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.

PROPAGATING YOUR PLANTS - EASIER THAN YOU THINK

It's easy, really, and can also Save You Money

"Propagating gardening plants is an easy way to fill your garden with your very own favourite beautiful flowers"

Imagine being able to fill your garden or yard with all the gardening plants and flowers you could ever want, just like the flowering bed above, and all for little cost or better still, for absolutely no cost at all.

And then imagine the same for all your patio pots and tubs, hanging baskets, troughs, window boxes and rock gardens. Full of all the most beautiful plants you could ever want and all for little cost, or for absolutely nothing.

Now imagine that all these gardening plants have been grown by your own fair hands, from seed or from cuttings.

Ok, you enjoy your gardening but just think how much more enjoyment you will have when the flowers taking pride of place in your garden have been raised by you from a seed or a cutting.

Raising your own gardening plants from seeds, cuttings or division is known as propagation.

Propagating gardening plants is an easy way to fill your garden with your very own favorite beautiful plants at little cost, or for absolutely no cost at all.

So, have you ever thought of propagating your own plants, but thought it was too difficult and didn't know where or how to start?

Propagating your own gardening plants, when you know how, is a lot easier than you might think. Just read on.............

Don’t believe doing this with your own gardening plants is possible, and for free?

Then consider this. From just one mature fuchsia you can take as many as thirty to fifty cuttings, root them in pots and grow them on to maturity.

And you still have the original fuchsia to enjoy.

It’s not just fuchsias, hebes, geraniums and many others can be treated in the same way.

You can collect and save flower seeds at the end of the flowering season, sow them at the right time and you will have hundreds more gardening plants. Do this year after year and you will definitely be propagating your own plants free for life!

So, now you can see how you can soon fill your garden or yard with all the beautiful plants you could ever want, all at little or no cost and all very easily and quickly too.

Propagating is a gardener's most enjoyable activity.

The satisfaction of seeing the seeds you have sown, germinate, like the tray of seedlings here, and then grow on to maturity is pure bliss.

Or the satisfaction of seeing the cuttings you have taken of your favorite gardening plants take root and grow onto maturity, just like it’s parent, is an absolute joy.

Well That’s All Very Fine But How Is Propagating Your Own Gardening Plants Good For You And The Environment?

"Whatever you need to know about propagating its all here"

It’s a well-known fact that doing something enjoyable that gives you satisfaction, pleasure and a sense of achievement makes you happy. And being happy, so they say, can make you healthier.

It’s also a well-known fact that exercise is good for you and keeps you fit.

Well propagating plants certainly makes you happy because it’s enjoyable, pleasurable and gives you immense satisfaction and a sense of achievement. Propagating gardening plants also gives you gentle exercise.

So, what about the environment?

How is propagating your own gardening plants good for the environment?

Think about the nursery that you buy from, where is your nearest preferred supplier? Five miles away, ten miles away, twenty miles away? Don’t forget it’s a round trip so double it.

Where are the plants grown? Not at the nursery, garden center or store you buy them from, that’s for sure. They are grown at specialised nurseries, which could be in another town, city, state or even in another country.

So how many miles have they travelled just to arrive at the place you buy them from?

Some environmental and carbon footprint, eh?

Now think of all the packaging used to transport them. More valuable natural resources used to produce packaging. And what about the waste left after you have planted them? Where does all that go? Landfills no doubt or incineration, that's more pollution.

By doing your own plant propagating you do away with all the transport mileage, packaging and waste.

And You Can Save Money

Without doubt propagating your own gardening plants will not only be doing you and the environment some good, but you will also be saving yourself some money as well.

In this global nose dive of an economy we now find ourselves living in every penny counts.

We all need to watch our spending. There just is not enough left out of the monthly pay anymore for those little extras.

And yup, our beloved gardening will not escape the shortage of cash.

But if you propagate your own gardening plants just think of how much you can save.

This all depends on the size and type of your garden of course. The bigger your garden, or the more laid to beds and borders instead of grass, the more plants you need to fill them and the more it costs to buy them.

Even if you buy seeds, sow, germinate and grow them on it still costs plenty of hard earned money.

Even a packet of seeds these days is not cheap.

And when you start buying plants, even tiny cuttings, you can easily spend a small fortune.

You could save many pounds, dollars, even hundreds if you need loads of plants.

So it really is worth while, financially, to propagate your own gardening plants.

And for those who may have lost their jobs or are on low incomes will find propagating your own plants extremely useful.

Well, is propagating your own gardening plants good for you and the environment and can you save money? Yes, most definitely!

Now all this propagating of plants is not really difficult and given the right information you will find it quite easy and you can soon be very successful. And most of all it’s extremely enjoyable.

