Garden Tips & Resources

Archive for October, 2008

I was thinking about concrete this past weekend because it is time to get snow and ice melter before the first big winter storm. When you think about concrete, you usually think about the sidewalk, your driveway and maybe your porch, but waht about your landscape? After all, concrete landscaping is extremely versatile, low maintenance, and is all the rage these days. On top of that, it is an eco-friendly product because it is easily recycled.

You can use concrete landscaping for many different parts of your yard. Most people use concrete designs for the walkways and paths that wind through their gardens. This is more for those with larger yards but even if your yard is small it could do well with a little concrete added in. You could put down a lively patio that you and your friends could it at to have drinks or tea. There is nothing more fun than a little party out on the patio on a nice day. These days you can buy stamps to give the concrete a more natural look and you can also stain it to appear like any stone you can think of.

Stone walls are another form of concrete landscaping that has really caught on like wildfire. Walls are what will frame the whole home. They are the gorgeous and steely frame to the glorious painting that is your front and back yard. There are many other reasons to have concrete landscaping such as walls as well. They make great retaining walls for raised planting beds, and can double as extra seating during your next party. If you want a textured look, concrete walls take well to stucco finishes or even tile to complement the overall theme of your landscape and garden.

Finally, even small concrete stepping stones can add punch to a landscape and function as way to keep you from stomping down your plants as you walk through the beds. The best thing about concrete landscaping is that while it can be functional you can make it look as if it is just there for looks. There is so much that you can do with concrete landscaping because it is so easy to form and work with. You can use concrete landscaping bricks or you can use whole solid slabs. You can even get custom made concrete landscaping stones that are in unique and creative shapes and patters. The best part is that concrete projects are do it yourself friendly. Not all DIY landscape tips are as easy to understand and follow as concrete projects. Take some time and see what all is out there in terms of concrete landscaping, you might just be surprised. Visit the Green Living Blog.

Gardening vegetable plants in a container can be a wonderful hobby. With a little patience, a person can produce bountiful harvests from a few growing plants. Everything from cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, and tomatoes can be grown in containers. Gardening vegetable plants is a little different from producing flowers. With the use of a container, a person now has the option to grow organic food right at their own back door.

The container that will be chosen depends strictly on what organic container gardening plants will be chosen. If tomatoes are the plant, then a perfect way to purchase them would be to find wholesale garden plants. This way many can be bought at once. When selecting a pot, make sure that it is large enough for the plant to grow tall.

gardening vegetable
Also, gardening vegetable plants like tomatoes requires a metal cage to contain the tomato plant. Otherwise, it will be weighted down when it begins to bear fruit. If root crops such as carrots are to be grown, one must be sure to buy a container that is deep enough. A local nursery should be able to help with container gardening ideas for gardening vegetable plants such as carrots.

Another thing to consider when gardening vegetable plants in container gardening ideas is what type of potting mix one will use. The main thing to remember here is to make sure that whatever soil is chosen that it drains well. When dealing with a storage box garden, one must remember that it will dry out faster than a field vegetable would.

raised box garden
By choosing a good potting mix in the beginning, gardening vegetable plants will be easier because the soil will more than likely hold water better. A good way to help this is by putting a thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the container. This will help any drainage issues and will also ensure that root rot is kept at bay.

Gardening vegetable plants in a container can be a great thing for people who have small spaces yet still want to have a garden. No longer is a large plot of land needed to grow crops such as tomatoes, carrots, and eggplant.

container gardening ideas
Anyone with a small space can grow these edible plants quickly and easily in containers if they just take the time to learn all there is to know about gardening vegetable plants in a container. The process of planting in a container may not take long, but the actual wait for scrumptious vegetables can make a person’s mouth water.

Everyone loves it when they can get a bargain and this applies just as much to something such as patio furniture. Garden furniture can be rather costly, particularly if you want a really good luxury garden set and this is why buying discount garden furniture is such a beneficial choice. There are a great number of different outlets that offer affordable outdoor furniture and so if you are interested in getting yourself a bargain then you can at least rest assured knowing this fact.

Where To Find Discount Furniture

Because there are so many options that you have in regards to the matter of discount outdoor furniture, the whole process can often get rather overwhelming and even frustrating.

