Archive for the ‘Garden’ Category
Easy Shop to Garden Trees and Plants
There is no other better place I’d likely to recommend you to visit for garden trees but KingCo co uk website. For you who ever been troubled in finding collections of trees and plants for your new garden, you may go online now for instant access to various garden tree stores with of course wider options of plants you can explore. And visiting this site won’t only find you great collections of garden trees, but also competitive pricing to save your money with it.
KingCo is there to offer you best collections of conifers and other garden plants to accommodate any garden improvement project you have. You can always find plants that suit your garden soil or even to get some recommendation of trees for your specific garden style or size. If you’re looking for selections of evergreen shrubs, you’ve come into the right place then as since that KIngCo have all kinds of it available inside to shop.
KingCo offers you best shopping experience of these garden trees and plants, especially with comparable prices on these items. At some items you may find the price is a bit higher than other stores, but figure this that the delivery cost had already included by the initial price, which it means with that price you won’t anymore be asked to pay for the delivery service. This will save your money in many ways.
Growing Lavender from Seed
Lavender is a multipurpose herb, planted for its beautiful, fragrant flowers and for obtaining lavender essential oil. Imagine the scenic beauty of the landscape design covered with violet colored, full blooms of lavender. Every hobbyist prefers growing lavender plants for aesthetic purpose, as well as for therapeutic purpose. Being a herb native to the Mediterranean region, lavender requires warm and rocky habitat for proper growth and bearing of flowers.
Like any growing project, understand the requirements of the herb and you can succeed in maintaining healthy lavender plants. As per your convenience, plant lavender either in herb garden or in pots. With plantation in garden, you can harvest in a high quantity, while growing lavender in containers help in easy maintenance of the herb. In either of the options, they are grown either by sowing seeds or with stem cuttings. Growing lavender from seed is like a challenge to most people, as the seeds are not easy to germinate. Read more on container gardening.
How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?
Though growing lavender from seeds is inexpensive than that of purchasing stem cuttings, you need to take extra care for maximum germination of the seeds. In case, you are planning to grow lavender for the first time by sowing seeds, then consider using higher amounts of seeds. In such a case, if there is less germination, you can have sufficient seedlings for covering the entire plantation area, as per your plan. Following are some useful tips for growing lavender from seeds:
Select the Variety: For growing lavender from seed, choosing the right variety is the most crucial step. Select the best cultivar that thrives well in the soil type and prevailing climatic conditions of your area. Also, make sure to opt for disease and pest resistant varieties. In case, you are confused in choosing a hardy lavender variety, consult your local horticulturist. Read more on lavender oil uses.
Soil Preparation: Lavender herb grows well in well-drained, slightly alkaline, sandy soil. A sandy soil type is important for proper drainage and maximum growth of the roots. So, make sure you mix the soil with sand before sowing lavender seeds. Also, check the soil pH and if necessary, supplement it with appropriate additives to make it alkaline. For poor soil, you can add farmyard compost and/or all purpose organic fertilizer to start a lavender garden. Read more on lavender essential oil.
Sowing Lavender Seeds: As soon as spring arrives, you can sow lavender seeds, preferably in seed trays and/or shallow drills. Regularly moisten the soil to promote lavender seed germination. But, do not make the soil damp and wet, as it can cause rotting of the seeds before germination. Transplant the seedlings in pots or garden soils, as soon as you notice development of true leaves. Read more on lavender oil benefits.
Growing Conditions: Considering the basic growing conditions of lavender, it is clearly understandable that you need to plant them in bright sunny areas. Excess humidity can promote disease infestation and damage of lavender plants. Water the plant, only when the soil is dry. Fertilization is not necessary for lavender plants. You can add a layer of mulch to reduce evaporation of soil moisture and control weed growth. Read more on lavender plant care.
You may like to know more about:
- Growing Lavender for Profit
- How to Make Lavender Essential Oil
This was a brief overview in regard to growing lavender from seed. If you are thinking of growing lavender indoors, then make sure that the pots are placed in areas that receive maximum sunlight such as near doors and windows. Or else, you can make use of artificial light for optimal growth of lavender plants. Pruning in fall season to about 1/3 of the height will promote healthy growth. You can harvest lavender immediately when the flower turns dark color.
