Tips For Growing Flowers And Gardens In Dry Conditions

Give Your Flowers Some Shade In Dry Conditions

Plant enthusiasts who are new to outdoor gardening have their hopes set on growing all kinds of flowers, but become heartbroken when they find out that they live in a dry climate. A climate where the flowers they love won’t grow where they live - simply because there isn’t enough rainfall.

                                      

Many gardeners suggest planting flowers that thrive in dry climates, but before you resign yourself to growing cacti, there are different ways to make sure that your more frail flowers get enough water without having to install an expensive underground water sprinkling system.

Mulch, Wood Chips, And Compost

The first way to solve a lack of water in a garden is to conserve what you have. Mulch, wood chips, and even compost on flower beds will keep the water in the soil when there is little or no rain. Also, if you have hard or infertile ground, these ground covers will help add the nutrients that plants need and also help keep plants alive and growing. Plants which may not necessarily thrive in your area without some extra help.

As well, there are many flowering ground covers that keep moisture in and fill up the places where nothing else will grow because of lack of water.

Water Deeply And Less Often

If you water your outdoor plants every day, the roots will stay on the surface and the plant will remain spindly from lack of water. It is much better to give your plants a good soaking with the hose (say about an hour or so) once every week. This gives the water time to seep deeper into the ground where the roots of the plant will follow. The deeper the roots go, the more water the plants will find in the long term and the healthier they will be.

Put Up Some Shade

More delicate plants have a better shot at staying alive and flourishing if they have some shade during the day. Shade also keeps moisture in the ground, especially when combined with woodchips. Even a small or newly planted tree will provide some shade. If you don’t have time for a tree, however, you can try other methods of shade like an extended pergola, a trellis, or even a patio umbrella.

Survey Your Property For Moisture

Whenever you are at home, try to pay attention as it rains. The land around your home may be perfectly flat, but if there are parts that are wetter than others when it rains, these are the places where you should grow plants that need more water. Especially with some mulch or wood chips added, most plants that need more water should be able to grow in these spots with less effort on your part.

The Compromise

If you simply can’t get plants to grow in your garden because of lack of moisture, you may have to give in and buy plants and ground cover that require little or no moisture. However, you may be surprised at the amount of beautiful plants that you can find that require little or no watering.  As well, you can always grow your beloved plants that need water and shade in decorative over-sized pots and keep them on your patio.

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Garden Shade Options For An Enjoyable Backyard

Trees Provide The Most Tranquil Garden Shade

There are so many shade options for gardens that will fit anyone’s style as well as their budget. Here are a few obvious (and not so obvious) ways to shade your garden so that you can enjoy it in the summer months:

Garden Shade: Trees

Trees are the most economical and natural ways to shade your garden. They do take a while to grow, but if planted properly, mature trees will give your home added value if you decide to sell it. Make sure to plant trees so that they are not too close to the house, power lines or water lines so that they will not cause damage later when they grow larger. The best shade trees are maple, oak, and elm and are perfect for a backyard garden.   

Patio trees that are planted in large pots are wonderful for smaller areas of shade and can be moved around as needed. Dogwoods, redbuds, ficus and lilacs trees are perfect for a patio or walkway to provide immediate shade.

Garden Shade: Arbors/Pergolas

Arbors and pergolas offer shade and are also an attractive and ascetic addition to your garden. Pergolas can be custom-built or you can buy them from a home improvement store. Once the pergola is in place, this is another shade option where you will have to wait for vines to grow to create shade, but modern pergolas may simply have closely spaced wooden slats or mesh material stretched over them to keep out the sun. This eliminates the need to wait for vines to create more natural shade.

Hanging baskets can be suspended from larger pergolas, making for even more shade and a beautiful accent to any garden.

Garden Shade: Umbrellas

Large patio umbrellas are the cheapest and most versatile way to create immediate shade for dining or sitting out-of-doors, and can be easily moved or put away.  Large canvas umbrellas come in almost any size and color, so they are the best way to decorate a garden with something that is functional as well.

Garden Shade: Free Standing Trellises

A free standing trellis made of lattice work is a perfect way to shade a garden and at the same time provide privacy or section a part of a garden off from the rest.  Climbing flowers like wisteria, clematis, and morning glories can be planted to grow up the trellis, making it a beautiful focal point of your garden as well as providing shade.

