Artificial Grass

may not have the time for regular mowing or weeding. In such a situation, an artificial grass lawn often works out to be a fantastic option. Yes, it may be an expensive investment but in the long run it looks beautiful and requires very little maintenance.

Why You Should Install Artificial Grass

If you are not convinced about artificial turf installation, you probably need a list of reasons as to why you should consider artificial grass turf. Here are a list of advantages of having an artificial grass lawn and not real grass:

• Little maintenance – Maintaining a real grass lawn requires a lot of work but on the other hand an artificial turf installation will need very little maintenance once it has been installed.
• Ideal for water restrictions – Gardeners living in areas with water restrictions or water shortage often find it very hard to maintain a healthy lawn that they can water regularly. However, an artificial grass lawn requires no watering and is therefore ideal for these areas without worrying about dehydration.
• Suited for non-gardeners – If you are a non-gardener and looking for an easy and convenient way to get a beautiful, no hassle lawn, artificial grass turf is your best option. You have to do close to nothing and will have a pretty lawn all year round.
• Cost effective – Artificial turf installation may come with a large outlay cost but once you have made this investment, you have minimal costs to maintain your artificial grass lawn. Due to almost zero maintenance requirements and no watering needs, an artificial grass lawn works out to be very cost effective in the long run. If you choose to install artificial grass instead of hiring someone to do it, you will save even more money.

Artificial Grass Installtion: Do It Yourself

If you are keen to install your artificial grass lawn yourself, it is possible and could cut down your costs drastically. Here are some tips you might find useful.

• Clean the area you plan on using for your artificial turf installation. Clear all traces of old grass, weeds, dirt etc.
• The area must be leveled so your artificial grass turf is not uneven. If the ground is uneven you might have to lay out some sand to level out the area before laying out the artificial grass.
• Take measurements of the area so you know how much artificial turf you will need for your artificial grass lawn.
• Start laying out the artificial grass and trim it as and when necessary. If you plan on using smaller pieces for your artificial turf installation, then start at the center and start moving towards the outside.
• Laying out the artificial grass turf is not enough, you have to secure it in place with the special glue provided. You might need to use additional nails or weights to ensure the adhesive holds the artificial grass turf in place.
• In order to ensure your artificial grass lawn looks real, you must use some infills such as sand or other soil granules to create a natural effect.

The steps are simple but it is a lot of hard working installing your artificial grass lawn. However, if you do it yourself, you can save money and in the long run, create a cost effective and beautiful lawn in your yard.

Creating An Italian Style Garden

Inside an Italian garden you will find amazing Italian garden furniture and an Italian herb garden that truly highlights your garden. The Italian garden furniture should also be protected from the weather, and due to this you should create a storage facility. This will be of great value as you will be able to store all your Italian garden furniture when bad weather arises. Italian garden furniture is simply beautiful by itself, however if you accessorize in your garden, it just adds to the beauty. Italian garden furniture is usually joined by bird baths, these bird baths usually incorporate tiny statues of a fairy or animal. The bird bath will just add to the beauty of the garden  and create a tranquil feel.

Italian Garden Plants

Apart from your amazing Italian garden furniture in your Italian garden you will also find a variety of Mediterranean plants which are considered to be Italian plants because they can be found in alkaline soil. These types of plants have become accustomed to growing in this type of soil and also work well with the Italian herb garden .

• Plants such as olive tree, lavender and most Mediterranean succulents such as Agave, Aloe versa and Opuntia grow very well in this type of soil. In Italy most homeowners try as far as possible to buy property near the coastline, because the soil in this area is best for an Italian garden and growing Italian plants.
• Always remember that choosing Italian plants is as vast a choice as its cuisine so enjoy. The Italian plants that you have will work extremely well with your Italian garden and Italian garden furniture, making it a beautiful site.
• Italian gardens is also well known for its tasty herbs and it can be no wonder why so many people want to grow a Italian herb garden. These herbs are a delight to grow in your Italian garden and eat, and having your own Italian herb garden and maintaining it can be extremely rewarding due to this. Some of the most popular Italian herbs that you will find in an Italian herb garden are Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Fennel, Rosemary, Garlic and sage. Each of these amazing herbs has a unique flavour to it and needs a different approach when gardening. It is clear to see why having an Italian herb garden is so beneficial , and amazing to grow and eat.

