HOW ABOUT A THEME GARDEN ?

An important idea in all design work is the idea of unifying space by using elements that manage to tie things together. This can be done in many ways, for instance, lining a path and framing your planters with the same cheerful primroses or creating a similar edging with decorative stones or ornamental grasses. The major idea here is that you want your garden to work as a cohesive aesthetic space, that is, as a single visually pleasing work of art. The individual pieces should work in the same ways as the various elements of a painting.

Choosing an actual theme for your garden can help you to narrow down number of choices you''ll have to examine as you plan it. There are many kinds of themes that can be used to help you mentally organize your garden ranging from whimsical to literary depending on what you want out of your garden.

One way of selecting a theme is by starting with any negative conditions that might hinder your garden growth. You''ll be happiest if you create a garden that is perfect for your climate and your needs. If your garden is going to be in a harsh climate with a short growing season, make sure you choose a theme that will make your garden attractive during the cooler seasons as well.

Rock gardens and zen gardens can be created with some fairly hearty shrubs and a few pieces of garden statuary that won''t be damaged by winter weather. As you plan a garden that relies primarily on stone and statuary, remember to pay as much attention to the spaces created around your objects as to the objects themselves. Textured backgrounds, like gravel and sand, become part of this kind of design and must be carefully considered to compliment the other textures and shapes of your design. Textured objects like this wood fountain (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=294) invoke the presence of nature (and provide contrast and even color) in a garden that seems too plain. The most attractive gardens of this kind create a sparse, clean and incredibly serene landscape. Every element must be placed with conscious regard to every other element.

There are many other kinds of themes that you can work with in your garden. A striking and interesting garden can be created by using just one flower color. These monochromatic gardens are interesting because, as in a zen garden, similarities draw attention to differences making texture, height and spacing increasingly important. Different textures treat colors in different ways so be sure to choose flowers that bloom in similar hues of your color of choice. If you choose a single-colored theme, add interest by planting a few vegetables in the right hue.

If you are trying to be certain that you will have something usable (perhaps edible) think of the kinds of vegetables that will grow best and be most useful to you and see if you can create a theme around it. The French kitchen garden has been a long-time standard in residential gardens, and recently pizza gardens have found popularity in many areas.

A pizza garden grows as many little elements that any pizza maker could want, from a variety of tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic for sauce, spinach, squash or artichoke toppings to basils and oregano and thyme for seasoning. Many of these are created in circles and designed in angled slices. A pizza garden is an excellent garden to grow and tend to with children and will provide you with an excellent array of fresh herbs.

Other edible themes include growing a collection of flavorful herbs for creating herbal teas. One might try creating a garden with the species and delights mentioned in the texts of a famous author. An herb garden can also be the solution to tight space and poor soil. Many herbs grow excellently in planters .

Various plantings are able to attract different creatures. The most common of these themes is the butterfly/bird garden. The cheerful behaviors of butterflies are often a pleasure to watch and it is quite easy to draw the creatures near. They simply love bright flowers and are easily pleased by a few basic modifications to most gardens. Flowers from the warm side of the color spectrum (red, orange, yellow) and vivid pinks and purples will help attract butterflies, especially if placed in a very sunny spot. Take a look at some reference material to find out what kinds of butterflies are natural to your area and what kinds of plants to which they are most attracted. Butterflies also appreciate a bit of water so a bird bath will work well. Remember not to use pesticides in a butterfly garden.

Most importantly, your garden theme should please you and reflect a bit of the personality that you bring to your garden. Themes are a great way to experiment with growing and can have interesting results. Not everything comes out as planned so be flexible and be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the area you are gardening.

Elizabeth Jean wrote this article for Garden Fountains.

