Gardening BlogGardening Advice and Tips

Shrubs, Trees, and Climbers:

*Rose pruning should be completed by the beginning of the month.  Mulch with mushroom manure or well-rotted compost.  Check for aphids and rub off or use insecticidal soap.

*Shear winter-flowering heather after flowering.

*Continue planting trees and shrubs.

*Prune early-blooming shrubs after flowering.

*Evergreen and conifer hedges can be clipped now.

*Check vines growing on the house to make sure they are not invading window frames or working their way under gutters and shingles.

Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs:

*Deadhead daffodils but leave seed pods on squills and grape hyacinths to seed themselves.  Don’t remove foliage until it has started to yellow.  Feed with fish fertilizer.

*Divide up primroses and polyanthus after flowering.

*Stake perennials that need it, and mulch perennials if not already done.

*Continue to sow seeds of hardy annuals in ground.

*Edge flower beds, weed well and check carefully for invading pests and diseases.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs:

*In first half of month, sow early potatoes, green onions, bulb onions, leeks, kohlrabi, and cabbage.

*In last half of month, sow beets, carrots, broccoli, Swiss chard, parsnip, cauliflower, kale, and lettuce.  Set out earlier-sown vegetables from coldframe.

*Sow zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes indoors in a sunny window or a coldframe.

*Keep vegetable garden well weeded, and keep a lookout for signs of pests and diseases.

*Plant new strawberry plants.

General Gardening:

*Continue preparing new lawns and repairing worn patches on existing lawns.  The first three lawn mowings should be done with the blades set higher than usual.

*Aerate lawn if not previously done.

*Stat planting water plants in ponds.

*Turn compost and keep it moist.

That of course is the general idea behind this article. There’s a lot of materials out there about composting and compost and the last thing you need is another one that explains the technical aspect of the process and the scientific basis behind the importance of using composts.

Although, I’m not denying the fact that technical explanations such as those are necessary as well, but it would be nice to hear or read something more of layman’s approach on the subject. Well that’s something that this article would like to do, anyhow.

Compost is an organic substance that is added to the soil which functions more than just being a fertilizer. It is a mulch, a soil conditioner, and something that will help the soil give the best nutrients and minerals your plants need. With compost, the soil also is able to hold more water, which is also beneficial to your plants.

There are several composting methods which you can employ or use. The so called “no-turn” composting method seems to be the easiest. Like what the title of the method indicates, you don’t need to turn the pile of compost at least once every week to quicken the process of decomposition. In this “no-turn” technique, all you need to do is add a lot of coarse materials to your compost.

Adding a lot of straw would do just fine. What the straw does is to create air pockets and allow the pile to be aerated. You can expect your compost to be developed at the same rate as when you employ the traditional “turn-over” composting technique. When you use this composting technique, be sure to get your compost from the bottom of the pile. Just add new organic materials on the top keeping in mind adding coarse materials as well.

If the only available composting materials in your yard are piles and piles of leaves, then don’t worry. Creating composts from leaves alone can be done. You just need a couple of things, and some very simple techniques. Select a place where you will make your compost pile. For the leaves, the place ideal would be a well shaded area which will help keep the pile damp or moist. Also keep in mind that the pile should not be packed tightly. Keep it loose to allow the air to circulate.

In four or six months, the compost from leaves should be finished and ready to be applied to the soil. Take a mental note, however, that the compost created from the leaves does not contain enough nutrients and microorganism to function as a fertilizer. The finished compost, however, is great as soil conditioner.

When composting, you will need materials rich in carbon and nitrogen namely fruits and vegetable scraps and other table scraps except left over bones because they attract a number of pests and animals. Other products include eggshells, grass or shrub clippings, pine needles, seaweed and kelp, coffee grounds, wood ash, tea leaves, cardboard and shredded paper, corn stalks, wood chips, and sawdust.

To discourage fruit flies and other pests from grouping together on your pile, it would be best to cover the pile or add lime or calcium over the top or whenever you add new materials to your compost. The lime and calcium also help neutralize the odors from your pile.

I hope you were able to have a simplified view of the composting and got some useful and simple tips from the article. Just remember that composting is difficult only if you want it to be.

3D home architect home and landscape design suite is a very easy to use design that helps achieve your dream home to reality. It offers you full set of software in the form of DVD to construct your home in a perfect design. Since it uses latest technologies, it is able to design any room in your home and to make an awesome landscape.

The possibilities you can make with 3D home architect home and landscape design suite software is endless and you can design your floor plan or remodel your kitchen or create a perfect landscape that improves the entire appearance of your home easily. It contains the complete set of home and landscape design tools that let you make changes in each and every aspect of your home and landscape project. You can view number of remodeling options by using an array of material templates.  The interface of this software would make your design experience more pleasant.

The deck tool in this suite helps you model your deck in any type according to your desire. There is a large library that contains numerous appliances that you can select anything suits for you.

Landscape of a home inspires the outsiders and it improves the value of your home. Therefore it is important to focus more on landscape design. The 3D home architect home landscape design suite helps you design a fantastic landscape complete with plants, trees, decorative shrubs, pools, fencing and outdoor lighting. You can design your outdoor space with pond, spa, waterfall, outdoor grill, Garden furniture, garden statues and much more. Customizing your landscape becomes very easy now with the help of this 3D design suite.

You can even decide which types of plants would be suitable for your garden with the help of plant library in this software. The plant library helps you select the best planting option after considering the terrain, region, climate and soil. There is plant growth projection tool in this design suite which helps you view the growth of plants in your landscape over a period of time.

