Gardening Article: Painting a Picture of Your Dream Garden

Most gardeners and even aspiring green thumbs have fanciful visions of what their dream garden would look like. Without the constraints of cost, space and a lack of free time, most gardeners would adore fleshing out their current space into something fit to be a photographer's muse. But it's those constraints that force gardeners to pick and choose what’s most important — or so they may think.

While some limits are hard to overcome, creativity goes a long way in the garden. Colors, plant combinations, foliage types and other factors can all be manipulated to change your garden space and bring it closer to your ideal conception. It's worth any gardener's time to do some research and create a comprehensive idea of what their dream garden would look like — with that vision in hand, you can proceed with working toward that goal. Here are some considerations to help you in that pursuit.

Focus on Garden Colors and Foliage

The visual aesthetic of a garden is one of its important aspects. Bright colors offering great contrasts with one another will be a great installation in your yard. You can complement these bold colors with lush green foliage that serves as a visual backdrop—consider trees as well as shrubbery, but don't use too much shade in the garden area, and remember to choose plants accordingly.

When you're looking for the best color combinations, red and yellow often seem to stand out. You can pair these colors together in a variety of ways, from bold red and yellow tulips to more sedate wildflowers of the same color. Or, for a more offbeat, but visually striking pairing, consider the fiery spires of the celosia paired with a yellow butter rose. Allow yourself to experiment with different combinations to give your garden the precise feelings you’re seeking.

Consider Garden Curb Appeal

How your garden looks from a distance should matter, especially if you might eventually sell the home. Some landscaping in and around the garden area can give it a more open, cultivated feel, and these features will be more evident from a distance than the individual plants. Also consider adding trellises, stones and other garden accessories to diversify the textures and features. And when choosing plants, consider ones that will attract favorable wildlife, particularly birds. A birdbath can look impressive on its own, but add a small bubbler in it and the pleasant noise will drown out nearby traffic and attract birds at the same time.

The Challenges of Shade in the Garden

Whether you're overexposed or are struggling to get your plants enough sunlight, the amount of shade is an important consideration. Lighting is sometimes overlooked as an aspect of garden care, but the location of your garden will determine how successful its plants are. Choose a garden plot carefully and keep in mind how the daily sunlight will affect the plants you’re able to grow. Remember that you can plant trees to provide shade if your garden is getting too much sun and the plants are struggling.

Investing in Yard Privacy

If you'd prefer to enjoy your garden in relative privacy, a fence—particularly a wood privacy fence—will keep intruding eyes out of your area. You can also consider cultivating thick shrubbery as a natural hedge, if you want to keep appearances as natural as possible.

Follow a Garden Style Guide

If and when you've settled on a garden style, seek out a guide to help you create that space. Garden guides for cottage, country and Japanese gardens are all easily found in stores and online, and they can help you form your space by showing aspects you might have overlooked.

Gardens can be as simple or as complex as you'd like. If you're only interested in learning to grow some plants or flowers, you might not need to invest a ton of thought into the garden as a cohesive unit. But if you want to maximize its value and aesthetic qualities, do your homework and piece together a space that will be greater than the sum of its parts.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master's degree.

The LAShop - Patio Furniture Wood Market Umbrella Review

The LAShop.com was kind enough to send me a sample of their outdoor furniture to review. I chose their Wood Market Umbrella for the review. The LAShop.com sells a wide variety of unique and quality products, including a number of outdoor and gardening products at great prices.

I received the Wood Market Umbrella via UPS, it was packaged in a long box covered in plastic and securly wrapped. When opening the package the Wood Market Umbrella was in excellent shape, the material was sturdy and the green color was the same as the photos of the product online. The wood pole was made of heavy wood, painted brown and felt of a substantial weight, and the umbrella material was lightweight but sturdy. The patio umbrella does not come with a stand, you must have a patio table with stand for the umbrella.

I placed the umbrella into my patio stand and the pole was slightly smaller but fit perfectly once I tightened the part of the stand to hold the umbrella. Opening the umbrella was easy to do and the coverage of the patio table was perfect! There is a handy rope that helps you raise and open the umbrella, and there is a metal piece you place at the top underneath the umbrella that keeps it in place. The spokes under the umbrella are attractive and sturdy, holding up well to the coastal wind here on the north coast. I often use my patio table for plants I'm rooting and also for picnics in summer on the deck. There was plenty of shade over the table and the umbrella will come in handy with the drizzles and showers we experience here on the north coast of California.