SAVE THE BEES - PLANT THE RIGHT FLOWERS

More and more gardeners are anxious to do their part to help the bees by adding to the shrinking inventory of flower-rich habitat in their area. In return, the bees will pollinate your flowers, providing a bountiful harvest of fruits, seeds and vegetables as well as the joy of watching them up close. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind as you grow your bee-friendly garden:
Rethink your lawn. Replace part or all of your front lawn grass with flowering plants, which provides food and habitat for bees and other wildlife. Please read the informative guest blog post by The Gardener’s Eden.
Plant native flowers. Native flowers help feed your bees and are uniquely adapted to your region. Try to use native flowers to which local bees are especially adapted. You can also visit the websites of regional botanic gardens and plant nurseries for more info on native bee-friendly plants. Read more here by The Gardener’s Eden.
Select single flower tops such as daisies and marigolds, rather than double flower tops such as double impatiens. Double headed flowers look showy but produce much less nectar and make it much more difficult for bees to access pollen.
Skip the highly hybridized plants, which have been bred not to seed and thus produce very little pollen for bees.
Plan for blooms season-round. Plant at least three different types of flowers to ensure blooms through as many seasons as possible, thus providing bees with a constant source of food. For example:

• Crocus, hyacinth, borage, calendula, and wild lilac provide enticing spring blooms.
• Bees feast on bee balm, cosmos, echinacea, snapdragons foxglove, and hosta in the summer.
• For fall, zinnias, sedum, asters, witch hazel and goldenrod are late bloomers that will tempt foragers.

Click here for a guest blog post by The Gardener’s Eden on container gardening with herbs and edible flowers for honeybees and their human friends.
Build homes for native bees. Leave a patch of the garden in a sunny spot uncultivated for native bees that burrow. Some native bees also need access to soil surface for nesting. For wood- and stem-nesting bees, this means piles of branches, bamboo sections, hollow reeds, or nesting blocks made out of untreated wood. Mason bees need a source of water and mud, and many kinds of bees are attracted to weedy, untended hedgerows.
Only use natural pesticides and fertilizers. Avoid using herbicides or pesticides in the garden. They not only can be toxic to bees but also are best not introduced to children or adults that visit your garden. Ladybugs, spiders, and praying mantises will naturally keep pest populations in check.
Create a “bee bath.” Bees need a place to get fresh, clean water. Fill a shallow container of water with pebbles or twigs for the bees to land on while drinking. Make sure to maintain the container full of fresh water to ensure that they know they can return to the same spot every day.
Live in a home without a garden? You need only a small plot of land—it can even be a window container or rooftop—to create an inviting oasis for bees. Every little bit can help to nurture bees and other pollinators.

The Honeybee Conservancy wishes to thank Jonna Robins for authoring this page and Michaela from The Gardener’s Eden for her contributions.

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IDEAS FOR A GREAT LOOKING FLOWER GARDEN

The spring is the season after winter and before summer. This is the time when the vegetation begins. It is the best season for blossoming of flowers. When you are planting a flower garden in spring, you should take special care of the garden plants.
The Best Looking Spring Flower Garden

The spring is the season after winter and before summer. This is the time when the vegetation begins. It is the best season for blossoming of flowers. When you are planting a flower garden in spring, you should take special care of the garden plants. You should grow the plants that blossom and dwell well in spring conditions. For making your flower garden beautiful and attractive, you must know the flower gardening tips and utilize them in your garden.

Flower gardening is a wonderful experience and a good activity in your rest time. You don't have to hire a professional gardener for taking care of your garden. You can follow the gardening tips and take proper care of your garden.

Spring Flower Garden
If you wish to plant a best looking spring flower garden, you should plant the flowers that bloom well in spring season. Out of the four seasons, spring is the best season for gardening. As the light intensity increases, the garden becomes hotter and the flower buds will come back to life and grow vigorously. Some of the flowers that are suitable for growing in spring are listed below:

The Crocus
The petals of crocus are rich in color. These petals appear to be shining due to the reflection of the Sun. Crocus can be best for borders of the garden. It is the ideal flower for growing in spring. Crocus flower is available in blue, white, yellow, cream and lilac color with stripes on it. Some of the crocus flowers are aromatic.

The Cyclamen
Cyclamen has the appearance like a wild flower. It grows perfectly under shrubs and trees. It is also found in rock gardens. It is basically planted in pots to use for display purpose in spring. It has attractive leaves. It blooms pink, red, purple and white colored flowers. The flowers of cyclamen are sometimes aromatic.

