First make note of your home and existing landscape properties to help guide your choices, such as.

• House color and size (i.e. one story, two story) which can help you plan for garden color and tree heights.
• House architectural style – classic, mod, etc.
• Where do the overhead utilities lie – very important when planning for trees.
• Best and worst views from the house and from the yard.
• What sorts of walks and paths are in place? Cement, brick, stone, etc.
• Is there a fence? What sort? Wood, iron, etc.

Next take a look at what nature has handed you so you can plan accordingly…

• Type of soil in your garden plots/yard.
• Amount of sun specific areas of your yard get.
• Wind factors – where is the wind blowing in from in the different seasons. Are you going to need wind shields?
• What’s the elevation like?
• Are there any overly soggy or dry areas?

Decide how you’ll be using the area and how hard you want it to be…

• How hard do you want maintenance to be? High? Medium? Low?
• Who will be using the area? Kids, adults, pets?
• What sort of style interests you? Formal? Informal? Or maybe consider a theme (i.e., English, herbal, natural, etc).
• Is there or would you like to plan a deck or patio and how will that affect your landscaping?
• Will there be outdoor lighting for entertaining or security?
• What sort of outdoor features will be needed (or wanted). Structures and features include things like patio furniture, kids play equipment, raised beds, a shed, and so fourth. Also consider an area to store garden goods.

Later we’ll look at how to start choosing the best plants for the area but for now, the above questions should be enough to get you going.

If you’ve go to your local extension website, you’ll usually find a wealth of garden and landscaping information pertaining to your own climate and area. Look for terms like gardening techniques, planning, or landscaping to get started.

Post from: Blisstree

Planning your landscaping & garden

Why gardeners need to STOP growing flowers – this is an excellent post commenting on the whole beating the proverbial Jones’, growing with the use of chemicals to produce a showstopping garden when frankly it’s unnecessary, and how we can find a way to work with nature to grow better flowers. A great read.

It’s a little late to grab gifts for the holiday but this Greenhouse Kit is pretty cute so I wanted to link to it anyhow. Made for kids this kit goes beyond theory and gets into the dirt of growing. The set has a four-tiered “global greenhouse” that’s an interactive habitat for water, flora, fauna, soil and air, providing real-world lessons on the environment and sustainability. Includes artificial soil, storm starter, thermometers, side panels to introduce animals and more. Makes a cool gift for kids to get them into growing before spring hits.

An awesome post about the ever so lovely hellebores – a great plant for those with colder climates to reckon with. Actually this same blogger has an excellent post about how to build a tabletop boxwood Christmas tree as well that’s really worth checking out in case you’d like to have one next Christmas.

A beautiful photo journey to Lake Wilderness Arboretum.

See which flower is still blooming in the snow and ice (in Chicago no less).

Around the World in 80 Garden Blogs – just like it sounds, this post dives into gardening around the world with 80 must read garden blogs.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Holiday Garden Links to Adore

Basics of crop rotation: Crop rotation is pretty much a self explanatory term. You rotate crops on an annual basis. Most commercial growers use a four year rotation which you can also use at home. However some books and experts recommend a three year rotation plan for smaller gardens. When I started my first solo garden in my early 20s, I didn’t know about crop rotation, thus didn’t do it at first and when I finally read about it, I only heard about the four-year plan so I don’t know for sure if a three year plan would work better for you. One suggestion is to ask another local gardener with a similar plot what they do.

Why bother?: Crop rotation can help eliminate organism build-up. For example, if you plant broccoli year after year in the same spot, disease organisms related to broccoli may build up and thus affect your soil and plants. Rotation also helps prevent nutrient depletion in your soil, can help control buggies that attack specific veggies and aids in weed control.

General crop rotation plans: Make a list of all the veggies you normally plant. Divide them by type (i.e. botanical family [pdf]). Then mark off garden plots for each. Try to mark off same sized plots to make it easier on you when you rotate. If you need help check out the Yankee Gardener’s Garden Data” – Crop Rotation Chart – you don’t have to do it exactly like this chart, but it’ll give you a good idea about how to plan for a proper crop rotation. Another great plant rotation chart can be found at Danny Lipford’s site.