Garden Shade: Gazebos

Gazebos are a more architectural way to provide shade in a garden and also a place to sit and relax. Gazebos are readily available at home improvement stores and can be stained or painted any color. They also provide a focal point for the garden and are the perfect destination for the end of a walkway.

As you can see, there are many choices for shade in a garden. If you want to get really creative, there are also options like outdoor curtains and panels that can be constructed for the summer months. Conversely, if you have too much shade in your garden, there are many plants that can grow with little or no sun.

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The Basics Of Home Garden Design For Beginners

The Basics Of Garden Design Include Decorations

Whether you have your garden professionally designed or you do it yourself, it is important to know some garden design basics so that you come up with a final plan that will suit your home and your lifestyle. 

The one thing about garden design that you can count on, however, is change. Plants die, trees get too big and your tastes will change as well. So when you sit down to design your garden, don’t become paralyzed with the fear that you are making unalterable decisions.  Follow your instincts and be reasonable as to what will grow in your area and you will be fine.

                                                  

Plan First Your Garden, Plant Later

A site plan is the first thing you will want to do if you are designing a garden. A site plan is a bird’s eye view of where everything will go in your garden. It can be done by a professional or you can draft one yourself. There are no drawing skills required.  Mapping out a plan simply makes it easier to execute the planting of a garden and see what it looks like before you start. You can also eliminate potential problems in this stage of garden design. When you draw your site plan, following are some garden design basics that you will need to consider:

Formal Style Or Informal Style Of Garden

Despite all of the different choices you have when designing your garden, the style will boil down to two choices: informal or formal. Keep in mind that a formal garden is not necessarily stuffy-looking and an informal garden is not randomly placed plants and trees; a formal garden is simply one with a specific purpose, and informal garden is an assemblage of plants and trees that are pleasing to the eye.  Deciding what purpose you will use the garden for will help you decide which style you want.

Symmetry And Balance Of A Garden Plan

Symmetry and Balance have to do with the flow of the garden, the scale of the plants and trees and the repetition of the plants. People are generally more attracted to a garden that makes sense geometrically. You can be as creative as you want, but in the long haul, you will probably want plants that complement each other and have a rationale as to the way they are planted. For example, large shrubs that are surrounded by smaller flowering plants are pleasing to the eye because they balance each other out.

Planning Walls, Roofs And Paths In Your Garden

Walls, roofs and paths give an order to a garden and make them much more enjoyable. Walls make gardens private, and roofs like those on a patio or a gazebo can give protection from the sun and rain. Of course, pathways make gardens accessible so that you can enjoy walking through them. Carefully planning these design elements will infinitely make your garden a place where you want to spend your time.

Once you have considered all of these design basics, the final touch will be to decorate it. Decorations include elements like bird houses, water features, fences, trellises, benches, sculptures, and decorative planters that give your garden a finished look and showcase your personality as a gardener.

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Quick Ways To Attract Beneficial Insects To Your Garden

Attract Butterflies With Common Flowers 

When you think of insects and a garden, your first reaction may be that you want to swat at them – when they are preventing you from sitting peacefully and admiring your flowers. However, beneficial insects are very important if you want to keep a garden that is pest-free and well as safe from harmful pesticides.

It is natural for your first reaction to be to spray your garden with insecticides, but you can avoid doing this if you plan your garden correctly. Insecticides should always be a last resort. Besides being harmful to humans, insecticides also kill the good insects that pollinate flowers and help your garden grow. So let’s look at ways to make your garden more beautiful, and at the same time, make it friendlier to the helpful insects that your plants need to be healthy.

The Three Types Of Beneficial Insects

The three types of insects that you want in your garden are predators, parasitoids, and pollinators. Predatory insects are those which prey on aphids, mealy insects and other insects that destroy the foliage in your garden. Parasitoids patrol the undersides of flowers, looking for pests like harmful caterpillars that eat plants, subsequently using them for food for their young.  Pollinators, of course, make it possible for plants to multiply and grow and are essential for flowering plants.  These are the kinds of insects that are not pests, and will make your garden grow beautifully with little or no pesticides.

Making A Home For The Beneficial Insects

Now that you know what kinds of insects you need to keep your garden low maintenance, it’s time to think about how to attract these insects to your garden so they can start working for you. Much like birds, you have to make a home for these insects so they know that they are welcome.

