance of pond nutrients with the help of a water aerator, in combination with beneficial bacteria and enzymes that helps in controlling algae and reduce carbon dioxide and nutrients to low levels. This is one of the most effective and long term ways to control and naturally remove algae.

Aeration: A lot many times aeration is done to naturally control algae. This is again one of the most natural process to control algae and contributes to a healthier pond ecosystem. This method is based on the principle that ponds can restore themselves using their own natural processes. Aeration is the natural process to restore water processes and remove algae.

Remove Debris: Keep your pond free of debris. Remove excess mud and leaves that stick in the pond. Decaying leaves and seeds become feed / nutrients for algae.

Plantation: Induce large amount of bog and marginal plants into the pond. Plants such as cattails and iris consumes large quantities of nutrients leaving few very nutrient for the growth of algae in the pond.

Plant Lilies: Plant lilies to cover the water surface of the pond. Lily pads float on top of the pond, it soaks up sunlight. These lily pads control algae by preventing sunlight from reaching the bottom of the pond.

Add Koi: Adding Koi over 10″ in length will significantly reduce string algae. The Koi will graze on the algae attached to the rocks inside the pond.

One common problem pond owners face each year is Algae control in ponds. The problem can acquire gigantic proportions if not treated in time. Visit our website: http://www.killlakeweeds.com for expert help on how to control algae in pond.

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Removing Pond Weeds and Aquatic Plants in Ponds and Lakes

Removing Pond Weeds and Aquatic Plants in Ponds and Lakes
By Peter Van Smith

Aquatic plants are beneficial for ecosystem as they are a source of food, shelter and oxygen to the wildlife living in the pond. But they spread quickly and can restrict the activities in the Pond. A lot of ponds gets practically ruined by aquatic plants, these ponds literally choke the pond. Some of the common pondweeds that are usually found in ponds are Milfoil, Hydrilla verticillata or Hyrdilla, Vallisneria spiralis or Eel grass, Potamogeton crispus or Curly leaf pondweed, Typha anqustata or Cat-tails. These weeds ruin the aesthetics of the shoreline and make the pond or lake virtually unusable. Therefore, below find some prominent methods of removing pond weeds.

Manual removal of weeds: The first step in this direction is to manually remove the weeds. Though it's very much possible that all the weeds are not removed and some of the weeds are left inside the pond attached to the debris.

Use chemicals: The second step is to use chemicals and aeration techniques as the plants that grow in nutrient rich soil at the bottom of the pond that helps in killing the weeds that stick at the bottom of the lake. It's advised to use both aeration techniques and insertion of natural bacteria which will ensure that the growth of plants is limited.

Weed Rakes & Harvesters: In extreme scenarios and to rid of the weeds fort a longer duration of time is to use proper weed cutter and rake as a harvester will take the work out of the job. Specific tool like Weed Razer weed cutter and used to eradicate tough weeds like milfoil and hydrilla. This tool has a thicker serrated blade on both edges which allow for a push/pull sawing action to be used for weed invasions in ponds.

Other Weed Control Products and Strategies

Other methods like AquaScreen, is yet another effective way of controlling the growth of weeds. It is a screen that is placed on aquatic plants and stops them from growing, that is often thought of as a good way to get rid of aquatic plants.

Another way is to use a screen of landscaping fabric or canvas. It's easy and can be done at home. UV strengthened AquaScreen is also available in case you want to use this as a barrier to control sunlight.

Conclusion: In the above scenario, manual removal is ideal and if a mechanical excavation by shovel or bulldozer isn't feasible then using an aquatic tool like the cutter and rake is most cost effective and environmentally safe procedure.

Pond weeds can become nuisance when they make excessive growth. It's easy to control them in garden ponds, but more difficult in larger ponds and lakes. At Aquacide, we conducts pond weed identification to suggest best Pond Weed Killer. To know more, visit our website: Killlakeweeds.com

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Enjoying Garden Decorations

Enjoying Garden Decorations
By Rodney Freed

When you place a windmill spinner in your garden it will spin whenever the wind is blowing even if it is a slight breeze. When it is spinning, the sunlight will reflected in many directions making it appear that it is actually moving all over. This creates a feeling of being refreshed. Windmill spinners are often taller than most flowers or even many bushes so that they are very noticeable. This enhances the entire area.

Adding a water fountain to the garden or patio area creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. The sound of the water running is very soothing and relaxing after working hard all day. A good place to situate the fountain is close to where people can sit and relax and enjoy a peaceful time. The sound of a running fountain is attractive to small birds which is a good thing for any garden as many birds eat all kinds of insects. Since the birds eat the insects the surrounding area will have a better chance at producing more beautiful flowers.

By making it more attractive for birds, this will make the birdhouses much more user friendly. This is what you are trying to achieve with a bird house. Since birdhouses come in so many different types, styles, and sizes, used in the same general area as a fountain, many different kinds of birds will be attracted to that area. This makes the entire area much more enjoyable and relaxing. Smaller birds like to use fountains as baths sometimes.

Statues are an excellent way to make a garden or patio have its own distinct mood or atmosphere. By placing them at different places they can enhance the beauty of whatever is nearby. Some statues are also fountains which gives the homeowner or gardener many choices to create something totally unique to that layout. Statues come in all sizes and styles and types. Some look like animals, some look like people, and others are just artwork. The buyer needs to determine what areas they will be placed in, so that the end result is more enjoyable. Some statues can serve as appearing to guard an entrance, while others will serve to brighten up a flower bed, a patio, or walkway.

There are many types and styles of windmill spinners and water fountains available to greatly enhance any garden or patio even some fountains for indoors. Wall mounted fountains are great for large entrance and foyer type areas.

I am Rodney Freed, owner of Garden Decor Unlimited. We offer a wide variety of garden decorations including, fountains, birdhouses, statues, windmill spinners. outdoor furniture and more. Visit our website at http://www.gardendecorunlimited.com, to view our complete line.

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The Garden As Spring Begins

The Garden As Spring Begins
By Tony Squireand Sheila Squire

Prune shrubs that flowered in Winter/Spring as they finish. This includes pruning natives such as callistemons, grevilleas, and even wattles. This not only encourages an attractively shaped dense bush with more flowers next time (and low, where you can see them), but prevents the plant wasting energy on the production on fruit and seeds.

Poinsettiasmay still be showing some colour, so leave those until October if you prefer. Also cut back shrubs like acalypha, plumbago and hibiscus, before new growth starts with the onset of hot weather. Fertilise and mulch after pruning to set them up for the summer. Be sure to use a low-phosphorus formulation for sensitive natives such as grevilleas and banksias. If you have spring-flowering annuals in, keep up the water and give them a quick boost with a soluble fertiliser to keep them going as long as possible. Remove spent flowers to encourage the formation of new ones.

In the vegetable garden September is a peak planting month in South East Queensland, if you want to capitalise on the relatively mild conditions of Spring and early Summer to produce a wide variety of vegetable crops. Things will be more difficult when the punishing Summer weather really arrives. Solanaceous crops, such as tomatoes, eggplant, capsicums, tamarillo. Cucurbits, like, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, rockmelons. The choko is an unusual member of this family, but can be planted at this time, too. Also, try carrots, lettuce, radishes, beetroot, silverbeet, beans, and cucurbits. If you still have space, you can also begin sowings of heat lovers like rosella, okra, snakebeans and sweetcorn.

