Though this a simple question it could bring to mind lots of different ways to make your landscape stand out with its look and appeal. There are many varieties of beautifying the landscapes; such as your budget, your creative skills, the climate of the region where you stay and personal likes and dislikes. To get the best landscape gardening you need not have to run out and hire a gardener and landscaper that could put you short of a thousand dollars. Rather you could use your own knowledge and visit local nurseries or Home Depot and speak to qualified people there without any extra charge. If you are planning on going to a trip to the local nursery remember to take along with you a few pictures of...
Small Garage: Here’s How to Keep It Organized
Keeping a garage organized and looking good is not always the easiest task to overcome. If you have a small garage, it is unfortunately that much harder to keep tools, sports equipment, trash cans, and outdoor furniture clean and organized. When you have a small garage, with an abundant amount of items that need to be stored, the best way to stay organized is to invest in storage equipment that can help you make the most of the space you are working with. Most people reserve the bulk amount of interior space in their garage for one or more cars. This often leaves you with precious little space in which to keep all of the items that you want to keep stored in there. The trick in organizing any garage...
Flower Garden Layouts Benefit Any Landscape
Flower garden layouts are as diverse as the plant varieties within them. And for the gardener looking for an original touch this is great news. When it comes to garden layouts a little preparation is all that is needed to create a beautiful and bountiful garden space worthy of any garden show. The best time to get a jump start on any flower garden layout is well before the last frost has broken. During the bleak months of January and February sunny prospects come in the form of mail order seed catalogs. This is the time to access your garden needs. Garden catalogs offer exceptional plants as well as information and tips to help gardeners have a successful season. And as the color deprived minds...
Encyclopedia On Gardening - Information On...
For several long years scholars have used encyclopedia to gather knowledge and passed it on from one generation to another. It's easy and ready available. In the early times the contents were very general, more on theological notion and cookery recipes. Even today such encyclopedias do exist but in the specialised encyclopedias the focus is on one subject alone which are already launched in market to the extreme joy of the customers. The fact is, these volumes have more detailed as well as complete information on our chosen topic which can be easily accessed by millions of readers. Those of you who love flowers and gardening also benefit from these encyclopedias. Now-a-days an encyclopedia on plant...
Roses In Your Landscape
If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Roses In Your Landscape, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Roses In Your Landscape. Roses have many uses in the home garden, both as standalone bushes and climbers and as part of an overall landscape of plants and flowers. The newest thinking in landscape gardening is to combine roses with other types of native plants and flowers, and roses certainly lend themselves to a striking place in the garden. Roses are also wonderful when used to enhance and highlight areas of the home or surrounding landscape. For instance, climbing roses can be trained...
Cats, Shade and Gravity - A Natural Part of...
Those living in condos and apartments may love to have a beautiful garden of flowers. Sadly, no one knows of a flower garden design without dirt. This is not readily available if you live in shared dwellings. You should know, there are managers of these condos and apartments that do not have a problem with a resident planting a garden if it is away from the area where people come and go to their apartments. They could actually be benefiting from your plantings as long as the flower garden design is attractive looking. If you are not the container gardening type, you never know until you ask. They may say no and give you a look. Instead, they might tell you a good area for planting your garden. We...
Traditional Flowers For French Gardens
In the world of flower gardens, traditional French gardens are among the most formal. The most famous French gardens surround the palace of Versailles. Designed in the 17th century by Andre Le N'tre, the Versailles gardens feature level terrain planted in intricate geometric patterns, all of it meticulously trimmed and maintained. Straight gravel paths, low, reflective pools and extravagant statuary are all traditional features in the formal French garden. If you don't happen to have hundreds of acres to replicate the palatial gardens of France, you can achieve the same look with attention to detail and a plant list designed to copy the famous look and feel. French Flower Gardens Start With...
How To Design A Flower Garden For Beginner's
When most people start there flower garden they just start digging and planting stuff. They let things flow from their mind naturally. The problem with this is that things might not look right as things actually start to mature. This could easily be avoided if you just think things through a little bit more. Were going to take a look at how you can come up with a great flower garden design that you will be happy with. Start With A Site Analysis What you are doing here is giving yourself an idea of what can grow in certain locations. If a part of your garden is shaded then you will need to make sure the plants you grow there can handle shade. Look at your soil. Find out what will grow in the...
