Hate Weeds? Kill Them Safely? Here's How...

I'm pretty lazy when it comes to... well, just about anything that requires effort. That doesn't mean I don't do what I'm supposed to (and I'd like to think I do a pretty good job at it too -- when I get around to doing it), but it does mean that I'd rather be taking a catnap with my cats while listening to the TV fade off in the background. In order to be able to do this, I need to first tend to my gardens, so I have to figure out the quickest way to do a perfect job and then settle down in my hammock for that nap. With this in mind, one of gardening's tasks that I truely hate is eliminating weeds.

Of course, I have 3 cats, 2 dogs and a number of friends and neighbor's animals that stop by my yard - I need to make sure that they are safe when they visit. As a result, my weed control plan must take this into account. One of the biggest ways I can control weeds safely is to try to implement environmentally safe ways to manage weeds. Dean Novostat addresses this issue in the following article (heh, the only problem is that he advocates actual hard work)...


Environmentally Safe Ways to Remove Weeds

There is a lot of concern about herbicides and what they are doing to our environment. Large amounts of chemicals leech into our groundwater polluting our water supply. Cancers and strange diseases with no apparent cause are being linked to chemicals and pollutants in our environment. So how do we control all those pesky weeds in our perfectly manicured landscapes? I will outline several different ways to eradicate weeds without polluting our environment.

The first and probably the simplest of all, is to roll up your sleeves, get down on your knees, and pull the weeds out! I know this seems counterintuitive in an age when we are accustomed to instantaneous and easy ways of doing things. When all we have to do is spray some highly-toxic chemical on a plant and it seemingly evaporates in less that a day! But back in the day, people used to buy tools like a hoe, or dandelion pullers to actually exert physical work to remove weeds. I prefer this method as it actually feels good to get back to our natural instincts and commune with our surroundings. Sweating in the hot sun and doing physical labor is good for the mind, body, and spirit, and with this technique, we can actually eliminate weeds!

A tip for pulling weeds is to give the weed bed a good watering the night before. With the ground thoroughly soaked, the soil will be softened and will yield the entire weed plant, root and all.

The second method is equally effective but it is more difficult to isolate a single weed in a bed of desirable plants. Simply pour hot, boiling water over the weed. The hot water will kill the weed. The next time you make a pot of tea and you have some water left over, pour it on the weeds. How about pasta water? Or corn on the cob? Plenty of boiling water left over there! While the corn is cooking or the pasta simmering, take a quick walk outside to see what weeds need to go. That way you can quickly locate them with your hot pot of water.

And lastly, you can use a string trimmer or lawn mower and just mow them down. Sure, they will grow back up but just keep whacking them down. They are green and produce lots of oxygen for your environment, and mowed down low, who would ever suspect that you have a lawn full of weeds. My lawn is full of clover and violets. Mowed down low, it looks like a beautiful lawn. However, I am the envy of the neighborhood every Spring when my lawn is covered with white and purple flowers during the month of April.

About the Author
Dean Novosat is an avid gardener and landscaper. He has transformed many boring yards into beautiful landscapes. He has several websites including http://www.the-garden-doctor.com .

Special Theme - Roses VI

2 Ways to Safely Transplant Rose Bushes of Any Age
by: Jon Weaver

You will occasionally want to move a rose bush from one location to another, but fear shocking the bush too much and having it die. However, here are two effective ways to minimize the shock to the bush so you can successfully move it to another, more suitable place in your flower garden.

The first, and simpler way, is by driving a spade down vertically to its full length of blade about twelve or fifteen inches from the bush and repeating the process in a circular form until all lateral roots have been cut. This should be done in June or early July and the bush should be moved two or three weeks later.

Dig a sloping hole leading to the vertical spade-cuts on one side, remove some of the surface soil round the bush to reduce weight, drive the spade under the plant, and gently lift it in a ball of earth. The ball can be made more adherent by wetting and dabbing the outside of it. Slide it into its new hole by way of another sloping cut, fill the spaces round the ball with friable soil and water it heavily. The bush must be pruned and all leaves carefully clipped off to reduce loss of moisture and consequent shrivelling.

