Choosing and Planting Perennials

If you’ve been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be feeling slightly disgruntled at how plain it is to look at. I too began my gardening career with a vegetable garden, but I decided that it wasn’t quite as pleasing to look at as I would have liked. I heard from a friend that the use of perennial flowers could be a great way to liven up my garden without adding any extra work for me.
Perennial flowers are strong, local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there (rather than just dying and looking like hideous brown clumps in your garden). When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were.
Before deciding whether to put in perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the water stays saturated for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. To test, dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole isn’t completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed.
Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create an outline of the year. Research the different types of flower you want, and create a timeline of flowering. If you plan it right, you can have a different type of flower blooming at any point in the year. Getting just the right mixture of seeds can give your yard a constantly changing array of colors.
When you go to buy the seeds from your local florist or nursery, you might be able to find a custom seed mixture for your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. Usually these blends are optimized for the local climate, and do great jobs of having flowers always grow in your yard. If one of these isn’t available, you can ask the employees what they think would be a good mixture. They should be happy to help you put something together which will be optimal for whatever you desire.
You should definitely use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do, by reducing the amount of weeds and increasing the water retention. Bark or pine needles work great, I have found, and depending on the rest of your yard you might have them on hand at no charge. As for fertilizer, you should use it sparingly once your plants start to come to life.
When you actually go to plant the seeds, you should put them in small, separate clumps according to the directions. This is because they tend to spread out, and if you have too many too close together then they will end up doing nothing but choking each other out. As you plant them, throw in a little bit of extremely weak fertilizer. In no time at all you should start to see flowers blooming up.

Garden that is Perfect for You

If you're thinking about starting a garden, the first thing you need to

consider is what type of garden you will have. There are many different

choices and often it can be hard to pick just one, but hopefully you can

narrow it down. But by narrowing it down, you'll make the gardening

experience easier on yourself and the plants. If all your plants are

similar, then it shouldn't be very hard to care for them all. So here are

some of the main garden ideas for you to choose from.



If you're just looking for something to look nice in your yard, you'll

want a flower garden. These are usually filled with perennial flower.

Perennial flowers are flowers which stay healthy year-round. They're

basically weeds because of their hardiness, only nice looking. Different

areas and climates have different flowers which are considered perennials.

If you do a quick internet search for your area, you can probably find a

list of flowers that will bring your flower garden to life. These usually

only require work in the planting stage - after that, the flower take care

of themselves. The only downside to this is that you don't have any

product to show for it.



Another choice for your garden is to have a vegetable garden. These

usually require a little more work and research than a flower garden, but

can be much more rewarding. No matter what time of the year it is, you can

usually find one vegetable that is still prospering. That way you can have

your garden be giving you produce almost every day of the year! When

starting a vegetable garden, you should build it with the thought in mind

that you will be adding more types of veggies in later. This will help

your expandability. Once all your current crops are out of season, you

won't be stuck with almost nowhere to put the new crops. A vegetable

garden is ideal for someone who wants some produce, but doesn't want to

devote every waking hour to perfecting their garden (see below.)



One of the more difficult types of gardens to manage is a fruit garden.

It's definitely the most high-maintenance. When growing fruits, many more

pests will be attracted due to the sweetness. You not only have to deal

with having just the right dirt and fertilizer, you have to deal with

choosing a pesticide that won't kill whoever eats the fruits. Your fruit

garden will probably not produce year-round. The soil needs to be just

right for the plants to grow, and putting in another crop during its

off-season could be disastrous to its growth process. If you're willing to

put lots of work into maintaining a garden, then a fruit garden could be a

good choice for you.



So now that I've outlined some of the main garden types that people

choose, I hope you can make a good decision. Basically, the garden type

comes down to what kind of product you want, and how much work you want to

put into it. If you're looking for no product with no work, go with a

flower garden. If you want lots of delicious product, but you are willing

to spend hours in your garden each day, then go for a fruit garden. Just

make sure you don't get into something you can't handle!

Vegetable Gardening

 With the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family's health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.



It's a good idea to choose your favourite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties.



Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available.



Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.



During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.



It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.



Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

Safe Pest Control

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.



The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.



Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.



1. Use the physical pest control process.



This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage.



2. Apply biological pest control.



Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.



3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.



Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.



4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.



Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:



Against Green Aphids and Mites - Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.



Against Cockroaches - Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.



Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting.

Rose Diseases

To make sure that your prized roses remain in the best of health, simply follow these tips.



1. Black Spots on Leaves



This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots appear as circular with fringed edges on leaves. They cause the leaves to yellow. Remove the infected foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose. Artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat this kind of rose disease.



2. Stunted or malformed young canes



Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes the leaves curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease.



3. Blistered underside of leaves



Known as rust, this disease is characterized by orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. It can survive the winter and will then attack new sprouts in the spring. Collect and discard leaves that are infected in fall. a Benomyl or Funginex spray every 7-10 days may help.



4. Malformed or stunted leaves and flowers



This is caused by spider mites. They are tiny yellow, red or green spiders found on the underside of leaves where they suck juices. The application of Orthene or Isotox may help in treating this infestation.



5. Weak and mottled leaves with tiny white webs under them



This is caused by aphids. They are small soft-bodied insects that usually brown, green or red. Often clustered under leaves and flower buds, they suck plant juices from tender buds. Malathion or diazinon spray may help roses to survive these bugs.



6. Flowers that don't open or are deformed when they open.



Thrips could be the reason behind this problem. They are slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings that also suck juices from flower buds. Cut and discard the infested flowers. Orthene and malathion may also treat this problem.



Remember that roses are hungry feeders that require much fertilizer to become healthy bushes.

National Home Gardening Club Members

The National Home Gardening Club offer many benefits to its members.

It is said to be the largest home gardening organization with paid membership. For a nominal fee, various benefits are available.



If you choose to become a member the National Home Gardening club, you will be entitled to the following perks.



1. Members can enter competitions to win free gardening products such as gardening accessories, tools, and other gardening supplies.



2. A coupon will be given to members to claim a free gardening shears.



3. Members can also access a free trial subscription of the Gardening How-To Magazine.



4. They may be eligible to test and keep gardening tools such as pruning shears. These are some of the products tested by members in the past two issues of the Gardening How-To magazine:



- Honda Harmony Lawn Mower

- Miracle-Gro Garden Weed Preventer

- Sunflower Garden

- Cobra Head Precision Weeder and Cultivator

- Preen 'n Green



5. Members can enjoy a free directory of public gardens, which contains information about lush gardens, arboretums, and conservatories throughout the US.



6. They can interact and talk about tips, ideas and methods with other members.



7. Members can obtain gardening and landscaping tips and plans for the completion of various gardening projects.



8. They have access to the members-only gardening website.



9. Members can also preview gardening books, gardening videos, etc.



Indeed, the for-members-only benefits are that grandiose. They are all for the gardening enthusiasts to grab.



After the 30-day trial, you can continue your membership for only $1 per month.



Many garden-lovers think this is a small price to pay for all these privileges.