Ancient Hydroponics Gardens

By Susan Slobac

The word “hydroponics” is derived from two Greek words: cidra, meaning water, and punikos, meaning labor; thus, literally “waterworks.” Contrary to popular belief, hydroponic gardening is an ancient form of agriculture, going back 3,000 years. There are references to the cultivation of plants directly in water in Egyptian records dating back to the time of the New Kingdom and the “Woman-King,” Pharoah Hatshepsut around 1460 BCE.
The best-known hydroponic gardens of the ancient world were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Also known as the Gardens of Semiramis, the Hanging Gardens are reputed to have been located near Al-Hillah in present-day Iraq, and were regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Hanging Gardens were built by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BCE. His wife, Amytis, was from Media, whose people were the ancestors of the modern Kurds. The country of Medea was a mountainous one, roughly corresponding to present-day Kurdistan, northern Iran and Azerbaijan. Legend says Amytis became homesick for the mountains and the flora of her homeland; Nebuchadnezzar had the Gardens constructed for her. According to Greek historians of the time, the Hanging Gardens, a water pipe led into a well tower, which supplied water via a number of vaults for fruit trees growing in a layer of asphalt.
Centuries later, Italian traveler Marco Polo, who reportedly visited China during the late 13th Century CE and introduced pasta to Italy, commented on what he called the “Floating Gardens.” Around the same time on the other side of the world, the Mexica – one of the native peoples who later formed the Aztec Empire of Mexico – built a city called Tenochtitlan on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Where Mexico City stands today, the Mexica constructed an extensive urban center that included a type of early hydroponic system upon which plants were cultivated on the surface of the water. These early Mexican “floating gardens” were developed out of necessity, because arable land was at a premium in the area. Called chinampas, they were actually small, artificial islands that were created by scooping up mud from the marshy areas bordering the lakes. This mud was ultimately held together by tree roots; food plants were cultivated on these “islands,” and were amazingly productive.
The modern history of hydroponics actually begins in 1627, when Sir Francis Bacon’s Sylva Sylvarum was published posthumously. In this treatise, Bacon – an English philosopher and contemporary of Shakespeare – wrote about the cultivation of terrestrial plants without soil. Although Bacon died before his theories could be explored, the idea of water culture caught on as an area of scientific study throughout the remainder of the 17th Century. By the 1860s, German botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop had perfected the first nutrient solutions for soilless agriculture, and modern hydroponic gardening was born.

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Flowers that go with our Roses

By Carole Nixon

There are many flowers that go with our roses. To start with the dwarfs, for spring we can have Snowdrops, Muscari or Grape Hyacinths, winter Aconite, small Narcissus, and Scilla, or the dainty blue and white Chionodoxa. All do well underneath the branches of the rose trees.
Flowers such as Forget-me-nots, spring Anemones, young Wallflowers, Aubrietia,and Violets can be used for planting between the trees. Make sure the Violets and Wallflowers are taken up as soon as they have finished flowering, as they tend to tangle with the roots of the roses. Don't throw them away, separate them or cuttings may be taken. Put out in a shaded place until autumn comes round, then return them to their beds.
Summer friends
More subdued colors must be used for summer. The brown Wood-Sorrel, Oxalis, which is only about two inches high, looks very pretty. The leaves are shaped like a shamrock, but a rich brown, and it displays tiny yellow flowers which only come out when the sun shines on them. It is brought up from seed, and if it is sown one spring there will be no further trouble, as it comes up every year. Don't allow it to get too big, or reach too close to the stems of the roses.
There are a few lowly Campanulas also suited for carpets. If the soft shades are used, Violas and Pansies look happy amongst the roses. They like the same soil, and both, particularly Pansies, do not like a blaze of sun, and for that reason will do very well with the roses.
Saxifrages make a nice carpet, and are great for edgings. S.Caespitosa, S.Hypnoides, and others of the mossy tribe, are very lovely if not allowed to grow too thick. Thrift is another good edging for rose beds. Where the beds or borders abut on a gravel path edging is needed and turf makes the best frame of all.
Annuals
Annuals Shirley and Iceland Poppies, Leptosiphon, Whitlavia, and Godetia are good plants for associating with roses. Care must be taken to see that the color of the annual blends in with that of the roses. The Poppies, shades of yellow and orange, should only be planted amongst cream roses or yellow roses,and the Leptosiphon, being rose pink, only amongst white roses, or those of a similar shade of pink.
Round the standards
The taller Salpiglossis look stunning grouped around the stem of a rose, and are such stylish annuals that they enhance the beauty of flowers overhead.
Coreopsis Tinctoria, which has yellow flowers with brown centers is also very good for this purpose. The Salpiglossis give blooms of several shades if a mixed packet of seed is sown, purple, tawny, terracotta, and many other standard shades. It is a very good idea to buy the seedlings when a few inches high and the outcome is more certain.
Japanese Pinks are pretty, and so easy to grow. Their fringed crimson and white flowers can be cut in quantities without detracting from the appearance of the rose beds, and they keep on blooming right up to the frosts. Statices are much used rather than grasses, their endless tiny flowers are so light and airy, and are produced very abundantly. They grow from eighteen inches to two feet high, and take away from the bare effect of the rose stems very well indeed. Celosias, too, are feathery annuals to be had in different colors. The golden colored variety is the most distinct and has a good effect grouped round some cream standard roses.
These annuals should be treated as half hard. If an early show is desired, frames must be brought into use or the young plants can be bought.
Plants with a greater quantity of foliage and deeper roots can be used, when rose trees are far apart. Columbines are well adapted for grouping with roses, especially when these are growing in shady places. They do not flower for such lengthy periods as the annuals, but their leaves are very fresh, and plants which flower later can be mixed with them.

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Best Pillar Roses

By Carole Nixon

For brightness perhaps nothing equals Paul's Carmine Pillar rose. For a few weeks it is simply a mass of color, and that of a lovely rich pink rose. The flowers, produced the whole length of the shoots, are single and none the less beautiful for that. With its pretty golden stamens and shell-like rose petals, glossy green leaves and picturesque habit, this rose tree is one of the most artistic we have.
Turner's Crimson Rambler, one of the Polyantha roses, is also a first-rate pillar rose. Those who have tried and failed with it on a wall should bring it away, and provide it with plenty of space and a pole, and almost before we can turn round, it has scaled the heights and is looking down on us in blushing triumph. To grow it well plenty of feeding is necessary, though even in a light, poor soil, it will give a great many bunches, but the individual flowers will be smaller, and not so perfect. This is another tree in which artists delight, its habit of growth is so unconventional and free.
Aimee Vibert is a pretty little white rose, each of the under petals being touched with pink in the manner of a daisy. It blooms in clusters, and lasts some time in flower, but when the blossoms die they must be cut off by hand, as, unlike most roses, it does not shed its petals one by one. The whole flower shrivels and turns brown, and the tree naturally is an eyesore until they are removed.
Isaac Pereire, a Bourbon, is a hardy free blooming variety, with deep rose-colored flowers of large size. It blooms abundantly, and is altogether very vigorous, and suitable for a pillar. It is a Hybrid Perpetual.
Gustav Regis, a Hybrid Tea, is a climber, and can be tried as a pillar too, it should indeed be grown in every possible form, so excellent is this delightful rose.
Madame Alfred Carriere, a Noisette, is good as a pillar, and continues in flower much longer than the Hybrid Perpetuals.
The position has a good deal to do with the roses chosen. Teas, Hybrid Teas, and Noisettes should never be put in draughty, exposed situations, but in warm, sunny nooks. Hybrid Perpetuals, Bourbons, Polyantha, and Evergreen Roses do well in colder quarters.
Of the evergreen varieties, Leopoldine d'Orleans is a most vigorous, free-blooming kind. At a distance a mass of it looks like snow, so white are its petals and so profusely are they borne. Unfortunately, it does not last longer than a month in bloom, but it is well worth having nevertheless.
William Allen Richardson is sometimes recommended for pillars, but I scarcely
consider it reliable enough for that position, except in very warm gardens. It is inclined to canker occasionally, and is scarcely quick growing enough to give a good effect soon. Where it does well, and there is patience, it makes a pretty picture, and of course there is no other quite the same rich shade of creamy orange.
Waltham Climber is an easy and effective rose to grow. Though a Hybrid Tea it is quite hardy, and bears sweet scented crimson roses, large and full.