Whether you want to take cuttings, sow seeds, divide, layer or graft we have all the information for you right here.

If you want to propagate gardening plants for spring, summer, autumn ( fall ) or winter, all the information is here.

You can propagate your own plants and flowers, just like these on this greenhouse bench shown here full of trays of seedlings and cuttings, none of which is really difficult.

From annuals, biennials through to perennials, even for inside the house.

What each part of a plant does and what it's for, what they need to grow successfully, how they grow and the best propagating method. It’s all here to help you suceed in propagating your own gardening plants.

And even if you are already into propagating plants that’s fine, because there is a lot of information here that will help you.

From bulb scaling to breaking seed dormancy to describing a plant cell. It’s all here!

Whatever you need to know about propagating its all here.

Our goal is to give you all the right advice and the very best information and assistance you will ever need to be successful at propagating your own gardening plants.

Just take a look at the pictures below and see what you could do in your own garden.

All you see in these beds have been propagated by us, from seed, cuttings or division.

You could do exactly the same in your own garden and yard, quite easy.

This bed includes Lupins, Delphinium, Phlox, Geraniums, Coreopsis, Pansies, Alstroemeria, Monarda, Fuchsia, Allium, Asiatic Lily, Aquilegia, Eremurus, Crocosmia, Potentilla, Campanula, Penstemon and Hemerocallis.

This bed is edged by a home built pergola and includes, on the pergola Clematis, Jasmine and a fragrant Climbing Rose. In the bed, Geranium, Monarda, Coreopsis, Aconitum, Phlox, Pansies, Erodium and Penstemon.

This bed includes Allium, Aquilegia, Delphinium, Penstemon, Coreopsis, Monarda, Lupins, Pansies, Geraniums and Astilbe.

This bed includes Hostas, Aquilegia, Geraniums, Buddleja, Erigeron, Lychnis, Astilbe and Corydalis, the center piece being a wildlife pond.

This is our "secret garden", hidden by a thirty foot spruce, honeysuckle, Clematis and Mahonia. It is entered by walking through home made gates and under a home made pergola.

Growing up the pergola is Clematis, Honeysuckle and a climbing scented rose. Once in to the "secret garden" the beds include Mahonia, Corydallis, geraniums, Griselinia, Elaeagnus, Delphinium, Ferns and five silver birch.

Visitors are naturally drawn to go through the gates and under the pergola, to see what's on the other side.

This "secret garden" is quiet, peacful and fragrant and is lush with plants. It is a haven for for all types of wildlife, many are attracted to the wildlife pond. It's a place where we spend many restful, peacfull and enjoyable hours.

Liven up your house with hanging baskets, troughs, pouches and tubs. All filled with your own home grown plants.

The hanging baskets are planted with Fuchsias, Impatiens and Lobelia.

The troughs are planted with Fuchsias, Geranium and Pansies.

The pouches are planted with Impatiens.

The tubs are planted with Fuchsias, Impatiens, Lobelia, Verbena, Geranium and Pansies.

All of these are sold to friends, neighbours and passers by straight from our front doorstep and turns a nice profit. All these plants have been propagted by us, all for free!

So not only do we liven up our house and enjoy the plants, we also have a nice and easy little earner as well. Best of both worlds.

And you can do exactly the same, propagate and grow your own gardening plants, and if you want to, sell easy to create containers full of lush flowering plants you propagated all yourself, and all for for free, to your friends, family, neighbours and passers by.

GROWING IN SMALL AREAS - MORE TIPS

If you do not have enough space to create a full fledges garden, indoor  growing would be a rewarding experience for you. With the help of hydroponics systems you can easily grow flowers as well as vegetables you desire without worrying about the outdoor setting or soil problems. Even the smallest of balconies, patio gardens or even window boxes can provide an abundance of foods for you to enjoy through hydroponic gardening methods. You can use small container to grow food in areas where it would otherwise be impossible to grow plants. The best containers to use for hydroponic gardening are dark colored plastics to prevent algae growth in the nutrient solution. Dark colored square containers fit together nicely to make the most of your space, and also to block light.
Hydroponic system produces some of the highest quality, fragrant flowers. There are special flavor enhancers used in the hydroponic system, which helps to improve the aroma of flowers. You can grow any kind of flower in your garden. However, zinnia and sunflowers work especially well in a hydroponic garden. To grow roses hydroponically you can go with N.F.T (nutrient film technique). It is the most common hydroponic growing system used in rose plantation. Coco coir is the best growing medium for roses as it enables the roots to breathe and absorb maximum nutrients. There are various sizes of hydroponic set ups, from something quite elaborate to even just a sealed deep tray.
It is important to provide plenty of lights for your indoor flower garden. Hydroponic grow lights come in a variety of types that include full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs, metal halide grow lamps, high pressure sodium lights, and high-intensity LED grow lights. Among them, fluorescent lights and LED are designed to support bigger growth of indoor plants with improved quality of bulbs. These eco-friendly lights give hydroponic growers the facility to select specific light levels and color temperatures to grow the plants in a healthy way. Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are very useful for growing flower plants that need indirect light. These lamps have soft light intensity compared to others so no need to worry about foliage curling or burning.
Plants grown in an indoor hydroponic garden require less water compared to soil based gardens. This is because the hydroponic system is able to recycle the nutrient solution. Right amount of hydroponic fertilizers and nutrients is very essential for plants growth. You have to understand the nutrient needs of your plants and accordingly provide well-mixed nutrient solution to your plants for healthy blooming.
For your precious flower garden, use rockwool as a growing medium because it provides roots with a good balance of water and oxygen. To create an ideal environment for the plants, indoor system provides manual adjustment of temperature, humidity, amount of light and moisture. Once you've got your plants moved in, you only need to add water and nutrients to keep them growing like wild fire.

