• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Home Grown

Gardening Tips, Tricks, & Advice

Planning Your Garden Redesign

Hochbeet

Image via Wikipedia

When you plan to redesign your flower garden, the first thing you need to consider is how and where you will be putting the plants. There are a number of reasons that a gardener may want to redesign a garden such getting rid of old flower beds or to prevent overcrowding. Moving plants that have already taken root is very similar to transplanting a seedling that began indoors then was transferred to an outside garden. Sometimes gardeners have to deal with the added expense of redesigning a garden. When extra cash is not available,  using a prepaid credit card can be helpful to ensure all the supplies are available.

There are times when an old garden bed that has been constructed of wood may begin rotting or a plastic, cement or brick flower bed begins to crack or crumble. During these times, take the opportunity to redesign your garden and also save portions of your old flower bed in order to make a new one. You should also make sure you have adequate amounts of healthy soil which means if you haven’t practiced changing your soil or compost annually with a completely new supply, do so now.

After you have removed the plants that you plan to keep, removed unwanted plants, above-ground level soil, and bed structures, you can take apart your wooden flower beds and save the nails for reuse with your new bed later. You can also reuse cement blocks and bricks and any plastic bedding structure from an old bed, then dispose of broken or rotting materials. Your new bed can be made of new materials as well as old materials. If you are adding an in-ground flower bed, you can use a wagon wheel for added structure.

Filed Under: Environment, Gardening Tagged With: Garden, Plant, Soil

Gardening to get the Kid’s Outside

Kids were more active 20 years ago right? Unless your child is involved in an extracurricular sport, they’re probably less active than they should be. Sitting for hours on the couch watching direct.tv or playing video games have replaced playing tag in the yard which results in a good share of teenagers being sedentary and often obese.

Gardening is a great way for you to get out of the house, for your children to get out of the house and for all to reap the benefits from a bountiful harvest.

Gardening is one of those things that seems like a lot of work but pays dividends in so many ways. There are periods of the gardening process that are hard work and often feel like exercise masked as a torturous event. Hauling water from one place to the next can be hard work when it’s 100 degrees outside and bending over to plant something or pull a weed might seem like back breaking work but in all reality is truly exercise.

There is something to be said about reaping the benefits of your hard work. A teenager that learns how to plant and nourish a garden is garnering quality life skills. They see the fruits of their hard labor from start to finish, and reap the benefits with fresh quality produce that they are ultimately responsible for.

Couple of hints to get the kids in motion:

1.    Plant some things they like! Find something your kids like and then capitalize on it. Planting spinach won’t do anyone any good if your kids can’t stand spinach, but planting cucumbers will be a good thing if your kids really like cucumbers.

2.    Be consistent! If the kids are having trouble nurturing their little garden set some ground rules. Watering on Tuesday and Saturday and no television until they get the garden weeded might be a good start.

Most importantly have fun with it.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Garden, Home, Plant

4 Tips for Starting Your Own Garden

When spring rolls around, people enjoy the warmth and being outside. This is the time of year that many think about starting a flower garden. If you’ve never planted one before, don’t despair! Here are four simple tips for starting your own garden.

1. Think small. Sometimes planting a garden is like eating a meal in which your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Don’t fall victim to thinking you need a huge garden with lots of flowers. A big flower garden could need more work than you have time and energy for. If you’ve never grown a garden before, start small, with a space no bigger than ten square feet.

2. Test soil. You need to know what type of soil you have because different types require different preparations. Take a handful of dirt and squeeze it. If it crumbles when you open your hand, your soil is a sandy loam. Bring in some compost to build it up. Clay soil is really sticky when wet. Bring in sand to break up your clay soil.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

3. Select plants. Because you have a small patch of ground, you should avoid plants that are big and spread out. Annuals are the easiest types of flowers to start with. Petunias, zinnias, marigolds, impatients, alyssum, cosmos, and verbena are easy flowers to grow. When you’re ready to buy your flowers, check canada 411 to help you find a local nursery.

4. Mulch. Your garden should be in a sunny spot in your yard so your plants will grow well. However, sun dries out the ground, so mulch will help keep moisture in.

Filed Under: Gardening, Technique Tagged With: Garden, Plant, Soil

Plant Considerations for an Outdoor Water Feature

Plant Considerations for an Outdoor Water Feature

Here are two plants that could make excellent additions to your water garden, water feature or outdoor pond. Make sure that your pond is the right environment for a specific pond species before you begin your planting. If you plant the wrong aquatic plant in your pond, it may die, interfere with other plants, or may overwhelm your pond by growing beyond the size and space available to you.

Plant Name: Dwarf Cattail
Scientific Name: Typha minima
Description: Whether you have a small garden pond or a large one, the dwarf cattail is a perfect addition. It can also handle small container water gardens and water features as well. As its max height this plant is less than two feet tall, meaning that it is particularly well suited for small garden ponds, container gardens and similar water features. This plant features distinctive brown seed heads that are rounded rather than long, and the foliage is blue-green in hue. This plant is also beneficial for low-temperature water gardening as it is a hearty plant that can survive serious temperatures.

