Garden Design Software

Have you ever come across the concept of garden design software? Okay, okay; this is probably a new one for most folks. So many of us learn proper gardening skills from our parents. These tricks of the trade are passed down from generation to generation. Your mother carefully showed you exactly how to plant those carrots and prune those tomato vines. It's a rather particular process. More on topic of garden design software?

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Online Copywriting

Online Copywriting – Tips To Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Site Estimates indicate that the average person today is exposed to between 1,600 and 5,000 advertising and marketing messages every day. That means you better have a compelling message if you expect to get your audience’s attention. Yet website content – also known as copy or copywriting – is often the most overlooked element in developing a website.

Garden Design Software

How were those tomatoes looking this season? Were your green peppers and radishes up to par? When it comes to our personal gardens, we like to work with a little concept called perfection, at least I do. I can't help it. It's just an innate quality we've all been afflicted with since the beginning of time. Okay, so maybe I just made that up. Anyway, the point is we love our gardens, and that's why we prefer to go to great lengths to keep them looking wonderful and producing perfect vegetables and flowers. After all, that's why we have them in the first place. We don't want that nasty, pesticide-coated produce from the local grocery store. However, not all of us know the absolute best and most efficient way to start a garden. Keeping these small patches of dirt in order can be a tad more difficult than it sounds. Fortunately now days you don't have to be a landscaping expert or work in a greenhouse in order to acquire an ideal garden of your own. All you need in a personal computer and some garden design software. Now, who's got the hoe?

Kids Love Composting

Eco-consicious kids can be a big help in making compost happen at your home. A fun and educational chore to assign young children is carrying the house bucket full of kitchen scraps outside to the compost bin. Better yet, try vermicomposting. Placing red worms in a bin with damp leaves and shredded newspaper will turn food scraps into soil conditioner. Composting is a great way to teach children on how our earth works. Worms and insects work through leaves, grass, and other organic materials, creating air shafts and rich worm castings to replenish the earth's soil.

Houseplants Part 2

Watering practice is crucial. More plants are killed by overwatering than from becoming too dry. Most of the big stores will have care tags on the plants. Be sure to read and follow directions. I have found that sometimes the care tags can be misleading. It is best to consult a houseplant book for accurate information if you have one. African violets will droop if overwatered. This is a signal the plant is being kept too wet. The medium should become dry between waterings. Fertilizing properly will keep the plants happy. One can go by the instructions on the label, although you may prefer to make more frequent, diluted applications such as quarter strength, weekly. About once a month it is wise to flush the medium with clear water to avoid buildup of excess soluble salts. Most foliage plants will be perfectly happy without fertilizer application between now and March, when days are short and light intensity low. They can't use the fertilizer during this period. Many of the flowering plants can be fertilized lightly during the dark months. More next time on Pests and diseases.

Houseplants

Orchids seem to have superseded African violets as the popular flowering houseplant, but we still see the bread-and-butter plant family of Aroids-such as pothos and philodendron, Boston and Dallas ferns, ficus trees and parlor palms. Whatever the choice, there are a few basics that must be followed to keep the plants healthy and beautiful. Determine the preferred light level, temperature and watering schedule. African violets thrive in bright shade or dapple sun in a north or east window. They also do well under lights with warm white and cool white fluorescent fixtures. Popular vining plants will enjoy moderate shade. Ferns don't like it as dark as some believe. They appreciate morning sun. Ficus trees need full sun to thrive, and the palms enjoy bright shade and morning sun. No matter what the gardener's preference, the plants must be kept clean so they can manufacture their food from the applied fertilizer. They can be wiped with a moist soft cloth or paper towel or set in the sink and given a shower. More on houseplants next time.

Things to do in the flower garden for October

In the flower garden:

• Finish planting spring-flowering bulbs except tulips.
• Wait another two wees to begin planting tulips.
• Shred fallen hardwood leaves and use for mulch.
• Finish planting, transplanting spring and summer-fowering perennials.
• Order dormant roses, lily bulbs for November planting.

In the food garden:

• Harvest Brussels sprouts from the bottom up.
• Plant radishes for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Leave leeks, carrots, beets, spinach in the garden for harvest as needed.
• Wait until after frost sweetens kale, parsnips to begin harvest.
• Bundle spent corn stalks for Halloween decoration.

In the house:

• Deprive poinsettias, holiday cactus of all light from sundown to sunup.
• Make succession plantings of paper white narcissus.
• Allow amaryllis to go dormant.
• Water succulents only every three to four weeks, just enough to keep them from shriveling.
• Pinch back leggy vines for fuller grownth.

