Gardening Blog

If you’re looking for ways to keep your garden watered without wasting too much time and money, you’ve probably gone through a lot of options in your mind. Maybe you’ve considered a sprinkler, a hose, or a good old-fashioned watering can. All of these methods might be convenient, but most of the time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any more. If you live in a drought stricken area like I do, you know that every bit of water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system. I haven’t regretted this decision at all.

When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, and allows it to soak in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the water just comes out at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. These pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it (although it is ideal for you to get a pipe designed for this type of use, I’ve found that the hose method works acceptably).

The underground system is a bit more of a pain to install and maintain.  But if you’re really into the aesthetic aspect of your garden and don’t want any visible watering system, then you might consider it worth it.  It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can impress your neighbors by having a beautiful garden without ever going outside to water it! They’ll be baffled.

To choose between the two systems, you need to take several things into account. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is always changing, you probably won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Even if your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it really bothers you to the
extent that you’re willing to work for a few hours to get rid of it, then by all means bury it. But otherwise I would suggest staying above ground if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.

One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its efficiency. Instead of spraying large amounts of water willy-nilly like a hose does, it makes the most of your precious water by putting it exactly where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you’re not around to water it.

So if you’re looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient alternative watering method, you should go out to the gardening store today and purchase the necessary items to install a drip irrigation system. I think you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to maintain a garden after you have it.

Here are the major reasons why one should consider getting a pair of trusty gardening gloves:

Gloves protect your hands from blisters, thorns and cuts while doing rough work like digging or pruning in the garden. Investing in one or more pairs of quality gloves is a good decision.

Here are some tips on how to choose the pair that will suit you best:
1. Look for quality leather gloves with a cloth back; this will let the gloves breathe and keep your hands dry, cool and comfortable.

2. If mud bothers you, select rubber gloves with cotton lining.

3. When spraying pesticides or chemicals choose gloves that are made from neoprene. Gloves made from latex or any type of plastic may not offer the best protection.

4. When pruning roses, use gloves that reach up to the arms.

5. If you usually operate large garden machinery, buy gloves in brown instead of red as the latter may dye your hands.

6. Light cotton or even fingerless gloves may be useful for transplanting seedlings. They will allow more dexterity and so help to prevent the tiny roots from being crushed.

7. And of course, make sure that the gloves you buy actually fit your hands. If you have small hands, try the children’s gardening section. there’s nothing worse than trying to garden is gloves that are too big.

Your gloves must be comfortable as well as give protection to best serve your gardening needs.

Get a gift of gardening gloves for yourself or a friend:
Gifts for Gardeners

If you’re thinking about taking your gardening seriously and getting out there every day to increase the attractiveness of your garden, then you will want to get the right tools to help you in this. You might be tempted to go out to the store and just buy the nearest things you see, but you’ll be much happier if you put lots of thought into the styles and types of tools you’re buying. There are styles designed just for gardening, and you’ll be better off buying those.

You can find most of the tools you will need at your local gardening or home improvement shop. Usually the employees will be simply thrilled to assist you in finding the ideal tools. If you go to a shop that specializes in gardening, you can usually get some advice in addition to service. Gardening store employees are usually an untapped wealth of wisdom, and they are how I learned almost all that I know about gardening today.

If you are having a hard time finding the right tool or if you want to save some money, you might try looking online for the supplies you need. You’ll have to pay the shipping costs and wait an extra week or two, but often if you buy more than one tool, the total savings will be worth it. You should always buy from a reputable seller, though, and search around beforehand for anything negative that people had to say about their buying experience.

As far as basic digging tools go, you might already have all you’ll need. There are several types that you should get though, for different specific tasks. A round point shovel is good for digging holes for plants. A spade is necessary for all the more intricate work. A garden fork you might not use as much, but I have one in my tool shed and I’ve been thankful for it on multiple occasions. Having these different varieties of digging tools can help you to minimize the work you have to do. For example, if you try digging a big hole with a little spade then you’ll end up rather tired. The same goes if you are attempting to do more detailed work with a big clumsy shovel.

A rake is an absolute necessity. You most likely already have one, but I’m guessing it’s a lawn rake and not a garden rake. There is definitely a difference, and if you try to use a lawn rake in a garden then you will not be happy with the results. Same if you buy a grading or a contractor’s rake. You’ll want to look for a bowhead rake. I’ve found these are the best for gardening purposes. They will provide you the maximum control and accuracy, so you don’t accidentally tear up your precious plants.