The package included:

• 1x 8 Feet High-Quality Umbrella
• 1x Top Finial For Umbrella
• 1x Bottom Pole

Features:

• Umbrella available in Green, Red, Tan and White.
• 8 Feet in diameter.
• Solid wood poles unscrew at middle for easy and compact storage.
• UV protective and anti-fade polyester.
• Water-proof canopy for outdoor scenery & breeze enjoyment even when drizzling.
• 8 firm ribs construction, the most stable support to the canopy.
• Attractive matching air vented top.
• Firm supporting nail fixed on pole when stretched.
• Pulley and rope for convenient lifting and lowering.
• Finials of each rib wrapped with cloth to assure stability and best stretch.
• Can be mounted on your existing stand or in the middle of tables if holes available.
• Tool free erection and retraction.
• Perfect for garden, gazebo, sandy beach, pub street, business street, lakeside fishing and more.

The list price for this 8 foot patio umbrella is $73.99, LAShop.com's sale price is $59.99, saving you 19% on the purchase.

I found the Wood Market Umbrella is well-made, colorful and easy to install and use. I recommend LAShop.com's Wood Market Umbrella as a good quality outdoor product that will be a great addition to your back yard furniture and will beautify your garden area.

Deer Resistant Groundcovers

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Deer will eat just about anything if they are hungry enough, so be prepared to see nibbles on your plants if food is scare. Here are some plants and shrubs that will help keep the deer from being interested in eating them. Low growing heathers are a good choice because they always look good with only a trim of old flowers off the stems, they tend to be strong growing shrubs. Kramer’s Rote is a beautiful green leaf heather with abundant pink and cream flowers that looks good all year long and grows about a foot tall and twice as wide. Catnip may float cat’s boats but deer do not like the aroma of this plant. Blue Wonder is a dwarf catnip that grows about a foot tall. Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is another choice for planting that deters deer and always looks good in the garden. Lilyturf (Liriope spicata) is an ornamental grass that grows only 1 inch high and produces a spikey flower when blooming. Low growing herbs such as Thyme are a good choice for gardens and less appealing to Deer. Wooley Thyme (creeping thyme) is a good choice for a thicker version of thyme with a wooley texture that forms a wide mat when growing, keeping weeds down and looking attractive beneath the base of other plants. Lambs Ear Silver Carpet is a perfect low growing ground cover, give it a lot of room to grow. This non-flowering Lambs Ear creates a thick carpet of silvery shaped leaves that crowds out weeds and makes a great easy care groundcover for hard to plant areas.

Time for Trimming in the Spring Garden

We've been able to get out in the garden over the past few weeks and mowed the overgrown lawn. I did some trimming of the fuchsias in the back yard; these two-toned pink fuchsias grow really big and are covered with flowers during the summer months. My heather barrel near the dining room window is doing well; the heathers seem to be full-sized finally and are just the right size for the barrel. There have been some blooms but I'm hoping they will bloom better this coming year. The barrel in the back yard near the parking pad where our car is parked has herbs and heathers in it. Unfortunately the mint plant we planted is taking over the barrel so I'll need to move my other herbs and heathers sometime this spring or summer. I knew that mint can be invasive but we really wanted a mint plant and so we took a chance. We certainly will have plenty of mint! Our last mint plant was in a smaller pot and it never did much of anything but this spearmint plant is really growing fast. Just means we need an additional barrel for the back yard. I'm thinking I'll ask for a new birdbath for my birthday or Christmas this year, the old birdbath has always been a little too deep for most of the small birds to drink from. The birdbath's coating is peeling and it is looking pretty worn out at this point. I guess I've had it for a good fifteen to twenty years so it's done well for a cheapy birdbath. I've always wanted a mosaic birdbath so maybe I'll get one of those this year.

Gardening Article: Tips for a Greener Lawn This Spring

Step away from the lawn mower...

