About Top Gardening Tips - Part Two of Two

Here are my own gardening experiences. Flowers and plants are just like any relationships in your life; if you pay special attention, care and put efforts to them they will reward you handsomely.

1. Feed plant food: give plant food once in every one or two weeks from spring to summer,; this is very important. Flowers are like humans, they need nutrition to grow and produce buds during the flowering season. If you do this they tend to flower longer, bigger with more flowers and that helps keep your garden more colourful. I use Miracle-Grow from B&Q and the results are very good. Please make sure that you feed different plant the right food, for example - acid lovers such as Hydrangea.

2. Spray: If the leaves become yellow and full of holes, you need to buy some spray to kill the bugs and other insects. Yellow bugs loves lilies and they love to make lots of holes on your lily's leaves.

3. I use various treatments to kill slugs, snails and ants: Sprinkle some slug pellets or ant-killing tablets or power around your plant to keep them away from your flowers and plants. Slugs especially like Dahlia type plants and ants love Peony buds. Ant also like to farm Aphids, keeping away the bugs predators and helping them to spread.

4. Take off any dead flowers and leaves: when the flowers are finished, cut them off, this helps new buds to come out and saves the nutrition for new ones.

5. For Peonies and lilies: In late autumn cut off all the leaves when they are dry and dying and only leave the roots. It will help the roots come back strongly next spring.

6. Flower baskets and pots: they need more care than garden plants,as the nutrition from the basket soil is limited. You need to water them at least once a day and need to take off the dead buds regularly. In very hot weather you must increase the watering to stop them drying out. You can buy special soils that better at retaining moisture.

7. Lawns: To have a green, thick and weed-free lawn, you need to buy Lawn Feeder that kills weeds and gives the lawn the nutrition it needs to grow.

* Spread evenly out just before any rain, so it can be very well soaked with rain. Repeat this 4- 5 times a year from spring to summer and you will have a fabulous and lovely lawn.

* Make sure you buy quite good quality, once we bought both a cheap one and an expensive one from B&Q, we tested the cheap product on one half of the lawn and the expensive one on the other half, and interestingly we had very different results. Where the expensive lawn feeder was spread had longer,thicker grass and a healthier looking lawn compared to the patchy and shorter lawn where the cheap product was spread.

* Make sure you cut your grass regularly to have a thicker lawn. When it's a hot summer's day make sure not to cut it too short, unless you have a water feeder, otherwise the roots will get burnt. Make sure not to cut it too short during the winter time, in case frost kills the roots.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it will spread out over the year and you won't feel that it's very much work when you see the results of your labour. If you love gardening it's an enjoyment to work in the garden admiring your beautiful flowers and breathing fresh air. Remember with your care and attention you will be rewarded with a longer lasting, more glamorous garden that helps you to improve your living environment, health and quality of life.

The Best Outdoor Furniture ? Backyard Essential for Any House Gathering

Making your backyard functional as your living room or dining room gives you extra place for fun and relaxation. Gaze through your entire backyard or patio. What do you see? Well I guess you have flowers, fruit trees and other ornamental plants planted on your lawn. These things make the backyard look beautiful. For your information, there are other things you can use to beautify your backyard and the fact that you can use this area for any coming events you will have in your house.

Aside from the plants and flowers that are necessary in the backyard, you can have outdoor furniture to equip in this place. This outdoor essential makes your living outside relaxed and easy. You can have your outdoor dining set and a deep seating set so that anytime you want to unwind outside, you can comfortably settle down on this furniture.

If you don't like to go out for shopping this weekend, spend your spare time in your backyard for a little barbecue party with your friends. Invite your friends to come over and while you wait for them, you can prepare the things you will need for your little gathering especially the foods, barbecue and beverages. When everyone arrived and everything is ready, time to start the party and enjoy. If you have your audio-visual system, bring it outside so that you can have a sing-along portion for extra fun.

Fun and relaxation is what you can get in your own backyard if you exert an effort to decorate this place. And it would be extra convenience to your life if you purchase some outdoor furniture that will not just give comfort to you but also add to the attractiveness of your backyard or patio.

Your backyard if properly maintained and arranged gives you wide space for your living and offers you much comfort.

Beautiful Gardening For Beginners - What Are Perennials?

Perennials are the backbone of many flower gardens. They are the plants that return year after year. To many it's like seeing old friends reappear, surviving the winter's freezing cold and gracing the garden again with their familiar flowers and scents.