Some general tips for better crop rotation:

• The above mentioned site, Danny Lipford notes that you should, “Try to dedicate at least one section each year to a “green manure” cover crop—such as alfalfa or clover—that you can till into the soil, or mix in plenty of organic matter and allow the soil to rest” which is a good plan that makes sense, if you have the space. However, most home gardeners don’t have the luxury of so much extra space, so I wouldn’t feel too guilty if you can’t plan for a cover crop in your rotation.
• Besides family groups you can also group according to which diseases specific plants are susceptible to.
• Keep good records of your annual crop rotations. You may think you can remember it in your head, but it’s easy to forget what you did last year.
• If you don’t grow many veggies or grow enough of a specific crop you may have empty space in your plots. You can fill these in by combining crop groups with compatible needs or fill in with beneficial companion flowers. Another idea is to fill in the areas with disease resistant trouble free veggies like lettuce, cucumbers, and squash but it can make for a more confusing plan than simply rotating everything.
• Potatoes and tomatoes both belong to the same family, but planting them one after the other may create problems.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Crop rotation for small gardens

Now as for the loofah. You can grow loofah from seeds, but you need to start soon after the last frost. Loofah can take a long time to germinate and needs around 180 warm climate days to thrive. Starting them in pots far ahead of the final frost to get a nice jump start on the season can be the best plan. You can sow loofah seeds directly into the ground if you live in a warmer climate.

An entire tutorial (including images) on growing your own loofah can be found at Luffa.info.

[image via Wikimedia Commons]

Post from: Blisstree

Homemade Gardener’s Loofah Soap

Winter Wonderland from Organic Bouquet

• Flower food from an actual flower shop works the best for keeping blooms fresh for longer amounts of time. Tricks like a penny, changing the water, sugar, bleach, and so on are tricks many talk about and when I worked at a nursery we tried all of them but actual flower food works the best.
• Start clean – dirty or moldy containers or vases will kill flowers off quickly. Wash containers well, and if you add any extras, like holiday decor on a stick, wash those too. Make sure to rinse the soap off well because the pH of soap will also change the water quality.
• Cut off any leaves that may fall below the water line in the vase. Leaves sitting in water get icky, smell funky, look bad, and promotes bacteria growth.
• If you’re making bouquets with holiday bulbs use cold water not room temp because they’ll hold up longer.
• When I worked at the rose nursery we’d submerge wilting roses in cool water for a few hours.
• If giving flowers as a gift, keep them cool until you give them. I.e. place them in the garage or another cool spot. If you want open, fresh smelling blooms bring them inside for a few hours before giving them out. If you’ve got no time to spare, unopened flowers can be forced open if you place them in very warm (not hot) tap water. BUT make sure that after the blooms open you place the flowers into normal room temp water.
• And it goes without saying that if you’re using flowers for decor, say on the table for your holiday party or dinner, you need to wait until as late as possible to get the flowers.

Post from: Blisstree

Keep Christmas Bouquets Fresh

Below is a video and some tips that can help.

Other tips…

• If you are still considering a living tree for this year or next, make sure to choose a healthy tree if you want a healthy later planting. This means when you buy a tree it should have a healthy and full not droopy look to it, also any living Christmas tree you buy should come with its roots intact and be wrapped in burlap with a ball of earth. The ball of earth should not be frozen at time of purchase. Fir, spruce, and pine holiday trees all are good choices for replanting after the season. Hemlocks are not recommended.
• BEFORE bringing your Christmas tree indoors, transition it first in a cool spot – one that’s warmer than outside, but cooler than insider. Your garage or a solid shed is a good transition spot. Leave your tree there for a few days before you bring it inside to decorate.
• To keep your tree healthy enough to later replant don’t have it inside too long. While some people love having a tree up for a month or more, this is not how to manage a living Christmas tree. Only have it up and decorated inside for about two weeks at most and of course do all the normal things you should to keep a Christmas tree healthy – water regularly, keep it away from heat sources, and use the minimum amount of lights. Christmas lights can dry out the needles.

Do you have a living Christmas tree this year? How is that working out for you?

Post from: Blisstree

How to Replant a Living Christmas Tree

According to the Telegraph, botanists recently discovered for the first time that some plants are carnivorous predators who can kill insects in order to “self-fertilize.”

The new research shows that plants such as some species of petunia, ornamental tobacco plants, some varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, and shepherd’s purse can capture and kill small insects via the sticky hairs on their stems. When the insects decay and fall to the ground the plants absorb their nutrients through their roots. So when you’re eating a nice tomato you may also being getting some bug nutrients. I’m wondering what Peta will have to say…

According to scientists working on this research it’s assumed that plants developed this technique while in the wild because soil quality can be lacking in vital nutrients. However, this may not totally be the case because they also found that domestic variety plants, in healthy garden soil, do this as well. The research was done at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, and scientists there note that there may be hundreds more killer plants than previously realized.

The study researchers note, “We are accustomed to think of plants as being immobile and harmless, and there is something deeply unnerving about the thought of carnivorous plants.” I don’t know though. Maybe a HUGE science fiction plant would be unnerving, but otherwise it’s kind of cool to know that some plants can take care of their needs when necessary.