Growing Vertically in the Garden
Growing vertically in the garden can make the best use of small gardens. Trellises and arbors can become stunning displays when covered with a climbing rose or a clematis. A chain link fence can be a thing of beauty covered in Confederate Jasmine, and the scent when it is blooming can be sublime. Vertical gardening is often overlooked in the vegetable garden but in a small vegetable garden it can increase the production. Tomatoes are normally staked in the garden but there are many other vegetables which are candidates for growing vertically, pole beans, lima beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and winter squash are a few. Pumpkins, melons and winter squash may need additional supports because...
Hydroponics Gardening, an Effortless Gardening
Effortless Hydroponics Gardening! When I first heard about it, could not believe or accept this. How can the plants survive without the Soil or water or sunlight? Is there any magic formula? If that could be possible then every one grows their favorite fruit or flower tree in their house interiors. But, then Hydroponics gardening has proved us that it can be done. What is meant by Hydroponics? Well! Hydroponics simply says that the plants can be grown without the necessity of soil. The Plants will be grown with nutrients. Plants need nutrients for its survival & growth not soil. These hydroponics nutrients are nothing but small quantities of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, iron; copper...
Learn Something New and Boost Your Self-Confidence
-link"> Acquiring a new skill can be empowering and can give you the courage to try other things. We’ve all been told that one should never stop learning, but so many times this concept is placed in the framework of fear. Keep acquiring skills so you’ll remain marketable is a frequent refrain for this generation’s workers. Stop learning and you start dying is another example of selling the idea using a fear tactic. What would it feel like if you acquired a new skill as a way of doing something positive for yourself with no fear factor involved? What if you did it for the sheer pleasure of something new and unknown and mastering it gave you a...
Box Garden Window
1. Determine the Purpose of your box garden window: Let's be honest, window gardens are still something of a rarity in America, unless of course you live in brownstone houses or in hoity-toity neighborhoods. However, this is not the case for most of the rest of the world. In places like Japan-where most terrain is steep and uninhabitable, causing populations to crowd in small areas-window gardens offer aesthetic and spiritual relief. So, if you want to find the same aesthetic and spiritual relief in a place like New York, San Francisco, or even if you just want to cover something ugly on your home, or try your hand at growing a garden, a box garden window is a great way to go. So, to grow the best...
Are you searching for eco-friendly ideas for summer fun? Then you've come to the right place. Everyone wants to enjoy the warm weather and have fun in the sun. Nevertheless, conserving the natural resources and reducing the carbon footprint we make is also on most everyone's mind. Fortunately, there are many excellent ways to go green and still have a great fun-filled summer. Here are some of the top ways to have summer fun the green way: - Find fun activities to do close to home such as going to the lake, zoo or the park instead of traveling long distances for entertainment. - Cook out on your grill often instead of cooking on the stove. This will save energy and most people love the taste of food...
Maybe you already know that fresh vegetables from home gardens taste better than the store bought ones. But, do you know why? Home grown vegetables taste better than the store bought ones simple because home grown vegetables contain more nutrients! The quality of the soil is what makes your food! In order to feed the growing population on this planet, farmers started using chemical fertilizers to keep the food supply going. But, synthetic fertilizers that they are using does not add organic matter to the soil, nor do they replenish the nutrients which are needed to grow well rounded, nutrient rich vegetables. And this lack of nutrients in the soil means that crops are more susceptible to diseases...
Rome Was Not Built in a Day and Neither Are...
No, Rome wasn't built in a day and your garden will not be either. You can hire a contractor but I promise you that the life that lives in a garden is better off nurtured by you and your own vision of what it will be. A contractor does the work for money. You will do it for love. In the end it will make all the difference. My garden areas that surround my home have been developing for 30 years. I've added outdoor rooms where I serve dinner under a vine laden arbor hanging with begonias and wind chimes. Apple trees now provide an autumn harvest and all year round feed hummingbirds at the hummingbird feeders. Your garden will respond to the ebb and flow of your life and will reflect your effort at the...