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Nevada Fall Gardening Checklist

By Mark Hostetler

There are certain challenges when gardening in the Nevada climate, but don't despair; it doesn't mean you can't have a lush green lawn filled with vibrant annuals or spring bulbs. There are however, some maintenance and planting tips that need to be considered during the autumn months.
Here is a handy checklist for those fall gardening to do's:
Reseeding lawns - The hot summer temperatures can do a lot of damage to a lawn; late September is an ideal time for reseeding and repairing that damage. Make certain you don't purchase bargain varieties of lawn seed, such as Kentucky 31 or K31. Most people are disappointed with this grass due to its coarse texture.
A year round green lawn can be obtained by over seeding it with perennial ryegrass versus annual ryegrass.
Give your lawn one last feeding using a fertilizer containing potassium and cut back watering your lawn to once a week in the winter months.
Colorful annuals - Believe it or not, autumn planting is the time to get the most color and longevity from your annuals in the Las Vegas area. They thrive in the milder climate and with some loving care may bloom again next spring.
Here are some ideas for cool-season annuals:
African daisies, alyssum, asters, baby's breath, bachelor buttons, bells of Ireland, calendulas, candytuft, carnations, clarkia, columbine, delphinium, dianthus or sweet William, gaill ardia, hollyhock, larkspur, nirembergia, pansy, petunia, poppies, snapdragons, statice, stocks, sweet peas, verbena, viola, ornamental kale and cabbage.
Compost for your bedding plants - Our dry soil is scarce in organic matter, which needs to be supplemented in the form of compost or peat moss. It provides much needed drainage and oxygen as well as feeding nutrients to the plants.
A recipe for a healthy garden includes:
Spreading 3 to 4 inches of some form of organic material on the bed.
Add two to three pounds of 16-20-0 fertilizer and equal amounts of sulfur per 100 square feet. Work ingredients into the top 8 to 10 inches of the soil with a spade or rototiller.
Get those bulbs planted - Nothing is more uplifting on a cold winter day, then looking out and seeing a bed of brightly colored tulips providing hope for spring. Late October is the time to get those bulbs in the ground while the soil is cool. Normally these bulbs thrive in areas where the ground has been chilly for a long time, but this is a condition we can simulate. Place the bulbs in a paper bag and store them in your vegetable crisper for four to six weeks before planting.
Prepare your beds using plenty of organic matter and ensuring you have good drainage. Once they have bloomed, mulch with at least 2 inches of well-rotted manure. Don't forget that our winter temperatures may be quite warm, just make certain to occasionally dig into the soil to test it for moisture, they may need watering.
Roses - After the fall blooming is over, trim back the canes using a 45 degree angle cut, by about one-third. Do any heavy pruning in the early spring.
Garden clean-up - Make certain to compost any dead vegetables or foliage and rake up any fallen leaves.
Garden tool tune-up - Now is the time to ensure your tools are ready for next spring. Wash them off, sand down the wooden handles and metal parts, wiping them with an oiled rag to prevent rust. It's a bit of a chore, but you'll be glad you took the time.
Gardening in Nevada has its challenges, but a little bit of tender loving care at this time of year will result in happy, healthy plants next spring.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Save Outdoor Furniture from Scratch

By Kathy Moran

Last week’s article contained some practical advice for extending the lives of porch chairs and other wooden patio furniture, by taking steps to keep it looking its best throughout its lifetime. Although we covered a few tricks that will hide some of the nicks and scrapes that come with years of use, we barely scratched the surface (sorry!).Sometimes, one of the best remedies for fine scratches is a mixture of paste wax and elbow grease. Simply apply the wax, and buff vigorously. For deeper scratches, use superfine sandpaper, going with the grain, and baby oil or mineral oil. In most cases, you can use either wet or dry sandpaper; but if it’s an older veneer piece, use only dry, as there may be minuscule high spots where the wet paper can wear off the finish. For lustrous results, rub the spot with superfine steel wool that has been lubricated with oil soap, then wax and buff the entire area.You can also go to a wood-finishing supplier, and get a special touch-up pen that matches the wood, to seal and refinish scratches and worn-out areas. Before you begin, rub the area with mineral spirits and superfine sandpaper. Then, go over it with the pen, and even it out by rubbing it lightly with your finger, repeating the process until the new finish is adequately built up.Another problem that’s common to indoor and outdoor wood furniture is the white ring that can be caused by setting a glass down without using a coaster. Sometimes, the ring will go away on its own, if you wipe up the moisture in time; but if it remains after a few hours, go back and forth over the spot with a hair dryer that’s set on low. Keep the dryer at least six inches away from the wood, letting it get warm, but not hot. If the ring is still visible, diligently rub on some boiled linseed, olive, or vegetable oil, and wipe it clean.If you spill nail polish on wood furniture, do not wipe it up, as its solvents can soften and remove the finish. Wait until it dries, and then use something plastic, such as a credit card or driver’s license, to gently scrape it off. Finish by waxing the area with superfine steel wool.Of course, the best way to ensure that you will always have the most gorgeous outdoor furniture in town, is to go to CedarStore.com. With one of the largest selections available, CedarStore.com offers porch chairs, tables, dining sets, swings, benches, bar and bistro sets, gliders, lounges, rockers, accent tables, ottomans, and more.At CedarStore.com, you’ll find classic, decay-resistant wood furniture, made from cedar, pine, oak, cherry, and teak, as well as aluminum, polywood, and vinyl furniture that’s practically indestructible. Their impressive lineup also includes furniture that’s available in dozens of spectacular colors, to complement the décor of any porch, patio, or gazebo.To see the entire collection, go to cedarstore.com. To contact a design consultant or customer service representative, call 1-888-293-2339, or e-mail contact@cedarstore.com.

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What is your Garden Costing You?