You see, by cutting any strong root at a reasonable distance from a plant, it forces the growth of many smaller ones of the feeding type. Roots feed only through their terminal points, and so the greater the number of small fibrous roots the better a bush can feed from the soil.

The second, and less simple way, is to prepare the rose for the move by digging a trench in early spring in a semicircle round the bush at a radius of a foot, or slightly more, from the stem, depending on the size of the plant. This will cut the roots in that part. Fill the trench with loam that is of good quality but does not contain fermenting manure of any type. A network of fibrous secondary roots will form and permeate the rich new soil. After three months, about Christmas time, complete the circle in a similar manner. In the autumn, about four months later, the bush can be lifted with a good ball of earth held together by a mass of fibrous roots.

The rose bush has been safely root-pruned in either method of transplanting, and will reduce shock ensuring the plants survival. You may be wondering why you would need to use that second, more involved method, when the first method is so simple. Well, the only time it is necessary is when moving a very large old rose plant.

So now you have 2 great methods for successfully transplanting rose bushes. Although you don't want to do it very often, feel free to get your flower garden just the way you want it! Happy planting.


About The Author
Jon Weaver
FREE information, articles and tips on how you can grow better roses than everyone else can be found at Sir Jon Weaver's web site How to Grow Better Roses. It's FREE! Click here: http://www.HowToGrowBetterRoses.com

Special Theme - Roses V

6 Important Tips For Rose Care In Your Rose Garden
by: Bob Roy

Many people could not resist a rose's beauty and scent. Imagine this coming from your rose garden. These flowers are known to be a bit complicated to grow, but anyone could start rose gardening in the comfort of her own backyard. Good rose care will keep it beautiful.

To make sure that your most prized rose garden is in the pink or even red of their health, simply follow these tips on rose care dealing with most of their health dilemma:

1. Black Spots on Leaves in Your Rose Garden

This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots appear as circular with fringed edges on leaves. They cause the leaves to yellow. The solution is to remove the infected foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose. For the rose care artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat this kind of rose disease.

2. Stunted or malformed young canes

Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes the leaves to curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease that could ruin your rose garden.

3. Blistered underside of leaves

A disease of roses known as rust, it is characterized with orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. In spring, it attacks new sprouts. This disease can even survive winter. What you can do is to collect and discard leaves that are infected in fall. Benomyl and Funginex spraying every 7-10 days may help.

4. Malformed or stunted leaves and flowers - not for your rose garden

What could have caused this is the presence of spider mites. They are tiny yellow, red or green spiders on the underside of leaves. They also suck juices from leaves. The application of Orthene or Isotox is good rose care and will help in treating this infestation.

5. Weak and mottled leaves with tiny white webs under them

This might be caused by aphids. They are small soft-bodied insects that are usually brown, green or red. Often clustered under leaves and flower buds. They suck plant juices from tender buds. Malathion or diazinon spray may help roses to survive these bugs.

6. Flowers that don't open or are deformed when they open.

The infestation in your rose garden is probably thrips. It is characterized with slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings thriving in flower buds. They also suck juices from flower buds. The rose care for this is to cut and discard the infested flowers. Using Orthene and malathion may also treat this health problem of your roses.

This valuable information regarding the diseases your roses are prone to have will prove to be very helpful in making your rose garden ever more inviting.


About The Author
Bob Roy
Sign up for tips in our monthly Orchid Newsletter and get your copy of "All About Orchids" e-book and your 10% Discount on an orchid. http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/orchidaceae.html

Special Theme - Roses IV

How To Plant Rose Bushes In Landscaping Your Garden
by: Paul Curran

For planting roses a good garden loam with organic matter is important. It must contain peat moss, leaf mold, compost, rotted or commercial manure, and the bed should be prepared as far ahead of planting as is feasible in order to allow for settling of the soil.

