Create flow in your small backyard design

 backyard design  No Responses »
Mar 272010
 

One of the most important things in a small backyard or garden area is to create a design that will give you flow.

If your garden spaces flow from one to the other you will create a feeling of more space. It also helps with relaxation and enjoyment of the backyard area.

The following you tube has great ideas for creating flow in the home and yard.

I liked the use of low maintenance plants in the front design area. The design plans also worked with tying the house into the landscape, both in the front and backyard areas.

When you work with designing your yard space if you tie the home into the yard you create a flow and the space becomes larger. This is particularly true in you have a porch area or patio and use color to blend the spaces together.

Posted by Denise at 11:58 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Chrysler Imperial Hybrid Tea Rose

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Mar 252010
 

While selecting hybrid tea roses for my new rose garden project I chose the Chrysler Imperial rose. It’s a beautiful hybrid tea rose that’s been around since the 1950′s. It’s known for its beauty and is perfect for a cutting garden.

22nd March
Creative Commons License photo credit: niall62

The bloom of this rose are a beautiful red color and has an exquisite rose fragrance that makes it stand out from most roses.

The buds are tapered and open into high-centered flowers up to 5 inches across, with a rich, deep, velvety red color. Add baby’s breath to this flower and place in a vase and it makes a statement.

The strongly scented flowers start blooming in late spring and will repeat throughout the summer with deadheading and cutting flowers. They will take a small break and produce another display of blooms in the fall.

The foliage is semi-glossy and deep green with thorny canes so care must be used when pruning and cutting flowers. The rose bush grows to 3-6 feet tall and about 3 feet wide. And as with most roses they will grow more in warmer climates.
Growing Information and How To Care For Imperial Chrysler roses

This rose plant will grow in an upright form, so it looks best if planted in groups of three or more.

The fragrant, long-stemmed rose make an excellent cut flower, so you might want to grow these roses in a cutting garden with a good sunny exposure. A sunny site is a must for this rose as it is not shade tolerant.

Planting location

Plant the rose plant in a spot with good air circulation and be prepared to spray if black spot and mildew is a problem in your area. This rose grows best in Zones 6-9.

Note:The Chrysler Imperial is not a cold hardy rose. Cold temperatures bring our rose diseases, such as black spot and mildew.

*This is why I decided not to grow this plant in my soon to be Rose garden. Instead I will plant it in a container and place it in the sunroom where it will get warm temperatures, plenty of sun and have a dry climate.

Dedicada a Ana Paula
Creative Commons License photo credit: Daniel M. Viero

Many rose do very well in containers so we will consider this an experiment. Its a beautiful rose so if it does well I might consider one more rose container plant for the sunroom next year.

Posted by Denise at 11:19 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Self watering methods for the yard and garden

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Mar 232010
 

Here’s a unique and interesting form of self-watering using terra cotta!

Most people think of terra cotta as the popular planters that grace many gardens and businesses.

Potted plants
Creative Commons License photo credit: Valerie Everett

But with the environment a major concern and using water more efficiently many other methods or watering and self-irrigation methods are appearing. This includes ancient watering methods such as the olla.

This you tube shows the use of an olla (unglazed clay pot) for watering. It’s an interesting method I have not seen before.

Growing up in an area that has abundant water made me a little careless with my water supply. But after a few dry seasons and sever droughts and watching other area suffer I have come to understand that water always needs a to be used wisely.

It is a resource that needs to be appreciated and not misused. So I now practice saving water. I use rain barrels, better watering methods for the yard and gardens and have replaced plants that use too much water.

The following you tube shows how to make an olla if you are a potter or want to try a new craft.

I used to create pottery so this video was enjoyable to watch. Also the idea of burying a pot in the ground for watering is an idea I will have to try.

They are calling for a dry growing season so if I can cut my watering time down and conserve water waste at the same time this would be nice.

Posted by Denise at 6:01 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

How to repair a terra cotta pot

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Mar 212010
 

I have a large beautiful strawberry terra cotta planter that I did not place away from the elements as well as I should have. So it has a small amount of damage. If I repair it now before out gardening season gets underway I may be able to save the planter.