Spring is finally here, although in many parts of the country it's coming in slowly. Soon the yard is going to be lush and green, and this is the month to think about prepping it for the coming growing season. Here's what you need to do to have a lush, healthy lawn.

Think About Weeds Now

Weeds are the enemy of a healthy lawn, and they are already starting to germinate. Get a head start by applying weed control now, rather than later when they are growing strong. Using a pre-emergent herbicide is going to be far more effective than trying to kill the weeds once they have sprouted. If you're going to aerate your lawn, do this first, not after, applying the herbicide.

Treat Bare Areas

Bare areas are a recipe for a weed problem, and they are unsightly as well. In addition to applying a weed control product, you may need to overseed your lawn. Overseeding means applying seed to bare patches in your lawn. This is best done in the fall, but you can do it in the spring if you have a desperate situation. Apply seed to lawns in bare spots to prevent weeds and crabgrass from growing in these spots.

Prep Your Hose

You're going to rely on your garden hose and sprinkler to keep the lawn lush in dry spells. Make sure its ready and free of holes. If you need to replace it, do so now, rather than waiting until you have a parched lawn and no way to water it. Run some water through the hose to inspect for leaks, and replace if needed.

Apply Fertilizer

In the spring, fertilizer gives the lawn the boost it needs to grow healthy. However, you must use it properly to avoid damaging the lawn. Choose a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, and use no more than a pound per 1,000 square feet of lawn. The best time to apply fertilizer is going to vary depending on your region. A good rule of thumb is to watch the turf. When you notice the turf beginning to grow, it's time for fertilizer.

Protect from Pests and Disease

Many fertilizers or herbicides have built in pest control or disease prevention. If yours doesn't, then you want to look for a product that will keep grubs and disease at bay. Choose a product that is specific to the type of pests in your area for the best result. Then, watch your lawn as it grows for signs of disease, and repair as needed.

Mow with Caution

Don't go crazy with the lawn mower in the spring. Yes, getting out there and mowing is exciting because it feels like summer time, but if you mow too often or cut the grass too short, you will ruin it. Research the right cutting length for the type of grass you have, and mow only when you are removing the top third of the blades. This will protect the grass from damage and also help the clippings to decompose easily.

Your lawn is just starting to turn from dormant to thriving. Give it the boost it needs with the right spring lawn care. If you put in the work now, your lawn will reward you with beautiful, lush, green grass all summer long.

Image courtesy of stockphotosforfree.com.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master's degree.

Storing Saved Seed From the Garden

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

When you collect flower seeds from your garden, wait until the seed is fully dry. Any moisture in your storage package can ruin your seed. Take dry seed, add it to a paper envelope and seal with tape to assure no moisture gets into the envelope. Write the date and year the seed was taken, all pertinent info about the growing of the plant, area you plant the seeds in your garden, and any other notes you need to keep on the plant. Store seeds in a cool area, a shoe box with small envelopes holding your seeds will be easy to sift through when it comes time for planting. Another method for storing is storing dried seed in the refrigerator in small, airtight baggies. The vegetable crisper works well, you want it cool but not freezing cold. You can use plastic envelopes from a craft store or Tupperware containers. If a refrigerator is not available a cool dark drawer or cupboard works best. Vegetable and annual seed may be stored up to 2 to 3 years in a cool area.

Grow Your Garden on a Budget

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

If you are on a tight budget but want to grow the size of your garden, use what you already have available in your garden. Think swapping seeds, plants, or bulbs either locally, or seek out gardening forums with swap sections on the site. You'd be surprised how much seed and bulbs are traded or given away by members who have too much in their garden. Seed swapping is as easy as a self-addressed, stamped envelope mailed for trading or receiving free seed. If you have an excess of seed or plants grow your own and sell them at a farmers market, or add to your own garden. Read up on how to propagate your own shrubs from cuttings, a little hormone powder, some baggies to create moisture, and you are on your way to creating new plants. If you aren't the best at saving seed or propagating via cuttings, sometimes taking a piece of plant, such as a fuchsia, is easy enough to root in a glass of water, it only requires patience. Do a little research online to find out how you can build on your garden, join gardening communities, and always be ready to learn more about gardening.