Fall is the best time for setting out roses, but you can plant in spring. When they arrive from the nursery, plant at once. If they have dried en route, soak the roots and put the tops in a bucket of water before planting. Trim back any roots that are weak, long or broken at this time. Dig a hole that is wide enough to allow the roots to spread without crowding.

The rose is properly placed when the bud (the point where the top joins the roots) is just under the ground surface. Space hybrid teas about 18 inches apart in any direction. Prune the branches 6 to 10 inches from the soil.

To grow good roses it is necessary to cultivate, to prune and to spray. If you have a well-cultivated bed you need not worry about watering. But if you start to water in hot weather, you must keep it up, soaking the roots thoroughly about once a week.

Spraying every 10 days guards against the diseases and insects that attack roses. Nicotine sulphate wipes out the green lice; arsenate of lead is used against chewing insects; or sulphur and arsenate of lead may be used in a dust, as may DDT dust.

Winterize your roses by mounding sod around them after the first frost, or mulch with straw and evergreens. In cold parts of the country, remove the supports from the climbing roses and place the canes on the ground, peg them, and cover with soil mounds.

In spring, cut back your roses to within 6 inches of the ground. Ruthlessly lop off all but three or four canes on hybrid teas. This pruning will give you strong plants. When your plants grow out from spring pruning, you will have to disbud, cutting off all the buds except the top ones on the cane. This is the way to grow large blossoms.


About The Author
Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing a range of quality plants, trees, bushes, shrubs, seeds and outdoor garden products.
Website: http://www.trees-and-bushes.com

Special Theme - Roses III

Old Garden Roses -- A Proven Winner For Your Garden
by: Ron King

Old Garden Roses are any of the rose varieties that were recognized prior to 1867, the year in which the first modern rose, the hybrid tea, was introduced.

Major Classes

The major classes of Old Garden Roses are: bourbons, noisettes, portlands, species, centifolias, albas, chinas, damasks, hybrid perpetuals, moss roses, gallicas, and teas.

Often referred to as "Old Fashioned," or "Antique Roses," these roses are the predecessors to some of the most beautiful modern hybrids. Although some are native to the United States, the majority are from Europe and Asia.

Unlike Modern Roses, which are applauded for their vibrant colors, compact buds, and recurrent blooming, Old Garden Roses are usually pastel in color and are single-blooming. Their much anticipated annual blooms have come to symbolize the arrival of summer.

These flowers are true survivors. Most Old Garden Roses are hardy even in the coldest and harshest weather conditions. It sometimes seems as if they can withstand anything. Their versatility can rarely be matched by any other class of rose.

Planting

Like all roses, Old Garden Roses flourish best when planted in a favorable location. They need at least 6 hours in direct sunlight daily. The ideal location for your Old Garden Roses is an open area, away from shade trees. The soil in this area should be well drained and fertilized prior to planting.

Soil preparation is a very important element in growing healthy, beautiful roses. You should add a large quantity of organic material such as manure to the flower bed prior to planting. The fertilizer will enrich the soil and aid in water drainage. It is highly recommended that you prepare your garden soil several months in advance to allow the nutrients to settle. Your Old Garden Roses will prosper in this rich environment.

Once your flower bed is prepared and settled, you're ready to begin planting, a very easy task. Dig a hole about 1 foot in depth and diameter. Remove the plant from its pot. Carefully untangle any loose roots and place the plant directly into the hole. Fill any remaining space with loose soil. You won't need any soil additives at this time.

Be sure to saturate the ground with water. Your new plant will require water on a daily basis for 3 weeks. Any time the ground looks dry, give your plant a quick shower.

Effortless Beauty

Mulch can truly be a rose gardener's best friend. It repels weeds and is great for holding moisture, which encourages your flowers to bloom radiantly in the summer months. Don't worry about diseases unless you see strange spots on the foliage. Although Old Garden Roses are not 100% disease-free, they are known to be highly disease resistant. It is quite rare for a disease to debilitate these plants. They're extremely tough and very self-maintaining.

