August 1, 2008 18:03 - Gardens Dry And Wet, Bare Patches
And The Seedy Gardner
In "Pick the right plants for drier gardening" Ann Lovejoy has some helpful hints on how to keep your beds looking good all summer without constant watering. Plant selection is the key and she suggests several including Matilleja poppy, Cape fuchsia and Cistus purpureus, the orchid rock rose. Read more..
While gardeners welcome rain after a long dry spell, it can be a mixed blessing. A heavy storm falling on parched soil will often fail to soak down into the beds and will just run off into the storm drains doing your garden no good at all. This is where you need to think about rain gardens which will catch the surge of water and allow it to gradually percolate into the soil. Read more..
Here's a quick tip on how to cover bare patches in your garden in an instant. For all those in between times when the lupines have finished blooming and the coneflowers have not yet put in an appearance, here is a way to have instant flowers without divine intervention. Read more..
And finally to a column that I have not come across before. The Seedy Gardner gives his take on where to look for good solid advice on horticultural matters. Only four magazines and few more books make it on to his list. After a brief excursion to companion planting we move on to his favorite television programs and learn about new uses for a recycled urinal and a giant iron parrot cage. Read more..
garden gardening
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August 14, 2008 10:18 - Grow or Buy, Hands Off And A Garden Gnome
Have you ever thought about growing a magnolia from seed? If so Bill Geer tells you how to set about it. And there are advantages in growing from seed. It is both cheaper and generally gives fast establishment and good growth. The usual disadvantage when propagating plants in this way is that they do not always come true to type, so you may end up with different colored flowers.
Read more..
Grow or buy has been a question that many people have been asking themselves as food prices have escalated over the past few months. Here is another article that details the experiences of a couple living in Portland, Ore. J.D. Roth and his wife have been tracking whether their gardening efforts have resulted in savings on their food bills. Read more..
"Hands Off" is the somewhat inaccurate title of this article about no-till gardening. Although no digging is involved in this method of cultivation, you do have to cover the plot with compost and mulch which would be rather tricky if you did not use your hands. However that is unfair nitpicking about an article that reminds us that there is an alternative to the double-digging of yesteryear. Read more..
It's been a long time since I wrote about garden gnomes, but it's August and the silly season when journalists are desperate for stories to fill their newspapers. So this tale about a gnome that was stolen from a garden in Gloucesterhire, England and has now been returned after travelling the world has hit the headlines in papers worldwide. Read more from Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, NBC and the BBC.
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August 20, 2008 15:51 - Hot Pots, Knockout Roses And A Rotten Exhibit
"Rotten exhibit wins first prize at local flower show" is the sort of headline that makes you sit up and take notice which was obviously the writer's intention. Without that headline the story of one women's success in making compost would attract little attention. But it turns out that Violet Diver from North Tyneside, England is a compost making fanatic with seven compost bins on her allotment and another at her home. Read more..
Planting geraniums in a whiskey barrel is old hat according to Lisa Flam. Now container gardening has gone upmarket and the humble pot is not so humble anymore when it can set you back up to $1000. It seems that container gardening is the fastest growing sector of the nursery business with many garden centers having special departments to deal with the demand. Read more..
If you are looking to create a low maintenance rose bed Knock Out Roses can be a perfect choice says Charity Armstrong. While some people believe that they have gained a reputation for being common, this couldn’t be further from the truth, she claims. "Sometimes in gardening simple is just what you’re looking for." Easy to grow and available everywhere so why not give them a try? Read more..
In "Gardening this week" Stephanie Foster has some unconventional advice. "Relax. It’s probably too hot to work. It’s time for passive gardening. Go to the beach. Sit under a beach umbrella and daydream about your spring bulb garden" is her suggestion. And there's more..
garden gardening
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