The Iris
Iris is the beautiful flower for any flower garden. It is available in variety of colors that adds to the garden design. They can be used as the border flowers and can be blended with other flower plants. You can plant iris with other flower plants to enhance the beauty of your garden. You can plant it in the pots for display purpose.

When you are thinking of planting a flower garden in spring, you should prepare the soil bed in proper manner for your plants. Here are some tips for preparing the soil for spring gardens.

Soil Preparation
Clean the garden site by removing all the weeds, dead leaves and plants, sticks, rocks, etc. After cleaning, use a tiller and turn the soil to promote drainage. Mix the natural mulch and organic compost into the soil. If you have some problems related to drainage, mix some gypsum to soil. Adding gypsum to soil will flush out the salt from your soil. When your soil is ready, buy the plants for your flower garden and plant them with proper technique.

Follow all the flower gardening tips while planting the flower plants. Spring is the best season for planting the gardens as the plants thrive well in spring conditions.

CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN

A garden is a space set aside, usually in the outdoors for display of plants, flowers or vegetables. A garden can also be for relaxation and enjoyment especially if it has well manicured grass and bushes. The design depends on the desired needs and the landscape shape. This may be done by the owner or professionally by garden designers. The art of gardening dates back to renaissance period with people like the French, English and the Japanese having different designs corresponding to their culture. Most of the renaissance gardens were developed in ruling families such as queens or kings and rich families.

Garden can support different purposes and thus will have different names. A vegetable garden just like the name suggests is used to grow vegetables for home use or for sale. Vegetable gardens are also known as kitchen gardens. Vegetable gardens often are also used to grow fruits, herbs and flowers. An exclusive flower garden is one where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. A rock garden is a type of garden that features use of rocks and stones extensively. It is also known as an alpine garden. The plants grown on rock garden are those native to rocky areas. These are normally small species plants that cover or creep on the rocks.

Garden furniture

Gardens can often contain furniture especially if they are used for relaxation and enjoyment. Garden furniture may be made from natural material or plastic that depicts the natural look. These can be garden chairs, tables, benches, beds, sinks and garden shed. The garden shed is a structure used to store garden tools. The garden furniture should be of durable material and one that is easy to clean. Other accessories are also found in the garden such as swings and umbrellas.

Garden plants

Garden plants can be perennial, annual, climbers or those that live for a few months then wither off. Care is required for these plants because they can be attacked by diseases and parasites. Plants chosen to be planted in the garden should be selected carefully to make sure poisonous varieties are not selected. Toxic plants may be dangerous especially if children and pets will be using the gardens. Some of the garden plants may have useful properties such as medicinal value, cosmetic or even as food products. Some of the garden plants are flowers such as; camellia, lavender, azalea, hibiscus, peony, the weigelia and the cyads. These flowers can be used as Christmas decorations. Garden trees examples include; olive tree, laurel, mimosa, cedar of Lebanon, hackberry, maple, the plum, silver fir, lime, cypress and the poplar tree. These trees can be used as ornamental or as hedges of the garden. They vary depending on the climate of the region therefore one needs to know which tree will best thrive in a specific climate.

To keep the garden top-notch, frequent pruning is required. Various gardening tools will help perform this duty. There are tools for digging up the soil, mowing, for pruning and sweeping any dirt from the garden. Maintaining the garden may also need constant irrigation to keep the plants alive.
Get all the information on garden furniture, irrigation, garden plants, and much more at eflowergarden.eu to create a beautiful flower garden.

PLAN YOUR GARDEN BY THE COLOR OF THE PLANTS - YOU'LL LIKE THE RESULTS

Every flower has a story to tell and a color to show—and dozens of them in your garden can give your home something to show and tell. Your garden can be an important medium for creativity, just as the canvas is the primary medium for paintings. One vibrant color theme for your garden may be dazzling enough, but a whole variety of colors multiply that dazzle effect tenfold. Think of the different plants as your color palette, and experiment with different colors to get unique combinations.
Vibrant Warm Colors: Bright colors are the best choice if your house is a common venue for parties and other events. This is because the combination of yellow, red, and orange can create an energetic aura that stimulates the party and encourages socializing. Yellow represents happiness, red stands for energy, and orange stands for warmth. An energetic garden suitable for entertainment is all about inducing the guests to liven up the party.