Italian Gardens are truly a unique experience, you will spend many hours making sure your Italian garden coupled with your Italian furniture and Italian herb garden get a lot of attention and it is likely to be a rewarding experience.

Planning A Small Space Garden

It is very important to plan your balcony garden in advance before getting down to it.

• First, ensure your building authorities are okay with your small space ideas.
• Next, consider how much weight the apartment garden can take, how plants are to be watered in the small space garden.
• Finally consider what plants can be grown. Herbs such basil and watercress are good options.

Ask yourself questions and involve family members in the apartment garden so that each can take some responsibility and create an aesthetically pleasing balcony garden.

Placing The Small Space Garden

An ideal location for apartment gardening is of course a balcony or a patio. However, even if that space is not available for a small space garden, the windowsill may be used to place small plants. Both sunlit and shady areas can be utilized in apartment gardening for growing different plants.

Containers Used For Balcony Gardening

The containers used in a small space garden are not only important in holding the plants but also create the right look while small space gardening. A variety of containers can be chosen from such as:

• Hanging baskets: Ideal for a small space garden as they do not take up any floor space hanging baskets add color to the balcony garden. Consider however that, these baskets get heavier after the plant has been watered, so they should be fixed firmly.
• Clay containers: Coming in different shapes and sizes, clay containers are affordable while working with small space ideas.
• Plastic containers: They are trendy, colorful, and sturdy and what is more, these containers used in the balcony garden retain water so there is no danger of the plant drying up.
• Wooden containers: Create the right earthy feel and can be easily handled in an apartment garden as they are not very heavy.

For more economic ideas while small space gardening, one can even use recycled material at home such as old helmets and boots.

Plants To Grow Using Small Space Ideas

Plants that can be grown while small space gardening depend on the climatic conditions of the place. Moreover, there are some plants that grow better in containers and these need to be cultivated in a balcony garden. It is a good idea to start with bonsai plants as these beautify the small space garden and can be looked after easily. Herbs may also be grown and sprouts that do not require much light for cultivation may be another good option in the apartment garden. On the windowsill cherry tomatoes and Thumbelina carrots among other vegetables may be grown.

A balcony garden when properly looked after can be your refuge from the smoke and grime of the city. So with a little bit of planning and lots of effort once may enjoy the great experience of apartment gardening.

Reference:

1. Tips for Starting an Apartment Garden – Oh My Apartment

Why Practice Organic Sustainable Gardening?

Food items grown practicing organic sustainable gardening are richer in vitamins and minerals because the soil has more healthy living organisms. Sustainable gardening is nothing new but just a recapitulation of the process gardeners have been using for ages together with some innovative practices. Cultivating a garden with sustainable ideas is a holistic approach drawing its outlines from environmental needs, biological science and more.

Organic Ingredients While Environmental Gardening

In order to get the best results from environmental gardening and create a sustainable garden, using organic ingredients is important.

• Choose pest resistant plants and mulch all uncovered soil for water retention, improving the soil quality and to control weeds.
• If any fertilizer is needed beyond compost use organic ingredients only, like aged manure.
• Try to prevent diseases and insect problems in your sustainable garden but once infected use least toxic methods such as biological or physical barriers like bait traps and water sprays. Remove slugs by hand and use baking soda for treating powdery mildew.

Watering While Organic Sustainable Gardening

Water conservation and careful watering are important sustainable ideas and essential when setting up a sustainable garden.

• Group plants with similar water needs and water directly to the roots by hand or using drip irrigation.
• Use rain barrels to conserve water while environmental gardening.
• Choose drought tolerant plants and weed regularly as weeds compete for water and will not create the ideal sustainable garden.
• Plant ground covers to minimize bare soil while sustainable gardening.

Sustaining Yourself While Conservation Gardening

A sustainable garden is an ideal spot that cannot be created in any way unless the gardener takes it on himself to do so by employing conservation gardening methods. By choosing easy-to-grow plants and mulching, a great burden will be taken off the sustainable garden owner. Further, it is most important to enjoy your sustainable ideas to create the ideal sustainable garden.

What To Remember While Conservation Gardening

When attempting to create a sustainable garden with sustainable ideas, it is important to keep a few tips in mind:

• Build a nutrient rich soil that will produce strong and healthy plants in your sustainable garden. Organic matter of the soil can be increased by adding compost, green manures, aged animal manures or peat moss.
• Do not let plants get too wet, dry and dehydrated or allow them to become too hot or shaded while conservation gardening.
• Practice environmental gardening by rotating the plants so that pests may not destroy a large section on the sustainable garden.
• Design your sustainable garden in such a way that it complements needs of birds, plants and mammals and you as well.