Gardening Article: Have Fun and Learn Life Skills When you Garden With Your Kids

Do you kids love playing in the dirt? Start a garden, and let them get as dirty as they want. As your family works together to grow yummy food and fresh flowers, teach important life skills right in your backyard.

Give Them Fun Tasks

Your kids probably won’t need any encouragement to work in the dirt, but you can always add games to make gardening tasks more appealing. Give them a small spade, and tell them to dig for worms or buried treasure. They’ll gladly dig holes all day before you insert the seeds.

They’ll also enjoy watering the garden. Every day, they can carry small watering cans or the hose to the garden. As a reward, let them run in the sprinkler for a few minutes after they finish giving the garden a drink.

To you, weeding is a chore, but your little ones will do most of the work when you challenge them to a race. Teach them to identify the plants you don’t want them to pull then assign a row to each child. Whoever reaches the end of the row first wins an extra snack or a later bedtime.

Pests often live in gardens and destroy your hard work. Arm your kids with a magnifying glass and a bucket of soapy water. Any worms or bugs they find will die in the water then you can treat the pests as you work together to keep the garden stay healthy all summer.

Look for Teaching Opportunities

Gardening provides fresh produce and gorgeous blooms for your table, but it also provides teachable moments. Look for these moments as you dig in the dirt and care for the plants.

Teach responsibility, independence and sustainability when you give each child a separate area to care for. They can choose the seeds to plant then water, weed and nurture their section. And each child gets to enjoy the first fruits of their labor after waiting so patiently for the harvest.

Spend Time in the Garden as a Family

As with any chore, gardening goes faster if you do it yourself. But your entire family benefits when you work together to cultivate a fruitful garden. In addition to getting everyone outside into the fresh air and away from the computer or television screen, gardening provides hours of opportunity to spend quality time laughing, playing and working toward a common goal. It builds relationships and memories.

Gardening is also convenient. Simply walk outside and start playing. You don’t have to worry about packing a snack bag, being home in time for naps or finding the nearest bathroom for potty breaks.

You won’t spend a fortune gardening. You probably already have all the equipment you need, but take advantage of sales at your local garden center if you need tools or supplies. You can also improvise. Start seeds in empty yogurt cups. Blow weeds into a manageable pile with a leaf blower. Fill clean gallon milk jugs with water. With creativity, start, nurture and harvest your garden on a budget.

What’s your favorite part of gardening? Share your passion with your kids and spend all summer together growing vegetables, fruit and flowers.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master's degree.

Flowers for a Cottage Garden

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Cottage gardens are a traditional English garden that has loose, flowing flowers instead of straight, ordered plantings. Cottage gardens often use annuals that reseed readily, adding to an already dense planting of flowers. Cottage gardens use plants ranging from annuals, perennials, roses, bulbs, vines, and shrubs for garden structure. Roses are always a good choice, particularly climbing roses. Place your roses on a trellis or archway leading into the garden. Foxgloves, lupines, hollyhocks, and delphiniums are all lovely plants with a tall vertical spires and beautiful flowers that will give structure to your cottage garden. For lower to mid-growing plants for your cottage garden bachelor's buttons, Canterbury bells, clematis, columbines, coneflowers, cosmos, dianthus, forget-me-nots, larkspur, nasturtiums, sweet pea, wallflowers, and pansies are good choices to fill the garden.

Early And Late Summer Bulbs For The Garden

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

As we approach spring its not too early to start thinking about summer planting. Summer bulbs provide brilliant color blooms during the summer months. If you want a continuous bloom in your summer garden, try these plants for a succession of flowers all summer long.

Early Summer Bloom

Aliums
Arum Italicum
Asiatic Lilies
Begonia
Calla Lilies
Foxtail Lilies
Galtonia
Iris
Naked Ladies Lilies
Oriental Lilies
Peruvian Daffodils
Trumpet Lilies

Late Summer Bloom

Canna
Crocosmia
Dahlia
Gladiolus
Pineapple Lily
Ranunculus
Spire Lily

Gardening Article: 10 Great Gifts for Gardeners

This year, the groundhog did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring. As gardeners in your life are itching to start their spring cleanup by pruning, planting and sowing seeds, surprise them with a gift that's sure to please. These gifts run the gamut in terms of cost, so there's bound to be something for everyone on your wish list. Consider these 10 gift ideas.