With the weather warming up, cabbages will be very susceptible to caterpillar attack. If you still want to plant them, be prepared to take precautions. Pests and diseases in general will be proliferating. Keeping on the front foot both with respect to prevention and control measures, as well as attending to the health and vigour of the plants themselves so that they can resist and outgrow attacks, will help protect the investment of time and energy you've already made in establishing crops.

It's tempting to get carried away when confronted with the variety of seeds and seedlings available in the garden centres, much less the many unusual varieties in the catalogues of specialist suppliers. Most vegetables need a constant supply of moisture to do well so do bear in mind your ability to keep the water up to plantings over the coming months.

Pest control is also a major problem during the warm months. Try to minimise population build-ups by being vigilant now newly hatched pests or isolated attacks may be difficult to spot, but if you control infestations early you can help reduce more serious damage later on. For example, protect young tomatoes and other susceptible fruit from fruit fly with appropriate bags or nets and set up fruit fly traps.

Tony and his wife Sheila live on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland and have a passion for lawn mowing and gardening. They have left the rat race, exchanged their careers and now own and operate a lawn mowing and gardening business.
STS Mowing is a friendly, reliable and professional mowing business which provides all manner of services including mowing, gardening, weeding, edging, whipper snipping, pruning, hedge trimming, green waste removal, furniture removals and weed spraying. They offer a personal service and competitive prices.
If you are looking for a reliable mowing and gardening service give them a call. You won't be disappointed.
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Backyard Reading Garden

Backyard Reading Garden
By Jenni Foster

Have you ever wondered how to take your love for reading and combine it with a love for the outdoors and garden? Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a grandparent, or simply have a childlike heart, creating a backyard reading garden may be a perfect weekend project for you!

What Is It?

What is a backyard reading garden, you may ask? It is simply an outdoor space that is designed to include a clever nook used as a reading spot! Reading Gardens can be large or small, simple or elaborate and maybe whatever style you desire. Reading Gardens are a great way to get children involved in reading, while stimulating their interest in the outdoors as well.

Selecting a Location

To begin, select a location in the outdoors of your backyard that brings you or your child peace and happiness. Oftentimes, people like to choose a place that they already enjoy frequenting or that is special to them. Whether sunny, shady, or a mixture of both, be sure that the lighting is sufficient for reading. Having a place that is a quiet, or tranquil, is very helpful as well.

Choosing the Seating

Next, seating needs to be decided on. There are many options available when it comes to picking a place to sit and read in your backyard reading garden. You may decide that you only want seating for one, or perhaps you will choose seating to accommodate multiple readers. If you plan to read with your child, keep this in mind and create child size as well as adults sized seating options. Ideas include: a bench, a swing, a stationary chair or two, a hammock, a chaise lounge, or even an existing natural seat such as a stump or stone. No matter what you decide, be sure that it will be adequate for both short and long reading sessions.

Adding Special Touches

Just as in a traditional garden, a backyard reading garden will often begin as a bit of a blank slate. Make a plan to add or let your children add the finishing touches that are special to them. Ideas that you may want to consider include: colorful flowers or lovely plants, bird feeders or baths, an art station for nature inspired sketches and paintings, a relaxing water feature or even musical additions, such as a wind chime. The sky is truly the limit... literally!

Enjoying the Reading Garden

Once created, the backyard reading garden will become a lovely place for adults and children alike to spend hours inside the pages of their favorite stories. Read alone, with a friend, to your children or as a group. Reflect on your reading and the nature around you by jotting in a journal or with an inspirational art piece. No matter what activities you choose to do incorporate into your backyard reading garden, it is sure to be a delight for all!

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Controlling Watermeal Weeds: Tips for Managing Watermeal in Ponds

Controlling Watermeal Weeds: Tips for Managing Watermeal in Ponds
By Peter Van Smith

Many of you would not know that Watermeal holds the unique position as world's smallest flowering plant. It's also the most troublesome pond weed that exist around the world. Watermeal weeds are 1 to 1 1/2 millimeter long, small grain-like plant is commonly found embedded in the pond. These watermeal weeds are so tiny that they are barely visible through the naked eye. You need to rub these weeds on your palms to feel the grainy sensation.

This weed can actually spoil the beauty of your pond. If you are one of the many irritated by the same situation, here are some tips that will help you to get rid of them or at least can control watermeal.

1. Restrict its feed- Eliminate or restrict the diet/ nutrients on which watermeal is fed. Microorganisms such as AquaClear Pellets will consume the nutrients. Insert aquatic creatures to feed upon the weed itself. In case your pond is flooded with watermeal weeds, the best way is to drain the pond and wipe it off completely.

2. Remove debris: It's important to ensure impurities that settle at the bottom of your pond becomes the meal for watermeal. It's important to manage the build-up to prevent the rise of watermeal in the pond that grazes on this sludge. Prevent any kind of fertilizer or agricultural run-off settling into your pond, try to restrict falling of leaves from the tree, and use a surface netting that can help trap leaves, or remove all leaves from the pond, daily with a pool net.

3. Aeration: Another important step in this direction is to add a bubble aerator. Proper aeration will not let the water stagnant or accumulate. This method De-stratifies the water layers and provide uniformity to temperature, provide oxygen from top to bottom for the fish and natural bacteria to consume the organic waste, muck and improve water quality. It's advised to add bacteria in the pond, proper aeration will speed up the cleaning process and remove foul smells and muck in turn controlling the watermeal.

4. Introduce Koi: With the above stated methods, you will largely be able to control watermeal. In order to completely get rid of watermeal, you can also introduce fish that eat this plant, like koi or grass carp. Koi will eat watermeal willingly, while grass carp may eat other plants first and steadily kill watermeal. You can also add few ducks in the pond, these ducks will eat up watermeal and add to the beauty of your pond.

Aquacide Company was formed to produce and market Aquacide Pellets. Our Products will help you to manage your recreational lake or pond. We offer certified products which are approved for use by state agencies. For more information, Please visit: http://www.killlakeweeds.com/

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What to Know to Maintain a Healthy Garden

What to Know to Maintain a Healthy Garden
By Tonny Youg

When the sunflowers are in full bloom, you know it is time to plant your fall garden. Some of the vegetables are great for the fall like Kohlrabi, beets, carrots, endive, lettuces, broccoli and spinach. In this post, I am going to start with carrots.

The temperature of vegetable garden seeds is very important to their growth. Some cool season crops like spinach won't geminate if the soil is too warm. In fact, it needs to be below 75 degrees. I am planting carrots which don't mind zero temperature up to 95 degrees. But they will be happy when it gets cooler. Just cover the seeds with soil. You don't have to plant them deep. Just about a quarter of inch deep would be fine. Add a little bit of water and it is done.

Good garden equipment can increase the gemination of the seeds. If you want to plant the spinach soon, you can put the shade fabric over the bed to cool the soil down to the right temperature so that the seeds will geminate. To further cool the soil, you can water the bed generously. A soil thermometer helps you know when the soil reaches the ideal temperature for germination. If you don't have a permanent structure, you can use some steel wires for hoops. All you need to do is to insert them into the bed no matter what kind of shade fabric or frost protection fabric later on the season. So you don't have to build the permanent structure. Your fall garden may need some frost protection later on the season.