Grow Your Own Organic Vegetables
Growing your own vegetables can be fun and a pleasurable delight to indulge in. these would bring many colorful experiences and sharing with your family, friends and neighbors. Enjoy superior health and a wide range of colorful experiences while digging in and planting your own garden. The Grow Your Own project has some of the most powerful tools and accessories as well as necessary equipments that help you bring some of the most amazing results with your gardening. Gardening becomes one of the most effective ways to invest in your health as you can have a lot of fresh and organic produces and vegetables in your table. This would vary from season to season and is a total pleasure to watch all the beautiful ways to unfurl themselves. There are many methods and techniques that one can try in trying to grow one’s own vegetables. There are proper projects and methods that bring for different ways of growing. For instance, there are Mexican, Italian, American and all other forms of diverse gardening systems planned and laid out for you. With the organizing help and matches that the Scotts Miracale-gro offers you, there are vital forms of positions that clearly make you have the best, reaping results from your garden. The Scotts Miracle-gro envisions more gardening and growth around the environment all across the world, raising global consciousness and awareness for all-rounded greening of the planet.
Pine Bonsai Tree
Pine is one of the most popular tree species chosen for bonsai, i.e. the art of growing short ornamental versions of otherwise large trees, in various parts of the world. Pine bonsai tree doesn’t succumb to irregular watering and, more importantly, it needs to be pruned only once or twice a year. These and other such pine bonsai tree facts make it an ideal choice for bonsai art, especially for the beginners. Some of the most preferred pine bonsai species include Japanese white pine bonsai tree, Mugo pine bonsai tree, Black pine bonsai etc.
Pine Bonsai Tree Care
The foremost thing to remember, when growing pine bonsai trees for beginners is that it should be planted in a deep pot, unlike most of the other bonsai tree species. This makes sure that the roots of the tree grow longer and give proper support to the tree. It will require re-potting, once in a while, as its roots become stronger with time. Ideally, a pine bonsai can be re-potted once every four years, however, we recommend you to re-pot your tree every two years for its proper growth. Ideal time of the year to execute re-potting is in spring. Here are some more tried and tested measures to take care of your pine bonsai tree species.
Sunlight and Temperature
Sunlight is one of the most important requirement for the pine bonsai tree species, as it helps in keeping the needle like leaves of the tree short. You will have to place your tree at such a place wherein it will get ample sunlight. Pine bonsai trees can easily sustain varying temperatures. Generally, they require a temperature ranging between 65 -70 degrees Fahrenheit, however they can even survive temperatures as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit with immense ease.
Soil and Water
As far as watering the pine bonsai tree is concerned, it is always better to keep the conditions a bit on the drier side. More importantly, the roots of some pine bonsai species, like the Japanese white pine bonsai tree, are more susceptible to rotting in moist conditions, and hence one should make sure that the soil used is well drained, so that water retention is avoided. Ideal soil composition for pine bonsai would be ¼ sphagnum, ¼ pine bark, and remaining grit. Inclusion of pine bark will also facilitate the growth of a particular variety of fungus which provides the required nutrition to the tree. Ideally, a significant break from watering will give the tree the time to dry. This will in turn help in keeping the needle like leaves short.
If you are keen on having a bonsai at your home, you may also like to go through:
- Grow a Bonsai Tree
- How to Grow Bonsai
- Bonsai Tree Care Instructions
Pine Bonsai Pruning
Pine bonsai pruning is largely dependent on the growth pattern of the tree. The best time to prune pine bonsai trees is autumn or spring, i.e. the period in which the growth of the tree decreases considerably. This also help in avoiding sap loss which can be harmful for the tree. One has to be careful with pine bonsai pruning, as excessive pruning and lack of significant recovery time can result in hampering the growth of the tree.
This was brief information about pine bonsai trees in general. One should also understand that the different species of pine bonsai need different care. For instance, an important attribute of White pine bonsai tree care is that it should be planted in a deep pot so that the roots can grow longer and become strong enough to bear the weight of the entire tree. However, this may not be the same Scots pine bonsai care, which grows in a literati style, with branches sporting a balanced horizontal spread.
A Japanese Garden is Not Your Ordinary Garden
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Japanese gardening is much different from the Western style garden. Most would say that a Japanese garden is far more soul soothing and inspires meditation. Japanese gardening is a cultural form of gardening that is meant to produce a scene that mimics nature as much as possible. Using trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water the garden becomes an art form. The Zen and Shinto traditions are both a large part of Japanese gardening and, because of this; the gardens have a contemplative and reflective state of mind.