1. Gathering basket: Gathering baskets are perfect for safeguarding those fresh-cut flowers or just-harvested veggies. Gift an elegant, stylish modern or vintage gardening basket -- something your gardener may not already have and will almost certainly love.

2. Trimmers: Gardeners may have lawns with ragged edges because they don't want to mow too close to the garden bed. Enter trimmers, which allow gardeners to get up close to the garden bed without harming flowers. An electric or battery-powered trimmer should suffice for most home gardeners.

3. Garden signs: Plant tags are a practical necessity for seed-sown gardens. Look at craft fairs, upscale garden shops or online boutiques like Etsy to find unique plant tags that are works of art themselves.

4. Birdhouses: Give the gift of bird song by gifting a birdhouse or bird feeder. There are many attractive styles and shapes to choose from. If your gardener already has the basics, consider gifting a hummingbird feeder and nectar, or a handmade wooden birdhouse.

5. Gardening book: From fancy coffee table books to sturdy how-to manuals, gardening books run the gamut. Skip the basic books and choose a title that covers something practical and useful, such as square foot gardening, shade gardening or organic garden management.

6. Garden clogs: If your gardener's crocs are wearing out, upgrade to a new pair of gardening clogs or work shoes. The right pair of gardening should be waterproof, flexible and sturdy. If you plan to give shoes, know the right shoe size or get a gift receipt.

7. Gardening gloves: Gardening gloves receive a lot of wear and tear, since gardeners wear them for all tasks. Surprise your favorite gardener with a new pair of gloves. Look for gloves that are water resistant and offer padding on the fingers and palms. This prevents blisters that arise from holding equipment or tools. Tip: Choose machine washable gloves to score a home run with this gift.

8. Bulbs: What better what to signify that spring in on the way than with gift-wrapped bulbs. Classic spring bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, are planted in the autumn months. Think ahead to summer with beautiful bulbs such as dahlia, calla lily, oriental lily or elephant ear.

9. Pocket pruners: Pruners rust when left in the rain and lose their sharp edge with repeated use. Consider getting existing pruners sharpened or replacing them with a new pair of pocket pruners. Gardeners reach for these to trim shrubs, cut flowers for the home and prune suckers off tomato plants.

10. Watering can: Watering cans wear down over time, as metal ones lose shape or develop a drip. While this seems like a simple gift, what gardener wouldn't enjoy a watering can that saves on labor of lugging buckets of water back and forth from the home to the deck? One to try includes the U Can watering can, which stores fertilizer and even reminds gardeners when it's time to fertilize plants again.

Find these gardening gifts and so many more at your favorite garden store. You just may find a new plant or gardening supply item for yourself while browsing, too.

Image courtesy of Etsy.com.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master's degree.

Gardening Article: Bird Feeding 101

Attracting wild birds to your garden is as easy as choosing a bird feeder and filling it with birdseed. However, the type of bird seed you choose, and the design of feeder will determine the species of bird you attract to you garden.

Choosing your bird seed

Bird Seed Mixtures usually contain maize, sunflower seeds and crushed peanuts. If you wish to attract the greatest variety of birds then a good quality seed mix will be a great choice, however you need to be careful when buying seed mixtures as lower quality mixtures will contain a lot of cheaper fillers to bulk the mixtures, such as dried rice, and beans. Larger chunked foods such as beans and barley grains can only be consumed by larger beaked birds such as blackbirds and pigeons. Smaller birds such as house sparrows, finches and tits will prefer smaller mouthfuls such as sunflower seeds, crushed nuts and pinhead oatmeal.

"Black" Sunflower Seed is popular with a variety of seed eating birds. Bird seeds are surrounded by a protective shell which will sometimes be too tough for smaller birds to penetrate. However in the case of Black Sunflower Seeds the shells are very thin and can be penetrated by the smallest of birds such as tits and robins. The other added benefit is that it contains a high fat content. We advise that you provide a fatty foods during the winter months as many birds will rely on their fat stores to survive when food is more scarce.