The fun part is to decide what fall crops to plant and when to plant them. The first step is to figure out your first frost date. Contact your local gardener for the frost date in your area and then work backwards. Take the first date and subtract the varieties date to maturity. Then substrate about two weeks because plants grow more slowly in short autumn days. Then subtract the days to germination. So don't wait too late because your fall seeds have to geminate.

e.g:

1. Prepare garden plot

One of the most important decisions that gardeners will make is where to locate their garden. And once you have that site selected, there is something you need to take into consideration. Whether the location is lever, the amount of sunlight the location can get a day and the soil structure of the location have to be considered. If you are not familiar with the soil type, the other thing you probably need to do is to submit the sample for analysis.

2. Prevent weeds with weed barrier

A weed barrier is a fabric material that lies over the ground. It is one of the best gardening tools that prevent the weeds from growing up through. There are different materials to use in different situations. For example, if you are growing strawberries, you can use the fabric material that allows water down through but is strong enough to prevent weeds from growing up from the soil. The nice thing about this weed barrier is that it can greatly reduce the needs for pulling weeds.

3. Dealing with houseplant pest

Hanging garden decor is becoming trendy recently. However, you should pay attention to the pest issue of your indoor plants. One of the best ways to identify whether your plants are having a pest issue is to take a look at them and look for a substance called honey dew. Honey dew is actually a waste product from the insect's feeding. Honey dew generally collects in the lower part of the plants. Take a look at the lower part and see if you can find a sugary sticky substance on the surface of the leaves. Basically there are tree types of insects can produce honey dew. Those are scale insects, white flies and Aphids. There are several ways to control them. The best way to control these insects is by using a soapy water solution. So in the wintertime, you want to make sure you check the plants regularly for insect problems. If you do detect something, you take action quickly.

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Gardening Can Be For The Birds!

Gardening Can Be For The Birds!
By Joanne A Shaw

The more I hear from people regarding their garden needs and wants and the more I research gardening for my newsletter and my gardening radio show, the more I realize that gardens are not just about plants. Birds, bees and other pollinators really should be an important part of the plan. I always say that great gardens start with a plan and I really believe that. So we need to consider these beneficial critters as part of the plan. The birds and bees are affected by the environment in ways we cannot directly control but we can help by adding things to our gardens for them.

I have already discussed the importance of helping the bees as much as we can in a past article as well as my chats with bee keeper Steve Lawrence on my radio show. I know that bird feeders may not be for everyone or every garden but I think every garden can have a few trees or shrubs that make the birds happy without sacrificing the design or low maintenance aspect that many of us prefer.

Here are some of my suggestions. In most cases these shrubs are native plants and in addition to producing berries that the birds love, they have spring flowers and fall colour making them truly great all season shrubs. I promise they are not messy.

Serviceberry: One of my favorites is the Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis). It is available in tree or shrub form and is very versatile in that it can be planted in sun or shade.

Pagoda Dogwood: Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is a large shrub that can be pruned to stay as a shrub or left to grow into a wide multi-stemmed tree.

Winter Beauty Dogwood: These medium size shrubs are a good option for the back of a garden. They have interesting berries but have more natural forms. Winter Beauty Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Beauty') has nice pink berries but is really a showstopper in the winter with its bright orangey red stems.

Honeysuckle: Honeysuckle (Lonicera) flowers, berries and fragrance make it another nice addition to the garden, there are large and dwarf varieties.

Elderberry: I have fond childhood memories of my grandmother's Elderberry jelly and pies. Both the taste of it and the purple stain that lasted on her hands. Very tiny, seedy berries cover this shrub. It can grow quite large if it has the space and will look best at the back of the garden. If you are ambitious you can also collect the berries to make jelly but you will have to be ahead of the birds. One day the shrub will be filled with berries but the birds will strip it in a day.

Compact Highbush Cranberry: For those of us with small spaces there is also a great choice. Compact Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus Compactum) is a smaller compact shrub that provides berries for the birds while still providing the spring flower and fall colour that I love to have in a garden.

I hope one or more of these plants has piqued your interest and you will consider adding them to your garden.

Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Garden Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has over 15 years experience in designing gardens and more than a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries. Sign up here http://www.down2earth.ca/ to receive Joanne's free report "Seasonal Landscaping Tips" and as an added bonus you'll receive her monthly newsletter, "Down the Garden Path", providing useful tips and tricks for keeping your garden as low maintenance as possible.

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Choosing the Best Vegetable Seeds for Your Garden

Choosing the Best Vegetable Seeds for Your Garden
By Karina Popa

People can find enjoyment in a vegetable garden during the summer. This project also allows them to make their land more productive. The best vegetable seeds to choose should be based on factors like available space, vegetables that are suitable for the specific land, and personal preferences. There is a wide range of vegetables available, and for this reason, gardeners should consider the growth and taste potential, as well as the advantages for the region.

Other considerations include garden size and design. Large vegetables, such as squash, should not be planted in a small garden since these ground vine plants require a spacious area. When confined, they will not be able to give good fruits. However, in case you have a small garden, add a trellis so that the climbing pants will grow upwards and not outwards.

Perhaps the best garden contains vegetable seeds that are productive during the entire growing season. Go for an assortment that will thrive in the first, middle and latter part of the summer, and some that will produce vegetables during the fall. As an example, green beans grow during the early part of summer and throughout the season, corn in the middle to latter part of the summer, and pumpkin or squash during the fall. It can be tedious to come up with a garden so naturally, people do not want to enjoy the harvest just once.

There are several different ways to buy seeds. Once spring approaches, interested individuals can find seed packets in many places like home depots, garden centers or supermarkets. These products make the process easier by offering information such as the best time of planting for a particular region, the estimated harvest date, plus planting instructions. In general, these instructions include the distance between the seeds and the number of seeds that can fit in every hole.

Gardeners can ask local farmers to supply them with seeds that will best suit their area. They are equipped with the experience and knowledge needed to grow productive plants in their location. There are farmers that sell vegetable seeds on stands along the road or at their farm.

Those who like a certain variety can go for heirloom vegetable seeds. These vegetable varieties have already been around for at least 5 decades, and preserved by devoted growers. They are able to produce big compatible plants from seeds and supply varieties that are not available in supermarkets. Small growers consider them as some of the best-tasting plants that are available on the market.

Though most large growers sell heirloom vegetable seeds in packets, gardeners go to heirloom specialists when they are looking for unusual types. Organizations such as these are known as "seed exchanges". These exchanges can either be found online or at the growers' conventions, where gardeners can purchase or exchange vegetable seeds. To grow vegetables that are not commonly seen in the neighborhood, the best tip is to look for rare heirlooms.

Are you looking for quality garden seeds? Come and visit our website, there you can find everything you need, including heirloom flower seeds.

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What It Means To Me To Be A Landscape Designer

What It Means To Me To Be A Landscape Designer
By Joanne A Shaw

I have written before on the topic of Landscape Design and why I think it's important to get one as well as how beneficial I think it is to work with a Landscape Designer. Today I thought I would touch on why I personally like being a Landscape Designer.

It comes down to the fact that I really like helping people. And for those of you like me, if you like helping people it is easy to help them with something you know and love. The people that are good with numbers help others with their taxes, those naturally organized people like helping their friends get organized and I like helping people with their gardens. Over the years I truly enjoyed figuring out what's wrong with that plant or coming up with a suggestion for "that spot" in your garden where nothing grows! I also love proving those that say they have a black thumb and cannot grow anything, wrong.

