Bonsai Gardening Secrets - The Best Bonsai PDF

A bonsai PDF e-book can come real handy if you are looking forward to creating a beautiful bonsai garden of your own. In fact, there is a wealth of such gardening guide books available in the internet today. But if you are looking for the best one, you must go for 'Bonsai Gardening Secrets'. The greatest advantage of this e-book is the easy to follow step-by-step guideline that even a beginner can understand and follow.

What is behind the success and popularity of this eBook?

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This e-book is a comprehensive PDF that covers almost everything starting from the right choice of trees for bonsai right up to a range of style and techniques for growing it. What add to the great demand of this e-book are its easy instructive English and colored illustrations that grace its 95 page content and give you an exact practical idea.

In fact, these pictures are so helpful that it can clear a lot of your doubts. These pictures have been derived from actual ideas created by gardening experts. Along with these pictures, you will get clear answers to why bonsai trees are planted and trained in a particular way and the reason different species of trees require different forms of training.

At the same time, you can have a complete idea of the fourteen major styles of bonsai creation. The eBook is the only bonsai PDF e-book that elaborately explains the symbolism and effect of every plant, stone, and grain of sand in your bonsai along with pictorial details.

What more to expect from this eBook?

The core of this wonderful PDF constitutes of the basic rules of bonsai plantation. You can expect to learn everything about pruning, plucking, defoliation and particular maintenance needs for each bonsai type. In addition, you will get a complete guide where to look for the top choices of bonsai plants.

If you are a novice in the field of bonsai gardening, you will really find it helpful to know how to choose your first tree. You can start right from the scratch as this e-book tells you how to grow a bonsai the proper way. Moreover, you can learn the meticulous details of how to choose the right accents for your bonsai, which could be anything like moss, lichen, grass or rush.

Bonsai Gardening Secrets tells you how to turn your little spot of indoor greenery into a personalized relaxation zone by planting bonsai trees with soothing properties. You can enhance your gardening knowledge by learning about at least 20 varied species of trees that are ideal to be cultivated into bonsai. If you have an eye for new types of bonsai styling, this bonsai PDF can come handy with its detailed rendering of cascading and broom style bonsais.

Bonsai Gardening Secrets serves to dispel myths like bonsai cannot be grown indoors. It comes with a virtual encyclopedia of Bonsai Gardening that can enrich you with all the bonsai terms that you could put to practical use. To make this e-book even more attractive now two free bonus offers are available with it that are easy to download. That makes Bonsai Gardening Secrets the most affordable bonsai PDF today.

Bonsai Gardening Secrets - The Best Bonsai PDF

Author is bonsai enthusiast. For more information please visit http://bonsaidojo.com

Raised Bed Gardening - How to Grow Well in Small Spaces

What is raised bed gardening and why should you be interested? It's planting that isn't done directly in the ground. It is -- usually -- done in some kind of raised bed gardening in containers. There are square raised beds, rectangular raised beds, and round raised beds. You can make a raised bed just about any shape you want and, yes, container planters are a form of raised bed.

You don't have to have land the size of Green Acres to garden successfully. You know what I mean -- land stretching out for days.

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You also do not have to grow vegetables in the ground. There's nothing out there anywhere that says a veggie garden will only be successful if you have an acre of ground to plant in.

Raised Bed Gardening and the New Homeowner

Let me tell you about my first house and the very first square foot garden I'd ever tended on my own. It was 1991 and I'd just closed on a townhouse in Marlton, New Jersey. It had fenced backyard but the previous owner's dog had really it ripped up.

Now, lots of women may have focused on things like window treatments or furniture.

Not me, boy. The day after closing I went to the home center and had them cut eight 1x12 pieces of lumber.

For those of you not familiar with the size and dimensions of lumber, the one is the thickness and the 12 is the width. I asked the lumber yard to cut these pieces 4 feet long for two 4x4 square raised beds.

After that, I went over to the garden center and picked up eight bags of garden soil. Why eight? 'Cuz I had no clue as to how much I'd need.

Then I bought some plants and some seed packets. I spent between and for everything.
I learned about raised bed gardening from watching garden shows on TV including Mel Bartholomew's TV show on PBS, "Square Foot Gardening".