The first insects that you will want to attract are the pollinators. These are the insects that will pollinate your flowers and essentially make your garden grow. You have to attract theses insects early in the season so it is important to get flowering plants out in your garden as early in the season as possible. This lets the pollinators know that there will be plenty of flowers for them to work on throughout the season and they will pick your garden for their home.

It is important to plant flowers of varying heights and also to plant herbs to attract insects that like ground cover and different types of nectar. A variety of plants including zinnias, fennel, dill, umbels, daisies, and sunflowers are a good mix to attract many types of beneficial insects. As well, flower beds should be mulched, so that ground beetles have cover and a place to find and eat the slugs and cutworms that can also destroy your plants from the root system. Decorative stones and rocks are also a good place for them to hide.

Lastly, don’t forget the water. If you have a sprinkler system, there should be enough water lying around in puddles for most insects. However, if you water your garden manually, always make sure to leave some excess water lying around so that insects can get a drink. You may even want to install a water feature to add a finishing touch to your garden and give the insects some water as well.

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4 Ways Attract More Birds To Your Garden

Birds Like Gardens With A Natural Place To Nest

Birds are attracted to a garden by the lure of four different elements: plants, nesting materials, food, and water. Which means that birds don’t just come to any garden that has a bird feeder. 

In order for birds to want to visit you in your garden and stay for a while, you have to make your garden a place that has the elements they need, placed in such a way that makes your garden comfortable for them.

Plants And Trees Are The Most Important Elements

While many people think that food is the most important thing to attract birds to a garden, it is actually the plants, trees and bushes that attract birds to any place where they plan to stay for a little while. This is because plant life is the place where birds can seek shelter and also roost while they rest or digest food. Bushes are also places where birds can socialize and sing, which is really why you want them around.

Check your local information to see what kinds of birds are in your area and what kinds of trees and hedges they like. Trees and bushes with lots of foliage and places to land are perfect for birds to seek cover and also build nests if you want them to stay longer.

Nesting Materials Will Encourage Birds To Stay

Many people think of traditional birdhouses when they think of nests for birds, but nesting boxes also make suitable places for birds to live and raise their young.  You can make your own, or you can buy ready-made nesting boxes and birdhouses at many places online.

Also, to help things along, you can put out nesting supplies. However, make sure to leave the birdhouses and nesting boxes bare. Birds won’t go in a nest that contains materials arranged by human hands. Instead, leave supplies of bit of wool, grasses and twigs lying about (neatly of course), so that birds may pick their own materials to build their nests.

 

Food For The Birds

Now that your birds have a place to socialize and a place to nest, it is time to think about what they will eat. Premade bird feeders are the easiest to put up and are also inexpensive. They come in a great variety of designs, so you can match them to the style of your garden.  Bird feeders should be put up on some kind of post, so that cats and other animals cannot get to the feed, or more importantly, the birds themselves.

Any hardware store or department store will have bird feed that is suitable for attracting outdoor birds. Once again, it is important to find out what kinds of birds are in your area before you buy bird seed.  It is also wise to buy food for songbirds or birds that you will want to sit and watch while you are in your garden. Be careful not to buy food that will attract pesky birds that will take over your garden.

 

Water For The Birds

Finally, your birds will need some source of water if you want them to stay around. Stone birdbaths are the obvious choice, but birds aren’t picky. Any basin of water that is a few centimeters deep will give them a place to bathe and drink and make your garden their favorite one in the neighborhood!

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Adding A Water Feature To Your Garden Sets It Apart From Others

A Water Feature Adds So Much To Your Backyard

Once you have a beautiful home garden established, you will definitely want to add a water feature as the finishing touch to make your garden complete.

Many people shy away from water features because they think that they are expensive or time-consuming to maintain, but they are actually easy to build and almost maintenance-free.

Also, any of the well-stocked home-improvement centers will have the supplies you need to build and maintain a water feature for your garden at a price which will be lower than expected.

Deciding On A Design

The design of your water feature will depend on where you live and how much room you have. Although there are two elements that all water features have. This is a basin where the water is stored and a fountain that moves the water which makes a pleasant sound and keeps the water from stagnating.

The wonderful thing about a basin that holds the water is that it can be anything from a small clay pot to large pond, depending on what scale you are planning to build your water feature. Be sure to use your imagination and personalize your water feature for the full effect! Large clay pots, antique bathtubs, and other unusual containers all make for creative water features.

