be mindful of its usage maintenance requirements and existing environment conditions such as wind and sun exposure.
When planning your garden…
On November - 4 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
be sure to complete a site analysis to determine sun/shade conditions, soil quality and wind exposure.
Hillside Gardens
On October - 29 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Designing gardens for sloping yards can be a challenge. Because hillsides are subject to erosion, a design must be sure to stabilize the soil. A well thought out garden design can help prevent soil runoff.
Most hillsides can be made relatively stable with plants, even shallow rooted groundcovers, such as ajuga and lily-of-the-valley are effective in preventing topsoil erosion. Plantings on a hillside should be diverse with a mix of groundcovers, shrubs, trees, and perennials. Utilizing a diverse mix of plants creates layers of vegetation which will help reduce the force of rainfall hitting the ground.
Wildlife Gardens
On September - 30 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Creating a wildlife garden is simple. Planting a few specific shrubs or trees can make all the difference when trying to attract birds to your garden.
Gardening With Moss
On September - 29 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Moss is a great addition to the shade garden, woodland garden, or rock garden. It can give the garden a lush look and feel. Moss is a low maintenance plant; it requires no mowing or fertilizer, once established it requires no watering. It grows in thick massings, making it difficult for weeds to take hold, as a result there’s little need for weeding.
Indoor Gardening
On September - 2 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
For those living in an urban setting with little or no outdoor space, gardening indoors, which utilize hanging pots and planters, is a great alternative to traditional gardening.
When picking out plants for indoor gardening, make sure the plants are adaptable and will be able to survive in the conditions within your house. Consider how much time you will be able to spend caring for the plants, how much light your house offers, and also how much money you want to spend on your indoor garden. Also consider if you want year-round or seasonal plants.
6 Essential Tips For A Healthy Garden
On September - 1 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Proper maintenance is essential to a healthy and beautiful garden. Neglected gardens offer suffer from over crowding, countless weeds, poor soil quality and weak plants. Here are seven tips on keeping a well maintained garden.
Deadheading Flowers: This is the practice of snipping off the dead and spent flowers on perennials and annuals. Removing dead flower heads will encourage repeat blooming, particularly with annuals. It also keeps the garden looking fresh all season long. Many perennials such as peony and iris, and all annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed.
Summer Blooming Shrubs
On August - 29 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
A misconception among gardeners is that once the spring has ended there are only a few flowering shrubs to chose from. While there are fewer shrubs in bloom during summer the ones which do flower provide stunning (hydrangea), fragrant (mockorange) flowers. The following are some popular, easy to grow choices.
Water Efficient Gardens
On August - 3 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Water efficient gardens require designs which will minimize water usage. To be most efficient, design your landscape so that plants with similar water requirements are located next to each other. Also, proper plant selection is also an important step when planning a garden less dependant on water.
Plants For A Wildlife Garden
On August - 2 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Legend:
A – Attracts Hummingbirds, B – Attracts Birds, C – Attracts Butterflies
Trees
Amelanchier spp. – Seviceberry B
Cornus florida – Flowering Dogwood B,C
Crataegus spp. – Hawthorn A,B
Malus spp. – Crabapple B
Nyssa sylvatica – Tupelo B
Salix spp. – Willow B