Now, I'm not a tool belt diva. I had the rudimentary tools -- hammer, two screwdrivers, and a ratchet set. Hey, how hard can it be to nail four boards together to form a four foot by four foot raised bed garden box?

Harder than I thought.

I either needed someone to hold the lumber while I nailed or needed clamps or a vise. I discovered this after boards came loose and I had littered the air with blue words.

In the end, I got enough nails into the lumber to hold it together (I'm sure my neighbors had a good laugh watching me do this). The pressure of the garden soil also helped keep the shape of the raised bed garden box together.

The point is that raised beds don't have to be works of art -- they don't have to be structurally sound or be able to withstand a 7.3 earthquake. They just have to hold soil.

I grew lots of things in those to raised beds: tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, squash, beans, dill, basil, eggplant, spinach, musk melon (small cantaloupe), scallions, and fennel.
It's astonishing how much could grow in a small raised bed garden. I also did it with the help of vertical gardening using trellises.

One of the greatest advantages to raised bed gardening is that you control the soil content.

Let's say you've got clay soil like I do here in Tidewater Virginia. Not a problem. Build some raised beds and filled them with a mix of garden soil, compost and something to lighten it up -- vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, or even some sand. One thing you should know is to never use topsoil -- it's too dense and muddy.

I personally use Miracle-Gro products -- I like their water retention mix. Most of their soils have plant food already mixed in and you can buy garden soil, topsoil, and/or potting mix.

Every once in awhile, I'll combine garden soil with potting mix because the potting mix already has some perlite in it and this tends to be a lighter, fluffier soil.

One of the things you want to avoid in raised bed or container gardening is heavy soil density. It's like trying to grow plants in wet concrete. The lighter and fluffier it is the easier it will be for plants' roots to grow.

And raised bed gardening does not have to be on the ground. If you have a bad back or you have avoided gardening because you don't want to look like one of those pieces of bent over garden art -- you know the ones, women with fat butts in bloomers -- build your garden beds higher.

You can stack your raised beds on top of each other. Just make sure to anchor the boxes together so that the top box doesn't slip off the bottom. Or you could get wider pieces of lumber to make them higher.

You can grow just about anything in a raised bed. From potatoes to tomatoes to a cutting garden full of zinnias, you can do it in a raised bed.

The only exceptions would be really large-scale shrubs like azaleas and hydrangeas or trees. Although, you could probably plant dwarf trees in them. If you want to grow larger scale veggies like squash, zucchini, melon, or watermelon, you'll probably need most of one end of the raised bed for them to sprawl out in.

Garden Versatility with Raised Bed Gardening

Cultivating soil in a traditional row garden takes time. I don't care if your house is located on the most wonderful loam in the world. It'll still to take time to make it better. Using raised beds allows you to garden instantly.

And you don't have to put to raised beds on dirt or grass. You can place them on a deck or patio. If you do that, I'd either put some kind of bottom on the raised bed box or even set them on pallets (you can sometimes get old pallets from grocery stores for next to nothing).

The point here is when putting a raised bed on a hard surface like concrete, give the plant's roots some air. Make these beds a bit deeper by making the sides of the bed higher -- that allows for plenty of plant growth.

Raised Bed Gardening - How to Grow Well in Small Spaces

Victoria Rosendahl has been getting her hands dirty in the garden since she was 10. She writes a free monthly ezine, The Frugal Gardener, http://www.myfrugalgardener.com and has designed the ultimate raised garden bed, GardenRack, which allows you to garden without bending or kneeling. Check out her site at http://www.garden-rack.com or send her an email at info@garden-rack.com

How To Landscape Your Garden On A Budget

Landscaping the entire garden can turn out be quite expensive. Most of the gardening enthusiasts face this issue and they are on a continuous lookout for better options. There are many inexpensive ways of landscaping a garden or yard to make it more appealing. If you choose the right kind of features and elements then you can certainly get a beautiful garden.

