Garden Supplies News » lawn

Aquaponics, Ground Cover And Crape Myrtle Murder

hughe — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:18:10 +0000

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Maybe you think it’s still too cold, but “There are actually many tasks that need to be done in February to kick off a great growing season” according to Susan Owens a Celina resident and a Collin County Master Gardener. She recommends you should start with a soil test and then complete your pruning before plants start to come out of dormancy. But avoid Crape Myrtle murder if you want a profusion of blooms. Read more..

“Season extending” is the subject of Margaret Lauterbach’s piece in the Idaho Statesman. There’s no point in planting seeds in cold soil so she describes the various ways you can speed up the warming process in the spring and also how to protect your young plants from late frosts. One product she mentions is Walls o’ Water (WOWs) and I found this post at Gardenweb describing how to make your own from 2 liter bottles. Read more..

“Ground cover is a low-maintenance alternative to lawns” is the title of this article by Dan Gill. In fact this is far more than just suggesting you dig up your lawn and replant with low growing groundcover plants. He talks about those shady areas under trees and bushes where the addition of groundcover plants can make all the difference. Instructions on preparation and planting are followed by a comprehensive list suitable plants for these conditions. Read more..

Another way to beat the cold is to grow indoors. Recently I wrote about Windowfarms which are a variation on the hydroponic method. Now there is Aquaponics which combines fish with hydroponics. Where before farmers needed to grow vegetables and fish separately, an aquaponics system allows you to do both at the same time and in the same location. The concept is premised on the interdependence of fish and plants; plants create the perfect environment for fish to grow by cleaning the water and the fish produce the bio-nutrients that plants need for their growth. If you are curious as to how you can benefit from an aquaponics system, Read more..

Raised Beds, Seed Catalogues And Waiting Out Winter

Basil, Berries and De-Lawning Plus Gadgets

hughe — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:49:13 +0000

Just over a month ago I featured a report calling for us to scrap the lawn and today there is another. This comes from an article quoting Susan McCoy from the Garden Media Group who tells us what is trendy this year. “The rewards of growing your own—basil, berries or flowers—are boundless” she says “and people are looking increasingly to their plots of green, little or large, to recharge, and reap the benefits both aesthetic and, often, edible”.

Losing the lawn or de-lawning is the current trend “to reduce or eliminate a green pit of wasted time, money and space”. Recycle rainwater, think vertically, go native with plants are other directions in which we should be moving. Read more..

I love reading about garden gadgets, and enjoy pouring scorn on some of the complicated and expensive products that are produced to perform functions that are far easier if done in the traditional way. But today I have found a useful gadget, a folding wheelbarrow which is ideal if you have limited storage space. On the same page you will find some other interesting ideas including a wheelbarrow chair. Read more..

Then here’s the Gadget of the Week – “By sharpening the normally dull sides of a pruning sheer, the Fiskars Garden Multi-Tool ($20) brings Leatherman-like convergence to your prized plants. One side is serrated for tough wood, while the other is a plenty-sharp knife. While we love the added functionality, be warned: You may be used to grabbing regular sheers by the blade, but one squeeze of these could be enough to keep your hands out of the garden until harvest. fiskars.com.”

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And finally here is what I would describe as the ultimate geeky gadget – the Blossoming Garden Solar Light. “This motorized flower blooms every single morning and closes up at night”. Read more..

Conservation Gardening and Gadget Reviews

hughe — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:20:01 +0000

“Mowing your lawn for an hour produces as much pollution as driving a car 650 miles” is just one of the facts quoted by the Virginia Living Museum in its campaign for the creation of conservation gardens. While it’s a well known fact that gas mowers cause pollution, I have not seen it spelt out quite as starkly as this before.

But a conservation garden is not just about grass. “The new 7,000-square-foot Conservation Garden features environmentally friendly gardening with an emphasis on native plants and mulching and composting techniques to reduce the use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides that are potentially harmful to people and nature”. The article contains some helpful hints as to how you can adopt these priciples in your own backyard. Read more..

A few months ago I wrote about various garden gadgets that were new on the market. Now I’ve found a couple of articles by people who have bought some of these products and tell of their experiences. First is Larry McDermott writing in The Republican who is not too happy with his $12 watering wand. Read more..

“One of my favorite parts of writing this column is that it provides the perfect excuse for buying and trying gardening toys. Usually, I have three or four new tools or gadgets to play with, but the second one I purchased this year was such a whopper of an expense that I quit after two” says Linden Staciokas writing in the Daily News-Miner. The “whopper of an expense” he refers to is an indoor composter costing $400. When I read about this product earlier in the year I thought it sounded too good to be true and so it turns out. Read more..

And finally the September of my Garden Ramblings newsletter is now online with articles on spring bulbs and organic lawncare among others.