The Pleasure Of Different Types Of Gardens And Plants

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Sally

Gardens and plants can be so very different depending on what you want from your garden. Some people find their garden a chore to be endured but the pleasure of gardens and plants is enormous once you learn to enjoy gardening. You can decide if your garden should be low maintenance and an easy to manage garden or if it should be a garden that you need to constantly work at and maintain but you can decide which type of garden you want so it suits your interests, available time and lifestyle.

There are almost as many different ways of gardening and types and styles of garden as there are gardeners. Some love the minimalist approach and the peace and tranquility of the Japanese garden while others enjoy the busy and crowded style of the cottage garden but in between these two extremes there are many other combinations of ideas, types and styles to suit all types of garden enthusiast.

Gardening is not limited to those who have outside space. It is possible, and some people do this, to have a greenhouse on a flat roof allowing you to grow all types of plants and vegetable while others with even less space grow plants and garden on their windowsills.

Plants want to grow and they do manage to sow themselves and grow in the most remarkable and difficult places. Plants will grow out of cracks and crevices several floors up on derelict buildings and in wild and inhospitable areas. So, plants want to grow and the job of the gardener is simply to manage the environment they grow in, the supply of water and minerals they need and the cutting back needed to keep them under control or to the size and shape required.

Gardening and growing plants can be as easy, or as hard, as you want to make it. Choose hardy and easily managed plants that require little attention and your garden will look good without a great deal of effort or choose lush and fast growing plants if you want a challenge and a garden that could so easily turn into a jungle if you fail to give it the regular attention it requires.

It is your choice what type of garden you have. The rules are merely guidelines and you can do what you want in a way that makes your garden and plants fun and enjoyable all year long.

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Patience Is A Virtue At Springtime In The Garden

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Sally

The birds tell us when Spring has arrived. They sing excitedly and begin their courtship rituals but they usually begin as soon as the days begin to lengthen and when the sun begins to shine. It is lovely to see all this activity but this is often too early to think about sowing seeds and putting tender plants in the garden.

Any keen gardener looks forwards to the Springtime when they can start to do all the things in the garden that they have wanted to do all winter. A gardening enthusiast loves to be outside sowing, planting and transplanting. It is what makes us tick but our enthusiasm can get ahead  of us when it comes to Springtime.

The seasons are not usually a complete change overnight. There is usually a period of transition between the old season and the new. The change is gradual and the cold days of winter can sometimes occur even after the beginning of spring. Tender plants and seedlings can be damaged by frost and cold nights and sometimes snow can arrive even after the first signs of spring in the garden.

It is always good to get outside in the garden after the dreary days of winter but you should be cautious about sowing outside and planting tender plants before you are sure the cold nights have gone for the summer.

If you are keen to get things started you could try a few early sowings and plant out a few tender plants but don’t be surprised if you lose them to a cold snap after the start of spring. It can happen and it would be disappointing to lose a whole bunch of tender plants to frost butyou might be lucky and get away with it in which case those few plants will have a head start over the other later plantings and you will have your salad crops a little earlier too.

Springtime is a wonderful time in the garden. It is a time of renewal and it feels like a rebirth of the garden as all the green shoots being to appear. The warming sun gives a clue about the summer to come and makes us all feel brighter and happier.

So, get out in the garden in the spring and tidy up the damage the winter has done. Prune shrubs and trees as needed and get the garden looking tidy but be cautious about early planting because winter can still bite even though Spring seems to have arrived.

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Make Gardening Easier And Get A Wheelbarrow

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Sally

If you have a garden of any size bigger than a postage stamp you should consider getting a wheelbarrow to make gardening easier. Almost any sort of gardening creates waste and requires plants and materials to be moved around. You can do it all with a bucket but a wheelbarrow makes gardening so much easier you should seriously consider purchasing a wheelbarrow if you don’t already have some form of wheeeled garden truck.

Carrying dirt, plants and waste debris from pruning and weeding the garden is made so much easier if you have a decent wheelbarrow. It is only once you have one that you realise how much you depend on it and how much easier it makes your gardening.

Having a wheelbarrow reduces the need for you to bend down to pick things up, it makes moving everything around the garden so much easier and will help you to enjoy doing some of those tasks that can otherwise be so tedious and backbreaking. A wheelbarrow can help to reduce the back problems many gardeners suffer from and it just makes gardening easier and more enjoyable.
Tip for the day is to get yourself a wheelbarrow for your garden and make gardening easier for yourself and anyone else in your family who enjoys gardening.

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Arbors And Arches In The Garden

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Sally

Garden arbors and arches

Arbors and arches are a great way to add elegance and style to any garden. They can be special features that add height to a garden and break up a dull view with an attractive feature. Decorative garden arbors or garden arches not only makes a beautiful accent piece, but they are useful places for growing clibing plants as well.

Garden arbors and arches are often used in several different ways. Most people buy an arch or arbor for it’s decorative benefits. Arbors and arches used to create a graceful entryway to your yard or garden can turn a dull entrance into something very special.

Garden arbors and arches are wonderful for functionality too though, because many different types of flowers and vines can be planted near them, and trained to climb up the arch or arbor to create an elegant, finished look.

There are a wide variety of arbors and arches to choose from for your garden too, and which one you decide to buy will depend somewhat on the functions you want it to perform, as well as the decorative style you’re looking for.

A garden arbor or arch is often the same thing with a different style, design, or size. Large arbors and arches are useful to create shaded and covered walkways in your garden for instance, and they’re excellent for growing plants and vines which grow quite large. Grape vines for instance, as well as Bougainvillea, Clematis, and many others, are prolific vine growing plants which can reach twenty feet or more in length at their full growth size.

Most people don’t have enough space in their yards and gardens which will allow them to build an arbor which is six to ten feet long, and ten or more feet tall though, so they go for the more simple, smaller versions instead. These come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials too though, so you’re almost sure to find just what you’re looking for at your local or online garden center.

Some garden arbors and arches come with a garden bench attached for instance, so you have a built in sitting area with plants and vines draping overhead, or climbing up the back of your bench.

There are small garden arbors and arches which also have a window box attached to them, and they’re on wheels so they can easily be moved too. These are useful arbors for smaller vines and tall plants which may need shelter from direct sunlight at different times of the day. They’re also an excellent choice for anyone who may want to move their garden out of the way so they’re able to reach other supplies on their small porch or patio. And if you live in a city of course, or a location which has no yard, these small and portable garden arches are wonderful to use for patio container gardening too.

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