As far as hoes go, I don’t believe any gardener should have less than 3. There are so many useful varieties on the market that I have a hard time recommending just one, and that’s why I’ll tell you all the ones I usually use. The one I use the most is the onion hoe, which is very lightweight and ideal for small cultivations and weeding. The Warren hoe is a larger model, with a pointed end. If you need to make a hole or dig out a pesky weed, this is the one for you. There are several other varieties, but I
recommend starting with the ones I mentioned. As you progress in your gardening savvy, you will find the need for more types.

Most people believe that gardening just consists of a simple spade. But there are many, many tools with many more variations that you will use in your gardening hobby or career. Usually you can start with just a few different tools, but you’ll always find that you can use more varieties for special situations. It’s just a matter of recognizing when one tool could be more efficient than another.

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Yardiac.com

When you start a garden, one thing you need to consider is the supplies that you will use. Depending on the type of garden you have, you will probably be dealing with all sorts of different operations, such as digging small holes, digging large holes, raking, planting, and many other more fine procedures. So if you have the right tools for the job, you can get it done quickly and with relatively small amounts of hassle. So consider all of the following things when you are looking to get started with your garden.

First, you have to do some research about the companies that you are buying supplies from. Some companies use processes to make their items that are harmful to the environment, or unethical. There are countless resources devoted to discussing which companies are reliable and decent, and which ones the consumer should avoid. So find out about company practices, and try to find a few companies that you will stick with when buying garden supplies.

Every garden supply selection should start out with a small shovel for fine work, such as digging small holes or removing weeds. If you’re going to be installing entire plants or bushes, you could do with a larger shovel as well for large-scale digging operations. For jobs involving cutting, weeding, and pruning you could use a good pair of gardening shears. You can get a heavy-duty pair that will take care of pretty much any job you require. You should also look into an aerator, which is essentially a cluster of spikes that can be easily driven into the ground.

Next, now that you have all of the basic products required of gardeners, you can start looking into specialty products. If you expect to be planting a lot of bulbs in the future, then you can buy a product that will make that process much easier by practically injecting the bulbs directly into the ground. This will save you the trouble of repeatedly digging small holes, inserting the bulb, and covering it up. Instead, you can do it all in one slick movement. If you use fertilizer or pesticide, then you can buy tools to easily spray it or spread it around as needed. There are even tools that help in the process of composting.

So look on the internet and at your local gardening supply store for tools that will make your life easier, and help your garden to achieve its full potential.

Yardiac.com - The Ultimate Garden Center

Almost everyone has at least one friend who is a gardening enthusiast. You know, that person who spends every waking moment perfecting their garden. Well, when it comes time to giving that person a gift, it can quite often be a challenge to think of exactly what they would like. However, it’s always possible to come up with something that will suit them well, so here are some ideas of things that you should consider.

The first type of gardening gift is something that will make their gardening easier. Sometimes this could be a gardening tool. Lots of gardeners spend lots of time doing repetitive actions, such as planting bulbs or pruning their bushes. While you can get these jobs done with basic tools, it’s possible to get them done easier and quicker with specialty tools. You can get a bulb planter, a pruner, a lawn aerator, or any number of other handy gardening tools. So if you hear your friend complaining about how difficult a certain task is, you can make it easier by getting the right gift.

The next type of gardening gift is to get them some sort of seeds, bulb, or plants to add to their garden. This can be a tricky one, since there are so many factors in play. You don’t want to get them something that is easily found in your area. You also don’t want to cause them a burden if your plant takes hours of work per day to maintain. Usually it is best to do this only if you have explicitly heard them state their desire for that plant. Also, if you go overseas, a plant from some exotic corner of the world could make a good gift. If you aren’t sure, it could be a good idea to ask them before you buy a plant. It may take away the surprise factor, but at least you know your gift will be appreciated.

If you haven’t had any chords of inspiration struck just yet, you can consider some alternatives to what I have mentioned. A subscription to a gardening magazine is always a safe gift. You can also buy a number of gardening novelty items, such as bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, or artwork related to gardening. Just consider what your recipient is missing, and what would make their life easier.

Gifts for Gardeners