Peanuts also contain a high fat content making it a perfect winter food. Peanut feed will usually come as ‘whole nuts’ or ‘crushed’. Only larger beaked birds such as blackbirds, starling or pigeons will be able to consume whole nuts. Although robins are smaller beaked birds they are very fond of peanuts. If you wish to attract smaller birds to your garden, then choose a "crushed peanut".

The Nyjer Seed is a very important source of food for goldfinches, bullfinches and chaffinches but will also attract robins and siskins. Nyjer can be purchased cheaply but requires a special type of bird feeder to administer as the seed is quite fine.

Choosing the best feeder

Many garden birding hobbyists will keep multiple feeders to attract a variety of birds. The problem with having a single feeding station is that larger birds such as blackbirds can dominate the feeding area, preventing smaller birds from accessing.

Nyjer Seed Feeder are designed with smaller feeding holes, therefore only smaller species of birds such as finches and siskins can access the feeders. We suggest if you keep multiple feeders, then keep them at least 3 meters apart so that more timid birds are not scared away by larger species.

Tube feeders are the most common bird feeder design. Most hobbyist will fill these with a seed mixture to attract the most amount of birds.

The problem with traditional tube feeders is that they can only hold a single type of feed. Triple Tube bird feeders can hold three different types of feed and provide a better option if you hope to attract a variety of birds.

Window feeder can be attached to window panes via a sticky suction plunger. Many city birders keep window feeders as an attractive window feature and a way to closely inspect wild birds without the risk of scaring them away.

Image courtesy of www.wildbirdfeeders.co.uk.

About the author: Written by Lynne Dickson, Marketing Manager at Wild Bird Feeders. Wild Bird Feeders is the global leader in Bird Seed Feeders and wild bird feeding. We have an extensive range of products, from Peanut Bird Feeders to triple tube feeders. For more information all about birds, please visit www.wildbirdfeeders.co.uk.

Garden Plant Care Tips During Frost And Freeze Weather

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Water your container plants when temps are expected to dip below freezing the next morning, the water keeps the plant roots from going below 32 degrees. When water freezes, it releases heat, acting as an insulator to plant root systems during cold weather. In-ground plants need mulching during winter to help protect them against frost. Plants that are budding ready to bloom have a bigger chance of dropping buds when spring is near and heavy frosts occur. To protect fragile plants use an old sheet or commercial frost cover. Do not use plastic only as a protective cover since plastic heats up considerably when the sun hits it and can burn plants. Plastic can be used over a piece of cloth for added warmth for plants. Remove cloth and plastic first thing in the morning to keep condensation from forming and damaging the plant the next night during a freeze. Use burlap to surround your plants. Create an insulation barrier around your plants to protect them from freezes. Place wooden stakes around the perimeter of your plant then wrap burlap around the outside of the stakes. Use leaves or hay inside the area of the burlap next to the plant to help insulate them. Remove the wrap and insulation the next morning so the plants receive needed sunlight. Bring in container plants that are outdoors when frost is imminent, or move container plants into a greenhouse when available to protect plants. Use use quick hoops to cover vegetables in your garden during freezing weather. Hoops are a tunnel shaped device with a cover that can act as a greenhouse to cover your vegetable crop. Plant low lying, dense ground cover surrounding the base of tender shrubs, the ground cover acts as mulch during colder weather.

How to Grow Bird of Paradise From Seed

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Bird of Paradise gets its name from the striking flower heads produced on long stems. These tall plants can grow up 3 to 5 feet in height. I remember my father growing a bed of purple bearded iris and a Bird of Paradise plant. I finally decided to purchase seeds and try my hand at growing Bird of Paradise. From what I've read once Bird of Paradise starts growing from seed it can take 3 to 5 years before the plant blooms, but the beautiful flowers are worth the wait.

You can help the Bird of Paradise seeds sprout quicker by scraping the seeds with a metal nail file. Scrape a small section of the side of the seed, then soak the seeds for at least 4 hours or overnight. Plant in the ground directly or in a pot. Another method is to cool the Bird of Paradise seed before planting for a few weeks, then nick each seed (called scarification) to help the seeds germinate.

