The Secrets Of Planting Shrubs And Trees

 guest writer  No Responses »
Oct 022009
 
by Marshall Clewis

Most planting is done in the spring, between the time the frost leaves the ground and the time the leaf buds break on deciduous trees and shrubs. You may plant evergreens a week later as they do not usually start new growth as early as deciduous plants. Morrison Garden
Creative Commons License photo credit: cliff1066™

In the fall, plant evergreens, herbaceous perennials and bulbs before the middle of September. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs a little later, when their leaves are ready to fall.

Care on Arrival

When the shrubs arrive from the nursery, unpack them and report immediately any discrepancy in the order or condition of the stock.

If the material cannot be planted immediately, dig a trench and pack the roots close together in it, covering them with earth packed down firmly to exclude air. Evergreens that have the roots tightly balled and burlapped may be stood in the shade and sprinkled with water but not soaked.

Digging and Filling the Holes

Dig the holes before you prepare the plants to go in them. It is very important to keep the roots moist at all times, and they will dry out if you have them lying in the sun or wind while you dig the hole.

Dig the holes wide enough that the roots can be spread out naturally, and deep enough that 3 to 4 inches of good topsoil can be placed in the bottom and still allow the plant to be set about 1 inch lower than it grew before.

Hold the plant in place while you fill in good topsoil over the roots. Gently shake the plant up and down two or three times to help settle the earth around the roots. Then tamp the soil down firmly.

Soak it with water and as soon as it has settled fill the hole with soil; leave a saucerlike depression around the plant to hold future water, which it should receive at least once a week until it is established.

When planting evergreens do not remove the burlap from the roots. Place topsoil in the bottom of the hole to hold the ball at the right height. Remove the cord or nails that hold the ball together and roll the burlap back gently into the bottom of the hole, where it will rot in time. Then add soil and water as above.

Bracing

Small trees should be staked and large trees guyed with wires at the time they are planted to avoid being swayed by the wind. Make sure that the stake does not rub the tree and that wires and ties do not chafe it.

For small trees from 8 to 10 feet tall, drive a 2 x 2 inch hardwood stake (about as long as the tree) firmly into the bottom of the hole before planting the tree. Place the tree 2 to 3 inches from the stake so that the roots are not scraped. After the tree has been planted, tie the trunk to the stake about a foot from the ground and again every 3 feet, using a piece of rubber hose between them in a figure 8 and then making a loop around the two.

For guy-wiring larger trees, drive three or four short stakes into the ground about 5 feet from the tree on opposite sides. So that the tree will not be scraped, run the wires through a piece of hose placed around the tree 8 to 10 feet from the ground. birth tree: planting a snow bell
Creative Commons License photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Pruning

Prune deciduous shrubs and trees at planting, to balance the roots they have lost and to train their shape. When pruning  trees remove some of the branches close to the trunk. Leave the main leader going straight up, with branches 6 to 12 inches apart ascending but alternating evenly around it. Remove broken branches and any that are crossed.

When pruning shrubs, remove weak, twisted or broken branches at the base. Also, cut back the strong canes to a point just above a leaf bud that points outward, so that the new branches will not cross.

About the Author:
Can’t always get what you want, you can find what you need at  zone10.com
Posted by Gary Antosh at 1:35 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Caring for your lawn along with your family

 guest writer  No Responses »
Jul 152009
 
by Andrew Caxton

Do you want to get some work done along with play? Well, the ingenuous solution is to make lawn care a combined family activity. There are numerous benefits of doing this. Banana Love
Creative Commons License photo credit: alan(ator)

You, as a family get to spend time together and that too in a productive way. When you involve your kids in lawn care along with you, it is a great way of establishing rapport with them.

Also, by giving them lessons on how to build a beautiful and clean lawn, you are instilling valuable lessons of responsibility in them. Kids anyways yearn to help parents with outdoor tasks as it makes them feel grown up. If you present lawn care as an exciting venture, you will have a devoted bunch to help you whenever you want them to.

However, even though the idea seems great, is it as simple to put in operation as it sounds? Well, it could be if you put some thought in to it. Family lawn care can become a problem if you are always neck deep in your work and do not find the time to spend time together with your family.

To get rid of embarrassing situations later, the best idea would be to go in for some planning. Begin by delegating particular tasks to everyone and also fix schedules which you can follow with your work. This way, you won’t have to bear the stigma of broken promises later.

If you are wondering how to assign tasks to your children, make a decision based on their age.

  • With younger children, you could ask them to go to the garden store and get the seeds for grass planting.
  • On the other hand, if your children are older, they could lend a hand in sowing the grass seeds. You have to exercise great caution when it comes to handling fertilizers, especially the chemical ones irrespective of the age of your child.
  • It is better not to let kids deal with fertilizers even if they are older because of the possibility of dangerous consequences.