ALL ABOUT LAVENDER - A BRIEF HISTORY

Most gardeners will plant their gardens without thinking about any history that may be attached to them, they want a plant to flourish and look beautiful when sitting in their gardens, but there are many plants with history that have been around for centuries.

The Lavender plant for example has been in documented use for over 2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and perfume by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and peoples of Arabia.

The Romans used lavender oils for bathing, cooking, and scenting the air and most probably gave it the Latin root form which we derive the modern name (either lavere (to wash) or livendula (livid or bluish). In ancient times the flower's soothing ‘tonic' qualities, the insect repellent effects of the strong scent, and the use of the dried plant in smoking mixtures also added to the value of the herb.

Lavender is often mentioned in the Bible, and another ancient Christian reference to lavender involves how it got its scent. Adam and Eve is believed to have taken the plant from the Garden of Eden, but the powerful perfume came later, according to legend, the clothing of baby Jesus bestowed the scent when Mother Mary laid them on a bush to dry.

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Around 600 BC it is thought lavender may have come form the Greek Hyeres Islands into France and is now common in France, Spain, Italy and England. Another common plant and a favourite of the British gardener is the Begonia, beautiful and strong, and is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae also a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are hillebrandia, a genus with single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia.

Begonia is the common name as well as the generic name for all members of the genus. The genus name, coined by Charles Plumier, a French patron of botany, honours Michel Begon a former governor of the French colony of Haiti, furthermore begonias are relatively closely related to such food crops as pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers and melons.

Many gardeners around the UK plant the Geranium in pots and containers also in flower beds, and are a common sight in an English garden. The Geranium is a genus of 422 species of flowering annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as the cranesbills.

Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged. Propagation is by semi-ripe cuttings in summer, by seed or by division in autumn or spring. The flowers have 5 petals and are coloured whit, pink, purple or blue, often with distinctive veining, and the Genus name is derived from the Greek ‘geranos' or ‘geranos', crane. The English name ‘cranesbill' derives from the appearance of the fruit capsule of some of the species. The fruit capsule springs open when ripe and casts the seeds some distance, a distinctive mechanism for seed dispersal.

A spokesman for Blooming Direct located on the Island of Jersey said "go online and check out our selection of all begonia, geranium and lavender plants we do know how popular all these plants are to gardeners in the UK, and how much they want healthy specimens, we offer FREE delivery on all orders to the UK".

COMPOSTING - THE NATURAL WAY TO ADD NUTRIENTS TO SOIL

AS EVERY GARDENER KNOWS, YOU NEED A HEALTHY SOIL TO GROW HEALTHY PLANTS, AND THE BEST WAY TO HAVE THAT HEALTHY SOIL IS TO ADD COMPOST EVERY CHANCE YOU GET !!   HERE'S HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN AND KEEP THAT SOIL GROWING WONDERFUL PLANTS. Recipe for homemade compost Compost improves soil texture, fertility, and ability to hold water and air. Here's how to make it. INGREDIENTS. Include grass clippings, dead leaves, and vegetable kitchen waste. Don't add diseased plants, plant parts that contain thorns, weed seedheads, or meat, fat, or bones from the kitchen. Chop or shred everything to speed decomposition. I run my lawn mower over fallen leaves. ALTERNATE LAYERS OF BROWN AND GREEN MATTER. Put down a 3-inch layer of brown matter, such as shredded dead leaves, which contain plenty of carbon. Cover it with an equal layer of green matter, like grass clippings, which contain a lot of nitrogen. If you're short on green matter, sprinkle the brown matter with high-nitrogen fertilizer (such as lawn fertilizer). To speed up decomposition in a new pile, add a few shovelfuls of old compost, which already contains bacteria and fungi. KEEP THE PILE MOIST AND AERATED. Sprinkle the pile with water to keep it about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Use a spading fork or pitchfork to thoroughly mix the ingredients and aerate the pile. When the compost is ready, its texture will be like that of fine soil. If you'd like more info on composting, check out:

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TIPS ON HYDROPONIC GARDENING

Hydroponic gardening is a great way to reap the benefits of healthy, wholesome food, while avoiding many of the challenges of traditional outdoor gardening. Hydroponic gardens are easy to start and often, the most difficult part of the process is getting things up and running. You will need to purchase appropriate lighting like a HPS ballast or lamp ballast and ensure your container is water-tight and capable of holding the plants you plan to cultivate. You will also want a space for your garden that is away from the daily routine of your family in order to protect the tender seedlings as things begin to bloom. The materials needed for hydroponic gardening are affordable and easy to find, but working with a company you can trust often makes the start-up process easier.

One of the best things about hydroponic gardening is the ability to do it year-round, regardless of the climate in which you live. Hydroponic gardens are protected from the elements and you control the temperature and exposure, so you can grow fresh, healthy vegetables during the dead of winter, no matter where you live. Even produce purchased from the supermarket is not this fresh and nutritious.

Hydroponic vegetables are more nutritious than produce found elsewhere. This is because you are in complete control of the nutrition content of the environment. When you plant seeds in the soil in your backyard, the seeds and plants will be exposed to the contamination and pollution in the soil. Even in raised bed or container gardens where you use fresh, clean soil, your plants will be exposed to pests, animals and contaminated rain and hose water. In a hydroponic garden, you control the nutrients and you have the ability to create the healthiest produce possible.

Bringing hydroponic gardening into your home will make the space feel better, just as plants improve the quality of your living space, so will a full-fledged hydroponic garden. Imagine looking out your window and seeing nothing but gray winter skies and snow-covered fields. Even if your hydroponic garden is small, it offers some greenery during the dead of winter. The brightly colored plants and vegetables will enliven your living space and make you feel good about life. Just as you crave sunlight and warmth in the cold winter months, so will your garden. Together, you can reap the benefits of good health, warmth and growing, even if nothing is happening in your yard or outdoor space.

One reason people choose hydroponic gardening is their concern for survival. Regardless of what happens in the world, you will have access to healthy, affordable foods, right in your own home. If a world crisis occurs and prices of foods soar, you will be growing your own food for just the cost of start-up of the garden. If something occurs in the environment that sacrifices the health of the foods available to you, your hydroponic garden will still provide plenty of great produce. If weather conditions destroy a crop of a particular vegetable, your hydroponic garden will be protected from the elements and you will still be able to enjoy the nutritious benefits of that product.

GARDEN WITHOUT WEEDS !!!!

This article will give you a few good ideas for dealing with weeds in your garden. One of the most frustrating things about gardening is the appearance of weeds. If your flowers and plants are thriving, chances are the weeds are too. So what do you do to get rid of these pesky problems?

The first steep in getting a weed free garden is to get rid of any existing weeds by pulling them out by the roots. Do this as early in the season as possible. It is easier to pull up seedlings than to pull full grown weeds. Watering the ground first may make the process easier. Once the weed is pulled, dispose of it. Do not leave it laying on the ground to release seeds that will cause more weeds to grow. If the weed seems to have a long root, dig it with a spade or gardening knife. Weeds that are growing amidst plants may be loosened by inserting a screwdriver into the ground and loosening the soil around the weed and then just pull it out.

Once the weeds are removed from your garden, cover it with mulch. This will provide ground cover and discourage weeds from growing. A good mulch can be a combination of wood chips, garden compost or straw.

Another method to discourage weed growth is the newspaper method. Lay newspapers on your garden as a ground cover and then you can spread mulch or topsoil on top of it. The good thing about newspaper is that it is cheap and completely biodegradable. Newspaper is also easier to plant in. It rips easily, so it is easy to form small holes to place your flowers in. You can also buy landscape cover at any nursery or major department store. The landscape cover works well also, but it can be a bit of a pain to cut holes in which to plant your flowers. If you have a big area to cover, landscaping cover can become quite expensive.

There are also weed killers on the market that you can use to kill the weeds in your garden. Make sure that you read all instructions carefully and that the weed killer will not harm your existing plants or the neighbor's cat. There are different types of weed killer on the market. Some will kill only the top growth of the weeds and others are designed to kill the weed down to the root.

The best way to get ahead of your weed problem is to thoroughly weed your garden early in the season. Cover it with a few layers of mulch and then keep the weeds under control by weeding at least once a week. Face it, weeds are always going to be around, but you can show them who's the boss!