You only in need two things- determination and know-how, to make a simple yet well-maintained garden in a yard. These are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking glamorous and spruced up.
1. Deadheading
Always remember to keep your garden free from dried leaves and wilted flowers. Removing dead flower heads or deadheading will encourage the plants to bloom for a longer period of time. Some annual plants and many perennials like Dahlias and Geraniums, benefit from having spent blooms removed.
2. Pinch out tops
Foliage plants like Coleus and many different types of plants respond with a burst in growth when their tops are pinched. You can make the plants much more bushier and make them bloom by pinching out the top. Plants like Fuchsias become leggy unless you pinch them put.
3. Fertilize lightly
If you want a boost in your vegetation then you can add minimum amount of fertilizer. You need to fertilize your garden frequently because the nutrients may wash away if you fertilize your garden frequently. Liquid fertilizer that has been applied fortnightly has been found to be more beneficial than granules as the leaves readily absorb it. If you regularly apply a half strength solution of liquid fertilizer to container plants then they will become considerably healthier.
4. Weed out
Weeding is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your garden. Always remember that weeds compete with your garden for nutrients and moisture. You can also leave the weeds down to mulch if they are not close to seeding. Rather than using a spray you can use a wick applicator for applying your weedicide, this will also protect your plants from the spray drift.
5. Water them well
A good tip is to give your garden a thorough soaking once every week. However, to prevent erosion make sure there is no run off. The growth of deeper roots will be encouraged with deep watering. This will also help the plant to withstand dry spells.
6. Say no to chemicals
Try to avoid chemicals as much as you can. These are not only harmful for humans but also kill the predators of pest in your gardens. There are many organic alternatives, which work as well as the chemicals ones.
Your garden will soon become the envy of your neighbors if you follow these simple tips.
Tag-Archive for ◊ Backyard ◊
Most gardeners know that just the right amounts of sunshine & water combined with great soil and hard work bring their backyard oasis to life. Quickly, after the snow melts, the ground thaws and our singing feathered friends return, each spring gardeners across the country look forward to rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty to cultivate their soil to create a garden of their favorite flowers, shrubs and trees.
A gardener’s shovel is to an artist’s brush. A gardener’s choice of colorful flowers, shrubs and trees is to an artist’s collection of paints, pencils and oils.
The choice of garden decor that is placed throughout the landscape is undoubtedly the signature of a gardener. What does that mean? Simply, a gardener that chooses a sailboat weathervane over a rooster weathervane is more likely to be a water loving individual rather than a country or farm loving individual. It’s how they choose to express themselves in the garden.
Let yourself be known. The garden is an excellent place for one to set aside the hectic lifestyle of today for a moment, a weekend, or anytime that enables you to step into you backyard hide-a-way. The person that you are inside can be expressed with the garden decor you choose. Your choice of garden decor, your choice of its finish and your choice of its size all factor into the person that you are. Garden decor is an essential part of the garden; it brings happiness, joy, and it can even refresh the soul of its visitors.
Even the most colorful gardens can feel empty without the addition of some garden decor. A bed of roses is very beautiful, but add an elegant sundial or a birdbath, and now the bed of roses become incredibly beautiful. Garden decor adds style, brings comfort and let’s gardeners set the stage for another’s imagination. Each piece of garden decor can help create a scene, a story or a memory that brings life and meaning to the garden.
Gardening should always be fun and not a chore. Your passion for gardening is hard work but always fulfilling. Gardening should be about you and your artistic ability to create a space that is warm, inviting and a stepping stone into who you are as a person. Your garden decor will speak volumes of you and how you define yourself. It will be your signature to your backyard canvas.
Most gardeners know that just the right amounts of sunshine & water combined with great soil and hard work bring their backyard oasis to life. Quickly, after the snow melts, the ground thaws and our singing feathered friends return, each spring gardeners across the country look forward to rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty to cultivate their soil to create a garden of their favorite flowers, shrubs and trees.
A gardener’s shovel is to an artist’s brush. A gardener’s choice of colorful flowers, shrubs and trees is to an artist’s collection of paints, pencils and oils. An artist’s signature is to a gardener’s…hmmm?