The basic methods of scenery are a reduced scale, symbolization, and borrowed views. The reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and reproducing it on a smaller scale. Symbolization involves generalization and abstraction. An example of this would be using white sand to suggest the ocean. Borrowed views refer to artists that would use something like an ocean or a forest as a background, but it would end up becoming an important part of the scene.
There are two types of Japanese gardening. The tsukiyami garden is a hill garden and mainly composed of hills and ponds. The hiraniwa, which is the exact opposite of the tsukiyami garden, is a flat without any hills or ponds.
The basic elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones, fences, and hedges. Rocks are used as centerpieces and bring a presence of spirituality to the garden. According to the Shinto tradition, rocks embody the spirits of nature. Gravel defines surface and is used to imitate the flow of water when arranged properly. Stones create a boundary and are sculpted into the form of lanterns. Water; whether it is in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden. It can be in the actual form of water or portrayed by gravel, but no matter what, it is crucial to a Japanese gardens balance.
There are several forms and types of plants that are signature of Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai. Bonsai is the art of training everyday, average plants, such as Pine, Cypress, Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like large, old trees just in miniature form. These trees range from five centimeters to one meter and are kept small by pruning, re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.
A garden is a wonderful place to relax and meditate. Whether it is a Japanese garden or Western world garden, designing, building, and planting is a great family event.
French Intensive Gardening
As the name suggests, French intensive gardening was developed in France from where it spread to other parts of Europe and the world. This method is also known as biodynamic agriculture, Marais system and square-foot gardening. The main objective behind this method is to generate maximum yield in least possible space. Although this method defies certain preconceived notions about agriculture and farming, it is highly effective.
What is French Intensive Gardening ?
French intensive gardening is a method invented to maximum possible yield with the help of particular changes in the garden layout and using biodynamic agricultural techniques. Apart from being productive, through this method a huge variety of crops can be produced within the limited space. Planning is extremely important in French intensive gardening as the type of crop and method of planting need to be carefully determined well in advance.
A unique aspect of French intensive gardening is the use of raised beds. The gardening beds are huge which allows people to walk through the entire area in order to maintain the garden. The garden beds are dug up twice which means that the soil below is loose and worked up. Due to this, light and fluffy soil is generated which is them improved by addition of humus and compost, leading to a respectable plant growth with wide and deep roots.
Instead of flattened garden beds, French intensive gardening advocates mounded beds which increase the surface area and thereby facilitate more planting. Establishing these kind of beds takes a lot of effort but people feel it is worth it, as the yield is excellent. To maintain the garden bed, it has to be watered lightly everyday along with regularly adding compost and fertilizers.
Plant spacing is another important feature of French intensive gardening. Plants are grown in close proximity to each other which ensures the soil staying moist and prevents unwanted weed growth. The various French intensive gardening methods are discussed below.
Read more on garden tools and gardening accessories.
French Intensive Gardening Methods
Catch Cropping
As per the climatic conditions, normally it takes a lot of months to harvest a crop in the same place where a crop was previously harvested. During this period, quick maturing or fast growing crops like radish, onions or lettuce can be grown to utilize the idle space.
Inter-cropping
In this method, to utilize all available space in the best possible manner, a fast-maturing crop is planted between rows of crops which grow slowly. Quick maturing crops like onions, lettuce or radish can be planted between (or within) rows of slow maturing plants like cabbage, tomatoes or broccoli.
Succession Planting
This method of French intensive gardening involves planting the same quick-maturing crop over a period of 1 to 4 weeks. Plant one row each of lettuce, radish and spinach and leave some space around the planting which can be used later. After a week, plant one more row each of all the plants and do the same one week later as well. Subsequently, when one row is harvested, the second will be ready and so on. This will ensure a consistent supply of fast maturing vegetables all through the season.
Relay Planting
In relay planting, an altogether different crop is planted in the same space where a crop is just about to mature. This means that as and when the new crop is prepared for harvesting, the crop planted later has got an early beginning advantage. Thus more crops can be planted in the same space all through the year.
Wide Row Planting
A variation of the inter-cropping method, wide row planting involves planting of plants in groups or rows about 1 to 4 feet wide. Although walking space between the rows reduces, this method facilitates economic use of fertilizers and water. Also, it is tougher for weeds to grow in this kind of an arrangement. Make grids so that it becomes easier for marking out sections and enables proper utilization of space.