Similarly with lawnmowers, you need to be careful when kids are around. It would be advisable to keep kids away from lawnmowers. Since this equipment can be hazardous, do not let them even lay a hand on the lawnmower unless you are around to keep an eye on them.

If you have very small kids who are persistent about their desire to help you with the mower, you can indulge them by seating them on your shoulder and asking them for instructions to help you operate the lawnmower. After some time, you can take them to the house while you keep on with your lawn mowing work.

Thus, by making lawn care a family task, you not only have an entertaining time but also get quicker results in any front yard landscape designs exercise. Isn’t that great?

About the Author:
Andrew Caxton is a consultant who writes on similar consumer topics for many magazines .A website with tips on front yard landscape designs and landscaping.
Posted by Andrew Caxton at 9:32 am  Tagged with: , ,

Make Your Grass Look Pleasant a A Day Or Two before Your Guests Arrive

 guest writer  1 Response »
Jun 202009
 
by Billy Jones

You can truly get a lawn that is absolutely beautiful by being devoted to your lawn care , but it isn’t always easy to find the time to do it.It is because of this reason, that many people invest the money in getting help from professional lawn care specialists. Backyard with 14MM lens
Creative Commons License photo credit: ToddBlm

You can still have a nice lawn though, even if you just have a few hours to devote to it. The guide below will provide you with some shortcuts to lawn care help and proper maintenance.

Weed Control, Fertilizer, and Mowing Your Lawn

Doing the above, of course is the best thing that she can do if you want a great looking lawn. However, that brings us right back to our first problem – time.

If you can manage to spend a few hours after work, on weekends, pulling leaves, fertilizing, and managing your lawn then you are way ahead of the rest of us.

If you can’t find the time however, and you would really like to enjoy a decent looking lawn in a relatively quick timeframe, then you need to follow the tips that we have located below.

Water Your Lawn

Like all things, grass needs water to grow. Make sure that you give your lawn a good deep watering a minimum of at least a couple times a week. This is an essential part of good lawn help and maintenance that should not be forsaken.

A good sprinkler system is by far the easiest and best way to give your lawn the water that it needs. If you need your lawn look nice, this is a really great way to get it that way, even if you have a house full of guests that may inspect it. Nancy Running The Pup, Backyard
Creative Commons License photo credit: sflovestory

Just water the lawn both the morning before the party and lightly the morning of the party. Take note of the word “lightly” because you want your lawn to have plenty of time to dry before guests arrive. Providing your lawn with these two shots of water, well speed up the greening effect on it.

Mow Your Lawn

Another essential tip of proper lawn care is mowing. Don’t concern yourself with making sure all of the clover is pulled up, or try dealing with all of the crabgrass before you mow it. If your party is tomorrow then you really do not have enough time to take care of the uneven texture of your lawn.

Here’s all that you need to do: on the afternoon of the day before your party, give the lawn a nice mowing, weeds and all. Don’t forget that you need to do it in the afternoon, because you want your lawn to be nice and dry after the morning water.

The thinking behind this tip is that you are trying to make your lawn appear as if it is all green and groomed, and the slight differences in the texture won’t be noticed.

It is always possible of course, the somebody may take a close inspection of your yard and notice some stray clippings, but that’s getting kind of petty. When pressed for time, the end result is worth it. Besides, mowing the lawn the day of the party will leave your yard that great fresh mown smell.

About the Author:
If you don’t have time to take care of your lawn yourself then you might want to look into a lawn care services to assist you.
Posted by Billy Jones at 4:23 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Plan your Landscape Lighting Before You Plan Your Party

 guest writer  2 Responses »
May 182009
 
by Karl Maadhavan

Spring has arrived, the weather is great and your friends are starting to wonder when you plan to invite them over for your first cookout. azur
Creative Commons License photo credit: mahalie

Maybe you’re like me and it’s those gatherings with the people who really matter in your life that makes spring and summer complete. You aim for perfection, but you know there’s always some nagging little hurdle to overcome.

Having long ago accepted the inevitability of the unexpected problem cropping up, I tend to prepare in advance of any outdoor gathering. Just before the event I ensure the grill has plenty propane available (even purchasing a spare tank if things are questionable) and I test light it and let it burn for 10 or 15 minutes.

I run through a quick check-list to cover available beverages and food (always buying a bit extra for the additional guest who may accompany one of my planned visitors). Finally, I check the fuel in my tiki torches and test light them.

Did he just say he tests his tiki torches? Yes he did. Though you may think that’s a bit unusual, setting a mood is one of those subtle but critical elements to hosting a great party and I’ve been unpleasantly surprised by my lighting choice in the past by torches that wouldn’t light, so they’re part of the check list.