Terra Cotta Pots
Creative Commons License photo credit: SuperFantastic

There are several ways to repair terra cotta. Depending on the pot and its sentiment you may wish to fix it. I myself think terra cotta is great and use these pots more than others.

My terra cotta strawberry pot is 3 foot tall. I have some of the terra cotta flaking off the one side. Here is one way to repair a terra coot pot.

Terra Cotta Repair for Glazed or Unglazed Garden Pots

  • Clean off all dirt thoroughly. This means scrubbing and washing. If the pot is very dirty I use baking soda and a toothbrush. White vinegar will also clean pots. If the dirt is light regular dishwater will do the trick.
  • Once the pot is clean and dry, pry open the crack slightly with a thin shim.
  • Apply waterproof silicone caulk into the crack
  • Next remove the shim and wrap a length of wire or cord around the pot to hold the crack closed.
  • If you used wire twist the ends of the wires together with pliers until the crack is closed and held tight. Cord is a little trickier to get a tight close to the crack and enough pressure. It helps to have help so corner a family member!
  • Let the silicone dry thoroughly. Instructions are on the tube for drying times.
  • Remove the wire or cord when the pot is dry and set.
  • Carefully scrape away any excess silicone.
  • This will work on small to medium cracks

I will try this process if my terra cotta paste does not work.

Terra cotta paste

My problem is the terra cotta is flaking in a 3-inch spot on my pot. If its not fixed it will just get worse and the pot will be ruined. So I plan to take old terra cotta pieces I have from broken pots and grind it up into fine sand. Then I will add glue and make a thick paste I can smooth onto the pot.

I will smooth it into place and let dry for several days. If it works I will then sand it and add a sealer to this section to make sure the patch stays in place.

Hopefully it will work and save this wonderful pot. I’ll let you know how the project turns out.

PS: Terra cotta pots can be fun to decorate to match your patio, gardens or balcony. You can  create people and animals for garden art from them along with fountains and night lights.

Posted by Denise at 4:55 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

How to Select, Grow and Care for Hybrid Tea Roses

 backyard projects  No Responses »
Mar 182010
 

What is a hybrid tea rose?

A hybrid tea rose is a cross between the hybrid perpetuals and old-fashioned tea roses. They are the most popular roses in the world and perhaps the most popular flower, as roses are many gardeners favorite. The hybrid tea rose has all the virtues you look for in a flower: beauty, fragrance and easy care. They also come in so many color variations and will grow in many different climates.

Gift of Life
Creative Commons License photo credit: Jami Dwyer

What makes these roses different from other Roses is that they generally produce only one blossom at the end of the stem, rather than clusters of flowers. They have more of an open form rather than bushy habit. They are repeat bloomers throughout the growing season, particularly if you keep them deadheaded or picked and they offer some degree of fragrance. The fragrance will depend on the variety.

A signature of hybrid teas is the long, pointed bud. The plants will grow anywhere from 3-6 feet tall, depending on the growing conditions.

The long, strong stems make them great as cut flowers.

Choosing the Right Hybrid Tea for You

Hybrid teas are as easy to grow as other rose varieties. For success in growing them choose a variety suited to your climate and zone. So look on the plant tag or research the rose types at a library or online. One other very important key to a successful rose bush is to make sure that it is planted properly.

But your first points to consider when buying the rose bush is:

  • If your summers are humid, look for mildew resistance. Certain ways of planting will also help mildew but get extra help with proper plant selection.
  • Where summers are dry you will want to look for heat tolerance and vigorous root systems. I would also advise to make sure the roses are planted in such a way that you have a mulched area to help hold in moisture.
  • And most of all, check the planting tag and be certain of the growing zone if you live where winters are harsh. You may also want to provide extra protection.  Use a burlap wrap or plant by a wall or hillside for wind protection in colder areas.

Tip: Roses with thick petals are hardier in variable weather locations and last longer as cut flowers.

Backyard Oasis Projects will be having a mini rose garden project using the Hybrid Tea Rose. You will be able to see a rose garden be created from the start. As the season is still cold the first steps will be to select the rose varieties and prepare the rose garden bed area. Check out “The Hybrid Tea Rose Backyard Project.”

Posted by Denise at 8:42 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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