The most elementary thing that should be considered while landscaping is the design or layout. You can hire a professional for this but if you have got ample time to devote then you can also consider doing it on your own. This will not only give you an opportunity to implement your creative ideas and make the garden more personalized but it will also help you in saving a lot of money. Once you have prepared a layout you can start implementing it in the desired area.

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Some important tips that can help you in bringing down the overall cost involved in the entire process are-

Buy From A Wholesale Nursery

If you are planning to redo the entire garden then buying in bulk from a wholesale nursery can help you save lots of money. Wholesalers generally have an extensive inventory of all kinds of plants and trees so you can easily get what you are looking for at affordable rates. You might also end up getting special deals or discounts if you are ordering large quantities. So, purchasing from wholesale nursery proves to be very profitable for landscaping purposes.

Grow Perennial Plants

Perennial plants have a longer life span as compared to other varieties and they tend to last for 3-4 years. Growing perennial plants can ensure that your garden remains vibrant and lively for at least 2-3 years, and it saves you from spending money on seeds or plants every year.

Plant Wildflowers and Other Native Varieties

Native species are known to be adaptable and drought tolerant. You can grow many different varieties of wildflowers, native grasses and native plants to landscape a low maintenance garden. Native plants thrive in local climatic conditions and they are less susceptible to pests and diseases so you will end up saving on pesticides and fertilizers.

Make Optimal Use of Natural Elements

Natural elements present in the area like rocks, stones, slopes, sand, etc. can be used efficiently to create an amazing landscape. You can use these elements to create stone walls, structures, steps and walkways. They will give the area a natural look and will complement the surroundings. Rocks and stones can be placed artistically in the garden surrounded by moss, grass or other low growing plants to create a focal point.

Use Plants and Shrubs That Need Less Water

Cacti, native grasses and succulents are a great option for xeriscaping as they are drought tolerant plants. Other plants/shrubs that need relatively less water are Lavender, Jasmine, Boxwood, Butterfly Bush, Dogwood, Forsythia, Coneflower, Sunflower, Periwinkle and Calendula.

How To Landscape Your Garden On A Budget

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DNT Nursery is a certified wholesale grower located in Tennessee that provides all kinds of landscaping trees, shrubs, ferns and native plants. It specializes in wildflowers, native plants, perennials and native trees. It is one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the country that ships to the entire US and Canada. Please visit the website for detailed information on different varieties of plants and trees.

DNT Tree Farm maintains an extensive database of plants and trees. Apart from this, they also share useful and interesting information about various plants through their gardening blog on the website.

What Do Rats Eat?

Rats eat a wide variety of food. They have voracious appetites and will eat almost anything. They are true omnivorous scavengers, but mostly prefer grain, livestock feed, and meat. Rats have also been known to eat soap, leather, furs, candy, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grain, seeds, fruit, nuts, snails and other rodents. A rat can eat a third of its body weight each day. The rat's main important consumption is water, as it cannot survive long without it. Rats need 1/2 to 1 ounce of water daily.

Two main types of rats, brown rats and black rats eat about the same things. But there are slight differences in preferences between the two. Brown rats or Norway rats eat nearly any type of food, but they prefer high-quality foods such as meat and fresh grain. These rats require 1/2 to 1 fluid ounce of water daily when feeding on dry food. Rats have keen taste, hearing, and sense of smell.

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Roof rats or black rats generally prefer vegetables, fruits and grain, and consume 1/2 to 1 ounce food per day from various sources. They do not readily accept meat or fish. They like cereal grains, chopped apples, sweet potatoes, melons, prunes, pineapple, cookies, doughnuts, sweet chocolate candy, peanut butter, and tomatoes. They also consume an ounce of water per day.

Rats are nutritionally a little better than mice. Unlike the mouse that nibbles a little at a time, rats eat much more food in one sitting. Like mice, rats can live in freezers and they love to eat frozen food.

Rats have a habit of gnawing when they eat. Their chewing ability helps them to chew and gnaw through almost anything. They gnaw anything softer than their teeth. They gnaw papers, clothes, wood, plastics, water pipes, electric cables and other building materials. Their habit of gnawing causes immense damage to mankind such as fires, power shortages and flooding.

What Do Rats Eat?