The choice of garden decor that is placed throughout the landscape is undoubtedly the signature of a gardener. What does that mean? Simply, a gardener that chooses a sailboat weathervane over a rooster weathervane is more likely to be a water loving individual rather than a country/farm loving individual. It’s how they choose to express themselves in the garden.
The garden is an excellent place for one to set aside the hectic lifestyle of today for a moment, a weekend, or anytime that enables you to step into you backyard hide-a-way. The person that you are inside can be expressed with the garden decor you choose. Your choice of garden decor, your choice of its finish and your choice of its size all factor into the person that you are. Garden decor is an essential part of the garden; it brings happiness, joy, and it can even refresh the soul of its visitors.
Even the most colorful gardens can feel empty without the addition of some garden decor. A bed of roses is very beautiful, but add an elegant sundial or a birdbath, and now the bed of roses become incredibly beautiful. Garden decor adds style, brings comfort and let’s gardeners set the stage for another’s imagination. Each piece of garden decor can help create a scene, a story or a memory that brings life and meaning to the garden.
Gardening should always be fun and not a chore. Your passion for gardening is hard work but always fulfilling. Gardening should be about you and your artistic ability to create a space that is warm, inviting and a stepping stone into who you are as a person. Your garden decor will speak volumes of you and how you define yourself. It will be your signature to your backyard canvas!
The first thing in garden making is the selection of a spot. Without a choice, it means simply doing the best one can with conditions. With space limited it resolves itself into no garden, or a box garden. Surely a box garden is better than nothing at all.
But we will now suppose that it is possible to really choose just the right site for the garden. What shall be chosen? The greatest determining factor is the sun. No one would have a north corner, unless it was absolutely forced upon him; because, while north corners do for ferns, certain wild flowers, and begonias, they are of little use as spots for a general garden.
If possible, choose the ideal spot a southern exposure. Here the sun lies warm all day long. When the garden is thus located the rows of vegetables and flowers should run north and south. Thus placed, the plants receive the sun’s rays all the morning on the eastern side, and all the afternoon on the western side. One ought not to have any lopsided plants with such an arrangement.
Suppose the garden faces southeast. In this case the western sun is out of the problem. In order to get the best distribution of sunlight run the rows northwest and southeast.
The idea is to get the most sunlight as evenly distributed as possible for the longest period of time. From the lopsided growth of window plants it is easy enough to see the effect on plants of poorly distributed light. So if you use a little diagram remembering that you wish the sun to shine part of the day on one side of the plants and part on the other, you can juggle out any situation. The southern exposure gives the ideal case because the sun gives half time nearly to each side. A northern exposure may mean an almost entire cut-off from sunlight; while northeastern and southwestern places always get uneven distribution of sun’s rays, no matter how carefully this is planned.
The garden, if possible, should be planned out on paper. The plan is a great help when the real planting time comes. It saves time and unnecessary buying of seed.
New garden spots are likely to be found in two conditions: they are covered either with turf or with rubbish. In large garden areas the ground is ploughed and the sod turned under; but in small gardens remove the sod. How to take off the sod in the best manner is the next question. Stake and line off the garden spot. The line gives an accurate and straight course to follow. Cut the edges with the spade all along the line. If the area is a small one, say four feet by eighteen or twenty, this is an easy matter. Such a narrow strip may be marked off like a checkerboard, the sod cut through with the spade, and easily removed. This could be done in two long strips cut lengthwise of the strip. When the turf is cut through, roll it right up like a roll of carpet.
But suppose the garden plot is large. Then divide this up into strips a foot wide and take off the sod as before. What shall be done with the sod? Do not throw it away for it is full of richness, although not quite in available form. So pack the sod grass side down one square on another. Leave it to rot and to weather. When rotted it makes a fine fertilizer. Such a pile of rotting vegetable matter is called a compost pile. All through the summer add any old green vegetable matter to this. In the fall put the autumn leaves on. A fine lot of goodness is being fixed for another season.
Even when the garden is large enough to plough, I would pick out the largest pieces of sod rather than have them turned under. Go over the ploughed space, pick out the pieces of sod, shake them well and pack them up in a compost heap.