Author: Bare Bones Gardener

It can be a scary exercise to sit down and work out exactly what is spent every year, on the average home gardens and lawns.
Try adding up the costs of plants, weedicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilisers, petrol, mower and trimmer maintenance, weed eater cord, garden mulch and even water costs. Even the time and effort we go to in order to maintain a good-looking environment for our families and ourselves can amount to a substantial price.
So it is no wonder that many people are looking at ways to save money for more important causes.
One of the first things that you can do to save money, is to make use of as much of that organic matter that many people throw in the bin or wash down the sink.
For instance do you throw out your lawn clippings? Do you dutifully wrap up and throw out those old veggie scraps?
Are you one of those people who regularly get the trailer out and make trips down to the landfill with a pile of branch prunings?
What about those pile of leaves you threw in the bin last autumn?
Do you realise that all of those things can be turned into a wonderful form of plant food, as well as being used as a barrier to prevent the soil from loosing moisture and therefore increasing the amount of time between watering your garden. An organic mulch will also improve the soil structure, increase the good animals like worms while assisting in decreasing the nasty pests living in the soil.
By keeping these sorts of things within your own garden you are also assisting in reducing the effects that city living is having on the environment in landfill problems and costs.
There are a number of different ways that you can recycle these piles of organic matter within your own yard. One is to apply the bulk organic matter directly to your garden beds, ensuring that you don't pile the material directly up against the trunks or main stems of the plants. A second idea to get a worm farm and recycle your kitchen waste that way; the worms provide you with a very strong and nutritious fertilising liquid for the garden as a bonus. This liquid is so strong it has to be diluted 10-1.
Don't, by the way, put meat products, citrus peels or onion and garlic in with the worms. A third way is to purchase or construct your own compost pile/bin/tumbler and recycle the material that way.
So just by composting your old leaves, soft cuttings, veggie and fruit scraps, chipped branches, lawn clippings etc., you can do a lot to reduce your costs that you would have spent on such things as garden mulch and fertilisers as well as assisting your plants to last much longer between watering periods. So as you can see there are a number of reasons for not throwing away all that organic material.

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Garden Tools From the Kitchen Drawer

Author: Bare Bones Gardener

Why go and spend a fortune at the nursery on new tools, when there is probably a wealth of unused stuff tucked away unused in your own kitchen, or someone you knows kitchen that will more than adequately do the exact job you want, without having to spend a cent.
Just make sure that anything taken from the kitchen really is not wanted there. As well as the fact that such stuff is on a one way permanent trip out to the garden shed.
Here are just a few suggestions of stuff that are useful kitchen refugees,
Old dinner knife for digging weeds out from between concrete sections or pavers.
Old kitchen fork for light weeding in around tight places or where you do not want to disturb root systems that are close to the surface.
Good sharp kitchen knife or a pair of kitchen scissors are great fro dividing up clumps of plants, or for taking cuttings off of a branch.
Kitchen tongs can be used to pick up thorny cuttings or to help you repotting thorny plants like cacti.
Serving tray or placemats to keep things organised or for carrying produce, cuttings or even weeds.
Potato Masher for pushing past a thorny plant or rose.
BBQ or Carving Forks for digging out stubborn rooted weeds and root vegies.
Kitchen funnels for pouring various liquids into containers or for accurate pouring around plants. or to get seed or even small screws & nails into storage packets or bottles.
Chopsticks make great little pot stakes (metal and wooden skewers work too), or construction sets even for some jobs.
I've seen bamboo placemats and chopsticks cut down to make scenery pieces for bonsai planters, along with old aquarium ornaments.
Set of measuring cups and measuring spoons are great as scoops for fertilizers and potting mixes.
Icecream or soup scoops for measuring and scooping potting mix in around new potplants.
Egg rings and biscuit cutters for shaping growing fruit just for fun, or as a simple handheld hoe for light weeding in around plants.
So theres a few things which can obtain a second life out in the gardenshed and garden, nstead of being stored for years in a drawer, or being thrown out or passed on to a charity store.

 

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Budget Veggie Gardens From Kitchen Scraps

Author: Bare Bones Gardener

It does not matter whether you put your kitchen scraps in the compost or the bin, did you know that you could grow many of your favourite fruit or vegetables from those scraps. Indeed, unless your compost is very well matured you will find stray veggie seedlings may appear wherever you deposit the compost.
Take for instance those potato peelings, if it is a fairly thick section of peel with an eye (shoot), then you can often get these to grow into full potato plants. Another indication that a potato is only good for planting or throwing out is the colour. If the potato is starting to look fairly green on the skin then *DO NOT EAT*, as it is an indication that it is producing a poisonous substance common in the nightshade family to which it as well as the tomatoes, chillies and capsicums belong. You can also get sweet potatoes and taros to grow from sections of the tubers.
Have you ever tried to plant or thought about trying to plant the seeds from a particularly nice tomato, capsicum, chili, watermelon or pumpkin? While any plants grown from such seed may vary quite a lot from the parent fruit, you can still achieve fairly good results from them if you are on a tight budget.
The plants grown from seeds of many of your kitchen scraps will not produce fruit to the same high standard as the original fruit/vegetables because of the complicated interbreeding programs put into place by the big seed companies. However the progeny can give a very wide range of resulting offspring. But if you come across one or two particularly good plants in the resulting season, then reuse the seeds of that and always-in future pick the best fruit from the best plants for your future propagation material.
Though there are some veggies in the kitchen where it is not possible to grow them from the seed in the fruit. These are those vegetables where the edible fruit is still in an immature state and the seed is not yet viable. These fruit/veggies include the cucumbers, okra and squashes to name just a few. This is because the fruit when it reaches a stage where the seed is viable is just too big and coarse for human consumption.
If you leave the top of a pineapple out in a shady spot for a week or so during warm weather, then strip back the lower dead leaves. You may even notice some small juvenile roots already forming at the base of the plant top. One thing to remember with pineapples is that it is a species of bromeliad. And as such it requires the same moist but well drained growing conditions.
When the garlic cloves are starting to get a green sprout coming out of the top, it is a pretty good indication, that it might be a good idea to plant them out individually for a good harvest in about 8-10 months time of this fairly expensive herb plant.
Treat it like any member of the onion tribe, because they like moist, well drained soil and a fair amount of feeding during the growing season. Harvest as the tops are dying back. But let them dry out in a cool but airy place, before you try to use them back in the kitchen.
Another fruit/vegetable along a similar line is corn, try leaving a fresh, uncooked cob of sweet corn in a shady dry spot for a couple of weeks, then you can strip the kernels away from the cob and plant them. A quicker suggestion is to grab a handful of corn kernels out of a packet of popping corn, The only comment would be that corn grown from these seeds would not be as sweet or juicy as sweet corn, and in reality would be better dried and used as popping corn.
Why not try growing your own peanuts? Always only using the raw nuts, and only choosing those nuts, which are still whole and encased in the brown skin. Peanuts can be grown during warmer weather in most parts of Australia. One of the fascinating things about peanuts is that they are one of the only plants which flower set fruit and then bury and pre plant their own seed ready for later germination. Yes the peanut, which is dug from the ground, is actually a fruit buried by the parent plant, after flowering.
You can always grow your own ginger; all it takes is a section of the root, purchased from a greengrocer. Plant it in a well drained but moist soil. Allowing plenty of room for the plant to spread out. You can be harvesting your own ginger roots within about 8-12 months.
Whether you have got a long fence, chook pen or an unsightly shed to cover, why not try planting a choko. The Vine can be very prolific, as long as you keep the moisture and fertilizer up to it.
Though once it is established, it can be left to fend for itself, and will still produce a steady supply of fruit for the family. If you have a few dollars why not look at purchasing some of the heritage or heirloom seed ranges of Fruit and vegetables. Many seed firms as well as organizations like the Seed Savers Network have many fascinating and unusual varieties of plants available for the home gardener to grow.
Of course once you have various plants growing in your veggie garden don't forget to keep some propagating material back ( whether it is root sections, seed or divisions), for future plantings. Also you should think about letting certain plants like lettuce, parsley and basil go to seed, for planting later. I regularly have to weed my lawns around the gardens for rouge seedlings of the above plants. Such spare seedling weeds are easily replanted or swapped with other gardeners for plants I don't yet have, or given to school and/or charity plant stalls. It is useful to have weeds that other people want and are willing to pay for.
While it usually not a good idea to try and propagate most of the tree fruit, simply from a time perspective and again because the results can also be very variable. It is still interesting to try even if you only end up getting a pot plant out of the results. It is possible to grow the seeds of such trees as mangoes, citrus, avocado, apple, pear, etc. While the fruit of some species simply have no viable seed at all eg, bananas. There is however a few, which readily lend themselves to home propagation eg, pawpaw (papaya), tree tomatoes, unroasted coffee beans, etc. I remember as a child, accidentally germinated a coconut palm, from throwing the mostly eaten out shell onto a garden bed for a few months.
Another suggestion for those of you out there, who are visited by birds to your garden, why not take a handful of birdseed and plant it out in an out of the way section of your garden. These bird friendly plants like Sunflower, oats, sorghum, etc, can be a real bonus for many native birds to supplement their diet. Many of the seeds in any packet of birdseed are very viable.
When my kids were younger and I was showing them such wonders, I used to have trouble convincing them that I could not do similar things in growing and multiplying with a variety of items of importance to them at the time, from toys to chocolate, lollies and even coins.