Survival Gardening Success Requires Planting...
Could you and your family survive off the grid if a disaster struck? If the grocery stores closed, and the power went out, would you have enough food to get by? You would, if you had a survival seed kit. Keeping a seed bank at home and starting an organic survival garden is one way of ensuring that you can control your own food supply, no matter what is going on in the world around you. Here is what you need for a good home survival seed kit to start your crisis garden. Non-Hybrid Seeds. Non-hybrid seeds, also called open-pollinated seeds, are original strains of that particular vegetable. They have not been genetically engineered or bred for mass production on the large factory type farms of today...
Planning Now Can Plant the Seeds For a Terrific...
On these cold January mornings the warm pursuits of summer seem very far away. It may not be pool weather yet, but January is the perfect month to start gardening. With a little planning now and a small amount of monthly yard maintenance, this summer can yield an enjoyable array of flowers and vegetables. If gardening sounds like too much work, take a moment to consider the benefits: -Flower beds are esthetically pleasing and increase curb appeal. -A small vegetable garden can produce food to be enjoyed by the whole family and reduce the grocery bill. -Composting can help reduce the amount of trash going to land fills and provide a fun family project. -Gardening is a relaxing way to get some fresh...
Learning to Be Self-Sufficient
Being self-sufficient can be liberating. Basically you don't want to rely on anyone for the necessities you need. Becoming less dependent on the grocery stores and the power companies will save you money. Many people cannot become totally self-sufficient because of the lack of space. Living in the city you do not have the space it requires to raise your own livestock. There are still ways to save yourself money on the meats you will buy for the coming year to feed your family. You may be able to talk to a small rancher who is in the cattle business and make one of two deals with him. The first deal would involve buying one of his cows before they went to market. The second would be to supply him...
Tips to Design a Mexican Style Garden
Mexican Designed Gardens combine character with elegance and like the Hispanic culture should include a space for socialising! In the same way as Mexico is vast the types of Mexican style gardens have variations also, there are Mexican Water Gardens but more commonly the garden can be a courtyard style with a water feature if room allows it. A Mexican courtyard garden is designed around people with evidence of the varied Mexican landscapes such as lush tropical forests, desert and coast. So the aim is to focus on the people who will enjoy it and visit it, then building the props and plants with this in mind which should mirror the diverse beauty of Mexico. Some Mexican courtyard gardens may focus on...
There are several good reasons to grow a garden. And with today's economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut expenses. Lately, we can read all over the Internet and hear all the time that growing vegetables in your garden can be cheaper, more interesting, and better than buying them at supermarkets. The biggest concern to most people is the fact that it will save so much money. Growing your own vegetables in the garden or in containers, if done properly, can reduce the amount of money you spend on groceries. But, if will you succeed in doing so depends on the costs involved in growing the crops, amounts and types of vegetables you choose to grow, vegetable yields you could expect from your garden...
For anyone accustomed to the notion that a vegetable garden must be a fairly large affair - its rows stretching fifteen or twenty feet at a minimum, the concept of crops pushing up from a small container or appearing to burst the bonds of a tiny patch of ground only a few feet square - it is almost unsettling. Yet growing vegetables in cramped spaces is not only possible but highly rewarding. One can grow tomatoes in tubs at the edge of a patio, strawberries in empty milk cartons on a windowsill, lettuce in a modest window box, watermelons along a strip beside a driveway or beans on a trellis on a small apartment balcony. A space no larger than a card table can supply you with vegetables year-round...
How to Garden in Small Spaces
Most people think that in order to grow vegetables you have to have a large area of land for your garden. Not everyone has a large amount of land to devote to gardening, so they generally won't attempt it. Small space vegetable gardening has the same basic requirements as any other garden. You will still need the right amount of sun everyday (6-8 hours), good soil, water and nutrients. You just need to scale it down to meet your space restrictions and the growing needs of the your choice of vegetables. Just because your garden is small does not mean that it will require less water. The volume of water you actually use may be less as you'll have fewer plants, but each plant's individual requirements...
Starting an Indoor or Outdoor Vegetable Garden...