Rats provides detailed information on Rats, Rat Terrier, Pet Rats, Rat Snake and more. Rats is affiliated with Electronic Pest Control.

Pond Waterfall Pumps - Completing Your Pond's Design

There are various effects that enhance the overall look of your garden pond. You may have all the aquatic plants a pond can have. You may have all the aquatic fish and other organisms to add a realistic feel to your design. You may have multiple levels. You may different depths. You may have simple fountains, or you may have fountains that shoot water from every angle with precision and accuracy. However, the most alluring attraction your pond might have is the presence of a waterfall, and what better way to accomplish this is to have the right pond waterfall pumps to make this happen.

Some people may have a single waterfall. Some people may have multiple. Some may have sort and wide falls. Some people might have tall and narrow falls. Some might even an assortment of falls, coming from different levels of the pond. For whatever design you might have you must have the appropriate pond waterfall pumps for the job.

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These pumps come in a variety of sizes and horsepower depending on the size and design requirements of your pond. It is important to know all the details and information about water capacity, water depth, and size of the pond to avoid purchasing the wrong pump. This is also important to avoid spending more money, and protecting your investment. In addition, it will also be advisable to know the power requirements you might need. You may have the best designed pond, but are unable to supply the pond with the appropriate power. Also remember the safety requirements needed. Be sure to have your power outlets at a safe distance from the water. We all know the dangers of having electricity come into contact with water. Having them come into direct contact with each other will be catastrophic. Also remember to use the proper outdoor wiring. Meet these requirements and you are sure to have a well thought of design, and a safe design to be enjoyed by you and other people. You do not want a guilty conscience.

Any pond design will not be complete without a waterfall. This is why it is so important to install pond waterfall pumps.

Pond Waterfall Pumps - Completing Your Pond's Design

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Pond Water pumps can a little be confusing. You need to visit our blogs to find out more about pond water pumps and getting the right pumps for your garden pond project.

Tips On Growing And Caring For Orchids

Orchids are fascinating flowers that are fun to nurture but do need some special care. These slow growing plants are best grown indoors and will need to be repotted every other year. In addition to repotting, you will need to provide the plant with enough light, water and fertilization as well as prune it properly to keep it in the best of health.

Repotting

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Orchids should be repotted in a pot that is larger then the current, but not too much larger - go just one size up. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can repot into a really huge pot and then not have to worry about it for the next 5 years! Fill the pot about 2/3rds of the way with soil that is formulated for orchids and set the plant with the growing tip in the center and it's roots spread out in the soil. Fill the pot with the rest of the soil and pack it gently around the plant. Water thoroughly.

Soil

Tropical orchids thrive in organic material. Fir bark and osumda fiber mixed with peat are great for growing orchids. You need soil that has good drainage but will also hold some moisture. You can buy special orchid mix soil to plant your orchids in.

Light

Orchids like light and your plant will do best in a bright sunny window. A south window, where the plant can get indirect light in the morning and afternoon is best. Make sure the window is not drafty. In the winter you must be sure that your plant is getting enough sunlight and you may want to use fluorescent lighting to supplement the natural sunlight. Fluorescent lights work quite well for growing orchids and you can use them in even the darkest corner and have wonderful plants.

Water

All plants need water but many people do not know how to provide it properly. Some water too much leaving standing water in the pot all day and contributing to root rot. Others don't water the plant for weeks and wonder why it can not survive. The first consideration is to make sure you use a pot with good drainage - either one of those with a hole in the bottom and a saucer or at least put pebbles under the soil. Water the plant thoroughly but not so much that a pool of water is sitting on the soil - water once a week or when you feel the soil has dried out. If your orchid is planted in bark, then it will probably need to be watered every 5 days or so.

You can also moisten your orchid with a spray bottle to give it a more humid environment. Some people like to gently wrap the plant in a floral paper or wax paper cone and spray inside. The cone helps to keep the moistness in. If you do spray your plant, use distilled water as tap and spring water can leave deposits on the leaves.

Temperature

Although orchids are tropical plants, they prefer cool temperatures at night. Most orchids will do best in temps that would be to cold for you in your house. When grown in professional greenhouses, they are kept between 55 and 65 degrees at night. The cool temperatures help to keep the soil more moist.