It’s the little things that get you in the end. Though there isn’t much to tiki torches beyond a wick, fuel reservoir and the stick to hold them up, these deceptively simple critters can suffer from performance anxiety for several reasons. The obvious one being lack of fuel, but that’s not the only reason. So, lesson learned, I test them.

But is all really lost just because a few lousy torches wouldn’t light? Of course not, but my goals won’t be met as lighting plays such a critical part in the overall design of my yard.

A dramatically accent-lit yard pulls everything together. Whether its a tropical paradise (what I’m shooting for), or painting with light in a formal setting elegantly lit by professional landscape lighting, you really lose something when it’s missing.

It’s a little like erasing Mona Lisa’s hint of a smile or fixing the foundation under the Leaning Tower of Pisa. What you’re left with is still beautiful and artistic, but diminished for the absence of that special something that makes it memorable. The devil is in the details, folks.

And that’s just the day-of prep. For advanced, dig deeper. This is the opportunity to look beyond the food you’ll be serving and think about atmosphere.

Lighting, particularly in-ground lighting, requires taking the time to plan. Do you want something classy? Perhaps the mysterious or fanciful is more your speed. Whatever setting you’re going for, try to make it an escape from everyday life for both you and your guests.

Evening events depend on lighting both for the safety of your guests but also for the atmosphere the lights create. I use tiki torches because I want to set a tropical feel, but in-ground, low-voltage lighting can amazing results. Invest the time to learn about various lighting techniques such as accent lighting and moonlighting and then build your paradise.

In taking the time to plan and carefully implement your landscaping and outdoor lighting objectives well in advance of entertaining guests, you present an event that becomes supremely memorable.

Rather than just raving about your mastery of the grill, your guests will leave your event feeling they’ve just enjoyed a vacation from their everyday lives. And guess what they’ll be daydreaming about the following Monday at work. Providing, of course, you remembered to test your lighting before they arrived.

About the Author:
The Tiki Torches Guide covers everything you need to know about garden torches, their safe use, landscaping tips, tricks and other information about outdoor tiki torches that might just surprise you.
Posted by Karl Maadhavan at 8:22 am  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Why Every Gardener Needs a Garden Shed – Plans and Design

 backyard design  No Responses »
Apr 302009
 
by William Boyle

Spring rolls around and its time to dip into the pocket book and start getting ready for the summer. There’s planting to be done, and repairs to do. Perhaps there’s a landscaping project on the horizon. sissinghurst shed, autumn
Creative Commons License photo credit: A writer afoot

Once the plans are in place and the items are bought its time to get out the tools. Now this is where the real challenge begins. Where did you put them last fall? Probably find some in the basement and then there’s that corner of the garage that has some of the bigger ones. Oh yes don’t forget about the spare room probably tucked some away in there too.

This has all got to tell you something. As if you really need, a garden shed. It’s going to save you time and money in the long run. It’s going to save you time because all of your outdoor tools and equipment can be stored in one place. That means when you are in need of something you can just go and get it because you know where it is. When your garden and outdoor implements are scattered all over the place, it takes a lot of time just remembering where they are and then the search is on.

Money wise they save you a great deal. One of your agreements against the garden shed investment may be you just don’t want to put out that kind of money after all you’ve managed so far. hooks and pulleys
Creative Commons License photo credit: sa_ku_ra

The longer you live in a house the more you accumulate. You may have managed up until now but the time is coming sooner or later you just won’t have enough storage space.

Yes, it’s going to cost you money to buy your garden shed. Think of it this way though how much has you spent on soil weeding products and fertilizer. You use a portion of them then one of two things happen. You let them sit outside where they get destroyed by the elements, or secondly you end up throwing them out because there is no place to put them.

Most of the lawn and garden equipment that you have probably purchased has not been cheap either. When it’s not stored properly, it can become damaged or even ruined. The other thing to consider is some of the equipment is not safe to be laying around especially where there are young children.

Finally, a garden shed really does add to the ambience of the landscaping. It makes it look neat and just shows that someone really cares about their outdoors. If you aren’t sure, what style to get just look around your neighborhood and you will get a good idea. You need to base your choice according to your needs.

If you don’t own a lot of garden supplies and equipment then one of the smaller ones will work nicely. Don’t forget though that those winter items can be conveniently stored here as well so plan your required space accordingly. Once you have got past the fact that you had to lay some money out for your shed you are going to be most glad that you did.

About the Author:
Want to build sheds the easy way? Get free shed blueprints of a storage shed at MyShedPlans site now. MyShedPlans offers you over 12,000 woodworking plans and shed plans. From small birdhouses to garden sheds
Posted by William Boyle at 4:35 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
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