As well, don’t underestimate your creative abilities. Even something as complicated sounding as a pond can be made by using a children’s swimming pool and disguising it with rocks and plants. The point we are trying to make here is that you can have a sophisticated-looking water feature without hiring someone to design and execute it.

What You Will Need

Once you have a design picked out, there are a few simple items that you will need to complete the project. This includes a water pump, a fountainhead kit, a water-tight container, some type of water sealant, and vinyl tubing. If you purchase an electric water pump, you will need a grounded outlet, but there are solar powered water pumps available as well.  If you talk to someone at your local home improvement center about building a water feature they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Executing Your Design

Picking a spot for your water feature is important, because you will want it in a place where you can admire it while you are sitting outside. If you have an electric pump, it will also need to be near a grounded outlet.

For any water feature design, the water pump will go in the bottom of the basin and the electric cord will have to run to an outlet. Any holes will need to be sealed and the vinyl hose will be used to connect the water pump to the fountain head. You will also need some sort of stand for the fountain that will sit inside the basin. In the case of clay pots, you may turn a smaller pot upside down and sit it inside the larger pots. This makes a stand for the fountain and hides the water pump.  

Once the fountain is in place, you are ready to add water and enjoy!

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10 Reasons To Visit A Japanese Garden

Japanese Gardens Are Peaceful

There are many different kinds of outdoor parks to visit when you want to relax and enjoy your free time, but a Japanese garden is a special place to go for peace and refection. 

If you really want to escape the fast pace of life for a while, a Japanese garden will take you on an unexpected and tranquil journey in the midst of a chaotic landscape. 

And most Japanese gardens are conveniently located in larger urban areas. So if you want to take a 2 hour break or so, a Japanese garden is the perfect place to do it.

And here are 10 other reasons to visit a Japanese garden if you haven’t ever been:

1. A Japanese garden can teach you about the Zen philosophy. 

The organization of a Japanese garden stems from the Zen Buddhists who used rocks and sand formations to enhance meditation. The rocks represent islands and the sand represents water. Reflecting on these specially arranged natural elements is very calming and illuminating.

2. A Japanese garden is very peaceful and relaxing. 

You can sit and reflect on the arrangements of the stones and the sand or you can listen to the fountains. You can also stroll though the walkways and admire the plants. Most people that go to a Japanese garden are there to do the same thing, so it is also usually quiet.    

3. A Japanese garden can teach you about a different culture.  

A Japanese garden is very reflective of the Eastern philosophy, so the plants and the other garden elements are Japanese in nature. A Japanese garden will often times have a tea house where they may demonstrate a traditional tea ceremony.

4. A Japanese garden can inspire you. 

When you walk around a Japanese garden, you will see many possibilities for your own home. Whether you have your own garden or not, you will see many plants which you can have indoors. As well, you may want to get your own miniature sand box and rake to sit on your coffee table for peaceful reflection. 

5. A Japanese garden is historical. 

The Japanese garden dates back to the year 612 when Buddhists first introduced them to Japan. Many modern Japanese gardens are modeled after these originals. 

6. A Japanese garden is a great place to think about the meaning of life. 

Because a Japanese garden is built philosophically, the design of the garden will have you thinking philosophically as well.

7. A Japanese garden is a place where you can admire someone’s hard work.  

A Japanese garden requires an incredible amount of work to build and maintain and takes years to mature. It is an inspiring experience to enjoy the intense effort that someone put into something as simple as a garden.  

8. A Japanese garden is a mini universe. 

Because the garden is meant to mimic islands and water, the Japanese garden represents its own universe. You are simply a giant who has wandered into a world that is unique unto itself. (This is what we mean when we say that a Japanese garden will get you philosophizing!)

9. A Japanese garden takes you to a different world.  

The world of a Japanese garden is a step back in time because of its ancient design. However, unlike other historical and educational attractions, a Japanese garden is a living thing, and will transport you entirely to a different plane in the universe.

10. A Japanese garden is simply a beautiful place. 

Putting all other reasons aside, a Japanese garden is a just a beautiful place to visit.  Of all the gardens and parks that you can go to, a Japanese garden will stand out in your mind as one of the most beautiful places you have ever been. 

If you don’t have a public Japanese garden in your area, look one up online. There are plenty of pictures and you can take a virtual tour that will show you just how beautiful a Japanese garden really is. 

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