Plant Name: King Tut Papyrus
Scientific Name: Cyperus papyrus
Description: This plant is known as the King Tut and is an ideal marginal plant or bog plant for a water garden. This is an outstanding plant for you to choose to use when you are putting together a garden pond. The King Tut Papyrus has also been known as being the umbrella plant since it has eye-catching bracts in green that bend over similar to an umbrella. It is going to grow well not only in a full sun environment but also in a partial shade environment as well. You can plant this aquatic plant directly into the water or you can plant it in a rich and moist bog soil. The plant can be hardy all the way down to twenty five degrees Fahrenheit. You can also take it indoors in the winter months.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Plant, Pond, Water garden

Types and Descriptions of Aquatic Plants

Lotus flower

Image by jrawle via Flickr

Types and Descriptions of Aquatic Plants

There are many different pond plants that you can plant in a small or large backyard pond, but some will thrive better than others. Choosing the right types of aquatic plants is essential to the success of your water garden.

Water Lilies – Water lilies are the queen of all aquatic plants and they are also known as Nymphaea or Lotus flowers. There are a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, colors and types. Some are fragrant, and some only bloom at night. These are deep water aquatic plants rooting strongly at the bottom of the pond with leaves floating along the surface. Many are hearty while others are tropical only.

Oxygenators – These are typically submersed or submerged plants that cannot exist outside of the water. They float under the water or they are rooted, and they work to add oxygen to the water, improving water chemistry and boosting the life of fish and other pond wildlife.

Floating Plants – These are plants that float completely on the surface of the water. They are generally going to be small to medium in size, and they will move freely around the pond.

Partly Emerging Plants – These are pond plants that can root into the mud and then show strong growth with flowers projecting out of the water so that they are partly submerged and partially emerged.

Marginals – These are ideal for planting in approximately 3 inches to 6 inches of water. Many marginals offer beautiful flowers that stick out of the water. Marginals make up the largest group of all aquatic plants. They generally prefer to be completely submerged and do not like to dry out.

Bog Plants – These plants like to have their feet wet. They only need wet mud in order to do well in a water feature, but they can also survive completely submerged in the water as well. As long as their roots are wet and firmly planted they are generally going to thrive quite well.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Aquatic plant, Plant, Water garden

How to be Creative With City Gardening

For many people that live in a city, finding a parcel of land big enough to support any kind of gardening can be a challenge. If you own a home with a decently sized back yard  this is not a problem, but for the average city dweller, space is almost always a concern.

With some creative use of space, even folks that are strapped for space to plant a garden can grow their own produce and save money at the grocery store.

1.    Use the balcony – Space might be limited but many people have access to a balcony on their property. By using planter boxes and hanging baskets, you can turn a corner of your balcony into an area that maximizes space and produces good quantities of vegetables. In those plant boxes, try to maximize space but planting veggies that grow vertically. Tomatoes are a great example of a plant that grows vertically and can often be tied off to produce more room for other plants at the base of the tomatoes.

2.    Use any indoor space that gets light – Just about everyone has a room in their home that gets the best light. Bigger pots can support the type of growth you’re looking for in indoor planting. Herbs are a great idea to plant in the home. You can maximize space as herbs are typically fairly short in stature.

If you’re really serious about gardening many cities have taken to allowing residents to have space in unused lots. Guerrilla gardening is an urban idea that allows citizens to plant their gardens in those unused spaces. Often times the projects work in conjunction with city beautification projects.

Even residents that live in the cramped quarters of a city can reap the benefits of fresh vegetables by maximizing the space they do have access to.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Garden, Plant

Increase Your Home Value by Planting Trees

If you’re a new homeowner or have recently moved into a new property, before you update the kitchen or put new floors throughout the house, plant some trees.

Trees take a while to grow into their full potential, so it’s crucial to get them started while your home ownership is in its infancy.

Ok, so what’s the real value of adding trees to your property? Estimates vary, but most sources suggest the addition of trees to your home add from 10 to 15 percent to the value of your home. That is an investment that is not only going to give back when and if you sell the home, but provide years of joy for you and your family.

While gardening takes hard labor, trees tend to do most of the work on their own. You plant them, you water them a lot in their first few years, and then you water them in accordance with the rest of your lawn and the trees should do just fine.

Some things to consider before you do start increasing the value of your home through planting trees.

1.    Do some research on the internet to find the types of trees that do well in your geographic location.

2.    Consider the maintenance of your trees. If you plant the giant ok or a weeping willow, you are going to deal with leaves in the fall as the seasons change. If you don’t mind the work that comes with leaf raking, plant on. If you’re looking for something a little less labor intensive, an evergreen or blue spruce might be a better option.

3.    Consider the area where you are planting, and envision where the tree will be in 30 years. Planting under power lines or over sewer or power lines is never recommended.

Home beautification  is essential to the property value of your home, but get on it, and let the years be kind to your back yard.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Plant, Tree

Tree survival: What makes those green things thrive?