Interior design in this suite is yet another excellent feature. You can design your living room, kitchen, bedroom or any other room with the help of this software according to your wish. You can utilize the powerful tools in order to change each and every element of a room. You can finalize paint color, flooring, furnishing, and much more with the help of this design suite.

3D home architect home and landscape design suite provides various options to include brilliant lighting system to every room in your home. It also provides wide variety of lighting options for our exterior landscape. You can decide which place in the room can be left for direct sunlight and which place requires artificial lighting system with the help of this software. The lighting options include floor lighting, table lamps, inset lighting and much more.

It is difficult and time consuming to change anything in real home or landscape. But it is easy to remodel anything in the software up to our satisfaction. Hence, the 3D design suite is often essential to bring your dream home to reality.

3DHOME Architect Design Suite 8 By Encore Software

Have you adored orchids for your whole life, always giving them as gifts instead of regular flowers, or perhaps even had your own potted orchids? Since you’re so passionate, and have the know-how, you should start your own home business as an orchid cultivator by starting your own orchid greenhouse!

Let’s not get carried away, though. Before you can sell all those gorgeous orchids, you need to build a greenhouse for them to grow. Not only that, but you’ll have to make sure you can afford the financial investment involved in your growing operation. It is not just a matter of putting them in the soil, then harvesting them, you have to take special care of the plants like they were your own children. You need the right type of soil, specific growth ingredients that orchids need to thrive, and so on. So, before you jump run out and start buying tons of stuff, ask yourself this: “Am I ready to grow my own orchids? Do I have the money needed, the will power required and the special knowledge required?” If you answered “yes,” then read on. If not, you might want to wait for a while before building your own orchid greenhouse, or just keep dreaming.

Assuming you have what it takes, then it’s time to build! Here are five critical steps towards making this dream a reality:

1. Buy the appropriate materials needed to build. Look for corrugated fiberglass panelling, with some plastic sheeting and home insulation. These should be the basics, and they’re relatively inexpensive.

2. Draw up some plans for the structure and location of the greenhouse, the foundation (area under the orchid greenhouse), and what type of floor you want to have. This is crucial, as the success or failure of the project will depend upon the choices you make in the beginning.

3. Make a blueprint of the orchid greenhouse, and also keep a notebook for detailed information, such as how you want the greenhouse partitioned and layed out, what are the growing zones and what height will the construction have.

4. It’s now time for specifics! How will you make the lower wall? Will you paint it, or will you keep cover it with wallpaper, or something else? Do you want to build in seating so you’ll be confortable while inside? Also, don’t forget to include a storage area for your supplies.

5. Last, but equally important, you should take care of the exterior environment. After all, you want your orchid greenhouse to get as much sun as possible, so make sure you put it in a sunny area and not somewhere where trees shade the greenhouse for most of the day.

Well, that’s it, the five steps that will get you close to building your dream orchid greenhouse. But remember, building it is only half the battle. The other half is caring for your orchids, since they are delicate, sensible flowers, and any miscalculation or improper setup of the greenhouse will affect their overall quality.

Any plant growing business is no easy job, and if you aren’t positive that you can handle it, my advice would be to pay for real professionals, as paying them will guarantee you a good job. Good luck with your orchid greenhouse, and remember to have fun!

Find out more about starting your own orchid greenhouse by visiting http://orchidgreenhouse.blogspot.com

Good luck, and happy growing!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_Lynx
http://EzineArticles.com/?Building-an-Orchid-Greenhouse—Five-Things-You-Absolutely-Must-Know&id=1385472

Over the last few years home gardening has become an increasingly popular past-time and hobby.  In fact, studies show that home gardening is at an all time high in America right now.  In the United States 8 out of 10 households take part in some type of home gardening activity.  Obviously from the number of people that are doing it, home gardening is one of the most popular recreational activities in nation.

Most people that try their hand at home gardening plant flowers; at least they start out planting flowers anyway.  Roses will probably be the first thought into any gardeners mind, but roses will take extra time and work, and should probably be left to those who have gardened before.  When planting flowers many choices are available, such as bulbs, perennials, and annuals. 

Edible plants are another big thing in home gardening.  Perhaps the best thing about edibles is the reward of eating them.  The list of edible plants that gardeners can grow at home is endless. Some of the most common edible plants in the vegetable arena are, potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, squash, and cucumber.  Many gardeners opt for fruits, such as, watermelons, tomatoes, peaches, plums, apples, pears, and apricots.  Small fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries usually require less work and less space, making them much more feasible for home gardening.  Herbs, most often used as spices in cooking, are growing in popularity every day; some of the most grown include basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, and cilantro.  One of the most important things to watch for when planting edibles is insects and disease, after all, you don’t want to miss out on the feast you will get to enjoy from healthy plants.

Many people don’t realize it, but landscaping is a form of home gardening.  Landscaping covers many different areas and forms of gardening.  You can even classify mowing your lawn as landscaping!  Keeping in the line of grasses, landscaping nearly always involves decorative grasses, and the great thing about them is they don’t take much work for upkeep.  Types of grass include monkey grass, pampas, buffalo grass, flame grass, and ornamental millet.  Landscaping is not just limited to plant life, but also includes anything done to a yard for decoration, such as adding rocks or stones, putting a small pond, statutes, or a waterfall.

There isn’t much difference between home gardening and gardening anywhere else.  Plants still need to be planted in a good location.  The plants still need water and they still need the same nutrients.  Home gardening shouldn’t cause anyone to get nervous.  If you do decide to try homing gardening and finding out that you don’t have a green thumb, don’t get discouraged.  Get some information, read up on gardening, and try it again the next planting season.

Go to http://gardeningwebguide.com and get your free ebooks “A Guide to Organic Gardening” and “Rose Types and Care of Roses”