Mere spading of the ground is not sufficient. The soil is still left in lumps. Always as one spades one should break up the big lumps. But even so the ground is in no shape for planting. Ground must be very fine indeed to plant in, because seeds can get very close indeed to fine particles of soil. But the large lumps leave large spaces which no tiny root hair can penetrate. A seed is left stranded in a perfect waste when planted in chunks of soil. A baby surrounded with great pieces of beefsteak would starve. A seed among large lumps of soil is in a similar situation. The spade never can do this work of pulverizing soil. But the rake can. That’s the value of the rake. It is a great lump breaker, but will not do for large lumps. If the soil still has large lumps in it take the hoe.
Many people handle the hoe awkwardly. The chief work of this implement is to rid the soil of weeds and stir up the top surface. It is used in summer to form that mulch of dust so valuable in retaining moisture in the soil. I often see people as if they were going to chop into atoms everything around. Hoeing should never be such vigorous exercise as that. Spading is vigorous, hard work, but not hoeing and raking.
After lumps are broken use the rake to make the bed fine and smooth. Now the great piece of work is done.
The most useful way to spend your leisure time is through gardening at home. A garden might contain both natural and man-made decorative materials. There are many benefits a home garden can deliver. It brings you close to nature and makes you know more about ecology in a practical way.
Gardening relieves you of the accumulated stress and brings relaxation to mind. It is an art and you can gather knowledge from various sources to attain mastery in this field. Gardening at home makes your family members and children to enjoy their leisure time joyfully at your own backyard.
Flower and vegetable gardens can also be rewarding, you can enjoy the beauty of the flowers and consume fresh fruits & vegetables with little effort. Decorating your backyard garden
There are many types of garden to choose from, some may enjoy a small orchard while others wish to find solace in rock gardens of Japanese style. First decide on the type of garden you wish to have, and prepare a layout of the area incorporating the type of plants and decorative accessories within it.
Prepare a good design for the garden and get the necessary materials accordingly. You may include fountains, pools, fences, birdhouses, and lot more to add beauty to your backyard garden.Backyard garden benches and swings
Garden benches and swings must be incorporated within the backyard garden to add delight to the beautiful set up. They make the people to feel as if they were in heaven. The beautiful benches within the natural environment will make a right place to find solace for the elders, and the swings will amuse the children.Wooden Garden Benches: There are many varieties of wooden garden benches available in the market. The differences can be in the type of wood used and the model/style in which the bench has been made. Lutyens, Adirondack, Oxford, and Banana are some of the preferred models. The wooden bench placed outdoor fits into the natural garden set up and makes you feel more comfortable. Due consideration must be given to the climatic conditions of your region, as bad weather can easily spoil the outdoor furniture. So proper arrangements must be made to protect the wooden benches during bad climatic conditions. Cast Aluminum Garden Benches: Those people living in extreme weather conditions can opt for cast aluminum garden benches. They are beautifully molded and can provide enjoy enjoyment for several years. Its durability and light weight nature makes it a better choice. These benches also come with cushioned seating and the luxurious finishing makes it more attractive. Garden Swings: Children find delight when they are on a swing and adults are no exception to it. There are many varieties of ready made swings available in the market. There are wooden swings and metal swings. These swings when placed in backyard gardens, attracts us to it. It can be a simple swing or a swinging bench, certainly it gets our attention. The rustic-type swing fits into the natural set up of the backyard garden. Choose the swing which is suitable to your environmental conditions.
Proper attention to the backyard garden will make it a heaven in your courtyard. Get the gardening tools and spend your leisure time usefully with nature. If you are creative, try to make backyard garden bench with the available materials; for this you may need some amount of sand, gravel, cement and a piece of wood. Swings can also be made on trees adjoining the backyard garden. The amount of interest and dedication you show in maintaining backyard garden will certainly yield fruitful results.