I'm not sure how well this plant will do with my coastal weather but I'm willing to give it a try. So far the seeds that were simply filed and soaked in water have not sprouted, while my sweet peas that received the same treatment are growing well. The next set of Bird of Paradise seeds are in the fridge being cooled and will be planted in the coming weeks. Since Bird of Paradise is a tropical plant perhaps a warmer weather area will help the seeds sprout and grow more readily.

Learn more about How to Plant Bird of Paradise Seeds.

You may also want to check here to learn more about How to Grow Bird of Paradise Plants.

And here to learn how to help Bird of Paradise plants bloom their best.

Protecting Plants In Cold Weather

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Plants often need extra protection during colder months. As we head into fall and winter, rains, cold temperatures and frost can damage many tender garden plants. A good rule of thumb is to mulch heavily at the base of plants that have difficulty with cold weather and frost. Keep mulch away from stems of plants when applying. Water plants before frost arrives. If you are concerned about tender plants and have a greenhouse dig them up and pot them up then place in the greenhouse for the colder months. For delicate roses surround them with chicken wire cage and fill the cage with leaves as a natural mulch. You can use sheets covered with plastic tarp to surround your plant stems when frosts hit, clothespins work well to gather edges together. Do not use plastic only, plastic conducts the cold and can make it colder under the plastic for the plant. Cut a hole in gallon plastic containers and cover smaller plants, the plastic will help keep the plant stem warmed. Container plants can be brought into the greenhouse or garage until frosts have passed. Add gallon jugs of warm-to-hot water under sheets to help keep temps under the sheets warmer for your plants during frosts.

Gardening Article: Increase Your Crop Yield by Using Marigold in Permaculture

Permaculture is basically about how plants and animals are dependent on each other in their respective functions in nature. There is a general belief among gardeners that planting a combination of plants in a garden can prevent insect infestation.

Marigold is often recommended as a plant which can be used in gardens to prevent nematode and insect damage. However, there are doubts about marigold ability to repel insects. One particular pest that favors marigold is Spider mites, and since these pests are also attracted to other vegetables such as tomatoes it wouldn’t be beneficial to plant marigold with these crops. Spider mites can accumulate on marigold and then spread out to your vegetable plants.

Marigold Control Nematodes

Marigold can help to keep those dangerous nematodes under control. Nematodes are tiny microscopic worms that invade the roots of several vegetables and cause a decline in both the quality and yield. Nematodes favorite plants are tomatoes, but now-a-days the majority of tomato cultivars are bred to be nematode resistant. If your garden is under nematode attack, the adverse effect will be visible by the middle of summer.

Marigold produces a substance that deters nematodes. Research indicates that asparagus, castor beans, pangola grass and neem all produce substances which can kill one or more types of nematodes. Marigold is unlike these plants in that it acts like a trap crop. As the nematodes move onto the plants, they die because they are unable to generate any effective breeding site. Marigolds can control many kinds of nematodes but they are most effective on the root-knot and legions types.

When and How to Plant Marigold

Nematode control is dependent on how marigold is planted and the time it is planted. It doesn’t make sense to plant them beside crops that are prone to root-knot nematodes because this will not be effective, since the root-knot nematodes will amass on predisposed plants. The best thing to do is to plant marigold as cover crops. You should plant marigolds in the rows or the areas where you intend to lessen the problem of nematode build-up. The early crops for summer such as cucumbers, garlic, squash, snap beans, tomatoes, onions and strawberries are usually removed after they have completed their production. You can plant marigold in the same place where these uprooted plants were planted.

Since marigold will only be effective in controlling nematodes for just one crop, you should ensure that the necessary precautions are to be taken to prevent an increase in the nematode population.

Identifying Nematodes

Nematodes are present in all soil types. While these parasitic nematodes are there, they do not have to be present in such great numbers so as to create a problem in your plants. They only pose a problem when the population is large. Nematodes are microscopic in size; therefore if you suspect that they are present in your garden, it’s impossible to see them with your naked eye.

When you become suspicious of their presence call on your Agricultural Extension Office and ask for nematode assay kit. Soil samples that you collect and submit will be tested in the lab for evaluation. If the sample shows high levels of nematode, and is cause for concern, then marigold can be used as a cover crop for control.