For a beautiful addition to your rose garden, treat yourself to 1 of these Old Garden Rose varieties. The blooms and their fragrances are sure to please your senses. That is why these roses have withstood the test of time.


About The Author
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit http://www.grow-roses-now.com to learn more about this fascinating hobby. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Special Theme - Roses II

The Tools of Rose Gardening
by: Ron King

Like any job you tackle, it's always easier if you have the right tools. Before heading out to your rose garden, make sure you arm yourself with these basic rose gardening tools.

Gloves

"You can complain because a rose has thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have a rose." - Tom Wilson. The rose garden is no place for thin, wimpy gloves. Unless you enjoy feeling the thorns pierce your skin, opt for leather work gloves with those big, fold-down cuffs.

Pruners

A good pruner is one tool that you will use almost daily. There are two types of pruners on the market. One is called an "anvil" pruner, and the other is called a "bypass" pruner. An anvil pruner has blades that meet on top of each other. Bypass pruners have blades that pass each other like scissors. Always use bypass pruners so you don't crush your canes and stems.

Loppers

When your rose garden starts to mature there will come a time when loppers will be indispensable for cutting back old, thick canes that are too much for pruning shears. If you are just starting your rose garden, save your money, since you won't need this for a few years.

Kneeling Pads

Some people prefer the big 8"x15" water-resistant pads with handles, while others prefer strap-on knee pads. The kneepads are more convenient because they move when you move, but the one-size-fits-all knee cups may not work for you. In that case, the pad with handles should suit you fine.

Short Digging Fork

This tool is indispensable for turning and loosening soil in small patches. Choose a good quality model with steel tines and a sturdy handle.

Watering Wand

Great for watering potted roses and for giving your other roses a good root soaking. Choose a model with a quick shutoff valve on the wand itself, and a quick release fitting for the end that attaches to the hose. Spend the money to get a wand with brass fittings instead of plastic. It will last years longer.

Long-Handled Shovel

Choose a lightweight model with a strong handle. Shovels with fiberglass throats are good choices. Spend a few extra dollars and get one with a padded handle, and it will save you lots of blisters as the years go by.

Wheelbarrow

Avoid the temptation to buy the cute garden "carts." You are going to need a real wheelbarrow. As your gardening addiction--I mean hobby--takes off there will be no end to the things you will be hauling in and out of your garden. Some of those things will be very heavy and you'll be glad that you have a real wheelbarrow to help you.

Garden Rake

This is the rake with the sharp steel teeth that you use for leveling and smoothing beds. Choose one with a sturdy handle and steel tines.

Leaf Rake

You'll use this tool often for cleaning up clippings, leaves and other garden debris. You may want to buy both a regular size rake, and one of the smaller "child size" rakes for pulling debris from tight quarters.

You shouldn't have any trouble locating these basic rose gardening tools. Your local garden supply store will likely stock them, or if you don't mind purchasing gently-used items, check out yard sales for your gardening supplies.

Enjoy yourself!


About The Author
Ron King
Visit Ron's website http://www.grow-roses-now.com to learn more about this popular gardening activity.
Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer.

Special Theme - Roses

When I bought my house, it came with 5 rose bushes. I was mortified because I had never been able to maintain even my artificial plants. The only foliage in my life was my fake ficus tree that lived with me in my apartment. Needless to say, I had to learn about roses and gardening very quickly. I can honestly say that my roses (along with my adopted large king sago palm) were what inspired my jump into gardening, as a result, I'm dedicating a special section to these lovely creations. Here's the first write-up of wisdom...


Choosing the Right Roses for Your Garden
by: Ron King

The selection of roses you can grow in your home garden is enormous. With so many to choose from, finding just the right ones may seem more like work than play. To make this process easier, here are a few important factors to help you narrow down your field of choices.