Soothing Cool Colors: Gardens often become places of relaxation for people stressed out by daily life. For this type of garden, use shades that induce a tranquil sensation such as purple, gray, and deep blue. This is ideal when you need a place in your home to release your stress, and think of nothing but peace and tranquility. Blue is the color for calmness, purple can serve a soothing role aside from its stimulating trait, and the gray in garden rocks also contribute to that calming sensation.
Jovial Colors: A garden that follows good advice can enliven residents and impress visitors. A garden that brings joy and happiness is usually a garden full of pastel colors such as pink, yellow, and white. The color pink signifies positivity and youth. By blending pink with other pastel colors, a vibrant garden can be conceived. In addition, white blooms help keep all of that positive energy balanced.
Healing Colors: For a garden that promotes overall health and the healing process, use a combination of green, blue, and purple colors. Most manuals indicate that the color green help people relax, as it is the color of tranquility. Normally, green plants make up most of the foliage in healing gardens. However, do not forget to add hues of blue and lavender, so that the garden does not look too monotonous.
 Good advice inspires people to get creative with their gardens and think of it as their canvas. There are no specific colors or shapes to create an inspiring garden, since you can use any element to create interesting combinations. By combining all these elements, you can create an artistic garden.

INSECT CONTROL FOR ORGANIC GARDENERS

As an organic gardener you shy away from the use of chemicals in your garden and instead rely on natural treatments and remedies to keep your garden tip top. Pest control is no different and you can do this without resorting to the usual commercially available pesticides. You can undertake your garden pest control naturally.
Natural pest control products such as various sprays and powders can be obtained from your local garden centre. For example a bacteria spray or powder. Spray or sprinkle as appropriate on to the plant. Insects will eat it and be poisoned though this can take some time to take maximum effect. Another spray alternative is horticultural oil. When used it is designed to basically suffocate insects.

If you decide to use an organic spray as insect treatment it may still be harmful to you or your pets so do be absolutely certain to read the application instructions very carefully and follow them. You may find that the best time to apply the spray or powder treatment in your garden is the early evening as things are cooling down and troublesome insects may be less active.
Did you know that birds and ‘good’ insects can help you with your pest control as well as the sprays we mentioned above. That’s right – nature itself can help you if you let it.
Birds eat insects. You can make your organic garden bird friendly quite easily by for example putting a bird bath in there, perhaps a feeding table or a nesting box or two. Anything that will encourage birds to visit and do what they do naturally which can help to keep those annoying pests at bay.
Ladybirds shouldn’t do you any harm either and will probably find their way to you all by themselves. Depending on your location and if you have a water source then you might attract the odd frog or lizard in to your garden for some additional natural pest control and bug bashing. If you do not have a naturally occurring water source you can make one simply by placing a large dish of water in to your garden. If any frogs or lizards find it they might just hang around for a while and chomp through some bugs for you whilst they are there.
Slugs are everywhere. You will almost certainly have to factor natural slug control in to your organic garden maintenance schedule. Slugs can be hard to get rid of and until they do, if you have them, they can cause a significant amount of damage to your plants.
To control the slug presence using only natural remedies there are a number of steps you can take. The first one may surprise you. Slugs like beer. Or rather are attracted to it. A trick you can employ is to bury a small pot in the garden up its neck – for example a jam jar – and place some beer in to it. Slug smells the beer and crawls in to take a nip. Only it cannot crawl back out and drowns in the beer. Not a bad way to go I guess.
If you can get it, seaweed used as mulch can help to repel slugs as well as decompose naturally and nourish your soil. The salt content is what the slugs do not like. And on the subject of salt – this is perhaps the most common form of natural slug control for the organic gardener. Slugs leave a trail behind them as they slither around. Sprinkle some salt on the trails you find and directly on to any slugs you see. This will dry them up and kill them. Do not go wild with the salt though – just use enough – or you could damage your soil.
And there we are. A quick look at some natural methods you can use to keep on top of insects and other unsavory guests you do not want in your garden. And by using them you are sticking firmly to your principles as an organic gardener and not reaching for the chemical alternative. I hope you found this article of interest. You might also consider building a wormery in your garden planning. It is quick, easy, cheap and can save you money. Start to produce your very own natural compost using the power of the simple garden worm. Here is a free ebook on the subject which you can download to get you started on your wormery.

