Mar

26

Add a Water Feature To Your Garden

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Have you ever thought of adding a water feature or pond to your backyard? There are several ways you can go with this, from a small waterfall or basin water feature, to a larger dug pond, or anything in between. Ponds add a focal point, and they can be a very interesting part of your overall garden.

I am going to do several posts concerning ponds, since there is a ton of information I can share about them. From different sizes, and types of water features, to pond plants and fish. I will try to cover the basics of setting up your pond, and what to do when something goes wrong. Even with several posts I will not share all of the information necessary, there are whole books written on the subject. I will start with several of my favorite books on pond building and maintenance.

The Ponder’s Bible, by Gosta H. Lovgren, if you are a do it yourselfer and would like to know everything about building your own pond, this is a great book.

How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide, by Jeffrey Reid is another great comprehensive guide to building your own pond or waterfall.

Outdoor Water Features: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden, by Alan and Gill Bridgewater has beautiful illustrations, and great design ideas. All of the projects have a great set of instructions that are easy to follow.

Pond Life: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin’s Press), by George K. Reid will tell you all you need to know about the plant and animal life in your pond. If you really want to learn about ponds in general, and the creatures that live there, this is a great book.

I will try to go into more detail on the different options available for water falls, and ponds in my next post.

Mar

14

Spring Gardening

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The gardening season is almost here! I can smell it in the air. Are you ready to put on those gloves, and start digging in the dirt? I am. I included a couple photos I took the other day. My rhubarb is peeking out of the ground, and my tulips are starting to jump up. The really cold weather we had here in Ohio at the end of February, was hard on the early bloomers. It has some of my daffodils and tulips looking a little yellow on the tips. I am ready for the blooms. I moved some of my bulbs around last fall, to spread them out. I am interested to see how they will look this spring.
In the next couple weeks it is a great time to finish up any pruning you still have, and spray your fruit trees with dormant oil. My favorite is Gardens Alive! Oil-away, since it contains no petroleum, and is safe for people and the environment. It does get rid of pests, but doesn’t have a long-term effect on the beneficial insect population.
It is also a great time of year to, divide and move any perennials that are getting out of hand. Donate extra plants to friends, or your church garage sale. Extra starts sell great in a garage sale. Just dig them up and throw them in a plastic bag, or left over plastic container.

Feb

25

Getting A Jump On Spring Gardening

Filed Under garden, garden tools and gadgets, pruning | Leave a Comment

It’s almost March, can you feel the warm breezes of summer yet? Here are a couple things you can start working on in the next couple weeks to prepare your garden for those warm summer months:
1. Prepare new beds, or beef up existing beds by adding mulch and organic matter to work in when you start digging in the garden.
2. Prepare your cold frame. You don’t have to purchase an expensive cold frame, you can make your own. Either make a wood frame with an old door or window hinged on top. Easier yet use straw or cement building blocks to make the frame. Then just lay an old door or window on top. You have a cold frame for little or no cost!
3. Check all of your gardening tools. Sharpen tiller and mower blades. Check your hoses for leaks, and weak spots.
4. Prepare your containers. Scrape out, and wash all your containers from last year to prevent disease. Look the containers over for cracks, or breaks, and purchase replacements for pots that will not make it another year.
5. Divide and move any perennials, bulbs, or shrubs that have gotten too large, or have outgrown their space.
6. Gather your gardening supplies, such as stakes and tomato cages. Check expiration dates on your organic pesticides, and fertilizers to determine what can be used this year.
7. Prune your fruit trees, grapevines, and shrubs. Check with your local extension office for information on pruning your specific tree or vine.
Wow! What a list, and I thought I would not be able to start gardening for a few weeks yet!

Feb

23

Glorious Seed Catalogs

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Are you pouring through your seed catalogs wondering what you would like to grow in your garden this year? Here are some of my favorite resources for seeds, and other gardening supplies:
http://www.burpee.com

www.seedsofchange.com

www.gardensalive.com

Seeds of Change offers certified organic seeds, and some of the best heirloom varieties I have found. They also offer a 5% discount if you place your order online. I always go through and hi-light my favorites (half the catalog) then I go back and narrow it down to my absolute favorites, and a couple new choices.

I also love Gardens Alive for their all natural gardening products. If you start receiving their catalog they often have coupons, and discounts on the front cover. I love their products. They are environmentally friendly, but strong enough to help my garden thrive every summer. I take an inventory of the supplies I have on hand from last year ( if they are not past their expiration date), before I sit down to make my order.

Burpee is another favorite of mine. I can drool over their catalog for hours. I find it very helpful to create a rough outline of my upcoming garden before I dig too deep in the seed catalogs. The outline helps me stay on track, it also keeps me from getting to crazy with my ordering!

Some of the catalogs, and websites also have great outlines for specialty gardens. If you would like to grow a butterfly garden, a shade garden, or hummingbird garden, check out the seed catalogs for layouts, and suggested plants. These special gardens are also often bundled together with a discount.

Have fun checking out your favorite seed catalog or website.


Feb

21

Starting Seedlings Indoors

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You have been pouring through the seed catalogs since Christmas, and have ordered your seeds, or are getting ready to order your seeds. Spring fever is hitting hard! Here are some handy tips for starting your tomato, pepper, and other seedlings indoors. Pick out those mouth-watering heirloom varieties, and lets get started. You also get to have your own little piece of summer indoors.

1. Start your seedlings in a warm place, and if possible with plenty of sunshine.

2. If you have a heat mat use it under the planting tray until the seedlings emerge, you can also place the tray on top of the refrigerator for the first couple days. This will keep the soil warm, and improve germination. Be sure you move the tray as soon as the seedlings emerge, to a location with plenty of sunshine.

3. It helps to cover the top of your tray with a clear lid, or plastic. It holds the heat and moisture in while the seeds are germinating. When the seedlings emerge be sure you remove the cover to give the seedlings air, and prevent them from staying too moist.

4. I have also found it useful to give my seedlings an occasional drink of Chamomile tea (cooled) to help keep them from getting Damping off disease. The Chamomile has anti fungal properties to help keep your seedlings strong.

5. You should start you seedlings about 6-10 weeks before you plan on placing them in your garden. For most locations in the North, start your seedlings in February, or March for the best results.

6. You can use special seed starting soil, or peat pellets to start your seedlings. Use only fresh sterile soil.

7. Ensure your plants are receiving plenty of light, if plants do not receive enough light (especially Tomatoes) they will become leggy and spindly. This will make them easy to break, and less hardy than shorter stockier plants.

8. Try to keep your seedlings moist, but not soggy. The best method of watering is from the bottom up. Put water in the tray and allow the seedlings to soak up the water. Only give the seedlings as much water as they soak up in a couple minutes, if any water remains in the tray dump it out.

Your efforts will be rewarded with delicious home-grown tomatoes, peppers, and other delicious fresh vegetables this summer. There is nothing better than walking out to your garden and plucking a perfect tomato off the vine, taking a bite, and tasting the sunshine.