Inexperienced gardener?

I want to save money by maintaining my own lawn, but I don't know anything about gardening and lawn care. Basically the look I'm going for is well maintained, but simple. First things first, I NEED TO GET RID OF WEEDS! I'm not planting any flowers at the moment. There are several existing planters around the yard that were there before we moved in, but it looks like it's been a while since there were flowers in any of them. Should I dig up the weeds and them use a herbicide to keep them at bay? Also, one of the previous owners used pebbles and bricks in a decorative design for the walk ways and surrounding the large planter in the front yard. I like the concept and would like to restore their design to it's original charm, however weeds are growing up over and around the bricks and rocks in some places. How can I get rid of them and what should I do to help keep them from returning and growing so furiously.

Answer: 1.
If you use a weed killer in the planters you will have to wait 2 weeks or longer before you can plant any flowers. If you don't want to wait that long try turning the soil with a tiller or pitchfork and removing the weeds. You shouldn't have any problems using weed killer on the bricks and pavers just be cautious of the wind blowing the spray where you don't want it. If there is any chance that there are still flowers in the planters that you can't see because of all the weeds I would suggest the old method of just pulling the weeds.....just make sure it's a weed before you pull it. Once you get all the weeds out use landscape fabric or thick mulch to keep them at bay.

millions of rocks?

I'm moving into a new house, and the landscaping has about 1,000,050 small pebble-size river rocks in the garden beds. I want to get rid of them. I have no idea what to put them in (although the contractor says I can put them in the dumpster), how to dig them out the easiest way, I guess I'm at a loss as to where to begin. Thanks!

Answer: 1.
Either shovel them by hand and haul to the dumpster, or hire someone to, or rent a small bobcat at a rental place..they can go into the dumpster, they are not a hazordous material
Answer: 2.
If your looking to do the rock removal yourself the easiest way I can think of is if you make (or buy) a screen sifter. (this is virtually a manageable size frame which is screened tightly) and start sifting the rocks from the dirt. You can pile the rocks in a wheel barrel or something more manageable like a yard utility trailer - If you want to get rid of them - you could possibly stick a FREE - YOU HAUL sign in the pile at the curb (if you have one) and hope someone would want the free gravel. If your looking for something else to do with them you could make a dry river bed with them, using the rocks strategically placed to form a river bed. It is a nice visual touch in yards...especially here in Arizona where gravel and rocks are used quite a bit in landscaping. Hope this helps.

p.s. - I have not seen these screen sifters at hardware or home stores - My neighbor uses one to sift the rocks out of her vegetable garden - I believe she made it or her husband did, but I thought it was a great idea - I don't believe that it would be hard to make - virtually it looks like a window screen, but bigger mesh than the actual screen on the windows.
Answer: 3.
Did you ever consider keeping them? These rocks are called riverbed gravel, and they are used instead of mulch. They are much more expensive than mulch, and last tens of years! By paying someone to remove them and then paying for mulch for the next ten years, you're not saving yourself any money by removing them. Wash them off by hosing them down, and you may discover that they are more beautiful than you thought.
Answer: 4.
Dig holes in the groung and put the rock in and then re-cover the area with the dirt you removed from the holes.
Answer: 5.
Grain scoop and a wheelbarrow works well. You might want to hang on to some of them if you happen to have need of french drains or similar -- no use getting rid of them and then having to buy more.

Consider, too, offering them on freecycle or similar methods... then you don't have to pay to have them hauled away.

Frog Pond?

We have a frog pond in our garden. Does anyone have any tips on attracting frogs to the pond? Are gold fish a good idea to eat fly larvae (not the frog eggs!)?Here is some info and I have posted some pictures here: http://weblog.xanga.com/yahooanswerspicture/644986460/frog-pond.html Construction: A circular bucket 40cm across,12cm deep set into the ground with a smaller dish flowing into it. The 2 containers have a layer of small pebbles. There are larger rocks set up in the larger container, stairlike up to the edge, a small fountain to circulate the water with mesh over the filter and 3 sticks over the top, all surrounded by more small pebbles, stones and bark.Water: Just tap water.Surrounding plants: The pond is over shaded by 2 small trees (Yellow Bottle Brush[Callistemon salignus] and Camellia Sasanqua). Surrounding plants are: -Giant Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum sp.)-Blue Grass (Festuca glauca)-Isolepis (Ficina nodosa)-Wandering Jew (Not the weed!) (TradOther plants:-Lomandra (Lomandra longifolia)-Jade Plant or Friendship Tree (Crassula ovata)- Alocasia sp.-Baby Sun Roses (Aptenia sp.)- 2 small Banana Lilys (Nymphoides aquatica) growing in the water.Location: Sydney,Australia

Answer: 1.
Frogs should just appear. If they have not and your water has chlorine added, you may need to add some dechlorinator to remove it. If your water is moving, no fly or mosquito larvae will appear. They must have still water to breed. You may certainly add goldfish if you like, but will need submerged vegetation for them to eat.
You can buy frogs. Check your local pet or fish shop for what will do well where you live.
Answer: 2.
That is an awfully small pond for a frog. I don't think it's big enough to sustain even one individual.