But I also like thinking bigger! As in the whole yard. I love looking at a space as a blank canvas and reimagining it in a whole new way. Sometimes it is not easy when looking at 25 year old shrubs and a sunken walkway to see how to transform it. For me the designing starts in my head. Even before I ring your doorbell, I'm thinking about the space. I really enjoy standing at your kitchen sink and creating a new view for you to enjoy throughout the seasons. And I continue to think about it before putting pen to paper or turning on my computer. Whether you need a few tweaks to your garden, a whole new garden or a complete new front yard, I truly enjoy working with you on it.

I have to admit that I get attached to the gardens I help create, even more than my own, I think. I love driving by when I am in the neighborhood and seeing how the front garden is doing or staring wistfully at the backyard gate, wondering how that backyard is doing! I love it when my customers send me pictures or emails about their gardens (hint hint).

In addition to loving what I do, I really believe I can save you money and time. We know we never have enough of either. Planting the right plants in the right spot saves you time and money. Creating a Master Plan that helps you stage the install over a couple of years, saves you money and time in the end.

The devil is in the details, especially with a landscape installation. From choosing the brick type and colour to picking the rocks and the plants, it's a lot of work and I believe homeowners need help or need this to be handled for them. I attend many seminars and tradeshows to learn about new trends in the industry from stone to plants and I collaborate with other designers and contractors to make sure I get it right and I do all of it because I really like helping people. My radio show is another way I help others - from sharing timely tips to exploring informative topics - it is a blast!

I hope you enjoy my help!

Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Garden Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has over 15 years experience in designing gardens and more than a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries. Sign up here http://www.down2earth.ca/ to receive Joanne's free report "Seasonal Landscaping Tips" and as an added bonus you'll receive her monthly newsletter, "Down the Garden Path", providing useful tips and tricks for keeping your garden as low maintenance as possible.

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Bees: What's All The Buzz About?

Bees: What's All The Buzz About?
By Joanne A Shaw

Have you noticed all the attention bees have been getting lately? A lot has been written about the plight of bees in North America, both in the press and social media. We have heard about:

- bee keepers losing their colonies due to suspected poisoning from chemicals used by farmers

- residual chemicals left on flowering plants meant to encourage bees into our gardens that are being sold at big box stores

- a new term called Colony Collapse Disorder

Is it all true and what does it mean for us, the average homeowner with a typical front and back yard garden?

First let's go back to science class and let me explain about the chemicals being used. They are called Neonicotinoids. They are a class of synthetic insecticides designed to kill insects that are harmful to crops and they are widely used in the US and Canada. The chemicals attack the central nervous systems of the insects and are very effective on hard bodied pests.

I have learned that the difference with this type of insecticide is that there are many ways it can be used. Often is applied to the soil and then absorbed by the plant which then kills off key sap sucking insects and/or root feeding insects that can potentially damage the plant. Many thought this water soluble solution was a good one as it prevented over spray and concerns about insecticide spray drifting to other areas. Another even more cost effective method is to apply it directly to the seeds contributing to the fact that the residual chemicals are found in the plants and therefore their pollen, nectar and leaves.

At first it appeared to affect bees on a low level and not kill them directly and since hive populations have fluctuated over history it was difficult to see a direct cause to the insecticides. But in recent years many bee keepers and environmentalists have been noticing the slow decline of honey bees and other pollinators.

After more studies it certainly appears, at the very least, to affect their forage for nectar and also affects their ability to locate their hives or nests therefore severely decreasing their effectiveness.

A challenging situation has been created since the plants need these very bees to pollinate the crops but in order to have a successful and profitable crop, farmers are forced to use these insecticides and in some cases they are unable to purchase seed that isn't already treated.

This brings us from our food to our flowering plants. Many gardening enthusiasts, myself included, upon hearing about the decline of bees, have added a few of our favorite plants into our garden as well as into my designs for my customers. Then we learned that the plants carried by the big box stores have been grown by seeds also being treated by Neonicotinoids, leaving gardeners wondering if we are helping or hurting. Many retailers have agreed to better labeling of their plants to help us with our choices.

Some good news is on the horizon in Ontario. The province is stepping in to reduce the use of Neonicotinoids. An 80% reduction is planned for 2017 on our corn and soybean crops. With the increased pressure, Ontario is also looking at introducing new rules regarding the treated seed by July 1, 2015. While it is not the aggressive stance the European Union has taken in banning the chemicals, it certainly is a step in the right direction. I think it is important for all of us to stay informed and aware of this topic. The bees have been an indicator for our health. These changes are important to the bees but also to our food and ultimately our health. It's not all about the bees!

Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Garden Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has over 15 years experience in designing gardens and more than a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries. Sign up here http://www.down2earth.ca/ to receive Joanne's free report "Seasonal Landscaping Tips" and as an added bonus you'll receive her monthly newsletter, "Down the Garden Path", providing useful tips and tricks for keeping your garden as low maintenance as possible.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Bees:-Whats-All-The-Buzz-About?&id=9139870

Where Do Mosquitoes Hide? Mosquito Control and Protection Basics

Where Do Mosquitoes Hide? Mosquito Control and Protection Basics
By Peter Nisbet

Where do mosquitoes hide in your yard? Mosquito control basics 101 includes knowing your enemy: where they hide in your garden or yard and then how to tackle them in their own environment. You can spray your entire backyard with mosquito repellant, but it will not have a lasting effect if you don't know where they are hiding from you!

Before understanding their habits, you must first understand them. When are they most active and where do they go at other times. Where do they go at night, or even during the day when it rains or it is hot? What type of weather do mosquitoes like and where do they hide when the weather doesn't suit them? We are not going to discuss entomology here, but the tips we provide are valid nonetheless.

Where do Mosquitoes Hide

Mosquitoes do not like cold weather. They are insects, and therefore cold-blooded. They like warm weather, as much as 80 degrees or over, and cannot function properly below 50 degrees. Some species appear to thrive in Alaska and Siberia, but you should only be concerned with the species indigenous to your area.

They are attracted initially by the carbon dioxide you breathe out and the chemicals in your sweat. They can be attracted from up to 75 feet away. They then home in on you by your body heat. Dark clothing absorbs and retains heat, so wear light colors during mosquito season.

Apart from that, where do they hide when you cannot see them? That's what's important to you if you are trying to control them around your home. The answer to that is fundamentally anywhere they feel safe and comfortable. They like shade and humidity rather than bright sunlight. That's why you tend not to see them during the day, but more in early morning and dusk - though this is not a hard and fast rule!

Long grass and extensive shrubbery are popular, as are the underside of the leaves of bushes, trees and other plants. They also tend to hide on the underside of open drainpipes, in barns and open sheds - in fact anywhere that they are not exposed to the sun and the conditions are warm, dank, humid and preferably still. They abhor winds.

How to Control Mosquitoes: Misting Systems

By knowing where they hide it is possible to control mosquitoes by selectively spraying these areas. If you know of an area in your yard where these insects tend to congregate during the day and night, then a good spray with mosquito repellant will control them temporarily. However, you will never get them all, and one female can lay up to 300 eggs every 3-4 days during her 6-8 week lifespan.

What you need is as near to a catch-all solution as you can get. A misting system generates a mist of insecticide, usually permethrin, which coats the underside of foliage and other areas where mosquitoes hide.This lasts 3 weeks, after which it is reapplied. There are automatic mosquito misting systems available to effect maximum control over extended periods.

