Category Archives: Gardening

Tips to Create a Pretty and Whimsical Garden Display

Gardening has always been fun and therapeutic for all gardeners which is why there are so many that spend money on pots, garden tools and tons of hot plants of the month.

Creating a pretty garden arrangement is very simple and you can create something spectacular worthy of oohs and aahs. Get out your garden tools and get ready to create something marvelous. The easiest way to create a striking arrangement is to have a good picture in your mind of what you would like it to resemble.

The arrangement can be something colorful (you can mix various colors together to make something bold or just simple and pretty). If you are playing with colors then use the color wheel as your guide to help you make pretty combinations. Colors that lie directly across from each other on the color wheel will automatically look great together because of how different they are.

They can make very striking and powerful arrangements when paired together. Those colors that lie on either side of each other on the color wheel will look pretty and soothing next to each other. These are the colors that are related to each other such as pink and light pink and even red.

To create your arrangement, start with a few small plants and a large planter such as a pretty wooden wheelbarrow planter that will accommodate them. Keep in mind, that the plants will grow tall or branch out, so think about this when you are placing them in your arrangement.

The plants that will grow taller will need to be placed in the center or back side of your arrangement, otherwise if placed in the front or sides, the arrangement might look lopsided. Or you may want something like this! You just need to experiment to find the right look for you and you can slowly add more plants to it over time.

Soon enough, you will have a gorgeous work in progress garden planter arrangement that you will display proudly and you will receive plenty of complements on.

Choosing Garden Netting For Pests

After all the careful preparation in the spring and months of tending to your young garden, the last thing you want is to be overrun by pests before you can enjoy the harvest from your efforts. Whether it is insects, rodents, small animals, deer, or birds, the chances are that you would prefer to keep them from your vegetables and fruits in the garden. And while there are a number of good alternatives for keeping these uninvited guests out of your plants, one of the most effective is garden netting for birds.

Specialized netting can be used for a surprising number of applications in the garden. Not only can it be utilized to provide shade to your plants or support to your vines, but it is quite effective in keeping unwanted visitors from eating your crops. For whatever reason, most people tend to hesitate when it comes to applying garden netting in their own gardens.

A common problem for home gardeners is keeping birds out of their fruit trees and berry bushes. Bird netting is an excellent way to protect these fruits from the birds. Simply find a netting style that meets your expectations, drape the netting over the plant, and enjoy your crop when you want to enjoy it. The netting effectively keeps the birds from your crop, and can integrate quite seamlessly into the flow of your garden design.

For many of the insect problems that the average gardener faces, a combination of natural sprays and garden netting is often sufficient to keep these critters away. For your plants that will allow a protective layer of netting, draping the nets over the plants is quite effective in keeping larger bugs from infiltrating your plants.

Whatever your pest problem, there is likely a netting that will help to protect your garden. If you find yourself faced with pests, don’t be afraid to take action. You’ve worked hard on your garden, take the time to protect what you have created.

What to Look for in Tree Services

Most people enjoy the trees on their property. Unfortunately, trees can cause problems  like everything else. The good news is, its easy to protect your safety by hiring a quality tree services to deal with your trees.

These professionals can do all kinds of things, from cosmetic trimming, pruning, and if necessary the removal of a whole tree. Some companies are better than others. You could just go with the first choice you find, but you’re more likely to get the best when you look at different options. Different service companies have different qualifications and practices. Here is what you need to take into account.

Warning Signs

You should always investigate a company before you hire them. Dealing with trees requires a lot of responsibility. Stay away from unprofessional businesses or people, such as the local neighborhood handyman. A company that knows what its doing will examine your property and give you a free price estimate of the service before you hire them. If they want you to pay without providing this, grab your wallet and run in the opposite direction!

Trained Employees

Working high up with trees requires a lot of training to do right. In many areas, tree service employees need to go through a training program and be licensed. This generally requires many hours of both experience (with an apprenticeship) and classroom time. Make sure the company has licensed employees.

Legal Concerns

You do not want to be held liable if the company you trusted your trees to made a mistake that caused your old pine to fall on the neighbor’s house. If a company is legitimate, they will have liability insurance. This is way of saying “trust us, we know what we’re doing, and will take full responsibility for doing it right”. A good choice should have at least $1,000,000 of liability insurance. Workers compensation is a similar issue.