Trees beautify the yard, and provide shade to millions of individuals each day. While most trees are desirable to the average gardener, some trees cannot survive under certain weather conditions. Before purchasing another tree, it is essential to be aware of the elements that make five of the most popular trees thrive.

Although not always acknowledged by name, the Chamaecypans Lawsoniana Ellwoodi tree looks like a full pine tree and makes a real mess in the yard, leaving the gardener with hours of work. In addition to requiring the gardener’s attention for cleanup, the Ellwoodi also requires the sun’s attention. In contrast to some plants that can be placed anywhere in the garden, the Elwoodi must be in a place where the sun is beaming directly on it in order to reach its 15 foot mark.

Since it requires immense exposure to the sun, the Ellwoodi should not be placed near the Amaryllis; the plant that is commonly identified as a white tulip. Like the Ellwoodi, this plant also requires central attraction, and must be in a place where it can be recognized and admired. The Amaryllis also requires moisture, but not wetness, to thrive.

In complete contrast to both the Amaryllis and Ellwoodi, the Italian Stone Pine and Rosemary Bush shaped like a tree do not come with special survival directions. The Rosemary Bush can easily survive drought and the Italian Stone Pine grows up to 80 feet with little maintenance involved. The Stone Pine may also be used as a Christmas tree, and the Rosemary Bush shaped like a tree may grow wild. The only major warning that comes with a Rosemary Bush is that of excess water; over water the plant, and it dies.

Among the five popular trees, the Ice Punch Poinsettia, looks like a red flower plant, is the weakest link with its poor survival rate and dire need of tender-loving-care.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Christmas tree, Gardens, Plant, Tree

The art of saving seeds

ContentFinished with that tomato? Don’t throw it away, save its seed. In light of the recent recession many individuals have resorted to the practice of seed saving which consists of taking the seeds from full-grown crop and re-planting them at the proper time. Seed saving allows the individual to purchase one package of seeds and enjoy a lifetime harvest.

In order to properly save a seed one must first take one from fully-grown fruits and vegetables. After erecting the seed, the fibers attached must be thoroughly rinsed, and the seed must be placed on a screen or plate to dry. The drying process usually takes a month, so it is important to save the seed with the harvesting schedule of the plant in mind. One should not save a fall harvesting-seed at the end of the fall season because the seed may go bad before its harvest time rolls around again which defeats the point in saving the seed to begin with.

After they have completely dried, the seed should be place in a dry, cool, and dark place. The seeds should not be planted immediately unless it is harvest time. Ignoring such rule can lead to disastrous results involving poor crop, and the plant could ultimately die.

When properly practices, saving seeds can save an immeasurable amount of money. Individuals who take part in the practice often comment on how it has afforded them the opportunity to purchase a plant one time and reap the benefits for years to come. Imagine the idea of being able to purchase a bag of tomato seeds at Farmers Market on January 2011, and harvesting crop from that one bag through December 2021! A simple act of saving one seed per tomato may turn this imagination into reality.

If money is a factor in the gardening experience, then saving seeds is the way to go.

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Crop, Farmers' market, Harvest, Plant, Proper time, Seed, Seed saving, Tomato

Scales: deadly pests

ContentScales are insects that look and feel like sap. They leave a sticky substance on plants that is both annoying and unattractive. In addition to leaving their mark on plants, scales are known to attach to plants and suck the life out of them. One needs to know the essential information pertaining to scales in order to keep such undesirable pests away from their healthy plants and gardens.

When a scale invades the plant its primary purpose is to feed off of it. In order to do so, a scale must find a comfortable place on the plant and attach itself to it. After becoming attached to the plant, the scale begins to suck honeycomb out it until the plant eventually dies.

Since a scale is brown and carries the shape of a bump, it can easily be overlooked by gardeners and amateurs alike. When surveying the health of the plant, an individual may not pay much attention to the bump on the stem or leaf because of its exposure to the elements outdoors and indoors. The average person may view a scale as the plant’s reaction to climate change, or a normal step in the growing process. If left untreated, a scale can ruin an entire garden or crop!

In order to avoid such deadly outcomes, planters should be on guard for anything that is sticky on the surface with a hard shell underneath. If the substance is brown, then that is a scale. Also, gardeners should inspect indoor and outdoor plants often. Although scales are immobile once they find a comfortable place, females have babies that are in constant search for healthy plants. If scales are discovered, the first step is to manually remove them using a cotton ball dipped in isopropyl alcohol. A plant that is infested with scales should be isolated.

Filed Under: Landscaping, Technique Tagged With: Compost, Garden, Insect, Isopropyl alcohol, Pest (organism), Pesticide, Plant, Scale insect
« Older Posts

Categories

  • DIY
  • Environment
  • Gardening
  • General
  • History
  • Home Improvement
  • Landscaping
  • Technique
  • Tulip

Recent Posts

  • Planning Your Garden Redesign
  • Gardening to get the Kid’s Outside
  • What to Know When You Start to Build
  • Adding Koi to Your Water Garden
  • Aluma Wallet Reviews
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2012 Home Grown . All rights reserved.