Color

How will the color of your roses affect your garden? For color ideas, look at rose catalogs, at nurseries, and at your neighbors' gardens. You should consider the colors of nearby plants and flowers that will be sharing the garden. Will the assortment of colors look good together, or will they clash? For some gardeners, color is a priority; for others, it's no big deal.

Climate

Choosing the right roses for your particular climate zone is essential. In order for roses to grow healthy and bloom generously, they must be able to adjust to your climate.
If your climate is too hot or too cold, or has the wrong amount of humidity, it could weaken your roses and make them vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Size

The size of the roses you choose is also very important. Consider the height of the rose at full growth. If the rose grows 15 feet tall, will it look unattractive in your garden? Remember, roses vary in size. While some roses may grow up to 8 feet, others can grow as high as 20 feet.

Measure the area of your garden prior to choosing your roses. Compare your width and height measurements with roses you'd like to purchase. Your roses will need plenty of space to grow as well as room for exposure to the air.

If you have only a small amount of space to dedicate to roses, you may want to grow miniature roses. These roses do not take up much space and they are easy to plant and care for.

Maintenance

How much time will you be able to spend maintaining your roses? Are you one of those people who lives to be in the garden, or are you more of a low-maintenance gardener?

There are several types of roses which are very high-maintenance. Although they'll be dazzling in your garden, they'll require a lot of your time. The classification known as "Modern Roses" are very stunning, long blooming, and highly fragrant; however, they are very high maintenance and are prone to disease.

The rose classification known as "Old Garden Roses", on the other hand, have been bred to be very disease-resistant and require less maintenance. "Old Garden Roses" bloom for several months at a time, and have a strong and beautiful scent. The bad news is that people with strong allergies to fragrances will have a terrible time around them. If that could be a problem for you, then consider any of the variety known as "shrub roses". They are also disease-resistant and long blooming, but produce a mild scent.

If you're new to gardening and want to try your hand at growing roses, landscape roses may be your best option. These roses are easy to care for and disease-resistant. They'll look gorgeous just about anywhere. If your garden has trellises, you can add several climbing roses as well. Although climbing roses look very similar to landscape roses, climbing roses have been trained to grow upward like vines. They add a beautiful touch to any home.

Whatever variety you choose, roses will be a wonderful addition to your home.

About The Author
Ron King
Visit Ron's website http://www.grow-roses-now.com to learn more about this popular gardening activity.
Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer.

Top 10 Lawn and Garden Care Tips

by: Bridget Mwape

The following lawn and garden care tips will help you get the most from your garden.

1. Different soil types have different watering needs. Loosen the soil around plants so it can quickly absorb water and nutrients. Early morning or night is the best time for watering to reduce evaporation.

Lengthening the time between watering combined with deep, heavy watering encourages root growth while reducing top growth in lawns. This increases the root-to-shoot ratio and helps produce plants that are more resistant to wilting when exposed to infrequent watering.

2. When choosing plants for your garden, remember crops that are suited to your soil and climate will be more resistant to problems. If you experiment with exotics, be prepared to give them more care. Also, when placing plants around the home, remember as a general rule, plants with thick leaves can take lower light levels than those with thin leaves.

3. Fertilizers provide nutrients necessary for plant health and growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Test your soil to find out what nutrients are needed. Choose a fertilizer that has at least one-fourth of the nitrogen in a slow-release form, such as sulphur-coated urea.

4. Mow lawn frequently to chop up leaves and recycle them into the lawn. If the leaves are too thick or matted then rake them up.

5. Keep garden beds covered with shredded leaves to minimize the risk of soil erosion and nutrient run-off.

6. Leave the grass clippings to decompose on the lawn. This will provide nutrients equivalent to one or two fertilizer applications. Set mower at 2 inches to reduce water use during hot weather.

7. Consider using natural alternatives for chemical pesticides such as non-detergent insecticidal soaps, garlic, hot pepper sprays, used dishwater, or forceful stream of water to dislodge insects. Also consider using plants that naturally repel insects.

8. Organic Gardening - Since organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials are slow working in general, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting and the soil thoroughly prepared for the seed or transplants.