What To Grow While Organic Sustainable Gardening

The good news is that many landscape roses can be grown in a sustainable garden. They are beautiful plants and are so disease resistant that they require no spraying. The Knockout rose and Flower Carpet Rose are varieties that can easily be grown and are excellent sustainable ideas.

What is really encouraging about sustainable gardening is that it is for the small budget gardener. It is low-maintenance as well as low-drudgery gardening. So once you are aware of the basics, get started with your own sustainable garden.

References:

1. Sustainable Gardening – Sustainable Gardening
2. Sustainable Gardening – Sustainable Gardening Australia

Getting Rid of Weeds

Garden weeds cannot be eliminated entirely, but can be controlled. Even grass weeds that are difficult to eradicate can be conquered if you persist. Annual weeds will die in numbers if you continue the weed killing process by doing away with the seedlings before they flower and shed more seeds. When the population of weeds have been reduced, to keep controlling weeds mulching and prompt removal of garden weed seedlings that do appear will keep the garden almost weed free. Controlling and getting rid of weeds is a long battle, which will last a couple of season rather than a few weeks if the garden has been neglected.

How To Get Rid Of Weeds Without Chemicals

While garden weeds are annoying and harmful, it is even more harmful to use chemicals for weed gardening. So how to get rid of weeds without chemicals in a non toxic way?

• Most seeds reproduce by means of corns and bulblets, which remain on the soil even after the main plant has been removed and this makes weed gardening and weed killing an ongoing task.
• Pulling out weeds by hand is one of the best ways of controlling weeds. This can however be a very long process of getting rid of garden and grass weeds. Even then you may never completely be able to eradicate the garden weeds.
• Try and remove all types of garden weeds while they are still young, well before they have started to set seed and you will cut down on time spent weed killing.
• A garden that is well mulched is very good in keeping down garden weed growth. Different types of mulches can be used such as, organic mulch such as compost, pine bark chips or peats. Non- organic mulches, such as black plastic placed between vegetables or stones can be very effective.
• It is said that pouring boiling water on garden weeds is a good way of controlling weeds as it will kill the weeds as well as the seeds. Just be careful not to get any on you, or on the plants that you want to keep.
• Undiluted vinegar is another good choice for killing weeds. Put it in a spray bottle and use on weeds, being careful not to get any spray on your plants as it can also kill them.
• If you are the type of person that makes your own compost, never add old garden weeds with seed heads to the heap. These seeds may not be dead and will germinate again in your garden. Commercial compost is fairly weed free. When compost is mixed with farm manure it can be full of garden and grass weeds. This can add weeds that you did not have to your garden. It is for this reason that weed free, sterilized compost is the best bet if you are having problems controlling weeds.

Weed Gardening – Applying Weedkillers

If weed killing without chemicals is not quite working out, you might have nothing left to do but apply weedkillers for weed gardening and kill those garden weeds.When using weedkiller for controlling weeds however, it should be done with great care.

• Make sure you have the correct type of weedkiller needed for controlling weeds in your garden.
• Decide whether you want to use a sprayer or spot-treat the garden weeds with a paintbrush or special applicator. Remember to only use the sprayer on windless days, if not the spray can find itself on other plants and damage them. Spot treating can be extremely time consuming if you have a number of garden weeds. Spot treating however is the safer weed killing option.
• Keep children and pets off the lawn for a couple of days or longer after using the chemicals for getting rid of weeds.
• When using a systemic herbicide for controlling weeds, the weeds are not killed off immediately; it can take a week or more to wither. Always use a separate sprayer for herbicides. If the sprayer is used for feeding or applying pesticides, the herbicide residue can damage garden plants. This can happen even though you have washed the sprayer thoroughly.

Weed killing and controlling weeds can be a painful and backbreaking task but if you really want your garden to remain healthy, it is important that you keep at it and do your best at getting rid of weeds.

References:

1. Controlling weeds in your lawn and garden – The Garden Helper
2. Control Weeds in the Garden and Landscape – Purdue University Consumer Horticulture

Why Should I Be Buying Plants Online?

