Online Homestead

Archive for the ‘Grounds’ Category

Many gardeners live in areas where almost anything can grow effortlessly.
Just plant the seeds and water it for a few weeks, and you’ve got a
beautifully lush plant. But if you live in somewhere like Colorado, you’ll
understand what its like to have a slim selection of plants that naturally
grow. It can be quite a challenge to facilitate the growth of a large
variety of plants, especially when the very world you live in seems to be
rooting against you.

Some people solve this problem by loading up their plants with every type
of chemical and fertilizer known to man. This usually works, but to me it
seems kind of unnatural to rely on man made materials to keep your plants
alive. Also, if I’m growing fruits or vegetables, I don’t feel very
comfortable eating something that is entirely composed of chemicals.

A gardening theory that I have relied on in the past to grow many types of
plants is that of creating a “microclimate” for each type of plant. This
is when you regulate the sunlight, shade, moisture, and wind factors for
each separate plant. It sounds like a challenge, and it is. But you can
regulate these factors in such a way that the plant feels just like it is
in the ideal growing conditions. This can be achieved by the use of wind
barriers, shading umbrellas, extra water, or different types or amounts of
compost.

If you’re ready to make an attempt at creating microclimates, you’ll need
to make a detailed plan in advanced. You should start by finding a large
shade providing bush or tree that will grow fast and naturally in your
area. Just look at some undeveloped plots of land and see what is there.
Most likely it grew on its own without any planting or care. This is what
you want to happen. Usually the growing of one plant can bring about the
growing of another more desirable plant.

If you have a fence in your backyard (you would be surprised at how many
people don’t) then you already have a good amount of shade to work with.
You can start the microclimate process using just the shade of the fence,
combined with (perhaps) a screen or large bush to shade your new plant for
the other half of the day that the fence doesn’t take care of. The fence
is also useful for shading against wind for very fragile plants.

Once you have established the shade, be it natural or unnatural, you have
created a slightly less harsh miniature environment. You must remember
this is a gradual process, and find a new plant to put in the shade of the
other one. Now your choices are a little more open. You don’t have to go
with a rugged plant like the one you did before; you can now choose a
plant that survives in cooler weather.

If the plant you are trying to grow next requires more moisture in the air
than your area provides, installing a fountain or small pond can fix this
problem due to the evaporation. You may think you don’t want to waste
water on a pond or fountain, but it’s all going toward the betterment of
your garden. It’s just like the watering process, only indirect. As an
added benefit, usually fountains are quite aesthetically attractive and a
great addition to your garden.

I can’t explain every stage of the process, because everyone’s goals and
setups are slightly different. But to reach your goal, you should do
research on every plant that you would like to have in your garden. Find
out everything you can about the zone that it flourishes in, and ask
yourself how you can emulate that zone within your own backyard. Almost
always you can take control of the environment and recreate whatever you
wish. Usually all it takes is some planning and strategy.

Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden.  Plant them in a cluster of all blue or mix them in with other flowers for a rainbow of color.

When planting flowers, it is important to remember to follow the instructions on the tag for the plant.  Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them.  A plant that loves sun will not do well in a shady area and you will only be disappointed with the results.

When planning your garden, be aware of the bloom time of the flowers.  Planting perennials with different bloom times near each other will insure a garden that has blooms all season long.  Remember also to plan for the height of the plants, putting the
taller ones in the back.

Consider the flowers on the list below for your garden.

Polemonuim aka Blue Pearl – A compact plant with deep sky blue flowers that grows to 10″.  It blooms in late spring to early summer.  Plant in partial shade and in well drained soil.

Blue Sea Holly – This dramatic plant has a lavender blue cone like flower with long spiked petals.  It grows to 30″ and is a favorite for dried flower arrangements.  Plant in full sun – blooms in mid to late summer.

Delphinium aka Butterfly Blue – Bright blue delicate flowers adorn a plant that blooms in early to mid summer.  It reaches 10″ tall and prefers a sunny location with rich moist soil.

Campanula aka Blue Carpet – Bright blue to lilac colored flowers bloom for weeks in the middle of summer.  This low growing perennial grows to 4″ and prefers full sun with well-drained soil.

Penstemon aka Blue Buckle – This plant has tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple and flowers in mid summer to early fall.  It grows to 15″ and likes well-drained soil with full or partial sun.

Hydrangea aka Nikko Blue – Gigantic clumps of blue flowers adorn this shrub for most of the summer.  In the fall, the flowers turn a golden color.  This plant is a new variety that prefers rich soil but will grow in shade, partial sun, or full sun.

Vinca – Medium blue flowers and glossy green leaves form a carpet that grows to about 6″ tall and blooms in mid spring.  This plant will grow in most soil conditions, in the shade or sun.

Ajuga aka Bronze Beauty – This short bushy plant has spikes of blue flowers that grows quickly.  Great as a ground cover or in raised beds.  It blooms in spring and prefers a shady area.

Scabiosa aka Butterfly Blue – A bushy perennial with lavender blue flowers that bloom from June to October.  This plant likes full sun and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena aka Babylon Blue – Blue purple flowers petals adorn a plant that blooms in early spring.  Great for window boxes and planters.