Image courtesy of stockphotosforfree.com.

About the author: Lucas Barnes writes about gardening on his site Plantdex.

Bulbs That Bloom In Spring

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Spring is the time of year when flowers start to bloom again after the cold dark winter months. Spring bulbs are a great choice to fill out your garden and provide spring colors between established shrubs and plants. Many bulbs manage to naturalise once planted, multiplying your bulbs and color in your garden year after year. Here are some good choices for spring blooming:

Early Spring:
Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow)
Eranthis (Winter Aconite)
Galanthus (Snowdrop)

Mid-Spring:
Anemone (Windflower)
Crocus (Crocus)
Hyacinthus (Hyacinth)
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
Narcissus (Daffodil)
Scilla (Bluebell)
Tulipa (Tulip)

Late Spring:
Allium (Allium)
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)
Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower)
Trillium (Wood Lily)

Fall And Winter Plants For Garden Structure

Republished from my blog gardeningbytes.com.

Set up your garden to look good in fall and winter. The use of structural plants will provide your garden shape and color during colder months when little is blooming. Plant trees with interesting branch shapes such as curly willow. Trees with interesting and colorful bark, like dogwood, japanese barberry, scots pine, and japanese kerria, provide interesting shapes and texture in the garden. Include shrubs with evergreen leaves that do not drop for green throughout the cold seasons. Plants with seed pods are also a decorative choice for the winter garden.

Facts About Christmas Trees Infographic

You may think you know all there is to know about Christmas trees but All-In-One Garden Centre begs to differ. They created this fact filled infographic with everything you can think of pertaining to Christmas trees. Do you know where the largest Christmas trees in the world are located? Do you have any idea of the number Christmas trees grown annually worldwide? How did the tradition of Christmas trees begin? Learn this and more in the infographic below.

Artificial Christmas Trees from All-In-One Garden Centre

Gardening Article: Gifts for Gardeners

How do Gardeners share their love and passion outside of their garden? The joy of soil between your fingers and sunshine on your back is hard to encapsulate in a present. Give the gift of nature to the special gardener in your life with handmade gifts created with flowers and plants. Here are some of my favorite handmade gifts that any nature lover would enjoy.

1. Pink-Purple Rose Geranium Pressed Flower Petal Necklace by IMPRESSED by Nature

What gardener wouldn’t love this beautiful unique necklace made out of real geranium flower petals? The artist, Kyla, selects real flower petals and presses them with a flower press she made herself and then she seals them in light-weight durable sealant that protects the petals and makes the petals’ true color last longer. Wearing this beautifully designed necklace will bring you closer to nature even though you are far from your garden. An avid gardener herself, Kyla grows many of the flowers she uses in her unique jewelry in Oakland, CA and sometimes she buys them from local flower farms. This holiday season, you can also save 20% off jewelry from IMPRESSED by nature.

2. Pressed Flowers Adjustable Ring by Pressed Flower Jewelry

Your gardener friend would love to wear a bouquet on their finger like this lovely ring made of a colorful variety of real flowers that were picked, dried and pressed in early summer and then sealed in clear resin. So many delicate flowers and leaves are captured and preserved in this ring, it’s like wearing a miniature garden on your finger. Just remember to remove your ring or cover your hands with gloves when you garden.

3. Velutina Hanging Air Plant Terrarium With Moss by Plantology

Bring the beauty of nature indoors with this simple and pretty hanging teardrop shaped terrarium that’s beautifully arranged with a Velutina air plant and lime green preserved moss. Any garden lover would appreciate this bubble of greenery to decorate their home especially during the stormiest of winter days. Michelle, the creator, graduated with a degree in horticulture and landscape architecture and her passion for garden design goes into each of her carefully cultivated terrariums.

Celebrate Mother Earth’s gifts with these handmade products inspired by nature and made with natural materials. Find that special unique gift that perfectly matches your gardener friend’s passion for cultivating flowers and nature.

Images courtesy of NerdWallet.com

About the author: Rita Chu is the Community Manager for NerdWallet Indie, where shoppers can find Etsy coupon codes and save on fun and unique holiday gifts.