Gardening For… – Page 5 – Gardening Hours

Home Garden Landscape Design Can Be Fun And Rewarding Image via Wikipedia Anyone with a backyard who wants to enjoy being out there will at one time or another think about backyard landscape design. Though there are many simple things that one can do in the lawn, there are some who want to have something stunning and relaxing for when they have the time to sit out there and enjoy their space. There are some great ideas out there, and they are just waiting to be found. It is really easy to come up with unique ideas as well. There are many ways to plan a yard, and there are as many ideas as there are yards. The point it to make if feel like home outside as well as inside the house. One of the most expensive ways to work with backyard landscape design is to have a program designed for that purpose. I’m not sure if that is out there, but I know this is often included in programs used to help blue print new homes. Along with putting the home and with all of the details, most of this software can also aid in backyard landscape design. The best thing about it is that it can usually give an estimate of the final cost with all of the things that have been added to the design. If this is not an option, backyard landscape design can be done just by mapping out the dimensions of the yard on a large sheet of paper and then working on what might be best or desired. It might take a little time, but cutting out small paper representations of each addition and then taping them on the paper might help a person to see where they are going with their backyard landscape design and what they might need to remove. We often think we have more or less room than we really do, so getting it to scale is important. Many have seen spectacular backyard landscape design in magazines or on television. Though they may not be able to remember exactly how something looked, that might be for the best. Though a design might have looked good, it is always more special if the backyard landscape design a person goes with is one that is unique in at least a few different ways. Much like a home, the yard should reflect a little about the people in the house, and it should also feel like home. An exact copy of something else won’t have that cozy feeling many look for when landscaping their yards. The Grass Seed You Choose Is Important For A Great Looking Lawn. There are many people who take pride in their lawn, and these people know that a great lawn is a huge selling point if you are selling your home. Other people just prefer to put a lot of time and energy into their lawn because they love the look of a green, and lush grass covering. If you have a lawn that looks less than perfect, there are many things you can do. Besides watering and fertilizing, you should consider planting grass seed to fill in some of the blank spots. You can find grass seed at almost any home improvement store, and you may be able to get someone to help you choose what you need. What you buy will depend on what type of grass you already have, or if you want to start all over again, what type of grass you would like. Many people don’t know it, but there are different types of grass seed that each give a different look to a lawn. It is relatively easy to plant as long as you follow a few simple rules. I walked through our neighborhood and looked at the best lawns, then I politely knocked on doors and started asking questions about the best grass seed and lawn care. It's surprising how talkative people become when you ask them about their beautiful lawn. Most people lay down grass seed in the fall so that it has time to take root, and then it will grow properly in the spring. When you do this, you want to rope off the part of the lawn that you are seeding so that no one walks over it. It might be best to place a few signs stating that the lawn is roped off because of grass seed. There are many who will ignore ropes unless they know why they are there. Don’t leave them guessing. You will find that most will respect this. You want to cover your grass seed with hay so that the birds don’t feed on it too much. Traditionally, the seeds are thrown down on the top of the soil, and this makes them easy pickings for birds and even squirrels. A layer of hay will help keep them away. If you are going through a dry spell, you should make sure you water your grass seed, as well as the rest of your lawn at least once a day. This will help it grow more quickly and take root before the winter comes. Though there are some that claim you should only water your lawn at dusk or after dark, it is really okay to do so at any time of the day. Flower Frogs And Yard Sales, Gotta Love em. No I am not talking about a frog made from flowers. There are many people that dislike second hand stores and garage or rummage sales. I am not a person that spends much time going to garage sales, however when I do stop at one I usually go through the glassware as well as vases. This is the section in the second hand store that I check out also. There are many times when I find unique glass bowls, glasses and vases that I use when entertaining. One day I was on my way home from the grocery store when I was forced to take a detour due to road construction. I decided to take a short cut through a residential neighborhood to get back to the street we live on. An older home that I have thought looks quite interesting was having a yard sale. I thought I would stop to see what they had. There was one table with glassware on it that I was looking through. I noticed that there was another table that was full of vases. On the table with the vases were several flower frogs. They were in different sizes and shapes and were all made of glass. I had two flower frogs that my mother had given to me, but these were beautiful. Flower design frogs are round or oval shaped with holes in them that are put in the bottom of bowls or flat vases to stand flower stems in. With flower frogs you can basically turn any container into a base for a flower arrangement. The old woman at the sale saw me looking at the flower frogs and came over to talk to me. She asked me if I knew what they were for. I explained that my mother had used them and that I love to arrange flowers so I was familiar with their use. She showed me one that was close to a foot long and four inches high. It was made of glass and studded with holes through the surface to allow many flowers to be arranged in it. The glass was green in color. None of the flower frogs had prices marked on them. I told the woman that they were very