It would seem that perennials would be the easy answer for a flower garden - just plant once and for years the garden is complete. The gardener can just sit back and enjoy. This is far from the truth however. Perennials take a little research and planning to be used for full effect. Some bloom very early as Lilies of the Valley and Bleeding Hearts. By the time the early summer flowers of Salvia and Coneflowers emerge the late spring varieties have all but finished for the year. Other varieties like Brown Eyed Susans don't appear at all until late summer. Perennials for the most part don't bloom for the whole season. Using these plants, your gardens will be continually changing throughout the summer. That is why good planning is essential. If only early blooming plants are set that flowerbed will be flowerless by mid summer. Many gardeners try to plant a mixture so they have color throughout the growing season. Others supplement their perennials with splashes of color from annuals.

It is a challenge to create a perennial garden that can be enjoyed throughout the summer. It must be planned carefully taking note of plant heights for optimal placement and plant blooming times for continuous blooming flowers. But, it's very satisfying to have a flowerbed full of lovely perennials. They are a background to build upon. They change throughout the season bringing a new look every month or so to appreciate and enjoy.

Besides planning and careful plant choices, regular light maintenance will help your perennials stay healthy. Dividing, pruning, staking and fertilizing - some or all of these tasks may be necessary. A little care goes a long way with these garden stars.

There are many good sites on the Internet to research perennials and mail order sources for plants and seeds are abundant. Get some catalogs this winter and spend some great time investigating these plants. Local nurseries are also beginning to carry more and more perennial plants as their popularity grows. Try some in your garden and enjoy welcoming back your old friends each summer for years to come.

Adorable Selecting Basic Tools to Start Gardening With

The size of your garden and how you plan to start gardening will to a degree dictated which garden tools you need.

Before choosing any garden tools, there are three things to look for;

Balance

If the garden tool you use is not well balanced then work gets much harder for you, it may not seem a lot but ever little helps - and the easier it is the more enjoyable!

To find the balance point of the tool simply hold it in your hand and find the point at which it balances, this should not be too close to the blade and as close to the middle of the tool as possible.

Weight

Weight is not just about a tool being too heavy; it can be too light as well. If the weight is wrong it can
affect your confidence in it. Too heavy and you cannot wield it properly. Too light and you don't have the weight to carry it through its stroke without extra effort from you.

Size

The size of the gardening tool is not about how much mud or earth you can shift in a singe stroke, and more about comfort and not doing yourself an injury. Choose a tool suitable in height for you to use in a comfortable position or if a hand tool, one that fits the size of your hands comfortably.

Above all gardening should be enjoyable, and if you're comfortable the work is that much easier!

For every gardener the most basic tools you will need are a Trowel and Hand Fork. These gardening hand tools come in various materials and quality, and of course costs but you should with proper care, keep them for many years - So in my opinion you are always best going for quality. The choices available are fairly straightforward but I have broken them down below.

Blade:

• Steel
• Stainless Steel
• Copper/ Bronze
• Plastic

Handle:

• Wooden
• Metal
• Plastic / Rubber

Prices range from a few pounds to upwards of twenty pounds for nice gift quality ones.

The Fork and trowel will be sufficient for the gardener who only has a few pots on their balcony or a window box, but if you have a garden or yard then you are going to need a few more.

Next in the tool shed for the budding gardener should be a digging spade, now again these come in various materials and qualities But the basic materials for the blade are; carbon steel or stainless steel the later of these being lighter and easier to maintain, but of course often pricier. The handle will generally be of wood, plastic or metal this is one of preference, but care should be taken to ensure the handle grip is comfortable to hold and there are no edges to rub you (sore hands soon make for hard work).

There are many different takes on the hand grip but it really only boils down to two; T-shape or Y-shape. T-shaped handles are where the shaft of the tool meets the handle and forms a simple T. Y shape is where the shaft is split and opened out, and the hand grip inserted between the two halves, the choice is yours.

A Digging Fork is also going to be needed, the same materials and handle styles apply just the same as the spade, often you will see these two sold as a set. Just be sure that they are both right for you if buying like this.

Another tool that is essential for the new gardener are secateurs, like scissors only designed to cut foliage and small branches. Secateurs range in price, quality and sizes so choose carefully. The best option here is get a set that you find comfortable and can open fully in one hand, and then close again. Beware of the cheaper plastic moulded handles as the can have a habit of pinching your hand when you close them and soon become uncomfortable to use.

Other items that the novice gardener will find indispensable are a watering can (with rose - to sprinkle the
plants in a controlled manner).

