Prepare Your Garden for Winter

Autumn is now in full bloom, the green is not so green anymore and we want to spend less and less time in our gardens. But if we want to enjoy it next year in the same (or better) state, we have to take care of some important details now. Because now is the time, when plants are going into their dormant period and by some gardening endeavors we can help them pass the winter. The important thing is not to overdo it.

Before the frost season comes, plant trees and shrubs with prominent roots. At the base of these plants raise small mounds of soil that will protect the roots from cold. Cover with mats the cold-sensitive shrubs. If it is not very rainy, water the evergreen plants, so they could build water supply for the winter. Refrain from trimming the plants, as the sprouts will have no time to lignify and will be left unprotected from cold and infections.

To prepare your flowerbeds you should dig it now, but leave it without raking, so the dampness from precipitation. Remember to scatter the phosphoric fertilizer before that. Use potassium fertilizers as well. You should also check the soil pH. The best pH range varies between 6,0 and 7,0. If the pH is too low, you can increase it by applying agricultural lime. If you do that, never apply any fertilizers – because of chemical reactions that might occur, some of important minerals might become unavailable for plants.

When it comes to the lawn, you should mow it as long as it grows. If October was warm, you should mow it even in November. Keep the lawn clean of leaves, don’t let them cover it with airtight layer, which can cause spreading of fungus called Micronectriella nivalis, that is very dangerous to plants.

Remember to take care of your pond. It is good to spread a net above the water surface that will catch the falling leaves. Try to keep it as clean as possible, removing leaves so their weight wouldn’t cause them to touch water and start rotting. Remember to take the pumps and filter out before layer of ice covers the surface of your pond. Remove leaves and algae and wash the equipment. Plants should be moved to containers with clean water, in which they will spend the dormant season. Fish should be moved to aquarium. If your pond is big (over 3,5 ft), move the fish to the aquarium, remove 2/3 of the water, remove sludge and plant remains, clean the bottom and sideS of your pond.

It is important to cut off water flow in garden taps and remove water from pipes, so they wouldn’t burst when it freezes. You should also empty all water containers, they might break under the pressure of ice during the winter. Clean and grease your gardening tools, put them in a dry shed. Sharpen the tools that require it and fix the damaged ones. All equipment should be clean and tidy.

Garden in the Middle of Winter

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Now, when bright and happy color of green, is slowly turning into red and sad brown many people feel this change in their souls - they don't want to do anything, aren't smiling and generally feel worse than in the summer. Cause there is nothing better for our mood then sunshine and flowers at blossom. We are not only feeling bad but also we have to face reality.

Summer is going away and autumn is taking its place - this is probably not a happy time for anyone. Summer and holidays that are usually connected with it are time when we can relax, forget about troubles and reality. People who want to feel those emotions a bit longer are desperately trying to keep summer in their lives by in example investment in winter garden.

Such winter gardens are usually being constructed and installed by companies that are doing also our windows. Those people know everything not only about windows but also winter gardens. They know that it is important to make a good habitat for plants - accurate temperature and hydration. Thanks to there is a chance to grow different types of plants in the winter garden. And they will look great the whole year - even exotic plants.

If we decide on having winter garden we can delight ourselves with summer all over the year. Even if the temperature outside is really low and the air is cold. We don't have to spend fortune on trips to exotic places or doing nothing just waiting for next summer. We can do something, we can have winter garden.

Not only it would be a place where we could feel like in the middle of July. It could also be a great part of garden decor, a beautiful ornament that our friends and neighbors would be jealous of.

Find something interesting for your garden like garden buildings also beautiful in winter and summer houses Article Souce: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Sorrow

Gardens - A Place For Meditation

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Beautiful house need a beautiful garden - they make a perfect match all together. Professional designed garden is not only a great pleasure for our eyes but also a great heritage for our children. And the garden will present passions, dreams and temper of its owner.

Good garden is the one where plants and people feel comfortable with each other. To make it a good match it is very important to do this professional - know garden owner character, preferences. Well designed garden is not only beautiful but also functional and is not a problem for people who take care of it. So it is important to think also about its placement, type of soil, is it sunny.

There are many things that we can look at when talking about functionality, and one of them is type of plants that we use and structure of the garden. We can talk here about symmetrical, asymmetrical, geometrical, regular and combined gardens - the last one have more than one specific elements in its structure.

Next thing that would have a great impact on our garden would be its climate that we would like to have it designed in. Modern science even in garden design has many things to offer - many styles that might match our character, temper and individual needs and to make us feel good in there. Our garden appearance would depend on the appearance of the our house. We can inspire here with nature and make the garden in few styles - stone garden, flower garden or just cottage or modern one.