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Perfumed Aussie Native Garden Plants

Author: Bare Bones Gardener

There is a strong belief among many people, that Australian Natives are beautiful but have no perfume. A stroll through the bush will dispel that rumour easily.
The fragrance of crushed leaves and scented blossoms can be almost overpowering at times. But many of the natives have a more subtle fragrance; you have to be close to them at the correct time to appreciate the flavours and scents.
The perfume of native plants is often produced at different times of the day or night. Perfumed native flowers include many of the Grevilleas (some like G. biternata and G. G. buxifolia have a strong honey-like perfume others like G. buxifolia have a light fragrant perfume), Boronias ( e.g. B. floribunda, B. serrulata and B. megastigma), Sowerbaeas (Vanilla Lilies), Xanthoreas (Grass Trees), Banksias, Eleaocarpus reticulatus (Blueberry Ash) which has a strong almost aniseed scent, Hakeas, Pittosporum undulatum (Native Daphne) -- the perfume of this species may becoming overpowering in the evening --, Leptospermum species (e.g. L. flavescens), Homoranthus species (which has a Baked Biscuit scent) and Hymenosporum flavum (Native Frangipani). Many of the white flowering Eucalypts, Melaleuca and Callistemon species have a strong honey scent.
There are a number of fragrant orchids particularly the Dendrobium species: these tend to be strongest from early morning to the early afternoon. While some of the Cymbidium species such as C. suave have a good perfume during the middle of the day). The Sarcochilus species have what is best described as a spicy aroma.
The aroma released by some plants foliage is not revealed until it has been disturbed, crushed or brushed against. These include the Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) which is probably the best of all native lemon scents and is also used commercially as a cooking ingredient, while the foliage of B. anisata is strongly scented like aniseed; Eremophilas, Eriostemon species, Prosantheras,
Leptospermum petersoni (Lemon-scented Tea-tree -- also good as a hedging plant), Darwinia citriodora (a light lemon scent) and some Melaleucas (Paperbarks) also have scents.
Of course you can't forget the Eucalypt family with its famous eucalypt scent, which is redolent of our bushland. But now many other countries are growing vast plantations of them for timber, firewood and revegetation programs on every continent bar Antartica. One species, the E. citriodora gives off a strong lemon-come-eucalypt scent while Agonis flexuosa has a combination of eucalyptus and peppermint scent.
Calomeria elegans has been used as a substitute for lavender. Some species of Boronias also have strongly scented foliage.
And let's not forget the grassy type plants, the lomandra's and the Grass trees, both of which give a lovely honeyed smell when in flower.
So why not think about using some fragrant native plants in your garden. Not only will you get the benefit of supporting your local environment. But you might also get other benefits, like attracting birds, other wildlife and butterflies to your garden.

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Benefits Of Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting is a home improvement trend sweeping the nation and is one of the most popular features in outdoor home improvement. It is one of the most dramatic improvements you can make to your home...front yard or back. Landscape lighting is breathtaking in its beauty and provides a safe, secure and welcoming environment to come home to. Also, low voltage landscape lighting is affordable, effective and is a primary deterrent to residential crime.
Low-voltage landscape lighting is easy and safe to install, is safe for kids and pets, and it consumes less power than line voltage lighting. Pathways, ponds, statues, trees, and shrubs all produce a serene environment when landscape lighting is applied. Landscape lighting is a great way to line your driveway or sidewalks.
Nothing else enhances your garden or yard at night better than exterior lighting. It provides an ambient effect to trees, shrubs and flowers. Garden lighting also has a practical side. It is a great way to mark pathways or accent garden areas. Get the full use out of your garden, yard and patio areas by adding decorative landscape lighting to your outdoor spaces. With outdoor lights you will also feel safer in your yard as you come home to relax in your garden. A garden with low-voltage landscape lighting can bring a whole new setting to the home and provide the perfect spot for outdoor entertaining.
Landscapes emerge at dark under subtle outdoor landscape lighting to create wonderful shapes in hauntingly beautiful sculptured drama. To brighten up an overall outdoor look, and highlight a home's best features, homeowners can create an effective low-voltage landscape lighting system.
In conclusion, low-voltage landscape lighting is a low-cost system to install and run, that makes a home stand out from its neighbors. It will bring beauty and security to your home and landscape. Fine landscape lighting is like a gift of additional time to enjoy your surroundings.

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Beginner Bonsai Plants

By Emma Castille

Way to go! You have decided to try your hand at Bonsai plants. While the whole concept does seem rather intimidating there are a few keys to help your succeed. Find a good basic guide to the care of the Bonsai either at your local library, bookstore, or online. When purchasing your Bonsai do not go to the garden superstore for your tree. Many of these Bonsai have been sitting on the shelves uncared for and will die fairly quickly. Look for a Bonsai club in your town and contact them for the best place to make a purchase. Or, you might be able to find a garden store that specializes in Bonsai. Finally it is best to choose a Bonsai that is fairly easy to care for so it will boost your confidence. Below is a list of trees you might want to try!

Juniper – When you visualize a Bonsai in your head this is usually the tree you see. These plants are very hardy. In addition you can treat them fairly roughly with pruning and they will bounce back. This is a slow growing conifer that prefers full sun to semi-shade. Fertilize once or twice a month from spring through to fall. Because this tree is fairly slow growing so you will only need to repot every three years or so. Juniper appears to be the best beginners plant for those in the Northern Hemisphere.

Chinese Elm- This is another very hardy and forgiving Bonsai tree. It can handle neglect and still manage to bounce back. You can prune it heavily, water it inconsistently & use poor soil in the pot and it will still flourish. In addition they are a fast grower so if you are a bit impatient this might be the best choice for you!

Ficus – This plant is very popular with beginners in Australia and Asia. They are a tropical plant that prefers a tropical climate. However, they too will withstand much abuse and neglect and spring right back. It does well inside under low light. An irregular watering schedule is acceptable to the Ficus. In addition it is a fast grow and the branches bend easily for shaping.