Without a good compensation program, an employee who injured himself working on your property might be inclined to hit you with a lawsuit! So make sure that the company also has compensation for injured employees.

Examine Multiple Options

To be sure you receive the quality if service you deserve, make sure to look at multiple options. Find at least three local companies that meet all these standards, and compare the prices. See how satisfied previous customers have been by searching for reviews on the internet.

Most of us would rather avoid thinking about the worst case tree scenario, but accidents do happen, so you need to be prepared for the possibility. Its better to take care of potential dangers now, than when they fall through your roof at 12:00 AM. There are plenty of companies out there who do know what they are doing. So as long as you do your homework, everything will turn out fine.

For more great information about all sorts of nature topics, you can check out The Nature Walk. Whether it be fast growing trees, lawn turf, or plant stands, we can tell you about it!

How To Design A Butterfly Garden

To those who have never done it, designing a live butterfly garden might appear a bit intimidating. But in reality, so long as you are careful to do a little planning and aren’t afraid of some elbow grease at the outset, the joy of a butterfly garden is well within your reach.

First you need a sunny spot. The sun is important because plants grown better when they get plenty of exposure to it. But it is also critical for butterflies, who are cold-blooded insects. Without sun, they can’t fly.

People wonder how large a butterfly garden should be. There is no single right answer. It really depends on how hard you want to work to create it, and what kind of result you are hoping to achieve. Really, you could put a few plants in pots and so long as they’re the right plants, you’ll have butterfly visitors. But if you want a number of species, then you need something a bit larger.

Aim for ten by ten square feet. Till the soil and then add some nutrients to give your plants a real jump start. Lime is good, as is compost – both of which are available at garden supply stores.

Once you’ve got your garden set up, it’s time to add some plants. What should you add? Well, different species like different plants. You can do a little research and try to maximize your plants for ideal butterflies.

But a simple list of relatively easy to care for plants probably includes: rose bushes (go for a few shades of red), asters, marigolds, violets, butterfly bushes, clover and zinnias. You can add milkweed if you are interested in attracting Monarch Butterflies.

Be sure that you keep your plants grouped together by color. We love butterflies because of their colorful wings, and they love plants because of the colorful blooms! If you scatter the flowers, the butterflies will have a harder time focusing on where they want to alight. Keep your yellows with your yellow and your pinks with your pinks!

After you’ve got the plants up, it’s time to kick back and watch the butterfly show begin!

Deer repellent tactics to protect your garden and plants

Spring and summer are characterized by lush leaves and budding flowers. However, they are also the seasons when hungry deer emerge from the woods to snack on delicacies found within the garden. Deer repellent tactics will keep deer out of the yard without causing them any permanent harm.

One way to deter deer is by installing a fence around the garden. The fence will need to be at least eight feet high because hungry deer will not hesitate to jump high in order to get some food. Thorny branches or netting should be interspersed with the fencing to provide further deterrent.

Fencing can be quite expensive, depending on the size of the fence and material used. Many homeowners will not have the necessary skills to install a fence themselves, so they will need to contact a professional. The labor charges in addition to the cost of materials can make this quite an investment. There is also no guarantee that a very hungry deer will not leap over this tall fence.

Try using repellent sprays in the garden as an alternative deterrent method. Sprays can be concocted at home using ingredients like soap or rotten eggs and water. There are many recipes on the Internet so try some of these or ask a local garden expert for recommendations.

The sprays sold online and in stores may contain chemicals or they may be entirely organic. Purchase one to treat the perimeter of the area or select the variety that is sprayed directly on the vegetables and flowers. Since these products are low-cost, test out some different brands to find the one most effective at deterring the deer in the area.

Incorporate deer repellent plants and flowers amongst the other items in the garden. Check online to see what shrubs and flowers will grow best in the garden’s climate. A deer may nibble on some of these but will then get a nauseous feeling in its stomach. The condition is temporary, but it will cause the deer to think twice before chewing on flowers and plants in the garden again.

There is a form of deer repellent for every budget and garden size. Fencing, sprays, and certain flowers and shrubs that deter deer are each effective in their own way. Find out what works best in your garden so you can rest easy that those prize roses will not be a deer’s next snack.

There are many ways you can protect your garden from deer. Visit our site and read about deer repellent recipes, deer resistant plants, studies and surveys about the variety of repellents and what others are doing. You can also post your questions and get answers.