The tools mentioned are a basic collection for the new gardener, and will allow you to accomplish most tasks, there a many gadgets and specialty tools on the market that as your skills develop so will you desire to own some of them, but to start with stick to the basics and happy gardening

Beautiful Hydroponic Gardening Using Automated Hydroponics

Hydroponics, as you probably already know, means growing plants in water instead of soil. Hydroponic gardening has a lot of advantages over the traditional soil garden. For instance, plants can be grown all year with hydroponics, rather than seasonal like traditional methods. In nature you rely on seasons to allow your plants to go through their natural vegetative and flowering stages. But in an hydroponic garden, you can control the timing of the lights to mimic seasons in nature. Also, growing with hydroponics means your plants will grow a lot faster than in soil. In soil your plants have to grow a huge root system to get the water and nutrients that plants need. In a hydroponic garden however, a very small root system can provide adequate water and nutrients to keep the plant sufficiently growing. As a results plants grown in a hydroponic garden can grow much faster and achieve much denser growth than their counterparts in soil.

However, hydroponic gardening does have its drawback, and that is maintenance. In a hydroponic garden it is important to make sure you never run out of water. Water is the life giving element to plants, and if the h20 in your reservoir gets used up, your plants will die quickly. Always ensure you plants have adequate water when leaving for any prolonged amount of time. In addition it is also important to carefully monitor your pH levels. For most plants a pH of 5.5 is preferred. Anything higher or lower than that could cause a nutrient lock up, and cause your plants to be unable to get the nutrients they need out of the water. This can sicken and even kill your plants over time.

Many gardeners have adapted automated hydroponics systems in their indoor gardens. This automated hydroponics systems are capable of monitoring and adjusting your water levels automatically. This means your plants will never run out of water. At the same time the pH levels are also monitored. When the pH levels are skewed, a pump is activated to adjust the pH levels up and down automatically. This means your plants will always have the optimum amount of water/nutrients and at the proper pH to keep the plants growing at their peak performance. Automated hydroponic gardening is changing the way indoor growers produce their organic vegetables and fruits.

New Home Gardening Tips That Save You Money

What Clock Is Ticking?

When it comes to your home gardening project, timing is crucial. So to start this the right way, you will need to invest in the biggest wall calendar known to man, or maybe a 5"x7" would do.

Why a calendar? Having this calendar handy will enable you to jot down a variety of garden ideas and projects you may want to accomplish. Remember to dedicate this calendar for gardening notes. You can also include any other gardening or landscaping projects that requires step by step instructions.

Sketch Your Yard Or Future Garden

You will find that putting your visual thoughts on paper can bring about a different perspective on how you want your garden to look. Be sure to include your house or other prominent shapes and figures. Also, include where your new garden may go.

I know some people to use colored pencils to show how different plants will look next to each other. This is an invaluable process because now you can actually see if an orange tree and cacti would fit in next to each other.

Space Is Truly The Final Frontier

Another important thing to consider is how much space you have to work with. Setting up your home gardening decor can be very frustrating if you don't have the space. So here's what you should do.

Think about what you will be putting in certain areas of your garden. Do you want vegetables, trees or just rocks. Consider the mature sizes of your plants. Just like the subway trains, overcrowding is not comfortable. If need be, purchase graph paper (just like in math class) and draw your garden to scale. Trust me, this helps tremendously.

Something To Think About

Home gardening is a constant process. You will need to make changes here and there from season to season. Just follow these tips and you could save a ton of time and money. Plan thoroughly before you start planting and you will benefit and enjoy your home garden more.

Inspirational Family Fun at your Swimming Pool with Backyard Accessories

Our lives are always filled with tasks to do and hectic schedules. Routines can even challenge your kid's natural intelligence. So, plan to have some fun time with your family at least once a week. Take a vacation with the entire family free of cost! Wondering how? What better place to have fun than your swimming pool.

A backyard swimming pool is a fun place to spend time with your family. It can provide hours of enjoyment for the kids. But, without the right swimming pool accessories, you can't enjoy your pool to the fullest extent. Make sure to get a few swimming pool toys to perk things up for the kids. The little extra that you spend on these backyard accessories can really make a lot of difference.

There are a wide range of swimming pool accessories at NewCoolToysOnline for you to choose. You can find adorable water pool toys for your baby here. The Little Blue Whale Pool Float for Baby is an inflatable baby float that comes with a fun squeaker and colorful rattle balls to stimulate baby's development. If you have kids above the age of 3 years, then you would love the Beachcomber Fun Island. These amazing outdoor water toys are designed with the right dimensions to hold more than two kids at a time.

While your kids have their share of fun in the pool, you can also find some cool swimming pool accessories to help you relax. Lounge chairs are perfect for having some fun in the sun. You can get a big, two person lounge float if you want hubby dearest near you! Not just that, you can also find some really useful swimming pool accessories, such as beach towel clips, towel holders, lounge chair organizer, and pillows for lounges to add an extra level of comfort to your pool time. Beach Stakes are not only practical, but also absolutely cute backyard accessories. Now, are you ready for some splashing fun? Then wait no more, check out the amazing swimming pool toys and swimming pool accessories at NewCoolToysOnline.