beautiful and that I wanted to buy at least one, but I needed to know the price. She said that she had not priced them because she wanted them to go to someone that knew what they were and would use them. She said she loved arranging flowers and she wanted her flower design frogs to go to someone else that shared this passion. She told me that I could have all the flower frogs for ten dollars. I knew this was not enough money, but she insisted. She packed up nine frogs for me. I think of her every time I arrange flowers. Hanging Flower Baskets Can Make Your Home Look Great. Hanging flower baskets really make a house stand out in the crowd. As I go for my daily walks I notice the homes that impress me the most and they don't have to be mansions to impress me. A nice clean yard and plenty of plants and flowers is what catches my eye. Have you ever noticed homes that stand out in the neighborhood? I mean the houses that you walk by or drive by and have to take a second look at. Have you stopped to consider why these homes attract attention? It usually has to do with the way they have landscaped the yard. I find that it does not matter if the home is valued at a modest price or high price, if the yard is well cared for it attracts attention. We have hanging flower baskets around our property, not just on the house. Those pesky flies in hanging flower baskets can be a real killer if not taken care of early. We learned that lesson in the first couple of years we started with flowering hanging baskets. There are products that are safe and will take care of those pesky flies and save the flowers in your hanging baskets. A well cared for and attention grabbing yard usually incorporates the use of flowers for color. Some people use flowering bushes or shrubs with varied foliage. Other people use containers of flowers on their steps or along a walk way. Other people will choose hanging flower baskets to bring color to the front of their home. The main thing to keep in mind when developing your landscape is that too much can make a yard look junky and too elaborate means that most of your summer is dedicated to lawn care. I have found that hanging flower baskets are a great low maintenance way to bring color and focus to different areas by our home. We have a front yard light that looks like an old fashioned street light. It has a rod that runs through it and extends out the sides. This is a perfect place to have hanging flower baskets. They are suspended off the ground so we do not have to mow around them and they are low enough to easily water. I have found that I like to pot my own hanging flower baskets. The reason is that the already potted baskets often have very light soil in them so allow the plants to grow and mature quickly in the spring, however by mid to late summer they have lost their looks. By starting my own hanging flower baskets I can use a heavy soil that will mean a slower rate of early growth, but the planters will last a longer time. When purchasing hanging flower baskets make sure that there are holes in the bottom of the baskets to allow rain and water to drain off so that the plants do not drowned. Also try not to buy the flowering baskets that are already in full bloom. They look beautiful in the nursery and when you first place them out in the yard, but they will not last very long if they are at full maturity when you buy them. Look for hanging flower baskets that are planted close together so that the flowers and foliage will drop down and provide a full look. Also if you do buy a basket that is already planted add some heavy potting soil to the soil already in the basket. Know Your Garden Supply Center Staff And Learn More If you're an avid gardener, like so many millions across the country, you're probably already a ”regular” at the local nurseries and garden supply stores. In fact, if you've got a free afternoon on the weekend, that's probably where you can be found. On the other hand, if you're a beginning or lukewarm gardener, you may be unaware of the fun and treasures to be had at garden supply houses. Some are big DIY type places, with everything under the sun pertaining to gardening. Other garden supply shops may be specialty nurseries with smaller but select “gourmet” garden supplies. If you're in the novice or ho-hum group of gardeners, read on to see how simply visiting garden supply houses can become a hobby all on its own! You'll find that, sooner or later, your interest and enthusiasm will grow and you'll find yourself spending more time at this enjoyable hobby of all things garden. Let's look first at the larger type of garden supply store. These are usually the backbone of a strip mall, dominating the scene in a can't-miss-it sort of way. Once you step inside, you might not know where to begin. These are organized like department stores, with patio furniture and cute little bistro tables having their own section. You'll find patio table umbrellas, hammocks, gazebos, potting benches and lounge furniture. Hydroponic equipment will have its own area, with everything you'll need to begin a soil-free garden indoors or in a greenhouse. Hydroponics is still not exactly mainstream, so the big garden supply stores have racks of brochures on the how-to's to familiarize you with this interesting method of gardening. You'll start to wish your wallet would accommodate more of these goodies as you browse through the selection of fountains, DIY fish ponds, statuary, gazing globes and sundials. If nothing else, it's food for thought: “That would be perfect in my rose garden.” Seasonal flower bulbs in their bins, with colorful pictures above each showing the resulting display next season is enough to make you grab a basket. In the actual nursery area, the large garden supply store carries something for everyone, from herbs and cacti in little pots to fruit trees in 15-gallon containers. Of course you'll find every garden tool you could think of, with garden hoses, sprinklers and irrigation systems to suit every style and method of gardening. Smaller garden supply stores tend to specialize in their plant selections and carry unique and handmade garden accessories. Their book selections are often hand-picked by the owner to be useful in the context of their stock. For example,a small garden supply specializing in orchids and ferns would tend to have their bookshelves stocked with books you'd have trouble finding on the subject. If you have any interest in gardens and gardening and a free afternoon, take yourself window shopping at a garden supply. I can almost guarantee you'll be back again.