Garden should be a special place for us, a place were we could leave everything behind, spend wonderful time with our friends, family or just with ourselves thinking about the wonders of nature and our beautiful garden. It should makes us feel better and even become a better person. So don't hesitate - think about improving your garden even during the winter or autumn time!

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The Strength of a Beautiful Garden

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Our garden is the place where we can search for good energy and strength for living. Here you can find some good tips about how to plan a beautiful garden and how to buy plants to it - to make it even more relaxing and original.

Beautiful - warm and sunny day, hammock, and delicate, soft and pleasant smell of flowers in the air. Something like that sounds like a resting on some tropical island - but it's not. It might be also resting in our garden - cause everyone that has only a small land for his disposal can spend some luxury moments like that.

Planning a garden
Before we buy plants and trees to our garden we should first think trough the whole matter - where each thing would stand and where each plant would grow best and look best. Mostly we should remember that garden and house are composing and to look good they should match. And we should also think about what are our expectations, what is the garden's purpose and what do we want to see from our windows.

Garden as a shield
Garden that is well organized might not only look good but also play a role of some sort of shield that will protect us and our house from what is outside. Trees even small can cover us from the curious eyes of our neighbors and also dust and noise of the street. Ideal for this purpose would be all kinds of hedges that might also be cut in very original way - the design of the hedge depends only on us.

What to look at when buying plants and trees
First we should think which plants will grow nearby the house and which will be a little bit far from it. And which plants will grow also near themselves and which will be separate. It has a major meaning because some plants look much better when they are 'single', surrounded only by grass and some better in groups. Especially trees that will grow higher should be planted separately.

The dimensions of trees is also a different point to think about. But when we do all those things we surely be satisfied with the effect we get.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Sorrow

Herbs - Mother Nature's Gift From Kitchen Down to Medicinal Cabinet

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Somewhere, some place in our world, herbs had been used for centuries - something that had been part of our daily lives. People use herbs from one generation to another since they had known the medical benefits that herbs have. Here are some of list of most familiar herbs, their curing power and how you can make use of them for your recipes.

Mint is an extremely flexible herb that you could add to several main dishes, desserts and fruit salads. Mint can relieve your fatigue, help menstrual cramps and to prevent nausea and the motion sickness. It can also make used to help battle the symptom of frequent cold. Mint aid in the pour of mucous, suppress coughs and alleviate sore throats and the headaches. Inhale the vapors of the mint tea could be extremely relaxing.

Basil can be added to salads, sandwiches soups, and pasta for the best flavoring ever. It is said to lower the occurrence of sadness and pacify nerves. It helps fight off contamination, aids congestion and, promotes natural digestion.

Parsley is normally used as garnish. However, it could also add to soups, sauces, and salads. Parsley is known as Mother Nature's breath freshener. It can also be the best source of vitamin C, magnesium, beta-carotene, and iron. As such it can also enhance the immune system of the body. To add a lot of parsley in your diet could assist the gum disease and the gingivitis as well.

Thyme could be used on some roasts and hen. Add a modest on salads and soups to add flavor. Thyme is also known to battle bacterial and infections of fungal. It helps the digestion and reduces vomiting and elevation sickness.

Tarragon is generally can make use of flavor lamb and the fish but you could also make use of it with eggs and the carrot dishes. It can also help to digest and control the menstrual cycle. It could also inspire hunger and reduce joint pain.

Lemon balm is used in fish dishes, desserts and salads. It can also make the best tea. Some of the well known healing powers of the lemon balm are the muscle and relaxation of nerve. It can also fight the bacterial and the viral infections and can ease digestion.

Rosemary is a generally used herb. It increases the flavor of several dishes, like the soups, meat, stews, and fish. And also being the extremely flexible in food, rosemary has an account of medical uses, too. Headaches, the digestive disorders, upsets of stomach and age-related skin damage are merely the few problems that rosemary has used to cure.

As with everything in life, control is great. Make use of these herbs in your everyday cooking in suitable amounts. These are not pills to be eaten when you are sick however it must be part of regular diet as it includes in several parts of the nation. Herbs could add a best deal of flavor and fun in your meals. Make use of your imagination to open up great taste and healthy methods of producing the best meals.

garden buildings and summerhouses

Garden Paving Options For Your Backyard

Paving your outdoor space not only enhances the appearance of your backyard, but provides you with an amenity that will last a lifetime. You need to think carefully about the number of available options so that they sit well with your specific outdoor space.

The infrastructure of your backyard can only be enhanced by the building of pathways connecting the various structures in that yard. Garden paving will provide you with many advantages. During wet weather a grassy unpaved area will become muddy and unpleasant to walk upon. If there is a defined pathway leading to the backyard buildings etc. the elements of the backyard become linked as elements of the outdoor space.