However, as long as you take some time and effort beforehand and have a bit of patience, you will be fine and the end results will be worth it.

Often looking at some of the outdoor furniture review sites such as Argos Garden Furniture Reviews or B&Q Garden Furniture Stores you can easily stumble across great items in their regular sales.

There are certain qualities that you are going to check that a store has before you purchase from them, and that include top quality products, low and affordable prices, and superior customer service. All of these qualities are incredibly important when it comes to being able to choose the right firm, and so you want to make sure that the companies that you are considering purchasing your garden furniture from have all of these qualities.

One good idea in particular is to ask around to your family and friends, so that you can get some opinions in regards to where you should go in order to buy outdoor furniture.

The reason that this is such a great idea is because now you are getting firsthand knowledge rather than just hearsay, as you are hearing the truth straight from your family members and friends.

If you really want to put some time into this, then you can always take a bit of time and do some research of your own, and this means going online, and reading up.

Whatever you feel like doing, as long as it is going to mean that you have more information in the end then it can only result in a better purchase. Read garden furniture reviews on the shops that you are considering, so that you can get a feel for what they are like, and this will save you an incredible amount of time and cash in the end because you will not have to be going around from store to store trying to find what you are looking for.

I get questions all the time regarding the use of landscape rock vs landscape mulch. The truth is, mulch is better for the health of your landscape, but rock is better for the health of your wallet.
In addition to that, rock is not bad for your plants, it just adds no additional health benefits either. It all comes down to the type of rock you choose, and if you have shopped around at all, you have seen the hundreds of choices available. This article will give you some advice in regards to some of the main points to consider.

Landscape Rock Colors
Of course, the first thing everyone notices is the color of the landscape rock. While the coloring has nothing to do with the plants themselves, it has everything to do with the overall look of your garden and landscape.
I always recommend a color that contrasts with the main color of your house. If you want a clean and subdued look, then choose rock that is in the same color family. In other words, if you have beige siding, go with a tan or beige rock. If you have red brick, then choose red rock, preferably a shade or two darker.
For more pop, choose a brighter color that complements the trim color of your house. Keep in mind that darker colors will absorb heat, and this can stress out your plants in the summer and may require you irrigate more often.

Landscape Rock Size
This element is important for many reasons. First off, consider the type plants in your landscape. If you have a lot of soft-bodied perennials like daylily or hosta, then larger rocks can inhibit their growth each year as they send up new leaves. In this case, you would want a smaller rock that they can push through with little trouble.
Larger rocks, however, will not move around as much if you have kids who tend to talk in the landscape beds. In addition, smaller rocks can be washed out in heavy rains. The best choice is a rock that is medium-sized.

Landscape Rock Texture
By far, the most popular landscape rocks are lava rocks. They are rough around the edges. This can also harm plants if too many are stacked up directly around the stems. Another popular choice is river stone. The only drawback here is weight. River stones are very heavy and can compact the soil around the plants and stunt their growth. On the positive side, the river stones are smooth and won’t cut into the plants and stems.

My Best Recommendation
This is purely preference, but my favorite landscape stone is good old fashioned pea gravel. Pea gravel most normally comes in beige or white and can be easily integrated into any landscape and look good. Pea gravel is also easy to handle and spreads very nicely, meaning you need less of it to cover your beds.
Pea gravel is smooth and will not get in the way of plant growth. You can even grow bulbs in a landscape bed with pea gravel. Tulips and daffodils will have no trouble pushing through each spring.

While winter is almost here and you are surely thinking about purchasing snow melt and ice melting products, now is a great time to think ahead to next spring and be prepared to add in some landscape rock to give your garden a clean and organized look.

Organic gardening can very well pass up as a hobby for starters. This can be true if you are the kind of person who has the passion for gardening. This may not be everybody’s cup of tea. So consider yourself lucky if you are among those who can grow green things out of the blue.

Gardening requires certain skills. You have to understand the type of soil, what kind of plants you can place on them, how you will take care of those plants, aside from the many other considerations that you must be aware of when you are serious about it.

It may sound complicated enough for the beginners. But if you have been marked as the one with a green thumb and you’ve already honed you skills on this, then you might as well try the organic way of gardening. This method is particularly special as well as hard. It will require you to double your effort as compared with the regular stuff that you do with the usual gardening tricks.