Read more on various other gardening methods:
- Hydroponic Gardening
- Organic Gardening
- Indoor Gardening
It should be noted that French intensive gardening is not for people who pursue gardening as a hobby. Rather only those people who are hard working and dedicated towards gardening should start it. It involves hard work, especially in the bed preparation and maintenance stage, so only committed gardeners should try this method.
Gardening Ornamental Grasses
The popularity of gardening ornamental grasses has soared over the last decade, as they are inexpensive and low maintenance plants. They add to the beauty of the garden as additional highlights for flowering plants and also shrubs. They increase the aesthetics of the garden when planted in perennial beds, borders and waterside gardens. And there is a wide variety of texture and size to choose from. Gardening ornamental grasses may be fluffy or slender, broad-leafed and bushy. Select the one that suits your garden the best.
Ornamental Grasses Types
Feather Reed Grass
This grass has more of a reedy texture than being feathery. It bears clumps of slender dark green leaves that have a large number of stiff flower stalks that may grow 5 to 6 feet in height. This plant can grow in full sun or under shade as well. It is not fussy about the soil conditions too. However, its foliage grows in early spring or late winter when the weather is cooler. It bears flowers that bloom in the summers.
Northern Sea Oats
These grasses grow in clumps that are 3 to 4 feet in height. These plants are well-suited for average soil conditions and grow well in partly shady and partly sunny conditions. They bear short and broad leaves that grow at the base whereas clusters of flat seed heads are borne near the top of the grass stalks. The leaves and seeds that are otherwise green in color turn brown during the fall and finally beige during the winters.
Ravenna Grass
This is a giant ornamental grass plant that requires plenty of space to grow. It requires full sun and grows well in average to dry soil. These are sturdy plants with broad arching leaves that grow up to a height of 6 feet. They have stiff stalks that grow up to 10 to 12 feet tall that bear stuffy seed heads. The Ravenna grass wears a rich green color through the summer. However, it turns completely tan during the winter months. They stand tall through the winter winds and even in snow, and hence are preferred ornamental grass for winter gardens.
Miscanthus
Miscanthus grows up to a height of 4 to 5 feet and has a spread of 2 to 3 feet when mature. It grows well in well-drained soil and under full sun, although it can also grow in clayey soil as well. The most important consideration while growing this versatile grass is moisture. It is popular for its orange-red fall color. It bears medium green color blades with a reddish tinge that starts changing into a more reddish hue as the summer approaches. By fall it adorns its orange-red color that gives its common name the ‘flame grass’. With its burgundy foliage and the creamy-white seed plumes that grow well through the winter months, they add a striking feature to a garden during the cold season.
Japanese Forest Grass
Also known as the Hakone grass, the Japanese forest grass is a hardy ornamental grass for the USDA zones 5 to 9. Although it is of the spreading variety of ornamental grasses, it grows slowly and is more restricted in the area that it may spread out to like the clump forming grasses. It grows about 16 to 24 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches. It has striking variegated golden leaves that tend to droop to one side. It grows well in shaded regions during the summer months and under bright sunlight during the winter months. It requires moist, fertile and humus-rich soil.
All Gold Grass
All gold grass is a dwarf variety of Japanese forest grass. It bears bamboo like leaves that are bright gold in color under full sun. In shade they turn yellowish green. In the cooler days of the autumn season the grass bears striking reddish color inflorescence. When fully mature, it attains a height of 9 to 14 inches with a spread of 18 to 20 inches. It is a grass that grows at moderate rate. It is most suited to moist, well-drained and fertile soil. Its golden foliage that has a metal like shiny quality, makes it stand out in the garden.
A Few Considerations
For easy maintenance, choose clump growing ornamental grasses than those of the spreading varieties. Avoid the running or spreading grasses like the ribbon grass unless you want to use the ornamental grass as ground cover.
Ornamental grasses do not require too much care. Once you have planted them in your garden you may be required to water them for a couple of months till they get established. They do not require fertilizers or pesticides to be added, although some might do good in humus rich soil. However, it is always good to plant them with proper spacing in order to enable their distinctive forms to stand out.
Gardening ornamental grasses can increase the beauty of your garden manifold. Many wild grasses like St. Augustine and Buffalo Grass have made their way into our gardens as ornamental grasses. With a wide variety to choose from and also due to the fact that they require very little care, ornamental plants are becoming an asset for a garden lover.
