Posts Tagged gardening
Improve The Quality Of Flowering Bulbs With Fertilizer
Posted by Keith Markensen in Garden on April 10, 2010
If you have room in your garden for more shrubs and want a splurge of spring color, grow some of the named hybrid brooms, which are handled by several nurseries in the Fog Belt. They do well in this area. Try to see the brooms in bloom before making your choice, for they vary in color, size and vigor.
Some flower as early as March, but the peak of bloom is in April and May. One cool year my bushes (mostly grown from seed) began to blossom late in January and wound up with scattered flowers in August. At that time most of them were heavy with black seed pods.
Take a look at Dorothy Walpole. a May-blooming broom which is quite distinctive with its 3- to 7-inch spikes of dainty red and purple flowers. Geofiry Skipwith, one of the earliest to bloom, has a creamy pink banner and keel and dark crimson wings. Pomona, orange and apricot, is a powerful grower and should be placed at a distance from other plants or it will crowd out weaker neighbors. St. Mary, which is lower than the average broom, is delightful when covered with white bloom. McGill is a redand-white dwarf.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys
The lily-turfs, Liriope muscari and its varieties and Mondo (Ophiopogon) jaburan, are adapted to the Big Valley garden in shade and borders where the sun is not too strong. The roots spread by means of stolons, often becoming sod; the evergreen foliage resembles coarse grass and is sometimes variegated.
The small, drooping flowers, carried in quantity close to the stem, may be violet-blue, lilac or white. You can find these plants in at least one California nursery. Liriope muscari and L spicata are only about 8 inches high; L. grandiflora and Mondo jaburan are much taller.
Pacific Northwest
You can improve the quality of next year’s flowering bulbs by applying fertilizer now. Old manure is a good mulch; phosphates and potash are particularly needed to help bulbs store up food while they are in active growth.
In making up your list of summer bulbs, don’t forget two that are so tender that they must he taken up in the fall: ismene (Hymeno. callis calathina), from tropical America. and Mexican tuberose (Polianthese tuberosa), which is called a tuberose because of its tubers, not because it looks like a rose. Ismene bears large spicily fragrant flowers which resemble cream-colored daffodils. It should be planted between the middle of May and the middle of July. See that the bulb is planted 6 inches deep in rich soil in a sunny location and do not let it dry out. As for the Mexican tuberose, you can hurry the bloom along by potting up the bulbs late this month and keeping them in the house until they can be set out in May. The fragrant white flowers, which may be single or double, are carried on tall stems.
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Patio Furniture Cushions | Tips On How To Weatherproof And Clean Your Outdoor Cushions
Posted by Colin Simonson in Garden on March 19, 2010
Seasonal care is a very important part in maintaining your patio furniture cushions. With the Spring and Summer months ahead, now is the time to formulate a cleaning regimen to keep them in great shape. The added benefit is that you will prolong the lifespan of your patio furniture cushions for years to come.
Begin by taking your patio furniture cushions out of storage. You will need to clean them thoroughly with a mild detergent. If you are able to unzip and remove the covers, do so. You can then wash them in your washing machine, on a low cycle.
To avoid causing mildew, do not wash a cushion’s polyester or foam insert. If an insert does get wet while you’re cleaning a cushion, don’t put its cover back on until after you let the insert air dry thoroughly. Prior to using the covers, you might want to think about buying some protective sealant. It sprays onto patio furniture cushions and protects them from damaging spills and exposure to the weather.
If your patio cushions have not been in storage throughout winter, and they are not in the best shape, then you can easily make them like-new again. Follow the same steps as above. You might have to scrub the covers by hand with a tougher detergent.
You can buy cleaning products that are specially formulated to reduce dirt and mildew while not damaging the fabric of your outdoor cushions. Maintain the look of your patio furniture cushions by hosing them down whenever they begin to look dirty.
You can also even out the wear and UV exposure of both sides of your cushions by flipping them over every so often. Exposure to sunscreen eats away at the fabric used in cushions, so it is a good practice to rinse sunscreen off your cushions as soon as possible. You should also rinse off anything that spills onto a cushion as soon as it happens.