For every home, a garden is not just an extension of one’s home, but a place to relax, unwind and soak up the nature. A beautifully contoured landscape, blooming flowers and just spending restful hours in the midst of beauty is what every homeowner yearns for. Gardening can definitely become a passion; when you get to pick your very own fresh vegetables and fruits. Although there are landscaping firms who can take care of your backyard just as well; but you could end up paying thousands of dollars just to recarpet a lawn and perhaps a little more to maintain it. It is especially important for the beginner gardener to choose the right types of plants, determine the spot in the backyard where the garden needs to be designed; select the right garden space, adopt appropriate techniques to take care of one’s plants in the backyard and much more. Pre-plan each and every step before setting up your backyard garden, so it becomes a fun filed adventure rather than a nightmarish ritual. Research and AnalyzeThe first step is to evaluate the maintenance needs of your garden and pre-determine the space that needs to be allocated to the garden in your backyard. Design your garden with a practical approach and pre-set a budget for yourself. If you face a paucity of time; try and find solutions to high-maintenance issues. A systematic approach will lead you to decide on the right tools required for the development and maintenance of your backyard garden. Alternatively; opt for a weekend backyard garden that needs little to moderate maintenance. Also, take into consideration the current condition of your backyard. In case your backyard has a few existing plants; you would need to decide on which plants you require and the ones that you need to get rid of. Keep it simple and unclutteredThe focus should be on having a breathable garden rather than a cluttered one. Make sure that your garden is not overcrowded with plants; or it will lend it a cluttered look. Besides that; having too many plants will just attract insects and mosquitoes. Best approach is to draw a rough sketch of the garden lay-out and take into account every minute detail. Selecting the Right Kinds of PlantsIf the homeowner wants that their garden should attract butterflies; they should opt for plants that butterflies are strongly attracted to. These plants include aspen, dill, aster, lilac, pansy, milkweed, marigold, clover, chokecherry, aster and dill among others. Identifying the right spotThe direction of the sun in your backyard is the deciding factor when identifying the right spot for your garden. North corners are ideal for ferns. The southern direction gives constant sun exposure all day long and each side gets balanced warmth from the sun. The rows should be aligned north and south; so the plants get the sun rays during morning and afternoon hours. If the garden is facing towards the southeast; it may be subjected to little or moderate western sun. In this case; run the rows northwest and southeast for an even sunlight distribution. The northern exposure is definitely not a very good idea; as it would not receive any sunlight. For north-eastern and south-western directions; the plants may be subjected to an uneven distribution of sunlight. The idea therefore; is to plan it in a way that the garden plants receive an evenly distributed sunlight for the longest time period. The Garden Soil A new garden spot is most likely covered either with turf or rubbish. For a larger garden area; the ploughing of the ground is done whereas with smaller gardens; the sod is removed. In order to remove the sod; stake out the garden path. The line will help you with an accurate course to be followed. Then you would need to cut the edges along the marked line with the help of a spade. The sod can be put to good use as it makes a good fertilizer. Here you have two options to choose from: 1. You could turn the sod over after having dug holes in your garden. The sod can then be put in the hole and then cover it with soil.2. Identify a spot where the sod grass can be packed together. Leave it to rot. Over a period of time; it can be used as fertilizer. Make sure that the ground where the planting needs to take place is fine so that the seeds get finely packed into the soil particles. Avoid large lumps as these create larger spaces and the tiny hair root of the plant will not be able to penetrate though. Make sure that you do a fair amount of research beforehand and lap up on as much gardening tips and information as possible.
Now that spring is here, it’s time begin selecting the best plants and flowers for your garden. But before you do, have you ever been guilty of buying plants on impulse only to discover after planting them they look like the forgotten step child, making your garden look ackward? The goal of this article is to teach you how to plan a backyard garden…right now.
Step 1 – Starting with a Solid Plan
Take the time to assess your garden environment. Determine how much sun and shade your garden gets. What type of soil do you have? Is it the well draining type or does it get waterlogged easily? Take note whether your garden is sheltered or exposed to the sun and wind. Now that you have completed your homework, it’s time to buy the best plants for your situation.
Step 2 – Tips at the nursery
Remember shade-loving plants need a sheltered area, plants that love the sun thrive in warm spots, drought-resistant plants can should be located either in sunny or shaded areas and don’t forget that swamp plants are terrific for the poorly-drained areas of your garden.
Step 3 – Soil Testing
I recommend testing your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what type of nutrients you need to add is a good idea. You want to find out if the soil is acid or alkaline. There are inexpensive testing kits available and it’s not very difficult to do. Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.