Vegetable gardening is a worthwhile project to undertake as the fruits of your labor can end up at your dinner table! However, you must first decide if you want to grow your vegetables indoor or outdoor. Both methods have pros and cons to it and you will need to consider conditions such as lighting and pest control as well. You need to consider your current situation to make a wise choice. Soil preparation and maintenance can be much more difficult when gardening outdoors. Over time, nutrients in the soil can be diminished by repeated planting. Fertilizing and disease control become more challenging as well. Large tracts that need to be pH balanced or have clay materials to be broken down can be...
Three More Gardening Tips For Flower Gardens
Here are three more gardening tips that can make your gardening experience more enjoyable and successful. The difference between pleasurable gardening and hassle gardening is often just a few simple steps and measures. Birdseed mayhem Here's a simple gardening tip that many are surprised at. Do you have a bird feeder? Does some of that seed spill to the ground and sprout. What a hassle! Then you get to spend a few sessions a week pulling up the sprouts. There are better ways to use your time. Here's what you do. Put the birdseed on a cookie sheet and bake for about 7 to 8 minutes at 300 degrees. The birds will thank you for the toasted treats and the spilled birdseed will not sprout in your garden...
Creating a lush flower garden from scratch takes time - many perennial plants need a couple of years to grow to showy sizes. So don't worry if it takes several seasons to get your flower garden looking the way you'd want it to. That's perfectly normal. This is a good time of year to take stock of your garden design. Ask yourself the following questions - the answers should give you some ideas on which projects to do this spring: - Are the flower beds too narrow? A narrow bed isn't wide enough to show off layers of plants. If you have a skinny bed that can't be widened, between a hedge and a walkway, for instance, fill it with low-growing ground cover plants of one or two kinds. - Are the planting...
Three Great Gardening Tips For Your Flower Gardens
These gardening tips are a must for anyone who wants a beautiful and healthy garden. If you are not implementing them now, you many want to. You will no longer wonder why others gardens always seem to look better than yours. Provide Structure for Beauty Before you think this gardening tip is too structured, read on. The next time you see a garden that makes you stop and look, ask yourself why it attracts your attention so much. If you look closely, you will likely discover that the garden has well-defined structures, borders and outlines. How can you do this with your garden if you haven't already? Are there any paths you can line with small stones? Is there some water you can put a bridge over? Is...
There is nothing like the delicious taste of fresh picked vegetables from your own garden. It can be a challenge to plant a vegetable garden when you don't have a backyard. But never fear, for you can still enjoy freshly grown vegetables in your very own indoor vegetable garden. Pick Suitable Plants Your indoor garden will have restrictions on the amount of available sunlight and space, so you will have to keep this in mind when deciding which vegetables to grow indoors. Fruit bearing plants require large amounts of sunshine which will make them difficult to grow indoors. Plants such as lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, and miniature cabbages need much less light and so thrive indoors. You will have to...
Making a garden in the traditional Japanese style may seem easy until you do a little research and find out there is a lot underneath the surface that complicates the issue. If you are the type of personality who simply cares about what things look like, then you may not appreciate knowing about the historical evolution and development of Japanese gardens. In addition, if you prefer balanced, symmetrical European style gardens, then Japanese may not be for you. They are diametrically opposed in design philosophy. Describing what Japanese gardens are not is perhaps a good way to start out. Here is a bullet list to get the basics: Japanese gardens (traditionally) do NOT have:o Borders or beds of...
Outdoor pergolas look good in a garden, and form an attractive and functional use as well. They are pleasing to the eye. My wife was skimming through numerous garden magazines this summer, trying to get some ideas of how she wanted our garden to look. We have a large garden, so she thought an outdoor pergola would look good somewhere in the garden, but she was not quite sure where. I agreed, and suggested we look for a set of outdoor pergola plans. I did not realize there are so many different designs of pergolas, and it would take a brochure to describe them all. Given there was so much choice, I suggested that we phone the local garden centre and ask for someone to come to see us and give us some...