Summary

Where do mosquitoes hide? That might be a good question, but what do you do once you have the answer? As stressed above, these insects hide anywhere out of bright sunlight and winds, preferably in warm and humid conditions. By identifying such areas in your yard, carrying out an initial zapping session with a mosquito spray, and then maintaining control with a mosquito control misting system, you will have the best chance of keeping your yard or garden free of these annoying, and often dangerous, insects.

If you know where mosquitoes go outside of their normal biting periods, then you will find it easier to eradicate therm from your yard. So where do mosquitoes hide in your yard? You can find answers to this question and detailed information on how to control them on the Mr. Mister website at http://www.mrmr.biz

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Dethatching For Health

Dethatching For Health
By James Z Stroud

There are two layers to your grass plant; the grass that can be seen and a root system below ground. In the middle are bits of dead grass and debris called thatch. Thatch forms a protective layer keeping your grass stronger by sealing in moisture.

Most see dethatching as a chore that involves work or renting special equipment, but the return can be enormous in improving the overall health of your lawn. It is important and is not to be taken lightly.For a small lawn, thatch can easily be removed with a rake. Renting a power rake to remove the thatch would be best for larger lawns. Too much thatch can be detrimental to your lawn, but remember a certain amount is needed for lawn health, so don't get crazy wanting to remove it down to the dirt. The next question is: how much is necessary to remove? The ideal amount of thatch that you want to maintain for moisture control is about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch. Any thicker than that will inhibit the growth of your grass by preventing water and nutrients from penetrating to the roots. Even worse, it encourages pest and disease to flourish causing more harm and eventually costing you more money and time to resuscitate your lawn from death. You can check the thickness of the thatch by digging out a small plug to explore the layers.

De-thatch is the term used when removing thatch from your yard. This is done, as mentioned earlier, by using a special rake or for lawns with thicker amount of thatch, a special machine from your local home improvement store. The best time to dethatch is late spring. This gives your lawn plenty of time to grow and recover due to moderate temperature. The amount of dethatching will largely depend upon the type of grass you have. Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda or Zoysia tend to accumulate more thatch than other grasses.

For future reference, it is better to dethatch before it gets thick. Make dethatching something that you do annually in order to decrease the shock of profound dethatching. When dethatching is finished, it would be ideal to spread some grass seed and rake into the grass to encourage new growth. Don't forget watering to complete your lawn revitalization and you will be well on your way to a greener healthier lawn this spring.

You can find more lawncare articles and tips at http://www.lawncaremadeeasy.com

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Temperature Control for Indoor Gardens

Temperature Control for Indoor Gardens
By Jason Willkomm

Temperature is one of the most important factors to control for an indoor gardener. When it gets too hot or too cool trouble is just around the corner. Temps below 65 degrees tend to squeeze water vapor from the surrounding air, which then condensates on your growing plants and invites mold and fungus. The cooler the room becomes, the worse the problem gets. As temps climb above 80 degrees, another set of problems is encountered. The metabolism of garden plants becomes so high that C02 in the grow room is used up very quickly... a 6x8x10 garden area can become C02 deficient in approximately 45 minutes. This means that all photosynthesis (and therefore plant growth) stops, unless you are constantly exchanging the garden air or constantly adding additional C02. In extreme cases, high temps in the grow room combined with higher metabolism rates will simply cook the plants to death.

So, what is the ideal temperature for an indoor garden? That is a tricky question. In general, I like to keep my daytime temperature at about 75 degrees, and my nighttime temperature 5 to 10 degrees cooler. This is just about ideal in a garden that constantly exchanges the air with a powerful fan. If you are adding C02 to your garden, however, it is more beneficial to keep daytime temps closer to 82 degrees. The slightly warmer temperature speeds up plant metabolism slightly and allows you to take full advantage of the extra C02 by speeding up plant growth rates to their maximum.

It is important to note that photosynthesis (and plant growth) stop when the C02 in a garden drops below 250 ppm. With higher temps, the C02 in a fully enclosed garden is used very quickly and needs to be supplemented or replaced. That is how temperature affects C02 in an indoor garden. With higher temps the plants will consume more water. With more water, plants consume more nutrients. If you do not want your plants to become chemically burnt (over-fertilized), then you need to reduce the strength of your nutrient solution slightly whenever the garden is running at a warmer temperature.

Now that you know what temperatures are ideal for your indoor garden space and how it will affect the consumption of C02 and nutrients, let's look at the most reliable methods for controlling the temperature in your garden. The very first thing I recommend is to have a large volume of cool air ready to exchange with the rest of your garden. A 4x8 foot garden area in a 20x40 foot basement is a good situation to have... the large volume of air can be constantly exchanged with the garden to keep it cool.

As your garden is confined to a smaller and smaller area temperature becomes more and more of a problem. If your garden is confined in a small space, you will want to ventilate your reflector separate from the rest of the grow room. This means having a fully enclosed reflector, pulling air from outdoors, through the reflector to cool it, then exhausting the (now warm) air back to the outdoors. This will prevent a lot of the heat from the light from entering into the rest of the garden air space.

The rest of the garden air space needs to be exchanged constantly with a powerful fan (either squirrel cage or centrifugal). Even then it may not be enough to keep high temperatures in check. This is especially true in the Summer months. If you are using this method and you find that it is not enough to keep your garden temps right, you only have one option... you need to introduce cold air into the garden. This is usually done with AC, but in Fall and Winter may be done in some areas simply opening a window and pulling air in from outdoors.

Those are the basics of indoor garden temperature control. I recommend always screening your air intakes to prevent outdoor pests from making their way into your garden. For more information, be sure to check out the included link, and happy growing!

For help troubleshooting your own garden, including temperature problems, be sure to check out the troubleshooting page of my website, Jason's Indoor Guide, at... http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/plant-growth.html

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3 Reasons Why Your Garden Appliances Will Hinder Your Garden

3 Reasons Why Your Garden Appliances Will Hinder Your Garden
By Mike J Younger

Your garden is an extension of your home, and your chance to express your personality with the help of nature. Whether you're after cascading water features, flowerbeds bursting with colour all year round or a pristine lawn surrounded by a few pots and decking - all can be achieved.

Achieving the garden you're after and maintaining it however are two different things, and key to maintaining your desired garden is having the right garden appliances available - and in full working condition. Unfortunately, general wear and tear combined with irregular / poor maintenance can result in your appliances developing faults.

Below, are 3 of the most common garden appliance faults you're likely to experience this summer - as well as solutions to rectifying them for little outlay.

Lawnmower - A Blunt Blade:

The lawnmower blade may seem like a strong component of your mower, but it is susceptible to damage. The most common cause of damage to your lawnmower blade is it becoming blunt due to coming into contact with debris, such as stones/rocks which are hidden in your lawn, or edging of your garden.

As your lawnmower blade becomes blunt the cut of your lawn will be reduced, and instead of a neat slice being achieved, the individual blades of grass will become torn. This in itself will not only lead to your lawn looking untidy, but also increases the risk of your lawn become infected by weeds and other ailments.

We recommend that a couple of times during the mowing season (which traditionally runs between March and October) you give your blade a once over. If there are any signs of it becoming damaged, blunt or chipped you should sharpen it - and this can easily be done at home. Alternatively, if this seems like too much hassle, purchase a replacement lawnmower blade and fit this.

