On the level Deciding between aboveground and inground gardens
If you know where you want your water garden, you can begin to explore the physical form that your garden will take. Water gardens generally are either above ground in a container of some sort or set into the ground as a pond. Read on for some points to consider when deciding which type to go with. Consider where you've decided to locate your pond. Aboveground water gardens are a commanding presence in a landscape. For this reason, gardeners generally site them where people can enjoy them up...
Getting a handle on hand pruners
Hand pruners You should know that many serious gardeners value these handheld cutters above all else they carry these gadgets everywhere in a special belt holster or tucked in their back pocket and are reluctant to lend them. Why A good pair fits your hand comfortably and takes care of a wide range of gardening jobs, from snipping off the spent stems from last year's perennials to cutting roses for a vase to cutting away a pesky sucker to trimming a favorite shrub or ornamental tree. In a word,...
Index
American Association of Nurserymen, 180 American Horticultural Society Heat-Zone Map, 52, 53 anchoring support for vine, 255 Animal Poison Control Center Web site, 34 annuals caring for and feeding, 14-15, 118-119 shape, height, and structure of, 110-111 for warm weather, 108-109 watering, 118 antique rose, 168, 170-171, 187 anvil-style pruner, 93 aphid, 120, 142, 190, 298, 310 arborist, 233-234, 254 arranging containers for container garden, 352-353 art, creating, 389 Asian garden, 38, 39...
Supporting and training your fruit
To keep your harvest off the dirt and in the air where it's able to develop freely and enjoy good air circulation and plentiful sunshine, supports may be in order. A wide variety is available, depending on the fruit you want to grow. Figure 15-3 shows two different ways to train grapes with supports. There are several methods of training grapes. Four-cane Kniffen trellis labrusca, hybrids Supports also help keep a developing harvest visible and accessible and serve to train the fruit in a...
Defining terms Bulbs arent always Well bulbs
When you shop for garden bulbs, you may immediately notice some variations on the underground-storage theme. The minor but key differences are worth knowing because they affect not only what sort of plants the bulbs produce but also how to divide them to get more plants. Here's a rundown of some of the plant structures that gardeners call bulbs 1 True bulbs Bulbs are composed of concentric fleshy scales, or layers, which are actually modified leaves see Figure 8-1 . Yes, just like an onion. At...
Planting Your Vegetables
When getting ready to plant, the first rule is to pay attention to which items are cool-season vegetables and which are warm-season vegetables see the earlier section on Growing vegetables by seasons . You can start cool-season vegetables earlier and put them in the ground earlier because they're more tolerant of cooler temperatures some can even go outdoors before the last frost . However, you should put warm-season vegetables out or sow them only after all danger of frost is past. After you...
How to spread seed
You need the help of some sort of tool so the seeds spread as evenly as possible. Buy this tool at a home-and-garden supply store for bigger jobs, you may prefer simply to rent the necessary equipment or hire someone else to do the job. Generally, though, here are your choices in approach see Figure 10-1 1 Cyclone spreader This hand seeder is relatively cheap and easy to use. Dump in the seed and then trot along the seedbed, turning the handle as you go. The seed sprays out in a semi-circular...
Put Up a Rubber Tire Swing
What would summer be without a tire swing What would childhood be without one Just make certain to choose a limb that's strong and far enough away from the trunk and everything else to allow for swinging and not for smacking into things . Also make sure the rope you use is stout and that the knots around the tree limb and tire are very, very secure. A strong chain may be a better idea, with large metal hooks to hold. Have a kid help you decide how high off the ground the swing should be. And...
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden
If your vegetable garden has fertile soil enhanced by compost and other organic materials, fertilizing may not be urgently necessary. Still, vegetables are a hungry group, and feeding them can certainly speed growth and improve your harvest. The main nutrients are nitrogen N , phosphorus P and potassium K , which is why the labels of general-purpose fertilizers have three numbers. A fertilizer such as 10-10-10 is a balanced fertilizer because it contains equal proportions of all three...
Getting Ready for Gardening
Understanding how plants are named Examining flowering plants Checking out trees, vines, and shrubs Managing your lawn Zl o matter what your main gardening interest be it growing vegetables, making your yard colorful with flowers, picking out just the right tree, or aspiring to have the most gorgeous roses on the block chances are that you care most about the plants. Sure, gardening can also involve landscaping and lawn care see the chapters in Part III of this book , or being able to grow...
Planning Your Own Eden
Working with what you already have Deciding on your garden style Staying within your budget Setting up your garden plans Hiring a professional Consider your ideal garden. Perhaps you know you want a handsome woodland shade garden, but what'll it look like Or maybe you know you want a sunny cottage garden, but what's your vision Getting to this point in your garden planning is a bit like shopping for a blue shirt. You know you want a shirt and you know you want it to be blue, but you still have...
Choosing the Right Vines for Your Garden
Ask yourself what you want from a vine. Do you have a good spot, or can you create one Some vines are big, rambling plants others can fill and remain in their allotted spaces. Some vines offer temporary coverage, and others are long-lasting. Figure out whether you want flowers or fruit and whether you want the vine for part of the growing season or all. The following sections cover the kinds of vines available and how you can match a vine to your wants and needs and the environment you can...
War of the roses Tackling rose pests
I'm not going to lie other creatures as well as humans adore roses. But here's the good news Many modern roses have been bred for resistance to common rose pests and diseases. More improvements show up every year, so roses are definitely a case of where newer is often better. Just as with humans, if the rose plant is in good health, it's far less vulnerable. So review and apply the care advice I give in the previous sections. That said, forewarned is forearmed, so here's some straight talk...
Bringing in Beauty with Flowers and Foliage
Flowers are often the first thing that comes to mind when people think of gardening and the first thing people plan to grow when they want to beautify their surroundings. Flowers are marvelous because they come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and shapes see Figure 1-2 , and no matter where you live, at least one kind of flowering plant can grow there. Even the volcanic crater of Haleakala, on the island of Maui, is home to a flowering plant the rare silver sword. Flowers are more than...
Much Ado about Mulch
Mulch is a good gardening habit but not mandatory. But, ooh boy, do the benefits make it worth the effort A really good job of mulching your garden usually Inhibits weed germination and growth and not only are weeds unsightly, but they also they steal resources from your plants Holds in soil moisture, protecting your plants from drying out so fast Moderates soil-temperature fluctuations this benefit is especially valuable during that turbulent-weather period in spring when you don't want your...