Fertilizer

Orchids growing in bark or peat and bark mixes do best with a liquid fertilizer that has a 20-20-20 analysis or, better yet, a specialized orchid fertilizer (30-10-10). Try using a water soluble urea free fertilizer for best results. When fertilizing, simply add it in your regular watering schedule following the instructions on the fertilizer package.

Pruning

Pruning is important for orchids to remove dead parts and shape your plant. You can prune your orchids periodically throughout the year, or reserve the pruning for once a year typically in the fall or early winter. When the blooms have died and the stalk is dried up and yellow or brown, use sharp shears to cut it back to an inch from where it comes out of the soil. A new bloom will appear during the next blooming season.

In some cases, you may want to just remove the end of the bloom stalk which may cause it to bloom again. If you do this, you may find a new shoot or baby plant to spring up. If this does happen, you can remove the baby and plant it in a separate pot for an additional orchid plant to enjoy!

Tips On Growing And Caring For Orchids

Lee Dobbins writes for [http://orchids.garden-corner.com] where you can learn more about caring for orchids [http://orchids.garden-corner.com]

The Importance of Food Safety in Our Lives

Safety in general is important for every individual. It is an issue that we take into account in different aspects of our life. For instance to ensure our personal protection, we buy stun guns that we can bring with us anywhere. Moreover, we wear seat belts to keep us safe while we are driving. More importantly, we ensure that the food we eat is safe. How the food is prepared is what we all consider. When we eat in restaurants, when we buy from a store and even when we cook our own food, we make sure that it is clean and safe to take in to replenish the needs of our body.

Food safety has become an issue of special importance for the retail food industry. There are many instances that food contamination can occur between the process of production and consumption. Food can be contaminated at the farm, ranch, and orchard or in the sea. Contamination of food can even occur while it is processed in large manufacturing companies and while it is delivered to different retailers. Finally, food can be contaminated during the last stages of production at retail establishments and by consumers in their homes.

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Food safety is especially critical in retail food establishment because this may be the last opportunity to control and eliminate the hazards that might contaminate food and cause food borne illnesses. Even when bought from already inspected and certified sources, ingredients may be contaminated when they arrive at the food establishment. It is important to know how to handle these ingredients safely and how to prepare food in such a manner that reduces the risk of contaminated food being served.

Food borne illness happens and it adversely affects the health of millions of people every year. It is a sickness that some people experience when they eat contaminated food. It impairs performance and causes discomfort and body weakness like your being hit with streetwise stun guns. Food borne illness also has a major economic impact. It costs our society billions of dollars each year. These costs occur in the form of medical expenses, lost work and reduce productivity by victims of the illness, legal fees, punitive damages, increased insurance premiums, lost business and loss of reputation.

You may be asking yourself whether all the knowledge about food safety has something to do with you. The answer is definitely. Customer opinion surveys show that cleanliness and food quality are the top two reasons people use when choosing a place to eat and shop for food. Consumers expect their food to taste good and not make them sick. It is the responsibility of every food establishment owner, manager, and employee to prepare and serve safe and wholesome food and preserve their clients' confidence.

Food safety is utmost importance. Achieving clean food at your dining table is a joint cooperation starting from those who manufacture the food, delivers it to retailers, sells the food in the market, and lastly to the consumer who purchases the food, cooks and eats it. Through this, all people will be free from any food borne diseases.

The Importance of Food Safety in Our Lives

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Pruning Hibiscus

Hibiscus plants should be pruned occasionally, which is usually done in the spring. Regularly pruning these plants will make better shaped plants, as well as cause the branching and blooming of the flowers to increase. Pruning will allow the plant to produce hormones that activate buds that have become dormant. This will also reduce the amount of insects infesting the plant.

There are also some negatives to pruning the plants. The main drawback is the fact that you will not see any blooms in the area you pruned for at least a couple of months. Another draw back is the fact that your plant will look smaller or out of balanced until the new growth comes in.

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When to Prune the Hibiscus Plant:

The location and weather will be the primary factors on determining when you should prune the plant. The main thing to remember is that you should never prune the plant during a time in which new growth will come in during a time when cold weather is likely. Because of this, most pruning is done between the months of February and August, depending on your local weather patterns.