Zen Garden
Transport to Japan to experience some beautiful Japanese meditation melody acompanied by traditional Japanese scenery. The music is acompanied by inspirational quotes, many of which are Japanese proverbs. SONG TITLE: Japanese Meditation Music – Zen Garden – Kokin Gumi – Daylight ENDING SONG: (I have been asked so many times, so I will place it here and discontinue responding to several e-mails I receive weekly) Yanni- Flight of the Nightengale
Gardening Techniques
The practice of gardening involves cultivating/rearing plants for consumption, medicinal use and ornamental purposes. Small shrubs, herbs, lawns and few big plants/trees are the typical elements of a garden. Fruits orchards (more often grapes) are maintained in slightly bigger gardens. Gardens can be specialized (which house only a single crop/plant) or diversified (having a variety of crops). With the inclusion of different crops in gardens and change in external conditions (climate, topography, soil condition, water availability, etc), the gardening techniques undergo many changes. Let us take a look at the different techniques being used in gardening.
Gardening techniques can be classified into two categories viz., organic and intensive gardening techniques. Actually there are many different ways in which gardening techniques can be classified; however, the above classification takes place on the criterion of space utilization and the ‘green’ techniques being used. Thus, it would also help us demarcate the distinguishing features (including advantages and disadvantages) of intensive and organic gardening.
Organic Gardening Techniques
The basic idea or concept of organic gardening is the promotion of natural diversity and enhancement of biological cycles. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not used in organic gardening techniques.
The different concepts related to organic gardening can be better understood with the help of the points given below.
- The plants to be chosen for growing in a particular soil should be well-suited and must have tolerance to droughts. Hardy plants are capable of surviving in the long run.
- Instead of increasing the expenses by purchasing chemical pesticides, one should opt for disease-resistant species.
- In organic gardening, it is recommended, not to till the soil deep. It removes the beneficial organisms from soil.
- Fertilizers to be used for enriching the soil, need to be prepared from leaves of vegetables, garden plants and kitchen waste.
- To carry out mulching, one should avoid using polythene sheets. Roots of shrubs and shredded barks can provide a good cover against heat, which in turn prevents evaporation of water.
- Apart from the compost made with leaves of fruits and vegetables and other garden plants, organic materials such as pine needles and peat moss can be used to improve the texture of soil.
- To make use of worm composting is another way of going green. This form of compost is prepared with the help of earthworms.
- Earthworms and other kinds of worms like red wigglers, white worms, etc. are fed with organic matter such as leaves, kitchen waste and other such materials. These materials are processed by worms in order to produce vermicast.
- Vermicast is a rich organic fertilizer and which nourishes the plants without causing any kind of side effects. Read more on composting.
Intensive Gardening Techniques
Idea of intensive gardening works on the principle of making maximum utilization of available space. The techniques incorporated in this form of gardening are not only employed to make better use of space, but also to obtain quality yields with minimum amount of efforts.
The following points help in getting to know the different techniques used for intensive gardening.
- The area of soil which requires mulching is reduced to almost zero, by using the intensive form of gardening.
- Raised beds are commonly used for intensive gardening. The 3 – 5 feet wide raised beds make it easy to contain soil moisture and nutrients in the given space. Raised beds also provide greater depth for roots to penetrate. It helps in healthier growth of the plants.
- The technique of successive planting is used in intensive farming. Successive planting helps in obtaining a constant harvest throughout the year. An example of this technique is planting spinach every 2 weeks.
- Companion cropping is an intensive farming technique which is used in growing plants which live in symbiotic relationship with each other. The plants which prefer sunlight can be grown near those which require shade.
Read more on:
- Intensive Farming
- French Intensive Gardening
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Intensive Farming
The different gardening techniques and tips presented in the article should help in cultivation, both for profit and also from the point of environmental conservation. Increasing crop and thereby food production though, is the need of the hour, as it would be disastrous to overlook the environmental implications of using traditional/chemical fertilizers and other means. One should thus, complement intensive form of agriculture with organic gardening techniques.
To The Garden
It's never too early to start little ones on healthful eating habits. Ask Nina and Jeff, two energetic mini-monsters who live in a garden full of wonderfully nutritious goodies. In To The Garden, these adorable little fiends cultivate a love of fruits and vegetables through fun-filled songs, rhymes and quizzes. "What is that orange thing buried in the ground?" "What are those red balls doing up in that tree?" They plant, hoe, harvest, and picnic their way to teaching kids the importance of fresh produce for a healthy diet. To The Garden makes small appetites grow monstrous for nature's bounty.
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