Gardening Basics

Gardening with Perennials

Posted by anne.kirrin

Garden with perennials for dependable variety year after year.

Choose perennials that are easy to grow, brightly colored, pastel, short, or tall. Bleeding Hearts, Chrysanthemums, and Delphiniums are great perennial choices. Bleeding Hearts are heart-shaped, pink-to-rose flowers needing moist soil and partially shaded location. Chrysanthemums are single, semi-double, and double flowers in all colors but blue needing moist, well-drained soil and full-sun location. Delphiniums are very tall flowers of many colors, though, mostly blue needing moist, well-drained soil and full sun location. Geraniums, Hosta, and Lupine are also great perennial choices. Geraniums are easy-to-grow flowers of many colors needing mostly any soil type and full sun or partial shade location. Read the rest of this entry »

Enjoy Your Own Fountain

Posted by anne.kirrin

Lots of people are making fountains part of their outdoor décor. And why not? Fountains add a touch of class and when chosen carefully, and really compliment your landscaping. The sound of the running water alone adds an extra dimension to your garden. Even if you don’t have a water pond in your backyard, you can still enjoy the beauty and tranquility of a fountain.

The most basic fountain that you can use without a pond is what I call the birdbath style. It looks just like a birdbath, but has a little fountain built into the center. The unit is completely self contained, and easy to set up. If you have a birdbath in your yard now, Read the rest of this entry »

Do You Know How to Repot a Root-Bound Houseplant?

Posted by anne.kirrin

It is actually quite easy if you know the basics. It only takes a few minutes to give your houseplants a new lease on life. This article provides a few do’s and don’ts.

A Larger Container is not Always Necessary (or Better)

The mistake that many people make when they see roots migrating from the bottom of a pot is to buy a slightly larger container and place the overcrowded plant, root ball and all, in its new quarters.

This may be a mistake! The roots may have wandered out in search of more oxygen due to overwatering or hard-packed earth. Analyze the situation. If soil is of poor quality and you suspect overwatering, your plant may simply need more drainage and a change of dirt. A larger pot is unnecessary.

Poor Care Diagnosis?

If your verdict is ‘poor Read the rest of this entry »