The aforementioned Bonsai trees are probably the top 3 choices for beginners. It is a good idea to start with one of these little guys before moving on to a harder to maintain Bonsai. However, if you do not wish to begin on any of these plants here are a few honorable mentions you might wish to try.

Azalea – The fun aspect of this Bonsai tree is the flowering in mid-winter or spring (depending on your location). They are self-seeding and grow quite rapidly. In addition the branches are malleable and easy to shape.

Boxwood – There are numerous species of Boxwood you might wish to try. The Kingsville Dwarf is a good choice for a beginner. It is slow growing so will require some patience. It does best in partial shade and likes a fertilizer with a 10/15/10 balance.

Trident Maple- This Bonsai tree is a little more difficult to grow for a beginner. However if you like a challenge right from the start this might be the plant for you. This deciduous tree prefers full sun or partial shade. This plant will not respond to underwatering very well so care must be taken not to let the roots dry out. Fertilize only during the growing season.

Japanese Snowdrop – This is a very elegant looking little tree that is suitable for beginners. It is deciduous with fairly large leaves. In fall the leaf edges will turn red or yellow and fragrant white flowers will appear. Use a water soluble fertilizer and never allow this plant to dry out completely.

All of the Bonsai plants listed above are able to withstand some abuse and neglect. In addition they are all fairly forgiving and will become amazing healthy Bonsai with a little patience and care.

Did you know there are over 300 varieties of Bonsai to choose from? I've narrowed down my favorites to 15. Check out my Bonsai Tree Gallery and growing video collection to learn more about this fascinating hobby!

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Japanese Garden Design Is Quite Simple If You Do This

By Jonathan G Higgins

Japanese garden design is about as hard to understand to Westerners as the Japanese language is. The relationship to the rich and ancient eastern culture adds to this difficulty. The practice is not just a style of landscaping. Rather, it a statement that delivers a specific meaning. Adding further to its complexity is the influence of fengshui and its borrowings from Buddhism and Chinese culture.

The intention of Japanese garden design is to use nature to make a statement. The main element is symbology, most of which is influenced by Shintoism and Buddhism, which is where the gods inhabit nature. This adds even more its cultural complexity making hard for us to understand.

Since the garden is making a statement or telling a story, the first step is to determine what story you want to tell. What is it you want to communicate to the world with your garden? It might be a good idea to decide in broad terms what you want to say, and then through some research find out how Japanese would go about communicating that truth, concept or story with a garden.

Another outstanding feature of Japanese garden design is that the main point is not to be beautiful or showy. The appearance of the garden is not its purpose, but rather the message is the purpose. Beauty is the after thought, so to speak.

The careful observer will notice that flowering plants are scarce or nonexistent in Japanese garden design. Rather, dry gravel streambed or sand swept into patterns and large rocks and boulders are used to tell the tales. Remember that the heart of all Japanese garden design is symbolism and storytelling, the tradition is that this is done with plants and other elements of nature and not so much the use of colorful flowers.

Equally important to Japanese garden design are the use of water, and more specifically the use of running water, which symbolizes passing time or life.

What shouldn’t get lost in Japanese garden design, but often is by Westerners because they think it’s ‘complicated’, is its simplicity. Once you know the story you are trying tell, it’s as simple as composing the elements of nature to tell that story.

What one should refrain from doing is blindly copying someone else’s garden. Why would you do that? Perhaps because you think it “looks” good. But if the “good looks” are just the result of the telling of a story, then the copier certainly is missing the point. It would be like framing a poem you don’t understand and hanging it on the wall. First think of what you want to say, and then through the principles of Japanese garden design learn how to say and then say it. Don’t start from the beauty, but rather from the story.

Jonathan sends out gardening tips to his newsletter subscribers. Just send an email to garden-design@aweber.com And be sure to visit Elegant Garden Design

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Choose the Perfect Garden Greenhouse by Michelle Torres

When choosing a garden greenhouse there are several things to consider. What style will look best in your garden? What weather factors should you take into consideration? What kind of plants do you want to grow there? Do you want your garden greenhouse to be freestanding or do you want to join it onto another building?
A freestanding garden greenhouse has the advantage of getting light from all sides, but your garden might not have room for such a structure. Lean-to greenhouses have the advantage of better support if you live in a place with strong winds which usually come from the same direction, such as a coastal property. If you live in a generally windy area you should also consider selecting a garden greenhouse with sturdy twin-wall panels as opposed to poly-film greenhouse covering - popular on many designs.
When selecting a garden greenhouse for particular plants you'll need to consider how much light those plants need and how tall they'll grow. Some plants can be trained round across the roof of your garden greenhouse to give them extra growing space, but others will need a garden greenhouse with tall walls.
Some people choose to install a garden greenhouse so that they can enjoy their favorite fruits and vegetables in an inhospitable climate, while others enjoy growing exotic flowers. If you're in the latter group, you may prefer a garden greenhouse with strong aesthetic appeal, something which will make an attractive centerpiece in your garden. A garden greenhouse doesn't need to be a simple glass shed - it can be a beautiful thing in its own right. Keep in mind though, that the clearer the greenhouse panels (such as glass), the less beneficial diffused light will be available for your plants.
Whatever type of garden greenhouse you choose, you'll find that using it adds an extra dimension to your gardening experience. It'll give you something to do all year round, whatever the weather, and will greatly increase your gardening options. Your garden greenhouse won't just be for the plants - it'll be somewhere you enjoy relaxing.

About the Author

Michelle Torres has nearly 20 years experience using and designing greenhouses and is an avid gardener.

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Planning Your Summar Garden by GermánHayles

If you are like many people around the world you want a summer garden to bring a little life to your lawn during those oh so hot summer months. Most of us however, would prefer a garden that doesn't require constant care and attention. This is where proper planning comes into place for creating the summer garden of your dreams.

There are several things you need to ask yourself when planning your summer garden. Each of these things will to some extent determine the type of summer garden your lawn will accommodate. First of all, how much space on your lawn do you wish your summer garden to occupy and in general terms how big is that space. Most of us live in homes that have woefully inadequate lawn space these days. For this reason it is important to have a realistic vision as to how much of that prime real estate you are willing to commit to your summer garden.

Once you have determined how much space you are willing to commit to your garden you need to decide on the location. Location is important to know before beginning the planning phase because you will need to plan according to the location. You need to be able to answer the following questions about location. How much direct sunlight gets to this location on an average day? Is this a location that is generally moist or typically dry? And how much indirect sunlight does this section of lawn see on any given day? These are questions that are important because they will, by and large, determine what kind of plants your garden will be able to accommodate. You also need to know a little about the terrain of the area as well. It is level, rocky, or muddy? These things will each have a different but profound effect on the type of garden that can be grown and steps you will have to take to make a summer garden work in this particular location.

The next question you will need to ask and answer before moving on to the planning and purchasing phase is how much time, on average, do you want to devote to your summer garden on any given day? Gardens often require tending and you must be prepared to devote some time to keeping your garden in good working order though some are definitely higher maintenance than others. You need to have a realistic idea of how much time each day or week that you are willing to devote to making your garden the beautiful sanctuary it can be in mind before you decide on the types of plants and flowers that will fill your summer garden.