9. Where animal manures are available, they are probably the best source of fertilizer and organic matter for the organic gardener. Use manure which has been aged for at least 30 days, or composted.

10. Weeds are easy to control when they are small. Shallow cultivation and hoeing are advised in order to reduce damage to the root system.

About The Author
Bridget Mwape writes for the Garden Center web site at http://www.garden-center.org.uk/ and also contributes articles to the Plumbing Supplies web site at: http://www.plumbing-supplies-uk.co.uk/.

Great Way for Me to Stay Lazy

Me = lazy; which therefore, make following article very important to my gardening routine. =-) [why use proper grammer if I dont have to?... it is my site after all]


Garden Leaf Blowers - More Power to Your Elbow
by: Leonard Mutch

Garden leaf blowers are powered generally either by gas or electric. Our article below will guide you to make the best choice of leaf blower for your portability needs, and garden size.

Gas Leaf Blowers

These are more powerful (and noisier) than electric ones, and with a reach beyond the limits of an extension cord. Two-cycle engines require a mix of gas and oil. Gas powered leaf blowers are excellent where mobility and greater work output is required, but are unfortunately heavier than the electric models.

Hand held leaf blowers - Useful only for small to medium yards where you need the power of a gas engine.. They can get heavy however after using for a while. Convenience and portability have their own price if you have backache! The bigger models can also vibrate a bit at top speed, so check the weight and balance. Look for air speeds higher than 150 mph and noise levels less than 70 decibels. (Make sure to check your local ordinances: as some areas limit noise to less than 65 decibels.)

Backpack leaf blowers - these are best for driveways and bigger yards. Be sure to look out for an antivibration system and noise-squelching muffler to make carrying the engine bearable for long periods of time. The blower fits in a harness worn on the operator's back.

Walk behind leaf blowers - these are better for large yards or big areas. I would look for a four cycle engine to give you more power and less emissions, and also a three wheeler if possible to make for easier steering. Walk behind leaf blowers cover the most acreage in the least time. These gas powered machines are normally the tool of choice for commercial users, but for regular homeowners, they can make short work of a home lawn.They will however be more expensive too! Vacuum units also use a hose for picking up debris and leaves.

Electric Leaf Blowers

These are less powerful than gas, but have the advantage of being lighter, with less vibration and quieter (you still need some protection for your hearing) — and there are no exhaust fumes! as electricity drives the fan. The attached cord however, limits your mobility so this may not be the best choice for a lawn with lots of trees!.

Look too, for a cord retention system to prevent the cord from being accidentally unplugged when being used. Also when selecting an extension cord to use with your electric leaf blower, remember that if the gauge used is too small or inadequate, the motor will not perform particularly well. Match the power rating of the tool to a compatible cord, and always buy a cord that is rated for outdoor use. Be Safe!

Handheld leaf blowers - these are best for smaller gardens, patios and walkways. Be on the lookout for one with a flexible blower tube to allow you to reach into corners!

Combo leaf blower/vacuum - a great idea for small to medium gardens where you've not much room to pile your leaves. I would look out for one with a variable speed and mulcher built-in to the blower to help cut the leaf volume.

Rechargeable/battery-operated leaf blowers - are a good alternative for small areas. Work well on solid surfaces like driveways and garages, but are limited because of their short run time and because they move less air than the larger corded models.

About The Author
Leonard Mutch is a keen gardener and author. You can read more of his tips and articles at http://www.gardenleafblower.com and subscribe to his gardening tips newsletter at http://www.gardenandplantcenter.com.

Save Time on This Dreaded Chore...

As I've already confessed that I'm quite lazy, this piece of work is right up my alley...


Beat the Weeds and Save Time in the Garden
by: Fran Barnwell

So often new gardeners are put off the idea of gardening by thinking about the time it might take, and the hard work involved. The popular idea of a low-maintenance garden is one of covering the space with decking and gravel, planted with a few grasses and pots of evergreens.