Gardens in Sussex Worth Visiting
The gardens of Sussex offer a wide variety of views on the natural and man made pleasures of the county's flora. They come as grottoes, formal areas, landscaped parks, walled areas, and woodland estates of the area speak to their caretakers personal and collective visions as well as their love for plants and their environment. Each has been carefully planned and created to reflect the interests and affections of their keepers and their overseeing bodies. Some reflect history, some reflect nature, some reflect Sussex, and some reflect on a wider world of landscaping. All are worth visiting as the Sussex gardens are truly unique treasures that are never the same twice in one season. Some of the most...
Utilizing Art and Nature in Your Health and...
"body"> When we think of art we often think about museums, galleries, and art studios, but art can be seen in nature. The fact that nature is in and of itself beautiful only adds to the healing nature created by healing gardens. I've been watching a series on television titled, Gardenstory: inspired places, healing spaces. The show looks at the impact gardens have on our lives and how they can help us overcome obstacles including health challenges. The recent show I watched focused on a garden designer named David Kemp. The program showcased three gardens; one for AIDS patients in a New York hospital, one for dementia patients, and one to honor the lives lost on September 11th on Flight 93. As the...
Gardening - An Activity For All Ages
Gardening is an activity that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter how old. Who wouldn't? Simple trimming, weeding or raking can burn 300 calories per hour while heavier tasks like hauling and digging tones body muscles. Other than the physical benefits, the medical world is now starting to recognize the different emotional and healing aspects of gardening. It provides people with an escape from day-to-day stress and helps them cope with depression or facing grief. Even garden tool manufacturers are now banking on the needs of middle aged garden lovers. Different tools made from fiberglass added with nylon make tools that are massively strong but relatively light which are very useful for people who...
Would a Flagstone Patio For Your Next...
Landscaping your own beautiful garden or patio may seem like a great challenge to you and it may well be but this is one challenge that will be worth the effort and the results will be truly rewarding. Of course, it is important to decide on what materials you will be using as this will determine the outcome of your creation and whether you will end up with a disaster or a beauty for your patio or garden. One super material to consider is flagstone. Why flagstone? Flagstone is one of the more popular materials used in the design and installation of patios and outdoor areas in not only homes or private areas but also in hotels, clubs, offices, public buildings and the like. Because of the great...
Growing Herbs in Pots - Top Tips For...
Growing kitchen herbs, aromatic herbs or medicinal herbs indoors is a wonderful way of introducing the beauty and powerful health benefits of fresh herbs into your home 365 days a year. For mere pennies, you will have access to one of the most valuable resources you can add to your life. Choosing your pots for herb garden planting is only limited by your imagination Here's where you can get creative. Before you begin, stop for a minute and realize this. Herbs can be planted in almost any container of your choosing. I have a few lovely little bowls right on my kitchen counter beside the stove, with oregano, thyme and cilantro growing. I am able to simply snap off a few leaves as I'm cooking...
What's So Great About Flagstone?
This is a question that has been asked about so many other products that have become household names in a very short time. If you had ever seen flagstone while driving around various neighborhoods, you would not forget what is so special about this product. The vast range of colors and hues and tints that flagstone offers is the first wonder of this stone. Another is the varied shapes and forms and sizes that flagstone offers which gives it its great versatility and a must-have on the sketch pad of every garden designer or landscape artist around town. Flagstone can be used to lay walkways, garden paths, garden borders and railings, architectural details or focal points which draws the eye to a...
Great Patio Ideas - Reach For the Sky This Spring
How about creating a wonderful Spanish style patio with a fantastic array of flowers and plants cascading down the walls, peaking through trellis or hiding some unsightly downpipes? Think of your vertical space, reach for the sky and your patio will suddenly come alive with some great patio ideas. It's quick and easy to do. All you need is think of Spain and think of Spanish Rings flower pot holders. They have been specially designed to fit on walls, trellis and pipes or posts. The rings are strong and made of mild steel then coated with pvc to withstand the elements. Creative patio ideas will come flooding to you. Just think of the different elements you can arrange to suit your garden designer's...