Online shopping is all the rage these days, but buying plants online… is that wise? A good reason to buy plants online is that one is offered a great selection of plants that one may not find in a local store. If you are looking for those rare plants that you have always wanted to grow but never known where to find them chances are you could order plants online. Plus, you can compare prices of different online plants, strike the best deal which is excellent when you want to hunker down for the recession and save some money. You can pick up quality plants and even find out growing conditions before paying for your online plants. Sometimes you may even find attractive discounts when you order plants online. Do all this while sitting comfortably in your living room and having them delivered to your doorstep.

Where to Buy Plants Online?

If you are convinced that maybe buying plants online is a good idea, don’t just jump on to eBay and place your bids. If you are not sure where to buy plants online, the best thing to do is ask your local nursery or at least run a Google search and look for websites that will let you order plants online and deliver the online plants to you. Some online nurseries where one can order plants online are:

• Jackson’s Nurseries: Offering a wide range of garden plants after growing most of their varieties at competitive prices.
• Dutch Gardens: It has been supplying Holland’s finest bulbs and plants for nearly a century now and can help you buy the best bulbs.
• Breck’s Bulbs: Another wonderful nursery for mail order plants online and purchase quality bulbs.
• Best 4 Plants: Founded in 1963, this nursery provides shrubs, perennials, grasses, ferns, bulbs and garden tools.
• Greenwood Nursery: Offers hundreds of conifers, hardwoods and shrubs with reasonable seedling costs.

Ordering Plants Online – Tips

If you are new to the business of ordering plants online, don’t worry it is not rocket science and it will definitely not take you too long to figure out how to buy plants online.

• Buy from an online plants nursery not an online store such as eBay or even Walmart!
• As it is not easy to buy online plants without seeing them, read reviews about them by other buyers to get a better idea before buying plants.
• Before you order plants online make sure their growing conditions are conducive to where you live. Otherwise you may face a big problem later on.
• In order to buy plants online, know their botanical and common name so that you may compare prices at different nurseries – ofline and online.
• Read and understand the company policy before ordering plants online and check the sizes of the mail order plants.
• Keep a record of orders, shipping dates, deadlines for shipping and order early because quantities are often limited.

Welcoming Online Plants At Home

Sometimes mail order plants are shipped bareroot to save costs and many gardeners worry about how to handle bare root plants. Don’t worry if this is how your  online plant arrives but make sure you plant them immediately when they arrive so that they may not dry up.

Take time to make your selection and you may soon be a proud gardener who is not only able to pick up plants at the local nursery stores but can also order plants online easily. Buy a small quantity at first and if you are happy with your purchase you can be more ambitious in quality and quantity when you buy online plants thereafter.

Reference:

1. Why should you buy plants online? – My Ideal Garden

Why Kid Gardening?

Why should you involve your kids with gardening in the first place? Kids enjoy playing with mud, playfully using a hose and watching things grow so gardening for kids can be a lot of fun. Further, if they are made a part of the gardening process they will surely enjoy it even more. As much as they should be introduced to kids planting, they should also be consulted about the design of the youth garden as they can come up with colorful and innovative ideas. As you help in gardening for kids, watch their inquisitive minds come up with questions that can only make them better future gardeners.

Kid Gardening: Preparing The Soil, Watering & Weeding

Start with the basics when gardening with kids. When gardening for kids teach them the importance of preparing the soil well to ensure a healthy plant in a youth garden. This entails looking into the pH of the soil, checking the weather that can help grow the right plant and adding the right fertilizers. Loamy soil is best to work with as it should ideally not be too clayey or sandy in a youth garden. While watering a plant in a youth garden is an enjoyable activity for all ages, while gardening with kids, it is also very important to teach them about the environment and the importance of conserving water while gardening. In addition, the importance of weeding should be emphasized as well when with gardening with kids.

What To Grow In Kids’ Gardens

When gardening with kids, it is advisable to start with food items that can be grown easily and in a short span of time. For kids gardens, growing watercress, radishes and lettuce are excellent choices as they will be the quickest to grow in 6-8 weeks. Bean shoots may also be grown quickly in a youth garden and eaten in a salad or sandwich.

• First soak the seeds overnight.
• Next take a wide mouthed jar and place the drained seeds in them, covering the top with a wire mesh through which water and air can pass.
• Water regularly, always draining away the excess and enjoy the bean sprouts in a few days.

What To Remember While Maintaining Kids Gardens

When gardening with kids, there are certain things to keep in mind which will make kids planting their own youth garden a more enjoyable process for them and hopefully make them lifelong gardeners!

