Green Thumb Corner

by Keith Markensen

New subdivision homes often find themselves lacking for vegetation. They may contain hedges separating properties, but other than that have small trees and little else in the way of greenery. Vines make a great quick solution to this problem, and also provide a new home with a sort of earthy elegance that makes it appear older and statelier than it is.

By the same token vines can have the same effect on older houses, adding to the existing natural charm that many older houses possess, while also hiding any potential structural flaws incurred throughout its many years. Not just the home itself, but also fences and outhouses can also benefit from this treatment.

Different vines naturally have different levels of growth potential and style, and there’s surely a vine out there to suit every taste. Grape vines have long, thin tendrils which snake out and endeavor to take hold of objects, which makes placing them on a lattice or fence perfect. Boston ivy has adhesive discs along its surface, allowing it to easily grasp hold of brick, stone and other surfaces that other vines would have difficulty doing. Still other vines grow by climbing and wrapping themselves around objects like poles, trees or plants. In some cases this can cause the plant caught in its crushing grip to wither.

In most cases vines should have a support structure that both helps bright colored bougainvillea grow and provides a great contrast to see them. Simply designed white arbors, trellises and pergolas make great choices. Constructions made of wood or other natural materials also work well.

When planting annuals, a typical hole in well-drained soil should be more than enough. Perennials on the other hand need some extra attention when planted near a foundation, as the soil is often poor in these areas. Mix some bone meal or peat moss in with the bottom soil to strengthen it. Also ensure that any vine planted near the house is not directly under any eaves, so it is not affected by dripping water. In the winter this could cause leaves to freeze and crack at night.

Ivies such as Boston ivy are the most common choice used when looking to cover a house or other structure with foliage. Other good varieties of ivy for wall planting include Japanese bittersweet, winter creeper, English ivy, Lowe ivy and Chinese trumpet-creeper. Virginia creeper is commonly found in woodland areas, twined around trees and boulders and makes a good choice for house cover. Its downside is that it can grow thick, meaning it may require some thinning out as it ages.

Some vines require trellis-training, and these varieties are often the most beautiful, with bright blossoms in showy colors. Wisteria with small white to purple blossoms, clematis with a single large flower, trumpet-creeper with its collection of large scarlet and orange clusters and trumpet honeysucker with clusters of red and yellow perfumed flowers can all add a touch elegance and beauty in one plant.

For covering patches of ground that is having difficulty growing grass or just for aesthetic reasons you can try periwinkle, an evergreen with blue flowers.

Finally, a number of fragrant and exquisite blossoming annuals exist such as nasturtium, cypress vine, morning-glory, moonflower plants and bal-foon vines.

About the Author: Keith Markensen frequently contributes to www.plant-care.com. What better time than right now to explore and learn more on the subject of bougainvillea care. Read full post...

by Jim Carpenter

There are numerous contractors offering landscaping in Wilmington, DE but how do you know which ones are suitable. Certainly when it comes to selecting Landscaping Wilmington DE contractors a good idea is to ask family members or friends if they can recommend someone.

When looking for a landscape gardening service and your friends or family are unable to recommend, then look for those who do permeable landscaping. This is a great way of ensuring that your garden looks great throughout the year as it helps to ensure that plenty of water and air are able to penetrate the soil. The more air and water that penetrates the soil in which your plants grow the more nutrients they will get.

Generally these kinds of gardens will have lots of trees, plants and rocks as well as other manmade or natural materials in them. It is using such items within the make up of your garden will help the soil beneath to breathe properly once more.

Because we lead far more hectic lifestyles people like gardens where they have very little to do in them and so will use items that are impermeable. Items like paving slabs and patios may provide easy walkways and an entertainment area but are actually preventing water and air from penetrating the soil beneath.

Plus using the right kind of permeable landscaping is another way of stopping soil erosion in your garden. Placing a dense covering of plants and mulch in your yard will help to retain more soil rather than it being washed away when the rains come.

If you are considering having this form of landscaping carried out in your garden by a landscaping Wilmington DE contractor then you need to spend time planning. Certainly a reputable landscaping company will be more than willing to listen to your requirements and offer suggestions that will meet your needs. Certainly they may suggest that planting several varieties of plants together that need large amounts of water is a good idea as this will help to limit the actual amount of water that you use.