Grass Trimmer - Feed Line Issues:

Frequent line breakage on your grass trimmer is usually a result of the cutting head being too close to objects, such as walls and steps, when it is in use. This prevents the line from rotating freely and results in the line snapping.

No matter how hard you try, your grass trimmer's line will invariably snap at some point during the summer. But there are a number of steps which you can take to make sure it doesn't happen every time you trim the edges of your lawn, including:

• Keeping the head of your trimmer as clean as possible. Dirt and debris can build up and clog the line feed mechanism, increasing the risk of the line snapping.

• If buying line rather than fitting a replacement spool and line, take care wrapping it. You need to make sure you don't cross the line over itself. Crossing the line can increase the risk of jams and line becoming lost.

• Not trimming for longer periods of time, this is likely to result in the spool getting hot and the line sticking together, increasing the risk of it snapping.

• Making sure the trimmer line is kept at the correct length - and this should be roughly 10mm.

Pressure Washer - Running on Low Pressure:

If your pressure washer is emitting low pressure, it won't be providing the cleaning power you'd expect. Unfortunately, pressure washers emitting low pressure is not an uncommon fault, but it is relatively straightforward to rectify.

First, check for any kinks, leaks or blockages which may have formed in your garden hose or pressure washer's hose. If no kinks/blockages/leaks are detected, check your water is turned on full force and supplying the correct amount of water. Only once you've checked these areas should you check your pressure washer.

It's recommended you first check your pressure washer's water inlet filter to ensure it is free from debris and the trigger gun/nozzles, again making sure these are free from debris / blockages.

Should all of these areas be OK, yet your pressure washer is still running on low pressure, you may have air trapped in the pump. This can be rectified by bleeding the pressure washer. Don't worry, whilst this may sound tricky, in reality it should be no more difficult than bleeding your radiators.

To bleed your pressure washer, you follow the steps below...

1) Turn off the appliance and disconnect the high pressure hose and trigger gun

2) With only the garden hose connected, turn on your water supply and allow water to run through the pump for up to 30 seconds

3) Turn off the water, reconnect the high pressure hose and trigger gun, and try to use the machine again

By keeping on top of your garden appliances, you stand more chance of keeping your garden in tip-top shape, not only during the summer but throughout the year.

Keep your garden in shape throughout the year, with the help of BuySpares. We stock a range of spare parts and accessories for gardening equipment; and the BuySpares blog is full of handy hints, advice and tips.

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Get the Most From Your Garden During Hot, Dry August

Get the Most From Your Garden During Hot, Dry August
By Bill Camarillo

With water restrictions in place, maintaining robust vegetable and flower gardens can be a challenge especially during the hot, dry month of August. With proper planning and maintenance, it can be done.

Keep Roses Blooming: Established rose bushes need only be watered weekly or even biweekly. Keep them pruned so the plant can focus on strengthening its strongest stems. Remove dead flowers.

Don't Mow As Often: When water is plentiful in summer, lawns tend to grow quickly. With less water, growth slows. Mow every two to three weeks. Keep grass blades at least an inch long to protect the soil from heat, against water evaporation and to stimulate deeper root growth.

Plant Indoors: Indoor plants are not subject to the intense heat that outdoor plants can experience in summer. Consider planting flowers in indoor pots. Flowering plants that do well indoors include hibiscus, lilies, geraniums, begonia varieties and Boston fern. Use "grey water" collected in the kitchen or bath to keep these plants well watered.

Maintain Your Garden: No need to keep yellowing vines and stems or droopy flowers in your garden. These just take away energy from the healthy parts of a plant. Remove all nonperforming portions of plants several times a week. Plus, remove weeds as soon as they appear before they can rob nutrients from your garden soil.

Cut Back Perennials: Perennials may be losing their luster about now. If it looks like their best days are behind them, cut back the plants so only a few inches of the stem remains. The plants will grow again in the spring.

Prevent Creatures From Eating Your Crop: After going through weeks of watching fruit and vegetables ripen, one of the most discouraging aspects of gardening is to find animals have taken a bite out of a beautiful piece of fruit or vegetable (or have taken off with it entirely). Protect fruit from birds just before they begin to ripen by placing bird netting over the treetops to cover the fruit. Make sure there are exit holes so the birds are not trapped if they do happen to find a way in. Consider placing mini-fences (sold at nurseries) around the garden to discourage rodents from stealing vegetables. Another option is to wrap plants in bird netting. Spread crushed eggshells under plants to keep snails and slugs from getting close to strawberries and other low-to-the-ground fruit and vegetables.

Keep Mulching: Add organic mulch to your yard throughout the summer to hold in water, keep roots cool and suppress weeds. Water first before applying mulch so the soil stays moist longer. Mulch should be at least two to three inches thick under trees and shrubs and around vegetable and flower plants.

Bill Camarillo is CEO of Agromin, an Oxnard, California-based manufacturer of soil products and the composter for cities throughout Southern California. Each month, Agromin receives more than 30,000 tons of organic material and then uses a safe, natural and sustainable process to transform the material into premium soil products. The results are more vigorous and healthier plants and gardens, and on the conservation side, the opportunity to close the recycling loop, allow more room in landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.agromin.com

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Steps to Designing a Great Garden

Steps to Designing a Great Garden
By Goda Mackeviciute

Gardening is making a comeback. It has been a source of food for ages. One of the main advantages of having your own vegetable garden is being able to eat fresh vegetables right out of your own garden without going to the shop where much of the vegetables are shipped from hundreds of miles away. What is more, having your vegetable garden may also cut down on the cost people are spending at the grocery stores. If you really want to eat fresh vegetables in the spring and summer, you should thing about creating your own vegetable garden.

People who want to become less reliant on grocery stores, they should think about creating a larger vegetable garden. People also usually choose to freeze their vegetables for use later in the year. One more benefit of having your vegetable garden the added knowledge of knowing what is in your garden. By choosing against the use pesticides on your garden people can have an organic garden without the worry of additives. What is more, the taste of organic produce is much sweeter than store-bought produce. Today many people choose to sell their vegetables at a local farmer's market or vegetable stand.

Today there are a few very important things to consider when starting a vegetable garden, whether to start from plants or from seeds. Both of the options have negative and positive aspects. For example, purchasing plants can be more expensive but requires less patience and time. Planting your vegetable garden from seeds require more patience, time and is less expensive. Do not forget that it is very important to choose a right site for your vegetable garden in your back yard.

Once you have decided on an overall plan for landscaping the back yard, you may find the extra storage is needed. Having a garden cabin in the garden can be a beautiful accessory to add. It can give your garden a personality like nothing else. However, if you are not careful it can be very expensive. What is more, if you want your cabin to be very sturdy, durable, and easy to maintain, then it is best to go for the wood material like spruce, pine or cedar. Of course, cedar is much expensive than other wood materials like spruce or pine but it saves the money in the long run. Cedar is worth those extra dollars as cedar is durable enough to withstand several outside factors that cause wood to fall apart. Of course, cedar wood is a little pricier but this difference in cost shouldn't hinder you from choosing it as the main building material. The long-term benefits of cedar are unrivaled.

If you need a great place to store all your equipment, gardening tools or to have an ideal place to spend more time with your friends in your garden then having a garden cabin is a great decision. Everybody wants to have a place with a great atmosphere, amazing design, and high-quality furniture. Nowadays, garden cabins are very durable, warm, sturdy, cheap, and modern. You can also build it by yourself from a plan. You may have considered buying a garden cabin if you're looking for inexpensive vacation home or just need a cabin with the beautiful rustic design.

