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Archive for the ‘Gardening’ 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.