• Gardening tools kids will enjoy using will increase interest in kid gardening so when gardening with kids, choose your tools well.
• Subscribe to Kids Garden News for monthly e-mail alerts on gardening conferences, resources and more.
• Exchange ideas with fellow gardeners who are also gardening with kids to increase the variety of your youth garden and learn better kids planting methods.
• Though mistakes may be made while gardening for kids, do not hesitate to learn from them to create a better youth garden.
• From gardening with kids one can easily move on to garden crafts such as painted flower pots to garden plant markers or even innovative garden design such as a fairy garden.

One of the easiest ways to make your kids eat those greens is to make them grow them so gardening with kids might be a great idea to get them into healthy eating habits as well! They will no longer turn up their noses at what they have been cultivating for weeks in their youth garden. Gardening with kids will therefore not only promote healthy eating but will also providing the kid gardening with extensive practical knowledge on the subject.

References:

1. Kids Gardening and Gardening For Kids - Kiddie Gardens
2. Why Youth Gardens – Kids Gardening

Causes of Dehydration

Inadequate watering is usually the main reason for dehydrated plants. Sometimes plants become dehydrated due to careless gardeners who do not water plants enough. At other times, plants may require plenty of rains and despite a gardener’s best efforts, if it is a drought prone region, plants may eventually experience dryness.

While lack of adequate water is usually the primary cause for dry plants, unsuitable weather conditions are equally harmful. Plants often dehydrate due to dry weather conditions. Often during hot, dry summers, the moisture from the soil and plants completely evaporates. Extremely cold temperatures can dehydrate plants as well. Just the way a hot summer makes plants thirsty, cold winter breezes can strip a plant of its moisture and leave it dehydrated.

Lack of adequate moisture in the soil could be the reason behind your dry plants. This may be due to irregular watering but this may also be due to poor quality soil. Plants require the right type of soil with enough moisture content otherwise they are at risk of becoming dehydrated. Dryness in plants can also be a result of inadequate nutrients in the soil so it is important that you check this. Your plants can become easily dehydrated due to salt stress so you must ensure the soil has just the right amount of salt in it.

Symptoms of Dryness

The first signs of dryness appear on the top of a plant and begin on the outside. As the plant progressively dehydrates, the symptoms will move downwards towards the roots and inwards, closer to the stems. Spotting a dehydrated garden is fairly easy with plants usually showing the following symptoms:

• Leaves become limp and brownish at edges
• Plants start to wilt
• Stunted growth
• Shriveled flowers
• Fruits and flowers drop
• Plants turn yellowish, especially lawns
• Plants begin to die in extreme cases

Treatment of Dehydrated Plants

Regularly watering plants is the most obvious cure for a dry plant. Learn a little about the plants in your garden because some might require buckets of daily water while others may only need to be watered every once in a while. Proper watering usually does the trick during the hotter months and daily watering in the evenings can reduce evaporation.

Adding mulch to flower beds and shrubs early in the season is also a good way to prepare for dry seasons, both hot and cold. Water-retentive gel is also popularly used in container plants or hanging baskets.

In freezing temperatures, plants must be watered very carefully to avoid dehydration. It is best to water plants monthly when temperatures are not so freezing and the ideal time to do it is early in the day or evening. It is important that the plants do not become over-hydrated or the ice will cause further damage. Watering earlier in the day gives enough time for the water to reach at least six to eight inches deep into the soil while at the same time giving the soil enough time to soak in the moisture before night. This does the dual job of beating dehydration due to the cold as well as maintaining soil moisture.

As a gardening enthusiast, it is important to check your soil to ensure it is right for your plants. Some soils are very moisture retentive while others do not soak up water very well so you will need to tailor your watering according to the soil type. You must also ensure your plants receive adequate nutrients from the soil, especially salt or they will become easily dehydrated. Your local nursery should be able to suggest ways to improve your soil but adding some organic matter to the soil usually helps.

If you like to grow delicate plants, you might want to consider a greenhouse for better protection. Greenhouses are good for temperature control and provide tender plants the protection they need without leaving them at the risk of dehydrating outside.

Last but not the least, while there may be no cure for a drought, there are plants that will not suffer from dehydration in such a region. If you live in a similar area, the best way to keep the dryness out of plants may be to opt for xerophytic plants in your garden.