If you only plan to do partial or selective pruning, there are really no drawbacks you need to concern yourself with. This type of pruning can be done at anytime of the year. However, if you plan to do a complete cutting back of the plant, you should only do this task during the early spring.

Pruning hibiscus is not a very difficult task. The only concern you should have is the weather. If you follow the simple steps to pruning, and do it during a time in which the new buds will grow in during warm weather, you should have no problems with this task.

Pruning Hibiscus

Hibiscus provides detailed information on Hibiscus, Hibiscus Flower, Hibiscus Plant, Hibiscus Care and more. Hibiscus is affiliated with Care of Orchids.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Spent mushroom compost, also know as "spent mushroom substrate" or "mushroom soil," is fast growing in popularity for organic soil amending. Crops thrive with 7 organic vegetable garden benefits of mushroom compost. Generally containing coconut hulls, hay, corn cobs, cottonseed meal, poultry manure and straw horse bedding, the pure compost is dark, rich and odorless.

1) Completely recycled
This compost is the discarded after mushrooms have grown in it. Fresh compost can only be used once to grow mushrooms, so the used or spent compost must be disposed of. One excellent way to recycle these "leftovers" is to nourish your vegetable garden. Considered a renewable alternative to peat moss, recycled compost can also help save the peat bogs' delicate ecological balance.

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2) Adds organic matter to the soil
Just like regular organic garden compost, microbial activity is created as it breaks down, creating humus. Excellent at breaking up clay soil, amend generously in your soil to create a rich loamy texture. Remember that all organics continue to break down. After a few months you may need to add a top layer to container plants. A 3 to 6 inch outdoor application is expected to last 2 to 5 years.

3) Drought resistant
Compost conserves moisture to plants by increasing the capacity to hold water, while aerating the soil at the same time. The fungal activity of previous mushroom growing creates a moist barrier against drought and searing heat. This is excellent for vegetable gardens by improving soil structure and saving water costs, especial in arid zones.

4) Controls Garden Pests
Mushroom compost is organic matter that creates good microbial action. Beneficial microbes in turn encourage beneficial insects, earth worm activity and discourage diseases. All these natural controls help gardeners avoid the use of potentially dangerous garden chemicals that can harm our earth and threaten our family and pet health.

5) Fast growing plants and vegetables
Research shows beneficial fungus or mycorrhizae work with plants to produce synergistic energy that results in rapid growth. Since spent mushroom compost used to host mushrooms, it is full of this good fungus and reports abound about fantastic plant growth. Naturally low in nitrogen, mushroom compost does not encourage over leafy growth, making it ideal for flower bearing plants like vegetables.

6) Weed free
Mushrooms must be grown in medium that has been sterilized and composted, so the left over compost is weed and plant pathogen free. This makes perfect mulch for vegetable and flower gardens, trees, shrubs and top dressings for existing lawns. With this compost you can be confident you are not bringing in unwanted weed seeds to compete with your plants.

7) Pleasant smelling
Properly made and stored, this compost does not smell bad. In fact, it has an almost sweet smell when fresh. Even that odor quickly dissipates once put in the ground. A refreshing relief for gardeners every where who may be used to cow or poultry manures as organic fertilizer. No longer will your neighbors shoot you dirty looks for growing organic. If spent mushroom compost has a foul odor, don't use it unless you re-compost.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Rhonda Abrons bags spent mushroom compost in Austin, Texas. For more information and a free sample of 100% spent mushroom compost, visit [http://mushroomcompostblog.com]

Green Landscaping Trends For The Homeowner In 2011

The big buzz in home improvements over the past few years has been going green, and this trend is not going anywhere in the near future. How green something is considered, is now an important factor in most home-based choices. When buying a high-efficiency washing machine or energy-efficient windows, it is easy to know you are making a green improvement for your home. But what about landscaping, how do homeowners really know if they are making a positive environmental impact when it comes to landscaping?

Your best chance of making a net environmental gain with your green landscaping upgrade is by following the experts. Here are some of the green landscaping trends experts have identified for the year 2011. Most of which can be readily adapted for your backyard.