Step 4 – Design your layout
As you are planning your new garden how will you organize your plants and flowers? Will you group them or will they be random? Grouping your plants create a sense of organization and can be pleasing to the eye especially with vivid colors. On the otherhand, random planting if done with a natural look can also make your garden look quite beautiful.
Step 5 – Experiment with your design
Now that you are ready to begin planting, put your chosen plants around the garden bed and step back to see how they will look. Experiment and move them around until you are satisfied. By grouping plants in small sets of threes or fives can visually look better than groups of even numbers. Place tall plants towards the back or put them in the center if you have a walk way around your garden.
Step 6 – Picking Your Colors
Select interesting combinations of color and texture of plants. To avoid color clashes, you can still plant your flowers side-by-side but be sure they have a different blooming season. Another important aspect regarding color is that foliage have colors ranging from silver, grey or purplish and are just as attractive as the flower. Plan ahead as you will still have attractive plants past the blooming season.
Finally keep your plants away from trees as their roots will steal the necessary nutrients and moisture your flowers need. So with a little planning, plus choosing the best plants and skillfully selecting the right color scheme you will create your beautiful garden for all to enjoy. Now that’s how to plan a backyard garden,
Imagine a healthy, green backyard garden: perfect for lounging, great for ball games and barbecues, a real asset to your home. But did you know that your bakyard garden, and how you take care of it, can also help the environment?
Healthy grass provides feeding ground for birds, who find it a rich source of insects, worms, and other food. Thick grass prevents soil erosion, filters contaminants from rainwater, and absorbs many types of airborne pollutants, like dust and soot. Grass is also highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clean the air.
Caring for your bakyard garden properly can both enhance its appearance and contribute to its environmental benefits.
Your backyard garden can be tough but you don’t have to be an expert to grow a healthy backyard garden. Just keep in mind that the secret is to work with nature. This means creating conditions for grass to thrive and resist damage from weeds, disease, and insect pests.
It means setting realistic goals for your backyard garden, whether you or a professional garden or lawn care service will be doing the work. And if you choose to use pesticides, it means using them with care so as to get the most benefit and reduce any risks.
Let’s talk a little about organic gardening. We will discuss the term “Organic” in a gardening context, it might be a useful start to define exactly what that means, so here it is, “Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature”. Really simple isn’t it, but most certainly not commonplace any more in today’s world I suggest.
Having led up to all of that, a good question might arise as to exactly why you would want to indulge in organic gardening as such! Well, as the title of this articles suggests, here are six good reasons why you should do so, in my opinion at any rate.
1. You can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste, alhough this is a bit more time consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers. However it certainly helps to put garbage to good use, and so helps the environment.
2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health, which is especially important when growing vegetables. The chemical companies do tell us that the chemicals we use are safe, provided that they are used according to direction. Research has shown however that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children. Quite a sobering thought is it not!
On average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult, which could lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose, which is to kill living things!
With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.
3. Less harm is caused to the environment, because poisons are not washed into our waterways to give but one example, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat in most cases.
4. Organic farming practices also help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion. The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 – 32 billion tons of soil is eroded from United States farmlands every year, and that’s only one country.
4. Cost savings, because you do not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard, and sometimes other plants can even be grown as companions to the main crop. One example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.
Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap, and 1 cup of cooking oil, can make a cheap garden pest spray for example. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on to your plants. You will find this to be very effective!
5. A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds, as well as keeping the moisture in. Another simple and much safer solution!
6. Organic gardening practices are much more likely to help keep the environment safe for future generations, and all of us who are responsible ciitizens, should always bear this in mind
The whole subject which is part of an on going worldwide debate, is far too complex to cover in such a short article, but I do hope that at least I have left you with some food for thought.
Imagine the overall benefits to be had in our environment, by many people undertaking even some small changes.
Caring for your bakyard garden in an environmentally sensible way can have a bigger impact than you might think. Your backyard garden is only a small piece of land, but all the bakyard gardens across the country cover a lot of ground.
That means you and your backyard garden care activities, along with everyone else’s, can make a difference to the environment. And that’s why taking care of the environment begins in our own backyards.