A Short History of Roof Gardens
Wherever it might be roof top gardeners are a breed apart. With space at a premium I've seen meadows growing in eaves and roses trailing into the sky. In the most exposed spaces I've seen mature trees thriving and come across orchards and allotments in sheltered city gardens. Its never easy growing up in the sky but you'll be amazed what can be achieved with a little planning and a close understanding of what you have got to deal with. It's harder than gardening on a ground level but boy is it more inspirational! Over half of new homes being built today are apartments so roof gardens and terraces are becoming more and more popular and vital to the green environment. If you think its too much effort...
Lutyens Bench - Inspired by Architect Sir Edwin...
British Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens is the inspiration for the Lutyens Bench. This Architect was the designer of many fine English country houses as well as much of the architectural design in New Delhi. He also designed the Viceroy's House, now known as Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate as well as many other monuments in collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker. The Luytens Bench is very distinctive in its design, and certainly not the normal park type bench. It is constructed completely from teak, is attractive with rounded arms and a cut-out back rest. The aptness of having the Lutyens Bench in an English country garden setting is compounded by the fact that Sir Edwin Lutyens partnered on many...
Tips On How To Make The Most Of Your Garden If...
A long, narrow plot offers you lots of garden design options, from relaxed to formal. You'll be able to fit in everything on your wish list, with plenty of space for fabulous plants. There are a number of clever garden design tricks you can use to stop your plot looking too long and thin. Here are some of the best: Divide the space up into smaller areas, giving each section a different purpose. This can be a useful technique if your garden is on a slope, too. Use simple but distinctive shapes -- circles, curves and squares all work well -- and mix hard and soft landscaping to help break up the 'corridor' effect and make the garden seem wider. Another good idea is to vary the planting and colour...
How To Grow The Perfect Indoor Garden From Scratch
A lot of people stick a fake tree in a corner, dust the leaves off every week, and call it indoor gardening, but indoor gardening has grown into much more than that lately. There are also a lot of people that thinks plants belong and should stay inside, but there are many reasons for starting an indoor garden. For instance, plants don't only remove carbon dioxide from the air, they also remove many poisonous toxins and pollutants as well. Indoor gardening will result in beautiful decoration in your house as well as cleaner air. When picking out plants for indoor gardening, make sure the plants are adaptable and will be able to thrive in the conditions and setting in your house. Consider...
Have you ever got bored with your backyard or garden and thought about transforming it? Of course there are many things to consider, for instance, how big is it? What is your budget? Are there children to consider? Do you need backyard landscaping or something less dramatic? My advice is to write down your needs, your wants and your constraints. For instance, you may need a swing for the kids, you may want new garden furniture and your constraint is the size of your garden. Taking this approach will help you prioritize what you must have against what would be nice to have and then help you to consider some of the suggestions below (some more radical than others) for redesigning your backyard. Ideas...
Manage Your Time By Establishing Your Priorities
Your mind is whirling around in a thousand directions. You have a million things to do, half of which you don't even want to do, and you have no idea where to start. Sound like you on any given day? Would you like to change that scenario and lead a more balanced and stress-free life? Try the following process that will lead you through establishing priorities and values and then creating your life schedule around those things. And remember, life balance is not a destination; it's an ongoing process. There is no way to have everything completely balanced all of the time. But there's nothing wrong with trying. First, get your priorities straight. Your first and foremost priority should always...
The construction of a garden pond demands considerable care and attention, but is well within the capabilities of most practical gardeners. There are a number of different methods of construction, each having virtues from both a practical and aesthetic point of view. The most important factors are ensuring that the structure is secure and water-tight, and that the accommodation afforded is suitable for the plants and fishes that it is intended to introduce. Careful planning is an essential ingredient for success. Pond liners are the most popular option and available in a variety of materials. They enable the water gardener to create almost any fanciful shape or design of pond and to easily add a...
Get Your Garden in Ship Shape For Spring
With the resolutions of 1st January either going well - or already out of the window, the onset of Spring heralds the need to divert a chunk of that positive New Year thinking into the official launch of the "gardening" year. So as Winter comes to an end, it's time to start thinking how to go about restoring the somewhat muddy scene outside to its full potential glory. Garden Improvements are Tops With garden improvements edging their way up to the number two slot in the top ten of home enhancement initiatives undertaken by the UK public (according to the 2007 Halifax Home Improvements survey), it's quite clear that getting our outdoor room in tip top shape remains a popular priority amongst current...