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According to the Garden Writers Association, the prime garden trends for 2011 are:
-Gardening with a purpose
-Eco-scaping
-Sustainable containers
-Succulents
-Vertical gardening
-New urbanism

Unless you are planning to reclaim a vacant parking lot, or open an urban park, 'New urbanism' is probably best left to city planners. The rest of the items on the Garden Writers Association's list are plenty achievable for the home landscaper or homeowner.

Eco-scaping, defined by the GWA as, "The move to de-lawn large tracks of turf and transform lawns into sustainable landscapes..." is a great way to improve the look of your yard in a sustainable way. Installing a living wall made up of green retaining wall blocks is a great way to replace stretches of grass with eco-friendly plants that will both beatify your yard and save water.

Filling the green retaining wall blocks of your living wall with succulents, another of the Garden Writers Association's top trends for 2011, is your best bet to saving water over the long-term. Plants belonging to the succulent class retain water in their leaves, stems, and roots. Succulents thrive in a selection of conditions, and are considered by many to be some of the easiest plants to care for. Some recommended types of succulents to plant include members of the Euphorbioides family, Sedum sarmentosum, and Phedimus takesimensis.

Another trend identified by the GWA is that of sustainable containers. For smaller plants, this could mean something as easy and inexpensive as a reused food container. For bigger plants or blocks of plants, look to use containers made from recycled materials. As it turns out, while the building blocks of most living walls are made of poured concrete, those constructed from components that meet the criteria as green retaining wall blocks, should also contain a significant amount 100% recycled plastic.

Green has not just become a trend in home landscaping because it is seen as the popular or socially conscious thing to do. Both of these factors have led to the proliferation of green trends in landscaping; as seen in the examples above, green landscaping has become increasingly popular because it saves money in the long run. By choosing proven methods of green landscaping, your next outdoor home improvement project can reap rewards for years to come.

Green Landscaping Trends For The Homeowner In 2011

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Gardening - A Relaxing Hobby

Many people find gardening an incredibly relaxing hobby. A hobby that allows them to get in touch with the earth and themselves. Likewise, gardening is not an expensive hobby to start, although the hobby may become expensive as you progress in the art of planting. Needless to say, thousands of people enjoy gardening each year and if you are fond of the outdoors, you may find yourself interested in gardening too.

You won't need much to start gardening. Some basic tools like a shovel, a rake, and hoe may do you well in the garden. You will need either seeds or starter plants, whichever you prefer. But, before you start working on the garden there are a few essentials that you need to learn to become a master at gardening and such skills need to be obtained before you lay the first seed.

Gardening

Read up on the art of creating a garden, don't just wing it. Why? Well, quite frankly, there are certain plants that fare better under certain conditions. Likewise, there are plants that do not do well next to other plants. Moreover, you will need to know what plants to plant and when, as plants may grow according to certain seasons. Visiting the library or the local bookstore can help you learn everything you need to know about gardening. If you don't have the transportation then visit websites that talk about the garden and different plants and how to care for them.

Likewise, while browsing websites, read up on the various techniques that other gardeners use. Find out what they feel makes their garden successful. Hints and advice abound on the Internet and the wealth of information available can help you make a success of your garden. Once you have done your homework, you may want to speak to others who own gardens and discuss techniques with them as well. It never hurts to ask for advice when you are planning a garden.

You can also pay a visit to the local florist. Florists are often versed in plant care and the techniques used for growing various flowers and vegetables. You can even buy your starter plants and seeds from a florist. You can also visit the local home and garden center near you and get advice from the staff working there about fertilizers, pest control and other issues that may concern you when you are creating a garden. The essential thing to remember is that when you are creating a garden you do not have to do so on a whim. The help is available if you are willing to take the time to ask questions and research your garden project before you begin.

Once you have versed yourself on all of the plant varieties and techniques used for growing you can select the right spot for your garden and begin your adventure. Follow the advice you have found about fertilizing soil, water levels, and planting. In no time you will be blessed with gorgeous blooms in your garden.

Gardening - A Relaxing Hobby

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening
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