However, I have discovered an ideal way to help thwart one of the most time-consuming chores in the garden - that of weeding.

This came about almost by accident, as I have a cat who thinks that any uncovered ground is a glorious litter tray! I quickly had to find a way to cover up as much of the soil as possible, but soon realised that ground cover plants gave me the even greater benefit of vastly reducing the number of weeds.

Of course, there are many gardeners who enjoy the time spent weeding, and I admire them tremendously - there are great physical and mental benefits to spending time outdoors among your plants.

But for those of us whose time spent in the garden must be limited because of work commitments or perhaps physical limitations, there is a way to enjoy our plants with a minimum of fuss. Of course, time has to be spent on the initial ground preparation and planting, however, this would probably take far less time than laying decking and gravel!

Weeds are great survivors and they very quickly take over any bare patch of soil. Once they take hold they can very easily smother existing plants and become notoriously difficult to get rid of.

So the idea is to find plants that form dense clumps or spread via their roots to cover the ground. As with most plants, there are ground cover plants for each season when they are at their best, and some that look good all year round.

word of caution. Because some of these plants spread quickly - which is of course what we want - they also don't actually know when to stop! So you may need to cut them back occasionally to keep them within their allotted space.

What to plant?

I have discovered that plants such as bugle (ajuga) - you can get plants with purple, bronze or variegated foliage; euphorbia - with stunning acid-green flowers in early to late spring; lesser periwinkle (vinca minor); bergenias - commonly known as elephant's ears; as well as small-leaved variegated ivies, all provide year round ground cover. Another advantage of these particular plants is that they are also slug and snail resistant!

In spring and summer, you can use aubretia, arabis, alyssum and candytuft (iberis), which all hug the ground. And particularly useful, and providing some height to a border, is aquilegia - the old-fashioned cottage garden variety - which after flowering retains its foliage in attractive clumps. They also self-seed prolifically, giving you extra plants each year.

Another favourite plant of mine is the hardy geranium. Some varieties do die down in the winter - weeds don't grow much then anyway - but the plants soon romp away in spring and provide ground cover and masses of flowers all summer.

Other useful plants to use for ground cover are herbs. Among a wide variety to choose from are comfrey, feverfew, catmint, golden marjoram and mallow.

So there you have it! Once your ground cover plants are established, you’ll no longer have to spend hours on your knees, but can spend quality time in your garden.

About The Author
Fran Barnwell is a self-taught gardener, learning through experience in her own garden. Fran understands the difficulties that face new gardeners, and has written The Ultimate Guide to Gardening for Beginners, a successful eBook that helps anyone new to gardening to get started, explaining the basics in easy to understand terms. To find out more and to sign up to receive a free series of articles, go to http://www.newtogardening.com/.

Easy Landscape Design Inspiration

Since overall I'm pretty lazy, I couldn't resist the theme of this rather helpful er, uh, inspiring write-up...


Pictures Of Landscaping - Using Other Peoples Ideas To Design Your Landscape
by: Steve Boulden

One of the most common searches on my site is for pictures of landscaping. So I know that a lot of folks rely on photos of other peoples designs to get ideas. But at the same time, while I do have a large picture directory of other peoples projects on my site, the most common questions I receive are still related to specific shapes and design ideas.

It would seem that with as many pictures of landscaping there are to look at online, just about everyone could find a close match to their own property that could be copied. It would seem so.....if every yard was square or rectangular. However, the fact is that most yards aren’t square or rectangular. So even with the endless landscaping ideas and examples out there, it’s still highly unlikely that you’ll find an exact match to the shape of your property.

Don’t tell anyone... but even as a professional, I still use pictures of other peoples landscaping as an educational tool and to get new ideas. However, unlike most people, I don’t search for an exact idea to copy. I look for unique, creative, and new ideas and pieces of the puzzle.

Now here’s a piece of advice and the point to this entire article.

