Gardening Pleasures

Archive for the ‘Gardening Supplies’ Category

For as long as there have been gardens there has been some degree of garden envy. Whether the garden contains flowering or non-flowering plants or vegetables, there always seems to be one garden that is more beautiful, prolific, greener, more colorful, or yields more food.

If you find yourself looking over the garden fence and envious of others, chances are that if you take the time to learn about plants, their optimal growing conditions - preferred soil conditions, placement in sunlight or shade, the amount of water required - you, too, can create a summer garden that will rival the best in your neighbourhood.

Gardens require time, effort, energy and planning to become the absolute best. And, depending on your lifestyle, your efforts may be best put into making small improvements each year,  rather than a massive overhaul that may put you off forever.

That being said, there is some useful information below to help you to make your summer garden the best it can be.

As one of the first things to do, check whether there are any regulations that may affect what you do with your garden.  Once you know what you can and cannot do, test the pH of the soil to ascertain the soil acidity you currently have and if any adjustments need to be made to your planting plan.  Some plants do not like an acid soil while others do not get on well in an alkaline soil. For example roses like a somewhat acidic soil while hydrangeas will give you different colour blooms depending on the ph of the soil – somewhat acidic soil gives blue flowers, neutral to alkaline gives pink flowers and a high ph (very alkaline) will give you purple or a mixture of colours on the same plant.

You should also understand that every decision you make about your garden will affect the yield and output to some degree.  And, there are always events that are beyond your control, regardless of how carefully you plan. Some years we have record rainfalls in one part of the country while other parts experience drought. The next year it could be the other way around.  When planning what to put in your garden, think about what grows naturally in the area and include plants that will tolerate a certain amount of drought.

Each plant has its own needs that must be met for optimal growth and yield. If those needs are not met, your chances of having the best  flowers, the most vegetables or the greenest leaves can be vastly reduced. If having the very best is not part of your plan then your garden won’t require as much time or effort as it would take to grow ribbon-winning vegetables or flowers.

Avoid using pesticides as much as possible as they can be harmful to beneficial insects, animals and humans. Instead try to use pest control methods that are natural and humane, particularly if planting vegetables your family will be eating.

Grow a garden that makes sense for your lifestyle.  If you don’t have the time to weed, feed, water, etc. plant flowers that don’t need lots of care and attention.  Also plant within the constraints of the conditions and space you have for gardening. If you have only shady conditions, choose flowers, plants and vegetables that thrive in those conditions rather than choosing those that need lots of sunlit conditions you don’t have. Don’t forget however, you can have some very nice specimen plants that may not like your soil conditions but that will grow happily in a pot.

More importantly, bring into your garden those plants that you love. The pleasure you get will often determine how much effort you are willing to put into taking care of your garden.  The more you enjoy the results, the more likely you are to enjoy putting in the effort necessary to get those results.

Although some nurseries may specialize in certain plants, generally a nursery is incomplete without stocking roses.  A nursery should offer a better selection of types and sizes of rose plants already started than any other store.  Nurseries are placed worldwide.  You can find nurseries almost anywhere in the United States, Australia, and Canada, for instance.   A bigger nursery would be a safer bet for ease of selection, featuring more stock, a bigger variety, and plants in different stages.  You could have the nurseries order your roses should they not stock what you are searching for, or if they lack enough of your choice of rose plant.  Ask about group discounts if you belong to a club or discounts for a senior citizen or even a veteran; maybe you are ordering in bulk and can get a discount for quantity.

Ask your local nursery if it ever has presentations to show you all about roses.  Maybe they have a shop nearby where they sell things pertaining to roses, like souvenirs or items for the beginning gardener.

Someone who belongs to a garden club or who owns a farm may be able to provide input on nurseries operating in your area.  You could call your local farm feed store for information on area nurseries.  Some farm feed stores order plants from nurseries to sell at their own place of business.

A benefit of visiting your local nurseries would include seeing your plants already in various stages of growth, including flowering.  You can see the condition of the plant before purchase.  Buying a rose already started will save you time if you are in a hurry to begin your rose gardening.

A bigger, more established nursery involves more than just a greenhouse.  Much is done to maintain a good nursery.   There are workers who must be trained to plant, tend, handle, load, and unload.  Roses must be harvested, graded, packed properly in strong boxes.  The trucks that carry the roses should be climate-controlled.  The flowers may have to be hand-pollinated.  There are different types of mulch, fertilizers, insect control products, temperature settings, and disposal of plants or pruned parts.

A nursery differs slightly from a garden center.  A garden center could be as simple as a small area in your local discount department store.  A nursery is more involved in the specifics of the planting, harvesting, tending, and selling.  What some stores call a garden center may also include tools or power equipment to maintain the garden.  Nurseries are more beneficial to the economy in that they usually have huge greenhouses, plants help the quality of our air, nurseries provide jobs, taxes are paid from the sale of the plants, and items are bought to maintain the nurseries.

One way to learn the most about growing roses is to get a job in a nursery or start your own.  If you like the idea of owning your own nursery, do your homework.  Research, research, research, so that your business will be successful and a place people will be proud to return to.

If you”re looking for ways to keep your garden watered without wasting too much time and money, you’ve probably gone through a lot of options in your mind. Maybe you’ve considered a sprinkler watering system, a hose, or a good old-fashioned watering can. All of these methods of watering your garden might be convenient, but most of the time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any more. If you live in a drought stricken area like I do, you know that every bit of water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system for my garden. I haven’t regretted this decision at all.

When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, and allows it to soak in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the water just comes out at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. These pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it (although it is ideal for you to get a pipe designed for this type of use, I’ve found that the hose method works acceptably).

The underground system of drip irrigation for your garden is a bit more of a pain to install and maintain. But if you”re really into the aesthetic aspect of your garden and don’t want any visible watering system, then you might consider it worth it. It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can impress your neighbors by having a beautiful garden without ever going outside to water it! They”ll be baffled.

To choose between the two systems, you need to take several things into account. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is always changing, you probably won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Even if your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it really bothers you to the extent that you”re willing to work for a few hours to get rid of it, then by all means bury it. But otherwise I would suggest staying above ground if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.

One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system for your garden is its efficiency. Instead of spraying large amounts of water willy-nilly like a hose does, it makes the most of your precious water by putting it exactly where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you”re not around to water it.

So if you”re looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient alternative watering method, you should go out to the gardening store today and purchase the necessary items to install a drip irrigation system for the garden. I think you”ll be surprised at how much easier it is to maintain a garden after you have it.