Open Gardens in Essex
Essex is a county in size of over 1,500 square miles, so it's no surprise to find that it is packed full of areas of outstanding natural beauty which, luckily for us, are cared for by some of the best organisations and gardeners in the country. The variety of Open Gardens in Essex available to be viewed and enjoyed by the public is vast and varies from Elizabethan knot gardens to woodland and gravel gardens. Within easy reach of Colchester, about 6 miles to the east near the town of Elmstead Market, is The Beth Chatto Gardens. These ecological gardens were created by famous author, garden designer and plants woman, Beth Chatto OBE. Beth was awarded this honour in 2002. The gardens were built on the...
When we imagine the typical Tuscan garden images of elaborate, formal Renaissance gardens often spring to mind, like Boboli in Florence or La Foce, near Montepulciano... These gardens displayed the power and control that man wished to exert over nature in the glorious Renaissance period of the 16th century. Now, although this is a true image, and does reflect well the origins of the Tuscan garden, it has to be said that more than four centuries have passed since this garden design concept was first laid down by the Tuscan Aristocracy. Clearly in four hundred years a lot can happen and the principles of Tuscan garden design have been adapted by social changes and horticultural advances in general...
Garden Lighting Made Easy With Solar Power
Anyone who has ever visited a public garden will know that they are usually illuminated after dark. The garden designer will often use accent lights to highlight specimen trees and shrubs, or to create a certain mood or tone in the garden space. Such a thing can be easily replicated by the home gardener who chooses to use solar lighting fixtures. It is important to remember, however, that a lighting fixture doesn’t disappear when the sun rises and the loveliest bed of roses can be made ugly by several large and unpleasant spotlights stuck in front of them. This is something to always keep in mind when selecting and placing garden fixtures. Fortunately, anyone who wants to add decorative garden...
"The ecological Italian garden" sounds almost like a contradiction in terms, when we think of the formal Italian gardens of the glorious Renaissance period in Italy- with their neatly clipped hedges, elaborate water features and rose gardens etc. However, in reality, the Italian's link with their land is far more intimate and their love for the finest of food has driven the Italians to search for culinary perfection over the centuries. From shoes to tomatoes and from aromatic herbs to natural medicine everything in Italy is of the highest quality and organic produce is clearly of superior quality to the produce that is currently being mass produced. Italian gardeners and chefs have understood this...
Review - From Prison to Paycheck
From Prison to Paycheck: What No One Ever Tells You About Getting a Job, Pam Hogan, 2007, ISBN 9780979429491 Among the many challenges faced by those just released from prison is that of getting a job. Those with a job are much more likely to stay out of prison than those without one. This book attempts to make that challenge less challenging. Think of a resume as equivalent to a business card. It's required; the book exactly how to write it. For those whose work history is spotty or non-existent, register with a temporary employment agency. Going on a variety of jobs will help to narrow down the type of jobs that you do (or do not) want, they will provide experience to put on a resume, and the...
A Day Out at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace must be the best known of all of England's country houses. It is on a huge scale which gives the visitor some idea of the high regard that Queen Anne held for General John Churchill, because that was his name before becoming the Duke of Marlborough. This was his reward after his crushing defeat of the French in 1704 at the battle of Blenheim a small Bavarian village on the River Danube. It would be true to say this lavish palace was deserving of a victorious general, and it could also be said that Blenheim palace was England's answer to the Palace of Versailles. Without any doubt at all Blenheim is quite impersonal, built in the baroque style it is the finest building of its kind in...
By August many gaps have developed in the flower garden, especially in the borders. Some annuals that provided seasonal color have died out, and need replacement. Make plantings of the fall flowering annuals or some of the short day flowers. Try plantings of zinnias, marigolds, balsam, petunias, and nasturtiums for another splash of late color. Many garden centers may have a supply of geraniums for planting in August to give fall color. Also, some of the perennials will be available as container plants and can be used very effectively. Dahlias may be cut back to stimulate a new crop of late flowers. Pruning This chore goes on all the time for the alert landscape gardener. Certainly the period of...