I have a pond that's roughly 2 meters by not-quite-one, by 1/2 meter deep. It maxes out with two frogs in it.

If you go and grab some tadpole from nearby, or from a bait store, you can put those in. But when they morph into adult frogs, they might go in search of larger digs.

If you have mosquito and fly problems, I recommend regular minnows. Not sure what kind you would have over there. Here, bait stores carry crappie, bass, and chubb minnows frequently. I use chubb minnows - they stay small, and they love to eat mosquito larvae...I've even seen them grab adult mosquitos alighting on the surface to lay eggs!

Helping out with nature?

I really love nature, and being surrounded by it, helping out with the birds to the ants. Now its winter though, and I feel so like restless. Is there anything I could do to help out animals? I started reading nature books, and everything is for spring and summer! I live in zone 6-7 in Long Island. Some info on my yard: I have a small pond, 100-250 gallons, Most of my yard is brick, I have a vegatable garden, my backyard is like this: Pond with rocks around it, pebbles, brick patio, and a little garden, about 10'x 30'. Any suggestions on helping the birdies, or frogs, or bugs, or hedge hogs, or any other wildlife near me at this time of year?

Answer: 1.
Putting out bird feeders would be a good place to start. Especially when it snows, their food is all under snow cover and they need help. You can get a good book on feeding the birds (and identifying them, that is half the fun) at any book store. Make sure the birds and animals have a water source that is not frozen, tho I suspect they drink out of your pond. Toads, frogs, etc. hibernate in the fall, and I wish we had hedge hogs, I think they are so cute, but I don't think they are native here. You might see rabbits out when it snows, but they manage to find their own food, and as for those squirrel bandits, well, they will manage on their own as well as emptying your bird feeder, but you can feed them (and the jays and woodpeckers) peanuts and other nuts, if you like. Aslo earsofcorn, there are some cute squirrel feeders. Put up suet feeders for the woodpeckers. Remember to scatter some bird seed on the ground for the ground feeding birds like doves. You can get a bird feeder that is squirrel proof, it has a spring that closes the feeder when anything heavy like a squirrel gets on it and they can't get at the bird seed. Don't clean up your garden too well, leave seed heads esp. of echinacea and black-eyed susans for the finches, and clover for the rabbits. As for the deer, well, if you have them, don't encourage them or you will never have a vegetable garden again, same for ground hogs. If there is a conservation area near you, go visit it regularly. Have fun!
Answer: 2.
Not much goes on in winter. I leave my bird houses out in winter because the winter birds(mostly juncos, nuthatches and siskins) need shelter from weather. You might consider both a compost and a separate brush pile where critters can find shelter during storms. Start observing what you have this time of the year and experiment on what they might need. Food and shelter is needed all year but don't keep anyone that should migrate. I take my hummingbird feeders down in November and put them back up in February, otherwise they will stay all winter and could freeze if it gets too cold.
Answer: 3.
you could put a small pump/bubbler in your pond to keep the water open so that that animals can still have access to water in the winter.

Growing your own food?

I live near chicago area, I have a large yard but I also have 2 dogs. I am hoping to eventually have a garden that will support two adults all year round. I am a long way from that goal though, I am just starting to plan it. I can not actually till the earth so I have to use planters, I am thinking about making my own out of cement blocks and putting a couple of layers of rocks and pebbles at the bottom for better drainage. I don't have all the details worked out yet, but my main questions are, How do I start this garden? What plants should I put in? How do I protect the plants from winter weather and animals? Any other advice? Thank you!The whole yard is fenced in but all the fences are covered by overgrown trees and shrubs from surrounding properties.It's larger than most urban yards but it's not huge, huge. I'm not sure exactly how large and it's night right now so I can't measure it right now, I'll get back to you on that.There is a lot of shade because there are a lot of trees and the fences are covered with plants so it's really shady next to them. It's fairly sunny in the middle of the back yard but we need that part for the dogs...We can't till because we don't own the property and the owner won't let us.