Through them using the right types of shrubs, trees and other structures (man made or natural) in the garden can bring benefits to your home itself. These will actually help to change the climate around your home and so can help reduce heat in the house during the summer and prevent heat loss from it during the winter. By them selecting and planting the right sorts of plants in your garden could end up reducing your heating bill through the winter months by as much as twenty-five percent.

Also using a good quality reputable landscaping Wilmington DE contractor could increase the value of your home as well. On average a home that has well planned and executed landscaping the value of it can increase by as much as 7 ? percent. Plus it can also reduce just how long the house stays on the market if you consider selling by between 5 and 6 weeks.

About the Author: Would you like to find out mor you cane about ways to care for you can the landscaping in your garden? Then please visit S And Services Inc website by clicking on the link shown here or you can contact us directly on 302 235 7322 to get help with all your landscaping Wilmington DE. Read full post...

by Keith Markensen

Soil is the gardener’s bread and butter, much like dough is for the chef. Without good soil all the effort in the world can come to naught, just as poor dough can lay to waste even the most extravagant culinary effort. Soil varies by area into three broad categories, and also varies in quality from area to area. The categories that soil falls into are claylike, sandy and silt. Ideal soil contains a good mixture of the three types, and is called good garden loam. Clay soil possesses the greatest water-holding capability, while sandy soil possesses the least.

Humus is an organic substance that helps bind soils together. It also makes the soil more receptive to water, actively absorbs light from the sun and fertilizes and improves the texture of the soil by pulling beneficial compounds from plants. Humus can be found in organic fertilizers such as manure and compost heaps, and can also be purchased as a stand-alone product.

Like the grass, trees and plants that take root in it, soil is a living thing, composed of millions of organisms. The four key ingredients needed to maintain an optimum soil health are sunlight, water, food and bacterial activity. Save for the sun, the other three elements can all be added to the soil through organic fertilizers.

Many people maintain a compost pile at their residence, some with the express purpose of using it as fertilizer, and the benefits of doing so are enormous especially in working to achieve a tropical tropical landscape. To keep a quality compost pile, the bottom of the container must first have a layer of inactive material added to it, such as dried leaves or weeds, followed by a thin layer of soil, then another layer of material, and so on. After decomposition has reached a suitable point, the compost can then be added to the soil.

This compost or another organic fertilizer like manure can then be added to an inorganic fertilizer if desired to make an ideal meal for your soil. Organic fertilizers come with ratings that designate the parts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that they contain, and this knowledge is important based on your soil and environment type.

For large fields, planting certain cover crops can also have the effect of fertilizing the soil organically. Cover crops are an easy way to fertilize large stretches of land, though it will take a full season before their full effect is realized. Alfalfa, soy-beans, legumes and other similar crops have the effect of adding nitrogen to the soil when planted, and also provide a boost of nitrogen when plowed over. Nitrogen levels of these cover crops are at their peak just before maturity, and should be plowed over at that point for optimal results.

Another effective means of fertilizing soil is by mixing an either an organic or an inorganic compound with a dose of water and then adding it to the soil. This provides even distribution of the fertilizer and promotes quicker absorption. Another method is to spread the fertilizer by hand (please use gloves when spreading manure) and then hose down the lawn or relevant area afterwards.

In areas with less calcium rich soil like the Atlantic Coast, you should consider using lime to offset this deficiency. Pulverized limestone, which is high in organic materials can be used sparingly for this purpose.

By knowing your soil type and quality, you can take the measures necessary to ensure it achieves the right levels of nutrients and elements needed to survive, which will further ensure the survival of anything else growing in it.

About the Author: Now you can remove the confusion in your mind on the topic of tropical landscape design. You’re only a click away - Read full post...

by Keith Markensen

Whether you’re looking out over a dark patio or a massive estate, it’s now cheaper and easier than ever to provide your darkened areas with affordable and attractive garden lighting.

One of the more recent evolutions in garden lighting is the use of fiber-optics. These lights are contained in small canisters or cylinders containing thousands of fiber-optic strands to exude light.