Even a composting neophyte can create top-notch compost with the right recipe. Akin to cooking, composting is half art, and half science. Awareness of these basic factors will help you getting started. Just like a chef demands high quality ingredients, successful composting needs the best ingredients too. Good materials for composting include these: grass clippings, leaves, plant stalks, hedge trimmings, old potting soil, twigs, vegetable scraps, coffee filters, and tea bags.
Bad composting materials include: diseased plants, weeds with seed heads, invasive weeds, pet feces, dead animals, bread and grains, meat or fish parts, dairy products, grease, cooking oil, or oily foods.

To prepare compost, you need organic materials, microorganisms, air, water, and a small quantity of nitrogen. Organic material is what you are trying to decompose (see above for Do’s and Don’ts). Microorganisms are tiny forms of plant and animal life, which break down organic material. A small amount of garden soil or manure supplies adequate microorganisms. The air, nitrogen, and water offer an encouraging environment for the microorganisms to produce your compost. You can add enough  nitrogen to the compost with small amount of nitrogen fertilizer., which can be purchased at hardware stores or nurseries. Air is the one ingredient which you can’t have too much of. Too much nitrogen can kill microbes; too much water causes insufficient air in the pile.

If microorganisms have more surface area to feed off of, the materials will decompose faster. Chopping your organic materials with a machete, or using a shredder or lawnmower to shred materials will help them break down faster.

The compost pile is your oven. Compost piles catch heat created by the activity of millions of microorganisms. The minimum size for hot, fast composting is a 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot. But piles wider or taller than 5 feet don’t permit enough air to reach the microorganisms at the center.

Your compost pile’s microorganisms work their hardest when the materials have about the moistness of a wrung-out sponge and as many air passages. The air in the pile is usually consumed faster than the moisture, so the pile should be turned or mixed up now and then to add more air; this maintains high temperatures and controls odor. Use a pitchfork, rake, or other garden tool can to turn materials with.

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.

The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.

Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.

1. Use the physical pest control process.

This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towards the base of those plants with strap like foliage.

2. Apply biological pest control.

Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.

3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.

Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.

4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.

Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:

Against Green Aphids and Mites – Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.

Against Cockroaches – Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.

Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting.

They are privacy and shelter are two important things in the garden. The latter is often a problem in gardens which are exposed to cold prevailing winds. Both these points are important not only for the gardener himself, but also for the plants in his garden.

Young growth can be severely damaged by cold winds and frequent buffeting will cause a great deal of root disturbance. Although privacy and shelter can be provided by trees and shrubs, fences also have an important part to play.

The choice of fencing must never be undertaken lightly, for serious consideration must be given to its appearance and construction.

Strength is very important. A fence is only as strong as its supports. Most fences are supplied with strong posts, usually 4-6in (10-15cm) square. Sometimes concrete posts are supplied; these are extremely strong. Strength of timber also depends on the prevention of rot, and unless cedar wood is used (except for posts), all timber should be treated with a suitable preservative. Creosote can be used, although it should be allowed to soak into the timber for several weeks before plants are trained against it. Unless this is done, there is the danger of stem and leaf scorch and its use is not generally recommended where plants are to be grown against or near a fence. A safer treatment consists of the use of copper naphthenate preservatives such as the green, horticultural grades of Cuprinol or Solignum.

Types of fencing

The most popular types are purchased as units or panels. Usually they are from 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) in length with heights varying from about 3-6ft ( 90cm-1.8m). A solid or close boarded fence is, as its name implies, a design which consists of upright or horizontal strips of wood, some 6in (15cm) wide and 1in (2-2.5cm) thick. The strips are nailed to two or more supporting rails at the rear of the panel. These provide complete privacy and wind protection.

Weather board fencing consists of wedge-shaped strips of wood, (1 in 2cm) in thickness at one edge, tapering to 0.5 in (1cm) at the other. Each strip overlaps the next by about 1 in(2cm). The advantage of this design is that it is virtually peep proof.

Trellis fencing is suited as a support for climbing and trailing plants. It is not a strong design but can be used to good effect for covering unsightly walls or as an additional part of a fence design. It usually consists of laths of wood 1 by 3/4in ( 2.5 by 1.5cm) thick, fastened across each other vertically and horizontally to form 6-8in (15-20cm) squares. The laths are attached to a more substantial framing of 1 or 1in (2.5 or 3cm) square timber.

One of the latest advances in fence production is the sale of kits which are so accurately machined and complete that even an unskilled person can erect panels without any trouble. With these kits have come new ideas in design, and many can be made up into contemporary designs. This is especially useful where bold effects are required in the construction of patios. Many ultra-modern properties are being built and this advance in fence appearance will be welcomed by their owners.

Fencing can also be provided in the form of chain link or mesh netting. The best quality is heavily galvanized to withstand the rigors of the weather.

A more recent innovation is the plastic coating of chain link over the galvanized wire. Standard colors of dark green, black, white, yellow and light green can be obtained.