GardenLeap

tips, guides and articles to jump start your garden

Designing A Year-Round Garden

Posted by plantsman On December - 22 - 2009

An ideal garden design is one which offers something during every season. In spring and summer, ornamental trees and flower beds are full of colorful blooms. Vibrant foliage adds beauty to the fall landscape and in the winter the berries, evergreens and bark color provide color. Also important in the winter is the silhouette of [...]

An Introduction To Japanese Gardens

Posted by plantsman On December - 6 - 2009

Japanese gardens are designed to portray a scene that mimics nature, through symbolization and abstraction, by using trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water as art-forms. Often Japanese gardens reduce the scale of the natural environment, which may consist of  mountains, rivers, trees, and ponds, through the use of  symbolization and abstraction. [...]

7 More Spring Flowering Trees

Posted by plantsman On November - 25 - 2009

After a long cold winter, small ornamental flowering trees are a very welcome sight as they are among the first garden plants to brighten up the landscape and announce the arrival of spring. The following are a few classic spring flowering trees for the garden.

Shade Gardens

Posted by plantsman On November - 19 - 2009

Gardening in the shade presents gardeners with the opportunity to work with a wide variety of beautiful plants. There are virtually an end number of plants which can grow in a garden. Many plants, in fact, prefer at least some protection from full exposure to the sun.

Woodland Gardens

Posted by plantsman On November - 16 - 2009

Working with the existing conditions of site rather than overhauling the site often times result in very successful garden. Woodland gardens are generally planned in such a way. A shady spot beneath a stand of trees, for example, is the ideal location for a woodland garden. Prepare the site for plants such shade tolerant shrubs [...]

A Quick Guide To Dividing Perennials

Posted by plantsman On December - 16 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

Perennials which have become too large for their spot in the garden benefit from division during the fall. By dividing overgrown perennials allowing for increased air flow through the gardens, thus reducing the possibility to disease. Dividing perennials is also a great way to increase the number of plants in your garden. Follow these six steps when dividing your plants.

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Work compost into your garden soil…

Posted by plantsman On December - 15 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

to keep it rich, water retentive and high in nutrients.

Pruning Climbing Roses: The Basics

Posted by plantsman On December - 15 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

1. Climbing roses should be pruned early in autumn, when dormant, to reduce damage during winter winds. Prune again in spring to remove any deadwood or stems which have broken over the winter.

2. Prune flowering stems by cutting on an angle approximately ¼ inch above a healthy bud. Prune the stems to about 2/3 their length.

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To draw a visitor’s attention to…

Posted by plantsman On December - 14 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

a particular area of the garden, consider using shrubs with contrasting colors or textures.

Variegated Evergreen Shrubs

Posted by plantsman On December - 13 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

Evergreen shrubs provide the garden with year-round color and interest. Variegated varieties are perfect for brightening up a shady landscape. Some of the most popular varieties include Euonymus, Holly, and Arborvitae.

Wintercreeper Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei ‘Gracillimus’) is a creeping evergreen shrub with colorful white, green, and purple leaves. Clusters of insignificant, green flowers appear in May and June among small, lustrous, green leaves with yellow margins. This variegated evergreen shrub makes excellent groundcover and is a often planted as specimens or used in rock gardens and low-maintenance gardens. Its tough and will thrive in any well-drained border in sun or partial shade.

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Weekly Garden Photo: Paradise Gardens

Posted by plantsman On December - 13 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

Perennial gardens…

Posted by plantsman On December - 12 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

prefer lighter mulches, such as buckwheat hulls, rather than heavier pine or hemlock bark mulches.

Improperly placed plants,…

Posted by plantsman On December - 11 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

such as those planted too close to walkway, may require frequent pruning resulting in a misshaped tree or shrub.

When mulching your shrub beds, avoid…

Posted by plantsman On December - 10 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

piling the mulch up against the trunks of your trees and shrubs as this can encouagre insect and disease problems.

5 More Ornamental Grasses

Posted by plantsman On December - 10 - 2009ADD COMMENTS

japanese grassThis is a continuation of a similar list of grasses I made a few weeks ago.

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