When looking at pictures of landscaping, pay attention to the details, ideas, and principles that are universal to most designs. Look for the things that are common and repeated often by different designers. These are the elements that look good because they are generally based on basic principles of art. These are the things that will probably incorporate well into your own design project regardless of shape.

Other peoples landscaping pictures are a great design tool to help you get your project done. However, instead of hopelessly searching for your exact layout, borrow several ideas from several different designs. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration and have a much better chance of creating something unique to your own property.

About The Author
Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free landscaping ideas, pictures, and advice to do it yourselfers. Check out his free gallery of pictures of landscaping at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/gardenstyles.

Save Your Fruit Blossoms from Frost

Here's an article I ran across which is quite applicable for my part of the state(s) this time of year...


How To Save Your Fruit Tree Blossoms From A Spring Freeze
by: Steve Boulden

In most parts of the country it's still dead of Winter. However, in a few spots like here in the Desert Southwest, the warming weather starts to play tricks on Spring budding trees and plants. They think it's time to wake up when it's really not quite safe to.

In my own garden, I have an old Peach Tree that produces the most wonderful almost softball size peaches. And up until a few years ago, I rarely got the opportunity to see one make it past the blossom stage.

As sure as the first warm days would wake the old tree up in a display of absolute pink, so surely would a Springtime freeze bring it to an end.

But then one day a few Springs back..... I had a great idea.

It was a little overdue but still quite fortunate that I picked those first warm Spring days to take down and put up the Christmas lights. Because as I held those lights in my hands and looked over at that beautiful pink tree just coming into its glory, a light bulb turned on in my head.

Hmmm....., are you thinking what I’m thinking? I'm sure you are and it does work.

From then on I've been able to get the majority of my blossoms to the point of battling birds and June bugs. However, battling the birds and June bugs will be another article altogether.
While I am more comfortable to grow more fruit trees now, I find that this method still works well for me because I do only have a few trees. I'm not sure how practical, cost effective, or easy it would be to string Christmas lights through more than a few trees.

If you do ever use this method, use the old fashioned base type bulbs and not the little twinkling lights. They put off more heat. Also, if you live in an area where the climate is harsher than here in the desert, it may be helpful to place a sheet of plastic or tarp over the trees in addition to the lights.

While there are other ways of protecting your trees and plants from a freeze, I just thought I would share this with you.


About The Author
Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more on garden design and landscaping, visit his site at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/.
steve@the-landscape-design-site.com

First Post... What Am I Doing?!?!?

Ok, here I go... My mind keeps wandering and I can't seem to figure out where to start. I guess I'll just lay out some info and then get to posting stuff about one of my favorite pastimes - gardening.

I'm very familiar with the internet and computers in general, but this is my first attempt at a blog. I have known about blogs for a few years now; however, I always thought they were well, kind of lame. I'm not really sure why... I guess I figured if someone really wanted to post something online, they could go to forums or newsgroups and do it - or even just write their own little webpage. Now here I am. Writing my own blog.

You'll find that I have a real interest in gardening, but I admit that I am still learning and am nowhere near being an expert. Well, I might be an expert at lawnmowing because I always had to do that at our house when I was a kid. I've also picked up alot of skillz in pruning, specifically rose bushes. So to make up for my lack of expertise (or just plain desire to write), I'm going to be posting alot of writings/articles/thoughts by other gardeners. Usually I'll select something that really taught me some solid information or skill, or something that I am familiar with, but thought that they wrote it out better than I could [or once again, just had more desire to write it :-) ].

You'll also find that my writing style varies greatly. I have been taught to write formally, and I do that very well... but let's face it, this is a blog, formal can go out the window (but you'll still see me drift into formality every so often). Otherwise, I'm from California, so I may use words or phrases that are only known here... and I won't even know that nobody else has a clue about which I am speaking (see, notice the drift into formal on the last part of the sentence...). If you've got a question or comment, feel free to post or email me, I'd be thrilled to hear from you.

I guess this is where I jump off the pool edge and swim out to deep waters - it's time to start on my blog. I hope you enjoy it and get something out of it.