The first major benefit of this light source is the lack of electrical current needed to fuel it, making it extremely safe, even around areas with water. Secondly, these lights require very little electricity at all, making them a great cost saving option, and a good choice for the environment.

Another money saving option that can be used to illuminate your garden is the use of solar garden lighting. Using a single Nicam or Nicad battery, these lights gather their operational energy during the day through the sun’s rays and automatically turn on at night, as the presence of the sun disappears. At dawn, they will automatically turn off again. These lights will charge even on cloudy or overcast days, as the sun’s effect is still there, even if it can’t be seen.

Solar garden lights come in many different shapes, colors and sizes. Flat lighting can rest on the ground and be used to effectively light pathways from below, you can also have versions that come attached to spikes or mounted on poles, offering a variety of potential areas for the lights to be placed.

Solar garden lights may also be safely and easily used in and around water, such as in a small pond or swimming pool. This style of lights often comes in the form of floating balls, and in a variety of colors.

A seamless and clever way of integrating solar lights within your garden is setting is through the use of garden rocks. These rocks are hollowed out on the inside and fitted with halogen lamps, which give the effect of the rock itself glowing. These can come in a number of styles that blend well with your garden during the day when their form is more visible, including natural looking granite style rocks, and models with moss or other greenery ‘growing’ on them.

With the number of different options on the market today for garden lighting, there’s no need to fall into the same old habits of buying traditional lighting fixtures. Any style of garden can be effectively accented with the appropriate lighting source to smartly illuminate your green paradise.

About the Author: We’ve created an excellent resource for you on the topic of single solar lights. Join us Read full post...

by Keith Markensen

Color is what makes a house a home, and your family will enjoy taking care of indoor plants as well. If you want to find additional benefits for houseplants, think about the quality of air that house plants are going to add, and the colors, the feel of living things all around you - it is all an outstanding feeling.

You are most likely wondering just how hard it is to care for houseplants. Well, caring for houseplants is actually quite easy. You need dirt, the plant, light and water. Very few plants require any special light, but you might want to read up on the plant you are purchasing if you feel you don’t know much about that one type. Many green plants will need some amount of indirect light, which means as long as you have a window in that room the sunlight will come in and the plant will enjoy it.

If you have never had any types of plants before, you will find that many plants are going to grow slowly. You could have a small potted indoor plant, and it could be a year before you need a bigger pot. You can then use the smaller pot for another house plant that you have. In the living room, you could have hanging plants, plants on the end tables, or on the coffee table. Sometimes if you have large window sills you could even put small pots on the window sill of your living room for a great overall effect.

There are some types of house plants that are going to also produce flowers. If you find that you have a plant, that you want to keep until it flowers, you may be waiting a few seasons. Some indoor plants, such as a Christmas cactus are only going to bloom once a year, and then sometimes it won’t bloom again for two years. It is a wonderful time in the living room where the plants are colorful and many textures of the leaves are available as well.

Perhaps you want something a little different in your indoor garden such as exotic plants. You could choose from plants that are sun loving, desert loving or that are even aquatic. The choices you have are vast and you don’t have to have an indoor garden that is all green hanging type of plants as many people think about, but you can have flowers indoors, or plants that smell like candy.

What you need to watch for are plants that are going to attract insects. Insects are attracted to some plants but rarely. Geraniums indoors are going to attract small white flies. Spider mites are attracted to plants that are overly wet but there are also sprays for all types of little pests that you can use if you would happen to have a little creature in your plants. Don’t worry though the little pests are few and far between for the normal semi warm climates such as the indoors of your home.

Watering is not going to take much of your time at all. Indoor gardens really only need attention once a week or every two weeks depending on the variety of plants that you have chosen. The yucca plant is low in the water needs area for example. What you can look for is a calendar in your kitchen or on your computer and make little notes to yourself if you really think you are going to forget for weeks at a time. Otherwise, when you put your finger in the dirt and you find that it is a little dry add a little water and your indoor garden is going to be thriving!

About the Author: Learn more of what Keith Markensen has to share over at www.plant-care.com. For a greater understanding on the subject of yucca plant care. Read full post...