Maybe we’ll all be a little nicer to our tomatoes now though; just in case

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Attack of the killer tomatoes

The Gnome-Be-Gone is one of my favorite garden structures – it’s amusing, unique and sure to be a garden eye catcher. The set comes with one gnome and two Gnome-Be-Gones.

Vibrant ceramic Shroomies are handmade and each is brilliantly colored and one-of-a-kind. These are not frost-proof though so you’ll have to use them in indoor plants during the winter.

Apple Bird Feeder – A sweet minimalist sustainable bamboo birdfeeder with three perches, a loop for hanging and a skewer to secure an apple.

In the right garden setting this wrecking ball garden sculpture is the perfect cure for boring lawn sculptures.

Recycled Milk Glass Hummingbird Feeder – I love this pretty recycled milk glass feeder which is handmade and good for high-traffic areas as the feeder holds 20 oz. A decanter-style top allows you to refill and clean it easily. Includes instructions and hanging hook.

The one of a kind Reclaimed Army Helmet Planter is an interesting way to reuse an item that has little use plus it’ll last and last. The base is also reclaimed, made with transmission gears.

Post from: Blisstree

Fun & Unique Garden Gifts

Wrap your mind around management not eradication. Weed elimination in total usually involves chemical weed killers. A better choice is to visit your local extension or talk with a local landscaping expert so that you can learn the difference between actual noxious and harmful weeds vs. non-problematic weeds. Aim to get rid of the noxious weeds, but be realistic about weeds in general – allowing some weeds will not harm your garden but trying to get rid of all weeds with a nasty chemical can harm your health.

Improve your soil. Healthy soil means healthy plants that grow proficiently, leaving less room for weeds. Weeds are more easily pulled out of healthy non-compacted soil as well.

Mulch often. Once you clear weeds out of a specific area of soil, mulching can help prevent weeds from popping up as new plants get established.

Design a weed-control minded garden. Landscaping plans that include multi-layered ground covers crowd out weeds and allow healthy plants to thrive.

In the vegetable garden – Veggie gardens need special weed control because most vegetable gardens have larger spaces of undisturbed soil. Try shallowly cultivating the soil frequently which helps to kill weeds before they pop up.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Plan for long-term weed control

If you haven’t checked out the issue yet here are some cool select quotes from Michael Pollan’s interview. with Organic Gardening:

Pollan on what’s truly organic…

“Organic is in danger of being co-opted. I’ve been on organic factory farms, and if most organic consumers went to those places, they would feel they were getting ripped off. I think organic risks a real crisis of perception if the values that they’re selling don’t accurately reflect the practices they’re engaging in. They’re organic by the letter, not organic in spirit.”

Pollan on First Lady Michelle Obama…

“The future is [people] really making the connections between food and energy and climate change, and food and health care. Watch what Michelle Obama is doing. That’s really important stuff: her emphasis on fresh food. She talks about organic, but she [also] talks about fresh. Basically, getting away from processed food is key. And if you’re eating produce, and it’s not organic, it’s a big step up from eating processed food. All these partial steps are very important.”

Pollan on the question: Can organic feed the world?

“…Even if you can’t feed the world organically, and I don’t know that you can’t—there are very good arguments that you can—even if you just feed half the world organically, you’d be doing so much for the land, so much for our health, so much for the atmosphere, that it’s well worth doing. So the fact that you might not be able to get all the way does not damn the effort to try. And so I don’t think people should be discouraged by that.”

“But ‘can organic feed the world?’ is a question really up for grabs. The honest answer is, we don’t know. I’ve seen research that suggests with really smart rotations and cover cropping there is enough nitrogen to do it. I also think that if we changed our relationship to meat, we probably could.”

Pollan on if he prefers local foods to organic foods…

“No, I don’t. I support local, because in my experience here in California, local is organic…But if I were a supermarket shopper I would, because you can’t meet farmers face to face and you don’t really know what they’re doing, so to the extent people depend on the supermarket and are not interested in the farmers’ market, we need organic. If people are willing to put in more time and like the farmers’ market experience—because it is more than food that’s on offer there—[then] local, definitely.”

The whole “Can organic feed the world question” is a big deal right now with recent slams on organic by the media and Michael Mack, chief executive of Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness giant that makes pesticides and seeds. Mack noted, “Organic food is not only not better for the planet… it is categorically worse.”  The piece on Mack was run in the New York Times and one of his issues was that organic can’t feed the world, which may have some truth to it, but is not 100% by any means and the theory hasn’t been tested. I like Pollan’s take on that – the whole we haven’t tried, and if we did it would so much better in the long run for the planet and our health and so on. Very cool.

Find the full article “A Conversation with Michael Pollen” in the November-January 2010 issue of Organic Gardening Magazine.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Author Michael Pollan on Organic Food