Answer: 1.
Is the area walled or fenced off from oter property?

How large: length and width.

How much sun and shade?

And WHY can't you till it?

Tell me those and I'll get right back to you.

Edit: OK, thanks for the info. Three problems here: owner's regulation on no tilling, a lot of shade, and very acid soil under the trees. Here's an approach that might work.

Consider planting pea in theshady areas -early in the spring before the trees are fully leaved. I assume you are allowed to dig a hole for a plant, so, instead of a hole, scartch up the area with a garden rake, lay the peans on the ground, and cover them with a mix of sand and bagged garden/top soil to a level of about 1". When they grow to 3" or so, start gradually adding some top soil to give them some support. Don't wory about planting them in neat straight rows, just scatter them up and down the planting areas defined by the width of your rake. Later, as they reach about 6" put stakes along the row and tie strings between them to give the peas something to hold on to. With the peas, plant carrots. The peas will help loosen the soil for the carrots to take hold. Get short fat carrots, because the skinny ones just won't penetrate the soil well in the first year. Let them grow right in there with the peas. As the the pea vines die off, the carrots will come in behind them. I would recommend snow peas or sugar pod peas -the ones you eat pod and all. Aside from being fairly adaptable, the peas will put nitrogen into the soil. Carrots actually take 2 years to mature -in the second year they put out attractive white blooms that look sort of like Queen Anne's lace. So you can let them take the full 2 years. Maybe you can put in 2 rows instead of just 1.

Around the dog area (which I assume has some kind of fence of its own) plant cucumber, just along the outside of their fence. As the vines grow, train them to the fence, so the cucumbers will be suspended as they grow and easy to pcik. The dogs won't eat them. Plant just by making a hole about 1/2" deep and dropping in a seed or 2 -every 12" along the fence.

INSIDE the doggies' area, plant tomatoes and/or peppers in pots. The pots should be about 16" deep. Use plants that have been started for you. You can use the nice, rich bagged soil and some fertilizer for these You'll need to support them as they grow; either tie them to the dog fence or drive stakes in by the pots. Hint: it is easier to use wire to tie the plants, such as solid wire used for house wiring, because you can bend it around plant stems and branches -then use it again next year. In the base of the tomatoe pots you can plant lettuce and spinach from seed.

After the season is over, gather up the dead stems and vines, break them up or shred them as much as possible, and put them in a compost pile. Put vegetable waste (peelings, etc.) coffee grounds and broken egg shells in the pile from time to time, and toss on some soil. You can add some worms if you like. The following year, you'kll have some rich stuff and won't need to import as much.

It is tough to create a vegetable garden on an elevated surface or flat, because you not only need adequate depth of soil, but must control drainage as well.

If possible, without getting into trouble, cut away some of the tree limbs hanging over your area to let in a bit more sun.

Good luck!
Answer: 2.
most gardens are annual meaning you have to replant them every year you will not get winter items! but if you want to grow garlic I think now is a good time to put it in the ground! I live near the detroit area so our range isn't to different!
to protect bulbs in the ground for winter just lay a few coats of leaves or newspaper on it!
as for what you want to plant! What do you want to eat? tomatoes are a great starter, zuccinie, cumuber , cabbage , lettuce, brocclie, chives, beans, i mean anything really! but don't be upset when a crop don't make it that happends a lot with our weather!
from moles or ground hogs you need to get something to virbrate the ground! my uncle puts an old windshield washer liquid bottle and cuts like 4 wings in it and a hole at the bottom so the wind can blow it and shack the pole that is sticking in the ground that causes a vibration and humans don't hear it!
get an owl to make birds go away! bobble head would be best!

um that's all i can think of I started a container one this year mine are mostly herbs.. but i have a lot of family memebers who have gardens!
i planted 1 tomato plant in a container! I got 2 tomatoes 1 a bird must of gotten cuz i just picked the last one standing this morning! i will munch it tonite! :) next year i'm planting a lot more! lol
Answer: 3.
first of all,level the soil and losen it.have different patches for different plants.you can grow tomatoes,potatoes,green chillies,coriander,green leafy vegetables etc.these are very easy to plant and grow quite fast.you can have a nice fence around the garden so that your dogs dont spoil it.
all the best!
Answer: 4.
living in that area and the cold winters, you will have to build a green house first. Make your pots out of wood so they can hang. Why can't you till? If money is not the question then I would make my house large enough so I could till one saide for large plants and long hanging planters on the other side for smaller plants.
Good luck