The Concept
The basic rule on this type of gardening is that you will only use synthetic products in all your endeavor with regards to the task. This will include the important elements such as the fertilizers and the pesticides.

You can actually get from the earth what you will then use for your organic venture into gardening. You will use such elements to be able to grow something new, these are your plants, your vegetables or whatever greens you may want to grow. Do you get the picture? To look at it from a bird’s eye view, it is like working closely with nature. Or as others may say, this is like being one with nature.

Organic Fertilizers
Is there such a thing, you may ask? Yes, and you are the one to make it. You can actually perform composting on the materials found on your garden. You can use fallen leaves and twigs, animal manure, but this will depend on the type, and many more.

Organic Pesticides
This type of gardening wants, as much as possible, to stay away from pesticides. But if you can’t afford to pick the insects one by one by your bare hands, then you can go to your local grocery store and ask for an organic pesticide that is available commercially.

The old way really is to be vigilant with your garden and take off every pest that you see. You should only turn to the organic pesticides when it becomes too many and uncontrollable that you can no longer handle. You can also try to bring in the animals that feed on those pests. This way, you’ll have some help in picking those pests up. And that is also helping the other animals satisfy their hunger.

As a hobby, this may be time consuming. So if you cannot devote enough time into it, might as well find a partner or drop the idea until you’ve found the right time to carry on with the tasks.

Organic gardening really entails a lot of hard work. So you better be prepared to perspire in the process. To ease your tiredness when you are already into it too deep, just think that what you are doing is helping nature. This is your way of giving back what nature has bestowed on you since the day you were born.

When it’s time to spruce up your patio or deck with new dining furniture, a good choice to consider are teak tables which are well suited for outdoor living needs. The furniture that is made from teak wood has several benefits that are unique and makes it a great choice, which would account for its wide popularity.

One of the first things that attracts people to teak tables, chairs or lounges for their outdoor living space is the simple, natural beauty of the wood. It has a look that is at once at home in the out-of-doors, while also being elegant and exuding luxury.

teak tables
Teak is a hardwood that has a long standing reputation for durability because it is very resistant to the ravages of insects, fungi and severe weather. For these reasons it has been a material used in marine settings and by ship builders for centuries. [/spin]It is even said that some of the first teak tables were crafted by ship builders for use on the vessels. |Also, there is a tradition that states that the first teak tables were made by ship builders for use in the ships they were building. |Some even say that the first teak tables where made by the men crafting sailing vessels to be used onboard.[/spin]

There is a wide variety of teak garden furniture available in many styles which are suited both for indoor and outdoor use. While the most common place you will find teak tables is on the sundeck or the patio, there are also many who use their teak dining furniture inside their homes, where it fits in just as well, making a statement of warmth and richness.

teak garden furniture
Teak comes from the deciduous teak trees, which were originally found primarily in Indonesia. However, to meet the growing demand for this remarkable wood, many plantations now grow it throughout South America and Africa, helping to assure a steady supply of teak furniture and teak accessories long into the future.

Beautiful teak tables or any item make of teak, will start out with a rich golden brown color, which is warm and distinctive. Many people simply love the natural color of this wood and treat their teak benches with teak oil once or twice a year to maintain the warm glow and to keep the hardwood moisturized and healthy. These treatments also assure that the wood does not change color when used in outdoor settings.

However, some people prefer to have their teak outdoor furniture change to its natural weathered patina. It is a beautiful silvery-grey tone and is another distinctive feature of this wood. While leaving teak to weather naturally in the elements, there will be some small cracks that appear on the surface, but the strength and durability will remain. To achieve the weathered look, simply do not apply the teak oil to your furniture items.

teak patio sets
Another of the benefits of teak is that, while there are many styles to choose from, it seems that most teak furniture blends together easily so that you can mix and match your furnishings and still enjoy a cohesive look. There is an underlying feeling of strength and luxury that is inherent in teak wood.

It could be that the teak tables you add to your patio or deck may just kick off a teak furniture collection. Other great pieces such as teak loungers, teak Adirondak chairs and teak benches that you can find in outdoor patio living pieces, will make a great statement of quality and luxury.