You should also have in mind the type of summer garden you wish to create as well. Do you want a vegetable garden, flower garden, or do you simply want to add a little bit more green to your lawn? Do you want to add a water feature or have a sitting area?

When planning your summer garden you will need to consider all these things and more. Another thing you will want to keep in mind is the local climate. It is moderate, dry, wet, or cool many mornings? These things will also have a fairly significant effect on the best type of garden that is suitable for your current situation.

Planning a garden is so much more than walking outside and pointing and grunting. There is a great deal of work that goes into planning a successful summer garden. Asking the right questions is a good place to begin the process. Once you have the answers it is time to begin the more exciting aspects of planning your summer garden such as working the ground and selecting the plants that will soon call your lawn home. Just remember that paying careful attention to the details ahead of time will save a lot of lost time and money later.

About the Author

Discovered love for gardening when rescuing wife's vegetable garden from evil rabbits and ground hogs.

For More Gardening Tips And Articles go to http://autopilot4success.com/

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Inexpensive Ways to Landscape the Borders by David Faulkner

When you are planning to build landscaping borders alongside the walking path or completely raised flower beds and if you go for pre-made materials in your construction you will get astounded on the rates. Landscaping by means of ready made material is not that easy, it requires a lot of money. This doesn't mean that you only go for unattractive cheaper landscaping borders. You can easily get cheaper landscaping borders through numerous other ways.

Finding

Think about moving into an area where they are considering new neighbors and search for a construction site. You can easily get fine sized rocks for landscaping borders, since builders have to make the land plain by digging it first. This will favor the builders too as they themselves would not be accountable for pulling up the stones so most of them would happily give it to you. This activity of finding rocks for a garden can be of a great experience for a family and you can have different types of landscaping borders without spending any money.

There are several other means of getting landscaping borders if there is an absence of a construction site near your area, like exploring the forests or by looking for them beside a country road. There you can get a lot of more valuable things which can be useful in your landscaping borders. If you are not available for exploring such things by yourself, friends and family can be of a great help for you and they can easily do this job for you. Materials and other requirements for landscaping borders can easily be obtained in a few days.

Further Ideas

Landscaping borders is not just concentrated upon the use of rocks; it can be made more alluring with the use of old concrete. You can easily have sizes of your own choice by placing the concrete in a pile and than smashing it with a large hammer. This is a good technique for those who want their landscaping borders to have country look. Concrete can easily be obtained near areas where they are rebuilding the footpaths and driveways. Besides this you can find old concrete in waste dumps for using them in your backyard.

Usage of the old tires can also be helpful in landscaping borders. You can do it by cutting off the sides and than across. Approximately three feet of your yards edges can be covered by just one tire. Bigger tires are even more durable and they can last forever as this material is almost indestructible and can go to even six inches in the edging of the yard. Besides this they do not decay and cannot be eaten by animals or by pests so you can be relieved from these two factors. Tires are the most easily available thing and can be found any where and they dont even cost you anything as you can get a used tyre from a junk yard or look for your own old tyres.This is one of the cheapest way one can make use of so beautifully and the fact that tyres are durable your area on which you have done landscaping will last forever.

About the Author

You can also find more info on landscaping software lets and some landscaping materials. Onlinelandscapedesigns.com is a comprehensive resource to get help in landscape issues.

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Orchid Tips - The Fall Season is Here by Rob Roy

The fall season for orchids is an important one. It is one where a great number of the orchid plants need care as well as the change in the basic requirements. Most orchids use this season as a "rest period" to get ready to produce blooms in the winter or spring.

From the summer season to the fall there is a less a requirement for water as the temperature decreases. You will need to monitor this closely. Don't forget it you see wrinkling on the leaves this means that you need more H2O.

As a general rule this time of the year requires the use of an orchid fertilizer richer in phosphorous is needed to boost the bloom potential. This means that there is higher percentage in nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium in the fertilizer mixture. As you use fertilizer on the orchid plants use it as half strength and generally once a week.

I like to fertilizer after I have watered the plant. Once again be sure that you allow the water and fertilizer to run out of the pot. Leaving water and fertilizer in the pot allows root rot to destroy the orchid - very quickly.

The temperature is also getting cooler in most parts of the country during the fall. So if you have plants outdoors you may start to think about getting them indoors. Most orchids can do well in with temps in the 50's and few do ok into the forties. I like to suggest that your plants come inside when the night temps are in the mid fifties.

Now let's get to some specifics for some of the different genera. For cattleyas there growth rate will tend to slow as the fall progresses. The sheaths on the catts will show some changes indicative of blooming over the next six months. Don't forget the fertilizer and watering. These plants do well in bright lighting.

Also, if you are bringing your orchid indoors from being outside check carefully for any pests that may be clinging to the plant. Cymbidiums may start blooming in the fall and they need to be in shaded cool areas. Cyms have a genetically based warmth tolerance but for the best blooms they need an area that is shaded and somewhat cooler. The spikes with the flowers, called inflorescence, needs to be staked to prevent the heavy flowers from weighting down the spike.

Phalaenopsis are just starting to go through the next stage to ready for blooms in the late winter and spring. They need the cool difference in daytime and nighttime temps. It is recommended that there be about a 10 - 15 degree Fahrenheit difference. Phalaenopsis also need to be watered and fertilized less often during this first few months of fall. They are resting. It would helpful to give them a fertilizer with a higher phosphorous percentage to help boost the blossom potential. This fertilizer is also called "blossom booster".

Dendrobiums also need a "blossom booster" as well at this time of the year. Remember their flowers are usually plentiful and grow toward the top of the spike making them top heavy. Use a stake to help hold them erect and be sure that the pot is heavy enough to keep itself upright.

The green leaved Paphs are also getting ready to have flowers. The shafts are displaying the spikes. Be careful with these orchids as a sudden heat spell will prove disasterous to the new blooms. Keep them in a cooler area and with good air circulation.

Paphs don't like to get dry so be careful with watering. If you were watering twice a week try cutting down to once. But while doing this test your medium with the dry tip of a pencil. Stick it down about an inch or two into the pot, if the tip comes out wet your fine.

This should help you to have great orchids both in the fall season and beyond.

Resource:

Get the Guide to Growing Great Orchids, Mastering Orchids, a 70 page guide for half price ($9.95) Just subscribe to our monthly free orchid newsletter, Orchidaceae. http:www.orchids-plus-more.com/orchid-newsletter.html

Bio:

This site http://www.orchids-plus-more.com is devoted to these wonderful orchid plants. Did you know they are the second in popularity only to the poinsettia plants? You will find a good deal of information on how easy orchid care really is. They are wonderful to have around your home or for that special gift. Orchid flowers are beautiful and can last for years. Your plant will be appreciated for years and years.

About the Author

This site http://www.orchids-plus-more.com is devoted to these wonderful orchid plants. Did you know they are the second in popularity only to the poinsettia plants? You will find a good deal of information on how easy orchid care really is. They are wonderful to have around your home or for that special gift. Orchid flowers are beautiful and can last for years. Your plant will be appreciated for years and years.

Article source : www.goarticles.com/

Benefits of Receiving Flowers by flowers to go

Have you been in a rut lately? Do you feel like the world is scheming against you, that the rest of the human race is conspiring a grand prank to pull out the rug from under you and knock you out senseless?