When it is time to store your cushions for the winter, follow the same types of steps as you did when you removed them from storage in the spring. Take the covers off and wash them in your washing machine on low, then let them dry out in the sun. Make sure the polyester or foam inserts are thoroughly dry before you put the covers back on.
Air-tight containers should be used to store your cushions. Never wrap your cushions in plastic, because mold and mildew could grow if air is trapped in the plastic. Placing a few cedar balls in the containers alongside the cushions will help keep bugs away and maintain a fresh smell in your cushions.
Cedar balls can be purchased at home improvement stores. They act like moth balls but lack the odd moth ball smell. You’ll be able to enjoy fresh-looking cushions throughout the year if you keep up with the seasonal care of your patio furniture cushions.
All of us at creativeoutdoorfurniture.com would like to assist you with information and resources on Patio Furniture Cushions, Patio Furniture Covers, Patio Furniture Sets so you will be able to make a great choice for your outdoor patio furniture the decor.
Tips For Advice For Taking Special Care As You Are Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy
Posted by Becca G. Taylor in Garden on March 10, 2010
In the event that you notice a growth of poison ivy near you home or on your property you want to take care of the problem right away. You can not get rid of it just as you would any other unwanted plant. This takes special care and a fair amount of precautions. This is something you may even want to consult with a professional gardener or landscaper about.
There is a very serious warning that you should absolutely heed. Never ever burn it. It is very dangerous and can bring serious harm to yourself and anyone nearby. The rash that you see on your skin after touching it, will actually form inside your lungs once inhaling the fumes from it. This can mean lots of trouble, and a possible public health hazard depending on where you are.
This is a very hearty and resilient plant and you will not be able to kill it off with just anything. What you will need to use is a very strong, concentrated herbicide. Though you will dilute it some with water, it will still need to be at least three to four times as strong as normally recommended. Be very careful to not get any of it on yourself, or on any surrounding plants as any plant that it touches will die.
Dressing appropriately and protectively for this task is very important. You need to have gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and shoes that cover your feet completely. The less exposed skin you have the better. Remember that either the herbicide or the ivy could give you a very bad rash, so you need to be very careful.
Check the weather forecast when you are planning to do this. Having fair or mild weather is very important to make sure that the task is done properly. Any rain would water down the herbicide so that it would not be as effective, if it remains effective at all. Wind poses a similar problem because it could spread the herbicide to other plants in your yard and kill them off as opposed to addressing what it was intended for.
Once you spray and coat them with the herbicide it will take a few weeks for them to die off. When this happens you will notice that the leaves turn yellow and shrivel. Once this happens you are not in clear. You need to dress protectively again and go back out. You need to remove all of the dead stalks, and also dig out the roots. Even just a little bit of the roots left behind can spark growth.
It’s more than just the leaves that give people rashes, it’s also the bare branches and dead stalks. Just a little bit can be a big problem for people who have severe reactions. This is the biggest reason why dressing protectively is so important.
Once you have dealt with the problem, you want to check the area periodically. Poison Ivy is extremely persistent and has a habit of coming back over and over again. You will have to keep a very close eye on it for several years to come. This is a problem that you want to deal with promptly, as soon as you notice it. The bigger it gets the harder it is to get rid of.
Are you searching for answers? Is poison ivy contagious? How do you get rid of poison ivy? All this can be answered through using the net for your search. Web pages on the net provide valuable information that can be helpful.
Alternative ways to deal with gophers
Posted by Marcus Langston in Garden on January 30, 2010
Other Gopher and Mole Deterrents Besides traps, baits and electronic deterrents, there are some other merchandise that may or may not assist you with your underground pest dilemma. Listed here are a few from the most popular:
Automobile EXHAUST Tube ADAPTORS You get your garden hose and stick it into the gopher or mole’s access, after that you attach the other end from the hose to a tiny adapter which then is attached on the exhaust pipe of your automobile. You allow your car idle for 20-30 minutes and your pests slowly fall into a deep sleep from which they’ll for no reason wake up.
It seems practical, howeverdoes this theory work? Well, it can function, but the fumes really have to allow it to be to wherever the varmint is. It’s pretty likely that parts belonging to the tunnel are closed off to where the gopher is and the fumes won’t allow it to be there. And don’t forget, the farther you push the hose into the hole, the extra dirt starts to plug up the hose itself.