On the lawn:

• Keep leaves raked from grass.
• Continue mowing until growth stops.
• Treat germinating checkweed with a selective herbicide.
• Lime any time between now and spring.
• Fertilize if none has been spread since September.

Fall composting in the garden

Fall composting in the garden- Leaves, grass clippings great additions to a compost pile By RICHARD POFFENBAUGH News Journal columnist Compost is to fertile soil as clean air is to healthy lungs. Both are vital to our survival. Composting is a process in which bacteria and fungi break down organic matter into humus -- the black crumbly material that improves soil structure. There is no substitute for generous amounts of organic matter in soil for the growth of healthy plants. Generally, it takes a year to produce compost. The process can be speeded up if selected materials are included in the pile. Over the many years I have combined grass clippings (pesticide-free) with shredded leaves as an excellent base for compost. The nitrogen in the clippings gives the compost pile a kick-start to generate heat for the composting process. Keeping the pile moist and turned every week or two will add to quicker break-down of plant material. Urban gardeners lack access to cow or horse manure. Compost from leaves and other plant matter offers an effective substitute. If added to a garden each year, the soil will become fertile, loose and receptive to root growth. The better the soil, the better the roots and more productive a plant. It's that simple! My garlic and sweet onion plants are planted in the same general area each year. It works well without rotation. These two crops are not eaten by deer and thus don't take up valuable space in my fenced-in garden. These are deer-proof vegetables. But each year a generous amount of compost is worked into the onion/garlic patch. This is done in the fall just before garlic is planted (this week). As a result, the soil is loose, fertile and easy to work without tilling. The compost does wonders for the production of these two crops. If you don't have a shredder to chop up the leaves, a rotary mower can be used as a shredder. For a finer product, mow over the leaves once. Then attach a bag to a mower and mow over the leaves again. The bag will accumulate leaves that have been chopped up twice. These will be ideal small-size particles to add to the compost pile. Some do's and don'ts for composting: DO recycle fallen leaves and other plant refuse into compost. It's a cycle that occurs naturally in woodlands and forests. DO start or add to a compost pile each fall. This provides a continual supply of organic matter for soil enrichment. DO make the compost pile at least 4 feet tall and wide, a 4 foot cube. If smaller, the material loses heat and won't heat up properly. DO locate a pile so it is convenient to water and turn the material over. DO begin the pile on soil with a layer of coarse material like corn stalks or other tough stems. This allows some air to enter from the bottom. DO create the pile like a sandwich. A layer should be at least 4 inches thick with a one-inch layer of soil between each two layers. Pest-free grass clippings combined with shredded leaves provides nitrogen and heat that will begin the decomposition process. DO chop or shred leaves, stems and other plant materials to increase their surface area. This will increase the rate of decomposition. DO add several shovels of finished compost to a new pile and mix thoroughly. This will introduce microorganisms to the new material. DON'T add these items to a compost pile: charcoal, meat or dairy materials, fish scraps, bones or fat, pet droppings, pesticide-treated grass clippings of other treated materials; or any materials that will attract rats, dogs, raccoons, skunks or other animals. DON'T compost diseased plant materials. While some pathogens may be destroyed due to heat inside the pile, odds are some will survive and be carried over from year to year. DON'T compost weeds that have seed heads. Seeds are survivors and likely will produce more weeds when the compost is spread over a garden area. DON'T add materials such as poison ivy or black walnut plant residue. This is a case where avoidance is the best protection against carryover of unfavorable chemicals. DON'T worry if you don't have a composting bin or enclosure. All it takes is a pile in a sunny location with a mixture of shredded materials and kept evenly moist. DON'T layer a pile higher than 5 feet. A tall pile is awkward to turn and the organic matter becomes compacted with poor aeration.

Planting Bulbs

October is a great time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. The soil temperatures in early fall are ideal for good root development. With a little planning and effort this fall you can be enjoying their cheery bloosoms next spring. A soil temperature of 60 degrees is ideal. To learn more on how to plant bulbs correctly...

Planting Tulips

Tulips prefer part to full sun. Soil should be well aerated and well drained, sightly acidic., and cultivated to a depth of 8-12 inches. These spring favorites require a cool period of dormancy before they'll bloom. In colder Northern climates, plant bulbs in October and let Mother Nature take care of the cooling. In the South, provide the cooling period by placing bulbs in a refrigerator at 40-45 F for 6-8 weeks (or up to 16 weeks if necessary) and plant them by early January. When planting tulip bulbs, make the job easier by digging trenches. Space bulbs 3-6" apart, depending on the desired effect.