Well, that could be possible and quite discomforting, isn't it? It's not that abnormal to be in a funk, since these days this crazy, mixed up world always has surprises, both good and bad, to throw us out in a spin. But the great thing about life is, there's always a way to make it all better, even just temporarily.

One quick fix to put you in a quite splendid state is to be in the presence of flowers, and no, that's not just an opinion, it has actually been proven by a number of researchers and scientists.

Just imagine, after getting off from work all riled and ready to explode you pass a lush orchard of roses and various blooming plants. That single sight of beauty, comforts your senses and in some way calms your nerves.

From the experts scientists, a 10 month research was done that put participants into a series of behavioral and emotional responsive tests upon receiving flowers. It has concluded three key points:

Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness It was found out that after a few months of subjecting them to an environment filled with flowers, the participants almost always expressed instantaneous positive delight upon receiving flowers.

Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods The test showed that the participants lost their feelings of depression and anxiousness upon receiving flowers.

Flowers make intimate connections The scientific experiment concluded that the test had shown progress and increase in contact with familial relations.

Did it finally convince you? If you're near the Washington area, why not swing by your local Tacoma florist, and purchase a couple of flowers and blooming plants on your way, it might just keep your sanity.

About the Author

Flowers To Go is a premiere flower retailer in and around the Washington area. Their services include creating gifts for special occasions, providing decor for events, providing business gifts, wedding bouquet arrangements.

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Container Gardening For Small Spaces by Keith Markensen

Even if you live in a home with no yard or in an apartment, you can still have room for gardening. All you need is a deck, patio, balcony, patio or sunny window to plant your own container garden. You will be able to bring some plant life into your home, while being able to eat from your very own garden as well. The following information will help you to understand how container gardening works.

Container gardening brings gardening to more people than just the landowners, as was common in the past. You can have a beautiful landscape without having to mow a lawn. The container can grow perennials, annuals, vegetables, small shrubs and small trees.

Just like traditional gardening, you must plan before beginning your garden. First, you will have to find your USDA zone in order to know what type of plants you will be able to grow. You will also need to know how much daylight your apartment receives. With this information, you can choose the types of plants that you wish to grow.

One helpful hint is to buy the plants from a local nursery. It is much easier to do this than to start from seedlings, which require very specific conditions to grow properly. The plants that will be in your containers will be fragile, so they should not be kept outdoors in temperatures below 45 degrees F or in high winds. Frost will quickly kill the plants.

The though that plants that typically grow in the ground won't grow in container gardens is false. Any plants can potentially grow in containers, as long as the container has proper holes for drainage.

It is not expensive to begin container gardening. Containers can be very cheap, and the plants are not expensive either. Also, they require little fertilizer and water.

Many types of vegetables thrive on growing in pots. They only require sunlight and water for you to have fresh vegetables to eat. It is fulfilling to feed yourself and your friends with food from your own garden.

If you do not have a balcony or a deck, don't worry. Window boxes work very well for container gardening. You can grow plants all year long in your window, as long as it receives ample sunlight and is insulated decently well.

If summer is over and fall is beginning, you do not have to stop container gardening. You will just have to choose plants that are resistant to frost. Some examples of these are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, and more. You can add color, life, and provide food all year long easily by having a simple container garden.

About the Author

Join professional landscaper Keith Markensen as he looks at new lightweight decorative containers. Stay up to date on the world of landscaping, lawns and indoor plants at www.Plant-Care.com where Keith regularly offers his advice gained from years of on the job experience.

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Garden Furniture for real Home Living Room by Corrinna Johnson

We are starting a beautiful summer with cookouts and swim parties all the things that most family in America and around the world enjoys in life. Most moms love to create their very own special gardens with plants and trees. They especially like having garden furniture that is most becoming to their standard of living. The woman of the house has many different choices to make depending upon the style and flavor she prefers. There is the modern contemporary, Victorian, the antique look, wicker style, and all kinds of woods. The choices may come from a local store or an antique shop flea markets finds are welcome. Now in this day many people enjoy shopping on line for the perfect set of garden furniture that is suitable for home living. Some garden furniture is so gorgeous that it used in the living room. Actually, some families prefer the garden style furniture for their living room as the beauty and durability makes for a very comfortable living.

Let me present you to an online company called Top Grill. Top Grill is the direct importer and distributor of patio furniture. They also carry furniture that is high quality enough to become a part of your inside décor. There are no intermediaries involved in the transaction when you purchase. This allows the company to provide superior products and the best price with superior customer service. Top Grill strives to be one of the best companies that the customer finds to shop.

Top Grill is a 40,000 square feet state of the art manufacturing and distribution facility. The company literally houses 1,000's of patio furniture and outdoor entertainment items for quick shipment. The Top Grill offers out door living furniture that is exquisite enough for use as living room furniture.

Feature furniture pieces are some of the following:

- Executive 7 piece Aluminum Sling Patio Furniture, includes table with two swivel chairs and four non swivel chairs. Regular price $1499 Your price only $988.90 a 34% savings

- Lakeview Sling and Cast Rocking club Chair with fire pit table patio furniture set consists of five pieces and is a new article for Top Grill retails at $2,599 your price is only $1,428.90 a savings of 45%.

- Columbia Cast Aluminum Sling Swivel Rocking Chair regular priced at $369 your price $196.90 you save 47%.

- The beautiful Corcisa Chat Group a three piece unit looks grand on the patio and in the living room the regular price on this item is $899.99 but your price is $499.99 which is a 44% savings.

- Aluminum Wood grain powder coated pergola is an excellent piece to add to your living room or den. This magnificent piece regularly cost $3,899.99 your price is $1,599 wow what a savings!

Top Grill offers live support online that will chat with you about any product or problem. The company offers a catalog that you may order or you can find the product online without any problem. Top Grill is the kind of company I am sure that you would like to shop when choosing outdoor garden furniture or in door living room furniture.

About the Author

For more great articles, resources and tips from the inside experts, visit Gardening Insider Tips and learn to garden with the experts! Huge collection of topics including: gardening, outdoor living, landscaping, patios, ponds, waterfalls, herb gardens, outdoor furniture, flowers....and much more!

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Bonsai Care by Katya Coen

Often considered an art form, bonsai care can be a meditative and enjoyable activity for anyone. The trees used can be one of many popular bonsai species such as juniper and black or white pine as well as some tropical tree varieties. How you care for your bonsai is the most important aspect of this activity.

What is Bonsai?

Originally practiced in China over a thousand years ago, bonsai constituted the growing of a single tree in pots. Early specimens often resembled animals, dragons and birds. The Japanese adopted the art for in the 12th century by means of Zen Buddhism. First practiced only by monks the art form soon spread to include the aristocracy.

The term, bonsai, literally means tray planting or tree pot. The term specifically refers to the training and artistic vision applied to the trees. For the Japanese, bonsai care represented a fusion of ancient beliefs with the eastern philosophies of harmony between man and nature.

Caring for Your Bonsai

A fun and rewarding activity, bonsai care requires diligence and practice. As noted above, the species of tree may vary depending on personal taste. The type of care your bonsai will require depends on the tree species you choose to grow. You should follow the general growing guidelines outlined for this particular tree. To dwarf the plant to a workable size you may employ a number of techniques. The main methods used are use of a small ceramic pot, foliage pruning, root pruning and direct sunlight exposure.

Your individual bonsai care will determine the form that your tree will take. There are several different main styles of bonsai, which include formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, windswept and forest. Remember this is not a strict list of styles; you may work with another, lesser-known style, or provide a variation on one of the main styles.

