Gardening Basics

Great Gardening Tips for Novices and Know-it-alls

Posted by anne.kirrin

(ARA) – Every gardener knows that no matter how long you’ve been growing your garden, there’s always something new to learn. And whether you’re faced with an unfamiliar garden pest or are curious what variety of green bean thrives best in your climate, the best people to learn from are other gardeners.

“Every gardener I’ve ever met has been happy to share their secrets,” says Glenda Lehman Ervin of Lehman’s, a company specializing in old-fashioned, high-quality merchandise. She herself is an avid gardener, which isn’t surprising considering she grew up in the family business. Her dad founded Lehman’s general store nearly 50 years ago to serve the Amish population in Kidron, Ohio.
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Make Gardening a Family Affair

Posted by anne.kirrin

Give Your Kids a Back-to-School Break and Introduce Them to Gardening (ARA) - The transition between summer vacation and back to school can be a difficult time for some kids. The carefree days of summer have been replaced by homework, classes and more homework. To keep them from experiencing a back-to-school backlash, involve them in an after-school activity that gets them back outdoors and calms their nerves, if only for an hour each day. Gardening with your children can be therapeutic – especially at this often stressful time of year.

Yet, fun in the garden is not guaranteed, especially when children are involved. It’s important to plan for a good experience and plant the seeds for success early on. If children’s first experiences with gardening are fun and successful, chances are good they’ll develop a green thumb that will stay with them for life.
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The Best Things You can Do this Fall for Next Spring’s Garden

Posted by anne.kirrin

ARA) - As the crisp fall air ushers in a new season, many gardeners may be left wondering: what now? Garden experts from across the country weighed in with their tips on the best things you can do this fall for a fabulous spring yard and garden.

Plant Now, Bloom Later

James A. Baggett, editor of “Better Homes & Gardens Perennials” magazine, suggests planning ahead for next spring. “A great time to start working on your spring garden, believe it or not, is in the fall. Fall is an especially good time to divide perennials, specifically daylilies, hostas, black-eyed Susans, Japanese and Siberian iris, and ornamental grasses,” he says.
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North, South, East, West — There’s a Daffodil for You

Posted by anne.kirrin

Spring Color Begins with Fall Planting (ARA) - For gardeners the arrival of fall means it’s time to plant spring-flowering bulbs: tulips, crocuses and, perhaps most valuable of all, daffodils.

The appeal of daffodils lies in their beauty and durability. Their flowers come in a range of colors (yellow, of course, but white, too, often with contrasting cups of orange or pink) and in a variety of shapes and sizes. They bring the spark of life to the early-spring landscape.

And they ask little in return. Planted in a sunny location where the soil drains well, most daffodils are willing to come back year after year, their clumps increasing in size over time. And perhaps best of all, deer and rodents leave them alone.
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Looking for a Way to Reduce Mowing Time?

Posted by anne.kirrin

Zero-Turning-Radius Mowers are Tops for Busy Homeowners (ARA) – If you feel like you have better things to do than mowing your lawn and are looking for a way to reduce mowing time, then a zero-turning-radius mower should be at the top of your “must-buy” list. That’s because zero-turning-radius mowers save time mowing and trimming since there’s no need to back up when cutting around trees and other objects around the yard.

You can also mow tightly around beds and other obstacles to reduce the need for trimming. In fact, compared to mowing with a traditional lawn or garden tractor, use of a zero-turning-radius mower can cut mowing time by as much as 50 percent! And you’ll also benefit from a professionally manicured look.
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How to Have Mosquito Free Backyard Parties

Posted by anne.kirrin

ARA) – Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance – they are carriers of West Nile Virus and other diseases. Mild cases of West Nile infections may cause a slight fever or headache. More severe infections are marked by a rapid onset of a high fever with head and body aches, disorientation, tremors, convulsions and, in the most severe cases, paralysis or death. The Centers for Disease Control at the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta says the outlook for West Nile Virus may be worse this year than in 2005.
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Get Ready for Next Spring Now

Posted by anne.kirrin

(ARA) - The air is cooler. Clouds are darker. Plants are loosing their summer luster. Fall flowers are blooming. Now is the time to get ready for spring!

Getting Ready

Perennial plants are always getting ready for the next season. In the spring, they are growing. In the summer, they are in full-swing with blooms and leaves. By fall, they are storing food in their roots, getting ready to go dormant. In the winter, perennial plants are reading gardening books to find out who their new neighbors will be.

You can help perennials get ready for spring by feeding them in the fall and doing a few maintenance tricks. For plant specific help, contact your local nursery or county Horticultural Extension Agent.
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Time to Winterize Your Lawn Mower

Posted by anne.kirrin

ARA) – Soon, the leaves will change color, the birds will fly South, squirrels will hide acorns and the grass will slip into a dormant state of rest.

Once this pattern begins – in late September in the Northern climates, mid to late October in the Central states – you can throw the cover over your lawnmower and call it a season.
It’s going to be several months before the grass needs cutting again.
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Dream Home Gardening

Posted by anne.kirrin

Home gardending is tricky business. Do you wonder how can you get your garden to look like. Gardening information could easily help you to plan for gardening in front of your house.

Getting your plant respond well is in with your ability. Several general steps are involved, some of that you have been already doing can get the result you want.

The gradening is not and easy job and to maintian it is an another tricky subject. If you are planning to have to good flower and plant in front of your house, you have to plan the area, frist draw the diagram of your lot. This map of hardscape will be backbone of your plan.

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