Flood Relief Contest « Knittymama

Flood Relief Contest « Knittymama

Its time to do some chores for the Fall Season

In the flower garden-

• Plant minor bulbs without delay.
• Dig gladiolas with brown foliage. Dry, clean and store in brown paper bags.
• Transplant peionies in full sun no deeper than 2 inches deep from growing points.
• Order lily bulbs, dormant roses for November planting.
• Compost spent plant parts that are free from insects and disease.

In the house-

• Be sure potted plants are pest free beflore retuning them inside.
• Pot herbs for the winter windowsill.
• Give poinsettias full south sun.
• Withhold water from amaryllis, store in a cool, dark place for the winter.
• Keep leaves clean with a weekly bath in tepid water.

for more flower garden tips

My Skinny Garden: Corn Glutening The Yard

My Skinny Garden: Corn Glutening The Yard

Gardening in layers : Home and Garden : Commercial Appeal

Gardening in layers : Home and Garden : Commercial Appeal

Get rid of squirrels

get rid of squirrels Those who love to feed the birds often get aggravated when it seems the squirrels are scaring away the birds and eating all the food. Though it could be seen as the battle of the fittest, I can understand the frustration. It can be hard to get rid of squirrels, and most of the time it’s next to impossible. That is why it is a good idea to focus on redirecting the squirrels rather than wishing them away. This is something I have been doing for a long time. To find out more about getting rid of squirrels

Backyard Leaf Composting

Fall is coming and so do the leaves. One alternative for dealing with leaves is backyard composting. Leaves may be composted by piling them in a heap. Locate the pile where drainage is adequate and there is no standing water. The composting pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand a few drops of water will appear. A shaded area will...

Spring Bulbs

Spring Bulbs Expand your bulb plantings with blooms other than the usual tulips and daffodils. Winter aconite, for instance, blooms faithfully by Valentine's Day in the coastal area; snow drops often flower even earlier. Scillas are commonly found in spring gardens in many forms, the most common are not hardy but are great for forcing. One is Ornithogalum dubium, first cousin to star of Bethlehem, which has bright yellow or orange flowers with a black eye. It can produce up to 25 flowers per stem. The other is Veltheimiak called winter red hot poker, with foot-high stems topped with clusters of drooping tubular flowers. This oine will thrive in an east window and flowers in late winter or early spring. Plant fall-flowering bulbs on arrival Order minor spring-flowering bulbs for September planting Order daffodil bulbs for October planting, tulips for November planting

Making Compost tea

Making compost tea is not difficult and has many benefits. Compost tea-When plants need some immediate care, perk them up with nutrient-rich water made by soaking a cloth bag full of compost in a watering can or barrel for a couple of days. Dilute the resulting solution to a weak tea color-reuse your tea bag a few times, then apply the remaining solids to your garden. Here are some resources for you. http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/105-0647806-1860457? http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/compost-tea-notes.html

Trees-provide oxygen and help us breathe

Imagine what it would be like if you had to put on a space suit to go outdoors, depending on an oxygen tank instead of fresh air to breathe. It might be fun for the first couple of times, but after that we'd grow tired of putting on and taking off the space suit several times a day. Could such a thing happen? Not if we're careful. The air we breathe becomes a little less pure every day, while the population on earth increases, causing the need for more fresh air. How do trees help? They make their own food in a process called photosynthesis in which leaves and needles take in carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and other poisons from the air. In return, leaves release large amounts of pure oxygen into the atmosphere. In one year, a large tree produces enough oxygen to fill 800 houses!

Container Recipe for Sun

For hot, sunny spots, try this creative combination of drought-tolerant annuals and perennials that stand up to the hear.

1. Purple fan flower-Grows 14 inches tall, 20 inches wide.
2. Toothache plant-Grows 12 inches tall, 30 inches wide.
3. Golden dewdrop-Grows 24 inches tall, 24 inches wide.
4. Tricolor sage-Grows 24 inches tall, 30 inches wide.

Tip-Clustering containers filled with both blooms and foliage helps keep the arrangement beautiful throughout the season. If the flowers fade or need a rest before the next wave of blooms, the foliage will keep the composition lively. Purple sage and golden dewdrop are beautiful foliage companions to the yellow blooms of the toothache plant and the long blooming, heat-loving flowers of New Wonder Fan Flower.

What is Compost?