Garden cabins are usually used as the garden office, extra room or even garden relaxation area. They were originally built by Swedes during the 17th century intended as low-cost and easy to assemble permanent buildings. Of course, most of the people can do a lot of work without the garden cabin but it creates a special atmosphere in the yard and the demand for these buildings have increased dramatically these days. It doesn't matter how big your garden is, it really has to meet all your wants and needs.

Garden is a delight to your eyes, the mind and the senses. However, for the gardener there is nothing better than being able to have a sturdy and cozy place to plan all your gardening session. So, garden cabins are the best places that you can use for this reason.

You should know that all the gardens reach the point where they need a renovation and it is a huge work. Usually people want to rearrange their garden to be more beautiful and comfortable. If you think about the renovation of your garden, you should talk to your family members because it is a place for the whole family to spend their time together. Today a lot of people are turning to the gardening as a mean of relaxing and supplying themselves with fresh and healthy vegetables. If you want to have a cozy place to stay, to grow vegetables and supply your family with fresh and healthy vegetables, do not miss your chance to rearrange your garden.

All the information about the wooden cabins and other garden buildings can be found on this website. Quick-garden.co.UK always strive to guarantee custom satisfaction in whatever area this may be.

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Why Do Tomatoes Split?

Why Do Tomatoes Split?
By Michael J McGroarty

It is very common for tomatoes to split, and there are a couple of reasons for these unsightly cracks. Split tomatoes can be caused by either moisture or heat stress.

You may find tomatoes with large cracks that form concentric circles around the stem. This splitting is caused by moisture stress, when the fruit becomes too plump too quickly and literally bursts through the skin. This typically occurs after a heavy rainfall that follows a dry spell.

Large cracks on tomatoes that radiate down from the stem are caused from heat stress. This occurs during periods of bright sunlight and temperatures above ninety degrees.

To help prevent splits from moisture or heat stress, try to maintain even moisture for the plants and provide good drainage in the soil. A thick layer of mulch over the plant's roots will help keep the soil cool and evenly moist. Remove ripe and nearly ripe fruit after a heavy rain, before it has a chance to split.

Tomatoes that are already ripening can be allowed to finish ripening on the kitchen counter.

The splits are cosmetic only, and won't affect the flavor of the tomatoes. As long as the fruit is harvested immediately it will still be good for eating.
Don't let a tomato stay on the plant if it has split as it can easily be invaded by insects or develop mold in the open cracks.

Blossom end rot is typically seen early in the season and often doesn't affect fruit that is set later in the summer. It is caused by a poor supply of water and calcium in the developing tomatoes.

Tomato plants that were planted out in the garden before the soil warmed up are susceptible to blossom end rot because their root systems don't develop well in cold soil. Without a good root system the plants cannot take up enough moisture and calcium for the developing fruit, resulting in blossom end rot. Blossom end rot may also be a problem after dry periods followed by heavy rains.

Mulching your tomato growing bed after the soil has warmed up is a good way to prevent blossom end rot as the mulch helps to maintain even moisture in the soil. You'll also want to keep the plants well watered during dry periods and avoid cultivating too closely to the plants as this can disturb tiny feeder roots that are close to the surface.

If you have tomatoes afflicted with blossom end rot, just remove those fruits from the plant, maintain even moisture for your plants and wait for the next set of tomatoes to ripen.

I'm Mike McGroarty and I'm passionate about plants, soil and everything that has to do with gardening! I promise to teach you things that will make you a better gardener, and I'd like to start by giving you these FREE Gardening Gifts! http://freeplants.com/signup.htm

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Reasons Why a Well-Maintained Garden Is So Important

Reasons Why a Well-Maintained Garden Is So Important
By Ian Schechter

A sense of beauty and joy fills your heart when you are surrounded by greenery. But we should appreciate a garden's maintenance in the same way we appreciate its beauty. Nowadays, gardens are not only restricted to residences but also found in offices. It is significant to maintain gardens regularly because an unkempt one can makes the property look dull and unwelcoming. If you cannot make time to manage your garden area, you can hire landscape design services. Now, let us go through the reasons why garden maintenance has become so important today.

Why do you require maintaining your garden area?

Whether it is your office or home, if you have garden, you require maintaining it properly. We have compiled a few reasons that signify the importance of the upkeep job.

Live amid nature

If you have your own well-kept green area, you have the privilege to live in the middle of nature. Plus, such a space can always serve as a perfect destination to sip your morning or evening cup of tea or coffee. (Whichever drink suits you.) Furthermore, you can always use the space for organizing formal parties or impromptu get-together.

Add beauty

If the green area has beautiful flowers and leaves that glisten, your space will become more appealing. A well-kept green area will only add charm to your property.

Create freshness

Greenery-if maintained well-will always add to the overall freshness of an area. Greenery helps in creating a type of freshness that can soothe your senses and rejuvenate them.

Grow fruits and veggies

Now, that is what we can call "killing two birds with one stone." Beg your pardon if the idiom sounds a bit ghastly, but it holds water in the current situation. A well-maintained garden area can support the growth of fruits and vegetables, i.e., you can eat organic, healthy, homegrown fruits or veggies daily. So, having such an area not only helps you see beautiful nature but also lets you eat healthful fruits and veggies.

Do not let your garden get infested with worms and pests

It is a no-brainer; if you do not maintain your garden, it will soon become a home for pests and other insects. And if your green area has, sadly, run to seed, you have to check the area for snakes and other dangerous rodents as well.

If you have a garden area, you can avail each of these benefits. But for experiencing these benefits, you can either find some time every day to maintain you garden or hire a landscape design NYC service provider who will do the chore for you. We can rightly say that it is essential to do the task if you do not want your green area to serve as a blot on the landscape.

Ian Schechter at Greening Stone shared this article on the importance of well-maintained garden. Greening Stone is a leading landscape design services provider in New York.

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Growing A Vertical Garden

Growing A Vertical Garden
By Kimberly S Smyth

When I started my vertical garden, it was a small affair, just a few herbs like basil, mint and Rosemary. Then I added cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers and burpless cucumbers and my garden has now expanded to plants on Shepard hooks and on hooks attached to the fences. Additionally, I started adding some decorations like stake type art, one of which has a solar light included!

The whole point of starting this type of garden was that my Shorkie, Brandy, is very destructive and I still wanted something pretty to look at besides the gray fence. So, my first thought was "why not plant something we can use"? Hence the herbs and veggies. That wasn't enough however, we were still looking at the ugly gray fence, so a few weeks later, we added the flowers and decorations. I still plan to add more to the fence when the temps start going down a bit. Hey, it's hot in Texas right now!

My inspiration was a beautiful pin I saw on Pinterest and not only were there plants all along the fence, the fence itself was painted like a flower garden! Very inspirational and so much talent needed I'm sure. The first challenge I faced when starting to put plants on the fence was how to hang them without the weight pulling on the fence. First I came up with over-the-door hooks to hang from the support board from the neighbors side. That ended up being where I hung other decorations like a tiny birdhouse and a pretty sun. You see, I would have had to find half baskets and I'm on a budget here.

Ultimately, we ended up getting strong decorative metal hooks that my husband was kind enough to install on the support posts of the fence. They proved quite strong and now I have a plant hanging from each one, three in all. There are other ways to hang more plants at one time, like a long box held by brackets or maybe even half baskets that would hang flush with the fence. Truth is, the weather got hot and I decided to wait to add more because I've created enough I have to water already!

