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.
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.
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.

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Shrubs are used in four broad ways: for boundaries. for partitions and backgrounds, for specimens and for foundation plantings. We have discussed these uses of shrubs and the characteristics demanded by each use. Even at the risk of repetition, further discussion with the particular plans in mind may be helpful.
photo credit: albany_tim

Boundaries

Boundary plantings are used to give privacy and to screen from view any unsightly objects beyond. Also, they tie the whole garden together to give unity, and they act as a background and frame for the garden displays.

Boundary plants need to be dense enough and high enough to shut off the view, with some variety in height to make the skyline interesting. Sometimes it is a good idea to leave gaps in the planting, to show desirable views beyond the boundaries.

As mass effect is desired, plant shrubs in groups of one variety rather than single plants of many sorts. Choose the shrubs for their rapid growth, spreading habit and mid-green foliage rather than for distinctive features.

Wherever bloom occurs it should be in large enough masses to be effective at the distance from which it will be seen. Bloom, of course, is always attractive but in large gardens it is not as important in boundary plantings as in parts of the garden where it will be seen in more detail.

On small city lots we cannot hope to attain complete privacy or to screen the view of all surrounding buildings. On some lots the boundary planting takes the form of a hedge, or a fence on which climbers are grown. On others it is made up of groups of shrubs that not only back up the bright displays of the garden but to a great extent form the displays themselves.

Partitions and Backgrounds

Plantings separating small lots are more like partitions than boundaries.

The purpose of partitions, or background, plantings is to separate one garden area from another. Here, bloom and other distinctive features are important as the shrubs are close at hand and consequently are seen in detail.

Keep in mind that partitions and backgrounds are seen in elevation, and in your plans arrange them so that they will be most pleasing at maturity.

There will be points where you need boldness and increased height in the skyline. Here you should use “dominant” plants – small trees or large shrubs that have coarse foliage and a dense appearance whose height and texture makes them stand out above their fellows. These break the partition into sections or pictures.

Usually the center of interest in each of these small pictures consists of low-growing plants, such as those that spread horizontally or have some other particularly attractive feature. These we call “interest” plants. They are backed up and flanked by “fillers,” average sorts of plants whose function is to enhance and connect the other two.
photo credit: Margaret Anne Clarke

In all good shrub grouping in informal gardens, harmony is the rule, contrast the exception. There should be harmony of form, and of color and texture of foliage, with strong contrast of form and texture used only at strategic points.

Foliage color should blend gradually with the bright, warm greens near at hand and dark greens, blue-greens and gray-greens farther away. This gives the impression of added distance.

Texture, too, may be used to create illusions of distance or to emphasize certain points. Large foliage and coarse twigs like the bamboo palm plant are seen more clearly than fine foliage and twigs and, consequently, seem to be closer. For this reason large shrubs and palm plant of coarse texture make large spaces seem smaller. Similarly, a coarse shrub at the front of a border of fine-textured shrubs stands out very distinctly, and fine shrubs backed by coarser ones appear flat.

Specimens

Shrubs used as specimens, or accent points, in the garden lend emphasis to particular features of the design.

Kent Higgins frequently contributes to plant-care.com. The more you know the better decisions you can make, like the topic of bamboo palm plant.

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis, gardening, landscaping, plant care, plants, shrubs

Plants add color and purpose to the home and garden. They also add to the patio, balcony or any small space garden and will create an instant backyard oasis feel indoors or out.
photo credit: dACE

And although many people think plants just need water, they do experience problems that will make them look pitiful.

Here’s how to identify common problems with plants. With care and observing you plants hopefully you will avoid the most common plant problems and diseases.

Check the moisture level in the dirt.

• Both too much water and too little water will create plant problems. And many people are surprised to learn too much water creates more problems that too little.
• Sticking your pinky finger in all the way to your hand can easily check soil moisture. This checks the depth of moisture further down into the soil. Check the soil over by the edge of the pot to make sure you dont hurt the plants roots.
• To keep the soil from drying out on top add a light mulch to your plants soil. One quarter of an inch will be fine.
• Check the look of the top of the soil. If it’s crusty, gently scrap the top of the soil off and replace it with fresh soil. If it looks moldy, scrap that off also.

Check the roots of the plant.

• This can be done by gently pulling the plant out of the container if it’s in a pot. If the roots look brittle or discolored than the problem could be in your soil.
• Change the soil and be sure that the excess water has a way to escape so that the roots aren’t drowning and can breath properly. Yes, too much water can choke a plants root.
• If the plant is in the ground, dig gently by the plant to check its roots. You can try to add new soil by the sides of the plant, but if the plant is in very bad shape, its best to remove it from the garden.

If you plants are just looking tired and lack color it may be necessary for you to move the plants or flowers to a new location.  They may need more sun, shade or better drainage. If you notice white spores growing on the bottom of the leaves, this is a sign that the plant needs more light.
photo credit: DominusVobiscum

Check for holes or missing buds. This is often an indication of insect or pest problems that are eating at your plants. Many insects are very small and you need to look carefully to see them. Am insect problem left untreated can kill a plant and spread to other plants.

Plant Tip: If I notice my plants seem to have a soil problem I will water them with a chamomile tea. Chamomile tea has a natural bacterial control that will control small bacteria on the soil. Chamomile tea has saved many plants.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Garden, backyard oasis, plant care

The backyard hobby greenhouse has several useful purposes and will benefit many gardeners. With the use of a hobby greenhouse you can extend your growing season if your climate has a short growing season or you can grow specialty plants that need that extra care that a small controlled environment can give them.
photo credit: soapbeard

A hobby greenhouse is not large enough to produce vegetables or flowers on a commercial basis but it will provide a place for tomato or pepper plants, fresh salad greens and will create a wonderful area for seedlings and plant cuttings.

They can also work successfully on a balcony garden area or on a patio.

The smallest hobby greenhouse is not large enough to walk into but is accessible for all sides from the outside.  It resembles an old-fashioned phone booth made of glass or plexi-glass and has clear shelving to promote the use of all available light.  This style is designed to hold as many plants as possible in as small a place as possible.

There is also an inexpensive variety of this mini greenhouse that is covered with a zippered tent of clear plastic.  These greenhouses can be used to extend the gardening season and temporarily house new plants, sick plants or additional houseplants. They also work well for over-wintering outdoor plants if you have a patio that can be enclosed or a spare porch area.

The advantages of a mini hobby greenhouse are that they can be used when needed and stored the rest of the year. They also take up less space than a more permanent larger greenhouse.

If you have more room or prefer to leave a hobby greenhouse up for a longer period of time there are greenhouses large enough to walk in and are made or clear glass or plastic. They are usually the size of a storage shed. The “Solar Prism” is a very popular variety of the small walk-in greenhouse.

The design of the solar prism captures the sunrays and will shoot them back into the greenhouse at all angles. This will make the most possible use of any sunlight available, which makes this variety great for cloudy regions or short growing climates.

Larger greenhouses will have misting systems for water and automatic vents for cooling but these will be more costly and also require more room in the backyard area.

The hobby greenhouse will add to your backyard garden oasis by giving you more control over the climate for certain plants and extend you growing season.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Garden, backyard hobby greenhouse, backyard oasis, cutting, greenhouse, hobby greenhouses, plant care, plants, portable greenhouses, seedlings