Compost is any organic material-from leaves to manure to municipal waste-that has broken down into a rich, black, crumbly substance called humus. It feeds the soil, improves its texture, often contains micronutrients, encourages important microbial activity. Compost is one of the best things to add to all soils because it both fertilizes and improves soil texture. Some compost is poor quality. Aged forest products make the best-quality compost. Composted manure is very rich in nitrogen, so be careful to not work in too much or plant growth may be overly lush. Composted manure may have a lingering odor. And remember: With any compost, you pay a premium price for something you can easily make in your own yard.

Safe steps for using cow manure in home gardens

Composting has many advantages over chemical fertilizers. First, gardeners can utilize their yard waste--leaves, grass clippings, vines and stalks--as well as vegetable peelings and straw to form the compost foundation. To aid in chemical breakdown, some gardeners add cow manure to supply the needed nitrogen, but there are some precautions to take before doing so. "Cow manure may contain E. coli, which we know is a dangerous bacteria that can cause severe illness and even death," says Dr. Jodie Pennington, dairy specialist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. "Generally, we only think of E. coli when consuming beef, but the bacteria itself can remain in manure and spread to what it touches." Fortunately, composting provides a way to address this concern. When the correct blend of carbon, nitrogen, moisture and oxygen are available, beneficial micro-organisms will actively compost, that is decompose the manure and carbon material. Under ideal conditions, the temperature of the compost pile will rise to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, or more. If maintained for several days E. coli and other harmful bacteria are killed. This heating process should also help to kill weed seeds. "When the temperature starts to drop, the pile should be turned over and mixed to re-aerate it so that the active composting will continue," says Dr. Karl VanDevender, Extension engineer. "If desired, the pile can be left alone for several months to finish decomposing at a slower rate. When completed, the finished compost will have a lower nitrogen concentration than the original manure. It will then be less likely to burn or kill vegetation." To use the compost, till it into the soil prior to planting or add it as fertilizer after seeds have been sown. While active composting kills harmful bacteria, it is still recommended that you wear gloves when handling compost containing cow manure as well as washing up thoroughly afterward to avoid cross-contamination of surfaces or food. "Especially important is to thoroughly wash vegetables or fruits grown in cow manure compost," Pennington explains. "A good rule of thumb is to do it before taking it in the house as well as prior to preparing a meal." For more information about food safety and nutrition, visit www.uaex.edu, or contact your county Extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Understanding Soil Types

Understanding Soil Types

Soil is composed of four main elements: mineral matter, water, air and organic matter. Grains of sand, finely pulverized rock or pebbles are mineral matter. The size, proportions and type of mineral matter give the soil its basic texture, which determines its type. Broadly defined, the four soil types are sand, clay, silt and loam. Sandy soil is light and easy to dig, warms quickly in the spring and is rich in oxygen. However, sandy soil doesn't hold much moisture or many plant nutrients. Silty soil has a lighter texture than clay but is heavier than sand. Small silt particles travel easily in water, so soil in low places near rivers and streams often has a silty character. Porr draniage and surface crusting are the main problems you will have when gardening in silty soil. Loam is the a good balance of clay, silt and sand, and a generous amount of organic matter. Clay soil is heavy and difficult to dig and has little pore space for oxyen. Clay often contains plenty of plant nutrients, but the nutrients may be not be available to plants because of the soil's thight texture. Clay soil tends to stay wet for a long time after heavey rains, and may drain poorly. When clay dries out it becomes rock hard. It is encouraging to know that clay soil becomes terricic garden soil if a sufficient amount of organic matter is added.

Lawnmowers and grasscycling

Lawnmowers & grasscycling

What is grasscycling? Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass clippings by leaving clippings on the lawn after mowing. There is no need to bag them, just cut it and leave it! Grass clippings make up a significant part of our waste stream, and there are only limited areas to dispose of them. Be a part of the solution, while at the same time, save time and money plus have a healthier lawn! Proper mowing is essential. Avoid mowing more than one-third of the lawn height. To grasscycle, a special mower is not needed. Regular lawn mowers can be used to grasscycle effectively by removing the collection bag and adding a blade adapter, which will cut up and pulverize grass even more finely. Grasscycling provides up to one-half of the nitrogen needed by a lawn. When you rake them up, you rob your lawn of food.

Bit of Spring for your winter?

