Landscaping & Gardening articles

Roses are a sign of love and friendship and by giving someone a rose you are telling them how truly special they are. There are a number of colors of roses available and each one represents a different meaning to the receiver. If you are looking to purchase roses for that special someone, but aren't quite sure which color would best suit your relationship, keep reading to find out what each color represents.Red ? Red roses are a sign of... Read More

Gardening is fun and rewarding and may be considered a hobby, talent or both and sometimes it's just luck. Gardening is not as easy as it looks and involves dedication, time and consistency and many trials and errors. There are many aspects to maintaining a healthy garden, but some aspects are more important than others. An individual who likes to garden can have the knowledge to produce the best garden in the world, but without the right equipment and materials... Read More

When planting a garden there are many questions which you must ask yourself before you begin. Where are you going to plant it, do you have the garden equipment to do so and how big do you want your garden to be? When do flowers bloom and what are their heights? These are all very important questions, however they mean very little if you have not yet decided which types of flowers you want to plant. There are many to... Read More

It's quiet now.Gone is the constant chatter, whistles and meowing sounds as you jump from branch to branch safeguarding your territory against all trespassers.Gone too is the uniform gray body offset with the black cap and tail feathers, with just a smidgen of rust coloration under the tail coverts, that allows you to blend in with your natural habitat of dense udergrowth and thickets.They call you a skulker, a bird hard to see in the dense underbrush. Usually heard but... Read More

First, this bug has many names. Some of it's names are:lady bugs ladybugs lady beetle asiatic lady beetle Asian Lady Beetle Asian Lady Bugs Multicolored Asian Lady BeetleThe Ladybird Beetle is the correct name for a Lady bug and are not bugs but are beetles. Worldwide there are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs of which 400 are found in North America. The Convergent Lady Beetle is the most common beneficial species of Ladybird... Read More

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.1. Materials After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost,... Read More

Whether you call them Hydrangea Macrophylla, House Hydrangea, French Hydrangea,, or Mopheads, growing Hydrangeas in the home garden can be an enjoyable experience. They are lovely, whether used as single plants or in mass, such as in a hedge, or border.Growing Conditions:Hydrangeas grow best in partial shade to full sun. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in hot areasHydrangeas need a lot of water. In fact the word "Hydrangea" comes from the Greek for "water tub"!They grow best... Read More

Potatoes are so easy to grow in the no dig, organic way. They are one of the top three in vegetable growing due to their popularity and versatility. Boil 'em, mash 'em, fry 'em, bake 'em. It's hard to go wrong with this staple in the diet.They're also a great source of vitamins, minerals and iron. Most of the goodness lies just beneath the surface of the skin though, so try to keep at least some of the skin intact... Read More

The biggest flower benefit of all is the fact that flowers make you happy.Research has proven this.Flowers actually make you happy.When you are down, look at a flower arrangement and you will be in a happy mood.Put a flower arrangement in your office, you can reduce your stress.When you are tensed at the office, you can calm yourself down with flowers.When things are not how you want them to be, ease your mind by putting flowers on your office desk.It... Read More

Well it is now September, and the mornings are great aren't they? It is now beginning to be the best time to plant trees and shrubs. It is a great time because the above ground temperatures are dropping and the below ground temps are still warm.This helps plants get a jump on next spring because the roots still develope in the warm soil while the tops slow down in growth. Also, there are less winds and typically more moisture during... Read More

Pruning and deadheading are essential to proper rose care. Alas, there are nearly as many opinions about how and when to prune as there are roses in need of pruning.While seasoned rosarians have their favorite tried-and-true methods, this article is geared toward new-comers who are unsure where to start. As time goes by, you may feel the urge to modify these techniques or even develop new ones of your own. Great! If it doesn't kill your roses, go right ahead.Rose... Read More

Flowers can be an integral part of cooking. While most of us are aware that violets can be candied and nasturtiums can be eaten in salads, there's a bounty of flower varieties that are both edible and delicious.Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth with FlowersViolets are not the only flower that can be candied. Many spring flowers with small, delicate blossoms have a sweet, somewhat spicy flavor that is enhanced by dipping them in sugar. It goes without saying that any flowers... Read More

Indoors or out, you'll find miniature roses very easy to grow. These little guys sometimes get overlooked because they give off little fragrance, yet they can be the perfect visual accent to any home or garden.Compared to their full-sized cousins, miniature roses are practically maintenance-free. Just give them a "bath" once a week, and they'll last forever.Small is ComparativeA common misconception about miniature roses is they will make ideal houseplants. Before moving them indoors, realize that miniature roses can grow... Read More

A focal point is an important design element; it is a place where the eye naturally comes to rest. In a well-designed patio there is always a planned focal point, such as a large dining set, perhaps with a well-selected umbrella. But a patio's focal point could also be another interesting object or landscape feature.Examples of landscape features that can be a patio's focal point are an interesting pathway leading from the patio to an area beyond, a flower garden,... Read More

I should know: I've been a sculptor most of my life, and I have plenty of years behind me of experience. Most of my sculptures reside in the gardens and landscaped outdoors of residences. My work is also in public places such as parks and downtown areas. But in this article, I want to focus on residences.I'm going to suggest what kind of sculpture to look for. Let me begin by saying that your garden and landscaped outdoors is a... Read More

Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners dream. It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn't qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms.I built two composting bins. Each bin is... Read More

This is the time of the year that I keep hearing the question "When do I harvest my grapes?" Or sometimes the question is phrased "Are my grapes ripe yet?" And then there's the "Are they ready yet?"Yes, it's that time of the year when grapes are turning color and homeowners are thinking about when their grapes will be harvested. But many homeowners think that when the color turns, the grapes are ready to eat. They pick a few colored... Read More

As the school busses begin to rumble down the road again we are reminded that the gardening season is drawing to a close. For the gardener with an eye toward next spring, however, the season still promises plenty to be done in preparation of a showy spring to come. Early fall is the time when we should be planting our bulbs.Good soil drainage is paramount for spring-blooming bulb success. If you have a mostly clay soil be sure to mix... Read More

Do you have clay or layer of hard subsoil problems in your garden? Then gypsum may be the answer to help loosen the soil structure. It is not considered a miracle substance and you will find that it doesn't work right away, but a 3 year program of applications should help improve the poor soil conditions. It is not expensive and is easy to spread where needed.Gypsum also has a job of repairing the soil that has been damaged through... Read More

The technique of pruning varies with the type of rose and the landscape purpose for which it was planted, whether it's growing in the ground or in a container. Pruning can range from removing unwanted buds to severely excising canes. Proper pruning stimulates growth at the buds closest to the cut, which produces new flowering stems.The first step in pruning any type of rose is to remove any dead, damaged, diseased, or weak and thin canes, cutting them off flush... Read More