ALL ABOUT SPRINKLERS - THE ALL IMPORTANT WATER

When it comes to watering your garden and providing irrigation for your plants, your trusty old garden hose will perform well. The only problem is keeping up and maintaining an efficient watering system that will benefit your lawn and preventing water waste. If you want to use a system that can offer both convenience and efficiency, consider installing either a manual or an automatic sprinkler system. Go Manual Or Automatic? If you're the type of person who has time to spend on your lawn or garden and don’t mind the job, go for the manual sprinkler system. A manual system also allows you to control the use of water personally, so you can be assured of the efficient use of your resources. The only problem with a manual sprinkler system is that it requires someone to open the valves in order to allow the sprinkler to work. This is probably a good system for you if you're the type of person who has time to spend in the garden. If your lifestyle or work requires you to leave your garden for days or weeks at a time, a manual sprinkler system may not be the right system for you. If you prefer a water sprinkler system you don't have to think about, then choose an automatic sprinkler. This system allows you to water your plants on a set schedule. When used properly, an automatic sprinkler system can provide an efficient watering system for your lawn, giving you more time to take care of other things. Incorrect use of an automatic sprinkler system can often lead to the use of about 30% to 50% more water than your garden or lawn needs. There are different types of automatic sprinkler systems. Some can even detect moisture levels and turn on automatically if the ground gets too dry. Automatic sprinkler systems have timers that can be electronically controlled, so the sprinkler can turn on or off without any manipulation from you. Sprinkler Types There are different sprinkler types that you can use uniformly or in combination, depending on the needs of your lawn. A rotary sprinkler is one that spins 360 degrees, sprinkling water in a circle and is ideal for use in garden beds and small lawns. This covers about 50 feet in diameter. Water pressure may be adjusted. Spray sprinklers throw water like fountains and cover about 10 to 30 feet of lawn space. This is a good sprinkler to use if your lawn area is small or irregularly-shaped. An oscillating sprinkler allows for quick watering and is probably the most common. It also has the highest lawn coverage and is ideal for rectangular lawns. An impulse sprinkler rotates partially or in full and shoots water at intervals. This offers coverage of about 80 feet and is best used in large lawns and garden beds. Although water flow may be adjusted, this is the type of sprinkler that shoots water slowly and is ideal if you have newly planted seeds or plants. Spacing Your Sprinklers It's important that you take measurements and plan or design a layout for your sprinkler system. This will save you from a lot of wasted effort and unnecessary equipment. Consider the size and shape of your lawn to determine the number and placement of the sprinkler heads and the right water pressure to use. If your lawn is especially large, you might also need to use more than one water circuit. Where to position your sprinkler heads is an important consideration. Your main objective is uniformity in terms of water coverage, so you'll need to make sure that one sprinkler head will throw water that will overlap the next sprinkler head. Sprinklers are designed this way, to make sure that they don’t miss watering certain areas of your lawn. Overlapping is referred to as head to head coverage or spacing, which assures no dry spots. Position sprinklers to provide 80-100% overlap. While this may seem like a lot, you'll see the difference if you try a sprinkler system with heads that are farther away from each other. Try to keep to the recommended sprinkler head positioning to ensure uniform watering. Sprinkler heads are often installed using a square grid or triangular layout. Digging Your Trenches Digging is probably the most important and most time consuming part of your sprinkler system installation. Take note of your soil type and make sure to not to touch or damage any underground utilities. If you can, use a trencher to shorten your digging time and make installation easier. By using a trencher, you'll have a less messy job. Trenches should be from 6" to 10" deep. You might also allow for a ¼" drop every five feet to allow water to drain in one direction during the winter. With hard work, you'll probably complete this project within about least 3 days, more if your yard is bigger.