Growing Guidelines

One of the most important aspects of bonsai care is watering. Requirements will vary by species, but it is important to note that regardless of the species of the tree you must be sure that your tree never dries out. Generally, you will need to water the tree when the surface soil appears dry.

You will not be required to immediately prune your bonsai upon purchase. However, this is a main point in any bonsai care, since pruning will help to bring the desired shape to your tree. You can accomplish most pruning by simply pinching the new growth between your thumb and forefinger.

Also be sure to consider lighting requirements and fertilization. As with watering, lighting will depend on the type of tree. Fertilization, utilizing a good balanced fertilizer, should be restricted to the growing season.

Art & Mediation

Bonsai care can be an artistic, meditative, and horticultural experience. With correct bonsai care, you can be sure to guarantee your success and the continued growth of your tree.

About the Author

Katya Coen provides information on bonsai care and other bonsai tree topics for A1 Market - the guide for the Savvy Shopper.

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The Wildlife Garden by Marion Aston

Keeping your garden free of harmful chemicals gives you a head start in attracting wildlife and, with a little planning, you can create a habitat that will welcome a diverse range of creatures. The visitors, in turn, will repay you by acting as predators, helping to control the level of problem-causing pests in your garden. Knowing that your patch is providing a haven for wildlife will give you a closer connection with the natural world. Just to be able to watch birds feeding can lift the spirits and improve your sense of wellbeing.

Encouraging natural cycles in your garden will promote biodiversity. The more soil life there is, the more insects will come to feed on it. Birds will come to feed on the insects, as will all amphibians and mammals. In this way, food webs will gradually recover in the absence of pesticides.

Making your own garden compost instead of using peat, for instance, prevents damage to a fragile habitat that cannot be re-created. Collecting rain water and using this in the garden will reduce the consumption of mains water. Huge amounts of energy are wasted on cleaning and transporting the precious resource and it is often extracted from rivers at levels that threaten the local wildlife.

Much of the wildlife that thrives in a garden does so under the care of a gardener who is not unduly tidy. The best wildlife gardens leave room for decay. This approach involves piling up old logs and autumn leaves in a quiet shady corner to create a home for insects and hibernating hedgehogs. Log piles can also be over-planted with ivy to enhance both their appearance and attractiveness to insects such as stage beetles.

Consider planting native trees, shrubs and flowers so that native creatures will have a familiar food source or nesting site. Plant as many suitable flowers as possible to attract bees, butterflies and other insects that will enhance your wildlife garden. Many beneficial species are attracted to a garden that is effectively a feeding station for them. For the larger visitors, such as small mammals and birds, you can plant flowering and berrying trees and shrubs.

Ponds provide a rich habitat for a variety of wildlife. Many familiar creatures, such as frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies depend upon ponds to breed. Many urban gardens have become havens for these creatures. Even a small pool will provide somewhere that birds and other visitors can come to drink. If you have no space for a pond, try introducing a suitable container that can be utilized as a drinking or bathing area for birds, mammals and even insects.

Just leaving the lawn uncut for a few weeks in mid-summer will give many of the plants you do not normally see the opportunity to flower. An area of longer grass also benefits butterflies, moths and many other insects species by providing food and shelter. Many of these insects will fall prey to larger garden occupants such as songbirds and hedgehogs, so diversifying and enhancing the food web in the garden.

The barriers and structures in your garden also provide very useful habitats. Hedges are a sanctuary for all sorts of wildlife, where they can breed, feed and take shelter. The hedges are easy to maintain, as they should only be cut once in the winter to avoid interfering with nesting birds in spring and summer. Dry stone walls are another garden feature that can provide homes for hibernating amphibians, lizards, insects and bees.

If you have a few trees in your garden you could try to recreate a woodland habitat. Choose plants that mimic a woodland floor: bluebells, anemones and sorrel are just a few of the plants that will thrive in these conditions. Planting a few small shrubs that will grown below the trees, such as holly and hazel will complete the effect and may well tempt the more shy woodland birds into your garden. Try putting up a few bird or bat nest boxes and providing nesting areas for insects and mammals. The greater the year-round diversity, the more useful your garden will be.

About the Author

Marion Aston maintains a gardening website at http://www.gardeningdelight.co.uk

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Discover Ways to Design and Plan Your Grounds by Jimmy Cox

For the most attractive and beneficial use of your grounds, you will want to include in your plans features such as trees, a good lawn and flowers. In this way the grounds will become far more attractive, and will serve as a pleasing backdrop to your house.

Trees - For Shade and Beauty

Perhaps if any one feature can be singled out as basic to successful landscaping, it is the presence of fine trees. Architects agree that a single shade tree, even of medium height, can make a very great difference in the comfort and livability of a house. It is amazing to discover what a tree can do for a house. A tree in leaf, for example, can reduce noises from the street. A tree tall enough to throw shade over the roof can materially reduce heat in summer. Trees can lessen the amount of dust around a house and provide protection from winds.

But there are also the many esthetic considerations. There are the things that shrubs and trees can do to improve the looks of your house itself. Properly situated, they can sharply alter the lines of your house. They can give a small house dignity; appear to reduce the ungainly height of a tall house; soften the lines of a new house and provide welcome contrasts in color and texture. Plan from the beginning to plant new trees that will harmonize with the colors of your house and best suit its architectural style.

Have a Good Lawn

A good lawn is a basic requirement for attractive and enjoyable grounds. When you plant a tree you do so realizing that you are planting for years to come, even for generations. Few realize, however, that lawns must be planted in the same spirit. The lawns of many famous estates were planted over a hundred years ago, and this type of turf, luxuriously verdant, is always an inspiration. Today's lawn builder is fortunate. The battle against weeds and poor soils can be won.

But obtaining a fine lawn is sometimes a much more complicated matter than scattering seed or plucking weeds. You will want to have your soil analyzed, and then, perhaps, change its make-up. Perhaps you will need to drain or grade. Before you select your seed formula, take into account the use to which your lawn will be put.

Will it be a general-purpose area or will it be a showplace in your garden where you will strive for a putting-green lawn? Except for problem lots in suburban areas, where the living space outside is small and may have to be paved, the lawn will be the broad canvas on which you paint your picture with flowers, shrubs, trees and walks. Keep it larger than any other area, certainly two or three times the width of your borders and beds.

Flowers

You will want flowers for cutting and flowers for contributing gaiety and charm to your grounds. The aim of the successful gardener is to have a succession of flowers from early spring to late fall. You can plan from the beginning to have perennials which bloom at different seasons, (for example, iris, which has the peak of its bloom just as the peony season begins).

Know accurately when the perennials bloom and then plan to fill in the gaps left by their passing with prolific and quick-growing annuals. You can plan to have a potting bed, perhaps in your vegetable garden or in a sheltered spot behind your tool house or garage, where you can grow extra annuals as well as those perennials which do not mind being transplanted. Then when the tulip season passes, for example, you can fill in with another tall bulb, a summer-flowering one, such as, perhaps, the canna lily.

You may have a mixed border of summer-flowering bulbs, perennials and annuals, backed by shrubs. Other designs can be planned for the center of the lawn, for the foundation planting, for the pathways to the house and for the sides of the house.

Thus with the addition of the right trees and flowers and a good lawn, you home will be immeasurably enhanced.

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