Given that the adapter will be economical, I would only advocate that you try it for critters which might be living close to your driveway but not for the ones deep in your backyard. If you’re gonna try this on the backyard gophers, you may absolutely offer the neighbors with a Bill Murray CaddyShack time as you have to drive your car onto your back lawn and leave it idling there for half an hour for each mound.
An excellent alternative to this can be the Crittergetter. The Crittergetter is not your average garden hose fumigation apparatus; it is a properly sized tool that delivers a huge volume of toxic exhaust to a burrow devoid of causing harm to the exhaust source. It immediately funnels the toxic exhaust from your car, truck, tractor or lawnmower into the burrow of a gopher, vole, mole, woodchuck, shrew or other burrowing pest via a special hose. Locate out more concerning the Crittergetter.
Gas BOMBS Ignitable fuel bombs seem like a fireworks product. You clear out the entrance towards critter’s tunnel, ignite the gas bomb, place it into the hole, cover it up so that the smoke goes into the tunnel after which it just hope that it functions. Right after a couple of days, just dig up the spent cartridge and rake out the dirt into your yard.
Once more, you won’t know for a while if you have succeeded in getting your varmint. If the tunnel is blocked off, the gas can’t get because of. It can be form of enjoyment make use of and it’s exciting to see a little smoke rising from your lawn though. They come in packs of five or six, mainly because that’s how many chances are you’ll eventually use for one tunnel.
Lawn SPRAYS And GRANULES I love the idea of lawn sprays and spreadable granules. Utilizing your garden hose, you sprayover a chemical that modifications the mole’s major foods from a tasty snack into an unpleasant tasting grub. You can also locate these products in granule type, which you use having a spreader. At some point the critter gets sick and tired of getting an annoyed stomach and one night moves on (off your property) to find a improved source of diet.
These types of products function much better on moles and voles than gophers as gophers reside deeper in the soil than moles and voles do. Gophers will be also not much interested in consuming the grubs that these types of toxinsimpact. For the reason that you may have to use it in excess of when also it isn’t proper cheap, it might not be practical for huge properties, but for mole infestations in a smaller region, this product can be a good solution.
Looking to learn how to deal with a gopher problem? Check out our site about gopher control.
Light Up Your Home With A Low Voltage Landscape Light Set Up.
Posted by Paul Hamilton in Garden on January 30, 2010
Unless you have owned a system comparable to this previously in a home you won’t believe just what a vast change it is able to generate to the aspect of your home at nighttime.
A low voltage landscape light system is so easy to put in and maintain that you would not accept how special all are going to appear in your plot as soon as it is lit up.
You may go for spread lights which is going to light up an part of garden in general and not identify any particular part.
In several ways it may appear as a community garden or recreational area where illumination makes it possible to stroll daylight hours or nighttime, noticeably smaller but just as attractive.
The good idea regarding low voltage systems is that the power, i.e. 12V, is low enough to be completely secure. It is so harmless that you could probably have the lighting on when you are placing them to finest effect. There is no hazard to you.
One negative aspect I should want to mention is that the lighting furthest apart from the transformer might not look as intense as those nearby.
You are able to get over this particular trouble by installing a higher-rated transformer. Of course you could always employ these type of duller lighting by changing that into a type of feature that the lights become progressively brighter as they come close to your residence.
Persons speak about ‘curb appeal’ and if you are proud of your house then that is something that you might want to take into consideration. Some well situated lighting might permit your home appear utterly impressive.
There is not anything such as a suitably lit up dwelling to welcome someone. In addition to this whenever you come back at night you really do not need to go in your residence in the darkness, it is going to make you feel a good deal extra safe if you are in a suitably lit zone.
Generally speaking a low voltage landscape light system may be more effective than higher voltage lights that might create pools of dimness in between. This can really be harmful as a safety measure.
The low voltage lights are going to be so reasonably priced that you can have lots of them and thus you are going to get around these dark areas in between lights.
The manner these lights upgrade the look of your property should in addition improve the value of it. It will be perceived by all who see it as a quite desirable house, even if you never desire to sell it, it is nevertheless satisfactory to realize that you have improved its value.
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