Winter is often a time of year for subtleness in the garden. We all need color in the winter garden! Try Hellebores. They are native to mountainous woodlands and open meadows of Western Europe. These are really great plants. The foliage is dark green and leathery, with very fine serrations along the leaf margin. The leaves remain an attractive green into January, when they start to collapse and discolor. Aside from locating them with winter interest companions all Hellebores require a well-grained location and prosper with afternoon shade. All are drought tolerant, and provide ample seedlings for naturalizing and are deer resistant. For more information, please visit www.RutgersGardens.org

Compost pen to make

Compost pen to make

A 10' length of 4' wide welded wire fencing forms a circular compost pen slightly larger than 3' in diameter. Fasten the ends of the fencing together with wire or reusable clips. Turn the compost by unfastening the fencing and setting up the pen next to the freestanding pile; turn into the now-empty pen. To direct moisture into the center of your compost pile, drive a pole or length of pipe into the ground in the center of your pen so that it extends slightly above the top edge of the pen and your compost.

myorganicflower

Barrel Composters

Barrel Composters

If you have a small space you can compost in a garbage can or a steel drum. If you don't generate large quantities of compost materials you can just use a bigger bin. Either galvanized metal or heavey duty polyethylene cans will work. I prefer the polyethylene ones with a locking lid for this purpose. Always be sure to secure your lids with a strap of some kind.

Punch or drill 1/4 inch holes in the bottom, sides, and lid of drainage and aeration. Be sure to set the can up on bricks or concrete blocks so that it will drain properly. As you fill the bin, cover each layer of materials with a layer of soil or brown materials. To preven odors, stir the material once in a while, as barrel compost bins receive less natural aeration than other types of bins.

What not to compost

What not to compost:

• Bones
• dairy products
• peanut butter
• meat scraps
• fish scraps
• cooking oil
• diseased vegetation
• animal fats
• household pet wastes
• plywood or pressure-treated wood

These items can attract pests, generate foul orders, or infect or contaminate the compost.To aid the decompostion process to avoid attracting flies, and to control odors, bury food scraps 8 inches to 1 foot beneath the surface of the pile. They can also be covered with straw, leaves, or sawdust.

Viral Diseases In Your Garden

Unfortunately, there are a number of common plant ailments that are entirely beyond the control of even the best gardener. Whether you are a casual weekend gardener or a grower of championship blooms, keeping your garden healthy is important. The common bacterial infection known as fireblight, for instance, can easily penetrate plants if it...Click here for more

Remember to Water in Winter

Winter watering is important for evergreens that continue to lose water through their leaves during the winter. Even in winter, sun and wind cause leaves to dry out rapidly. Roots will replace the lost moisture if there is water in the soil and the soil is not completely frozen.

How to add organic matter to Soil

You can add organic matter by digging or tilling it into the surface of the soil, by add green manure crops, or simply by applying mulches and allowing them to break down over time. Five percent organicmatter is a good goal to strive for in your soil. This work out to be one inch of compost or other fine-textured organic material spread over the soil surface. If you are switching to organic methods from chemical give extra help to the struggling microbial populations by applying bacterial cultures that give your soil and compost piles a boost.

Compost Connoisseur's Best Friend

Manures

Animal manures are high in nitrogen and are perfect for getting a compost pile cooking. Cow, goat, cheep, pig, pigeon, chicken, duck, llama and horse manure all make fine compost and can often be obtained from local sources. Dogs and cats, due to possible disease pathogens and are not suitable.

Composting Troubleshooting

Having trouble with your compost? Here are some solutions to try.

1. Pile not composting - too dry- mositen until slighly damp
2. Pile smells rotten and attracts flies- too much woody material-turn, add fresh green materials or organic fertilizer. If you have flies you can also bury your food scraps 6-8 deep instead of just throwing them on the pile.
3. Pile smells like ammonia - too much green material (or food scraps) - turn, add dry or woody materials.

Composting troubleshooting

Some more Hot Compost recipes

Hot Recipes for Compost

Recipe #2

3 parts Dry leaves=high carbon-Brown

1 part Fresh garden weeds=Nitrogen-green

1 part Fresh grass clippings=Nitrogen-green

1 part Food scraps=Nitrogen=green

Mix and let cook add more water if mixture becomes dry.

Composting Recipes

Composting can be viewed a little like cooking. A good recipe will enhance the finished product. The recipe below is based on volume. A pile made up of 25 to 50 % green materials, regularly moistened, will heat up rapidly and become compost faster. Compost Cookbook: 2 parts dry leaves - brown-carbon 2 parts straw or wood shavings-brown- higher carbon 1 part manure-green-high nitrogen 1 part grass clippings-green-nitrogen 1 part fresh garden weeds-green-nitrogen 1 part food scraps-green-high nitrogen Mix up and let cook if it becomes dry moisten with water. feed your plants with compost when done.