A pathway which meanders through a beautiful garden invites you to explore what is around the next corner, or what hides behind the tree which is surrounded by daffodils.

You will find that there is a paving design to suit all kinds of garden environments. Paving slabs come in many and varied shapes, colours and sizes. Appropriate garden paving will improve the appearance of your outdoor space, and will give you years of pleasure, both from the point of view of the practical and the aesthetic.

The two fundamental kinds of garden paving material are composite and stone.

Composites offer a very diverse range of shapes and colours because of their manufactured origin. Prices vary accordingly, and there is bound to be something available for most garden paving options, from the points of view of cost, practicality and appearance.

Precast concrete pavers, which are available in many colours, sizes and shapes, are a good quality option to consider. Poured concrete gives you a lot of flexibility with shaping and aggregation. It is extremely durable and allows homeowners to be creative when planning and building their garden paving projects.

Another very popular paving option is bricks. Bricks are available in such a range that there is bound to be something available for most situations, and they can be put down in various patterns to create different results. Even if they are not always the most economical way to go, bricks are always worth considering, and it is true that bricks will feature in most paving projects to some degree.

Paving stones are another option that must be considered because of the large range of product available. Do shop around because it can be a little expensive sometimes.

Limestone is relatively easy to work with, but comes in a more limited range of colours. Although less durable than some of the other stones, slate is, nevertheless, one of the more favoured choices in terms of sheer beauty.

Granite is a more expensive option than most, but there is a good reason for that.It is extremely robust and comes in a great variety of colours

Sandstone is one of the most popular choices and is easier to work with than some other materials. It comes in a wide range of colours and shapes and tends to be less expensive than some other options.

It is a good idea to use a variety of materials in a paving project. There is no rule which says that only one material can be used per project, and the variations which can be achieved with creative mixtures of materials can be worth the effort.

In conclusion, just remember that no matter what your taste dictates, you will be able to find something you like for your garden paving from the wide range of available products and ideas. For much more detailed information on all aspects of paving please visit our Garden Paving website.

By: Adrian Broadby

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Adrian Broadby runs a website called GardenPaving.com. at www.garden-paving.com. He also runs a blog called Garden Paving.

The Beautiful Vines And Your Garden

A great way to decorate your garden is the use of vines. They are very low maintenance and look good on almost anything. If you've got a fence or separator that really stands out in the field of green that is your garden, then growing a vine over it can be a quick and aesthetically pleasing solution. However, there are many types of vines for different situations, whether you are trying to grow it up the side of a house, along the ground, or up a tree.

Many different ground vines are available. These types grow fast and strong, and just inch their ways along the ground. They are very easy to direct, so they can make a border around your garden, or just weave in and out of the plants. I suggest using these as a hardy ground cover if you just want some green on your dirt or mulch. Usually you can find a variety that is resistant to being stepped on. It's like a leafy, nice alternative to grass. Even if you have kids and a dog, it should have no problems staying alive.

Another type of vine that is available is a "twining" vine. This refers to their method of climbing. Twining vines require a lattice or equally porous surface to climb up, since they are not sticky at all. They just climb by sending out small tendrils to loop around whatever is nearby. I suggest using this type of vine for climbing up trees, or any type of mesh. Usually you have to guide them a lot more during their early stages, and after that they will go wherever you want them to.

Vines not only look good on the ground or on lattices, you can blend them in to the very architecture of your house. This is usually achieved through the use of vines with small tendrils that have adhesive tips. They extend from the vine and attach themselves to almost any surface. If your garden is adjacent to your house and you want something to camouflage the big unsightly wall, it's a great idea to start out a few vines near the base. If you have a vine like the Virginia Creeper growing, then your entire wall will be covered in a matter of months. However I have seen situations where the vine got out of control. After that, you have no choice but to watch the vine take over your entire house.

One of the vines that you would probably recognize is Ivy. You see it around a lot, generally because it is so adaptable. Out of the types I mentioned above (ground, twining, and sticky pads), Ivy can fill in for pretty much anything. It makes a great ground cover, and will grow up about any surface you put it on. Although it grows quick and strong, I wouldn't suggest growing it up your house. This is because recently, buildings which have had ivy for many years have found that it has been deteriorating the building.

So no matter what you want to do with a vine, you should have no problem getting it to grow. You should always do your research beforehand and find out about any negative qualities the vine has (such as its ability to destroy buildings, in Ivy's case.)

By: Josiah Smart

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Learn about gardenia facts and hydrangea facts at the Plants And Flowers site.