We have managed to harvest a few cherry tomatoes and a sweet pepper plus I use the basil for many things. The mint comes in handy as well if you like to make infused waters for instance. Also, it's wonderful to have pretty flowers, lights and decorations to look at now all out of my puppy's reach!

Please check out my blog at http://www.kimsmyth61.wordpress.com for more stories about my Paleo journey and more. Also check out my Instagram pics and posts at crafter61

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Connect With the Earth, Receive Her Gifts

Connect With the Earth, Receive Her Gifts
By Beverly Molina

"Keep close to nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." -John Muir

I am humbled and sorry to say that I have not always been appreciative of Planet Earth and all of the life-sustaining benefits and beauty She offers to me.

In fact I was pretty much asleep-pre-occupied in my own personal life adventures and dramas, when my oldest, now college-aged boy, back in grade school began bringing my attention to what he was learning, namely the importance of caring for our environment, our planet.

He would watch me like a hawk. Constantly, as I was about to throw something away, he would screech, "Wait, we need to recycle that one!" It was he who took on the project of creating our makeshift recycle box (the first of many) for the kitchen.

In the beginning, I recycled to humor him - Earth's small and persistent steward - unaware that this was the beginning of my waking up to a new way of recognizing, being, and appreciating the interdependent living system of which I am an integral part.

Since then, Mother Earth and I have come to know each other very well. She even came to my rescue once at a personal low point in my life.

Today, I consciously make her a part of my everyday practice, whether I am doing my part to better the environment or whether I am enjoying and acknowledging the rich gifts she brings to my everyday life.

Yes, everyday is Earth Day.

When we feel disconnected from nature and the Earth, we may take her gifts for granted.

I believe it is important to deliberately connect with the Earth. When we practice and realize our connectedness, it is my belief that we will finally take care of this swirling blue-green marble in space, as she takes care of us.

Here are some of my favorite ways to connect with gorgeous Mother Earth:

• Sink your toes in the sand and feel the cool watery roughness between your toes. Can you feel the eons of time swirling beneath your feet?

• Hug a tree. Seriously. Did you know a tree will hug you back?!

• Immerse yourself in natural waters-cool creeks, lakes and the mysterious sea-often, and feel how the natural waters run through your own body.

• Breathe in the soil of the earth and feel it bring back ancient memories.

• Spend time walking, hiking, climbing and immersing your self in nature. Notice the treasure chest of wonders that appear before you.

• Observe how tall grasses and the leaves of trees move, almost imperceptibly, as a breeze blows through them. What messages do you hear?

• Walk barefoot often-in the dirt is even better-and feel yourself become grounded.

• Drink in the delicious rays of the sun and remember this light has sustained life from the beginning.

• Look up at the vast stars and feel the peace of how you are connected to infinite time and space. Can you feel the star dust coursing through your veins?

Thank you Planet Earth for reminding me of the interconnectedness of life-in all of its fragility, strength, uniqueness, and perfection. Thank you for enlivening and invigorating me, for bringing me peace. Thank you for allowing me to see anew with wonder, curiosity and excitement. Thank you for putting things in perspective and bringing me back to myself.

May we all remember to connect with the Earth every day, and be her grateful stewards.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more about how you can live a fulfilling and authentic life, please visit my website at http://www.braveandawake.com and check out my newly released book called Brave and Awake - A Story of Authentic Becoming.

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Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Kitchen Garden

Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Kitchen Garden
By Sarath B Sribhasyam

Grow medicinal plants in your balcony

"Food is our medicine; medicine is our food" - Aristotle

Long hours of work, unhealthy eating, less sleep, more pressure are all putting our bodies and health at a great risk. Diabetes, obesity, thyroid malfunctioning, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases are all interlinked and can be controlled only by healthy food. Greens, vegetables, fruits and nuts are great sources of nutrition that empower the body with all the vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. Green herbs especially can fight a lot of disorders and keep you away from impending health dangers. Instead of stepping out to buy them, you can grow these medicinal plants in your balcony with very little effort. Plenty of reasons why you should grow and eat them on a daily basis!

Methi (Fenugreek) - Growing methi in a container is one of the easiest things you can do. Choose a sunny spot, sow the seeds in a container and water it. Methi seeds germinate in a couple of days and in a span of 10 to 15days, the leaves come up and the pods are ready for harvest. Chilly weather conditions might not be suitable for methi to grow.

All diabetics consume methi leaves or fenugreek seeds to combat blood sugar level fluctuation. A natural soluble fibre named 'galactomannan' plays a key role in slowing down sugar absorption into the blood stream thereby controlling diabetes. Chronic digestive disorders, acid reflux, heartburn, dandruff and hair fall can all be corrected with regular consumption of methi leaves and seeds.

Bitter gourd (Karela) - Another miracle vegetable that is completely exotic in taste! Since it is a creeper plant, if you can arrange a small trellis in your balcony then karela can be grown easily. It is a warm weather crop but can also tolerate mild cold. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water before sowing them. This process ensures quicker germination and also strengthens seeds.

Bitter gourd is often disliked by many people due to its bitter taste but the goodness the vegetable contains is indescribable. From weight loss to controlling blood sugar levels, bitter gourd does it all. Regular consumption can also correct vision problems, cleanse liver and kidneys and also boost the immune system. But remember that excessive consumption can lead to stomach upset and cause an imbalance in the hormones.

Coriander (Dhaniya pattha) - Pick a few dhaniya seeds from your kitchen, split them into two, sow them in a container and place it in a sunny spot in your balcony. In a week's time your coriander crop will be ready! It is seriously as easy as this. The only pre-requisite for coriander plants is lots of sunlight. If your balcony receives plenty of it then just go ahead.

Coriander leaves fight with bad cholesterol and improve the levels of good cholesterol thereby boosting good health. Diabetic patients can keep their blood sugar levels in check with regular consumption of coriander. The rich iron content in the leaves and seeds enhances bone marrow performance and treats anaemia in women.

Stevia (Meetha pattha) - Rapidly replacing artificial sweeteners is the 'sweet leaf' or 'sugar leaf' mainly known as Stevia. Just one leaf will make anything sweet and easy to eat. Diabetics are now taking solace in this miraculous herb. Home grown stevia might lack the deep sweet flavour that is usually found but the leaves can definitely replace your sweetener. You can either sow seeds directly in a container or buy tiny stevia plants to transplant them in your garden. Light watering regularly and six hours of sunlight is good enough for the leaves to grow.

Brewed stevia leaves are an excellent replacement for table sugar. You can use them in tea, coffee, juices and other beverages. When consumed with ginger or cinnamon, stevia cures constipation and common digestive problems. Diabetics can make this a part of their diet and control their sugar cravings.

Basil (Tulsi) - Found in almost every Indian home, the basil herb can treat a wide range of health disorders. Sowing seeds directly in a container is the ideal way to grow basil. Keep the soil moist always by watering the seedlings regularly. It is an annual crop and continues to produce leaves in all seasons.

Chronic cold, cough and phlegm can be treated very well by dried basil. A strong decoction of the leaves when consumed on a daily basis kills bacterial infections and boosts immunity. Purifying blood, fighting mouth ulcers, treating migraines and keeping infections at bay, the basil does it all!

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