Gardeners Need Gardening Gloves

One of the best things about gardening is felling warm, moist dirt in your bare hands, but you will often end up with blistered, chapped, and scraped skin. The solution to this problem is gardening gloves. The more time you spend getting down and dirty in the garden, the more you need gardening gloves. Gardening gloves will be able to ease some of the pain you would otherwise be subject to, letting you spend even more time playing in the dirt.

There are hundreds of different types of gloves on the market, and the kind of gardening glove you buy depends on the way you garden. Some gloves offer protection against specific substances or things, for example, leather gloves are not the best for working with chemicals or water. Many gardening gloves are specialized for pruning thorns, refilling gasoline tanks, or using a chain saw, while others are for general tasks such as raking, digging, and weeding.

After choosing the type of gardening glove you need, you must make sure and pick out the perfect fit. Gloves that are too big have a tendency to slip off while gloves that are too small could cause aches and cramps. Any glove that doesn't fit could defeat the whole purpose of wearing gloves and cause blistering. To find a glove with the best fit possible, try the gloves on both hands, make a fist, and imitate the movements you make when gardening. If there is no pinching or slipping and the glove is comfortable then you have found your match.

Gardening gloves can be bought in many places and are produced by many companies, causing them all to have a different quality and price. Most gloves can be washed in cool water and then air dried. There are many different types of gloves you can purchase to satisfy your varying needs, such as cotton and cotton-polyester for general-purpose chores. These are among the most popular gloves and are perfect for light chores in cool and dry weather. Leather gloves can also be used for general chores but are heavier than cotton and polyester. Chemical resistant gloves will help protect your hands against oils, acids, herbicides, pesticides, and many other chemicals. Grip enhancing gloves are designed with rubber dots for extra gripping power. Cut and puncture resistant gloves are designed to offer extra protection against sharp edges

If you are the type person that only wears gloves as an optional luxury for various tasks, you should think seriously for using specialized gardening gloves for many of the activities you will be doing outside. There is really no reason not to wear gardening gloves; they protect your hands from the elements and don't ever cost all that much.

Gardening books come in all different shapes and sizes and offer more information on gardening than can be found anywhere else.  Anything anyone ever wanted to know about gardening can be found in a gardening book.  Gardening books are not expensive, and will end up being worth much more than you will pay for one.  Not only can gardening books be used for personal use, they are also an excellent gift for a gardening friend.

For the beginner, gardening books are almost a necessity in starting a garden.  Books will give step-by-step instructions and easy to understand directions on how to plant a garden, from breaking up the dirt to how much water your plants need.  They will give all of the necessary details about every type of plant, such as how much light they need to survive, how often they need to be watered, how much nutrients must be added to the soil, and any other little quirks that plants have.

Gardening books are very informational and range anywhere from just a pamphlet size book with a few pages to a novel size book with hundreds of pages.  The information provided is top notch and a lot of it cannot be found anywhere else.  Books provide hints and tips on how to make your plants healthier, how to keep your garden free of weeds, and how to prevent against and fight diseases.

Often times gardening books will give readers ideas they had never thought of before.  For example, there are hundreds of vegetables and herbs out there that many people would never think of growing in their backyard, but would be very good to grow in your own personal garden.  There are also millions of flowers many people don’t think about but that are very beautiful.  There are hundreds of people that would probably trade their rose bush for an exotic flower, and with a gardening book they could read about what types of flowers are available and will grow in their area.

Whether you enjoy gardening or not, gardening books are wonderful gifts if you have a gardening friend.  It is personalized and you can give a great gift that isn’t that expensive.  You could even give it to someone who doesn’t garden.  Who knows, maybe they will be interested and decide to plant a garden.

Gardening books are excellent for any type of gardener at any level.  No matter how much gardening knowledge and experience you have, I guarantee you there is a gardening book somewhere that has something in it you don’t know.  Gardening books can be used no matter what you grow: shrubs, flowers, vegetables, fruits, and trees, even those of you who grow weeds!

Landscape Ideas For Front Yard: Gift Plants

You've received a lush poinsettia, thriving Christmas cactus, or basket of narcissus. Is there any way to keep them growing after the holidays?  Yes.

Your first task is to keep the plants in a brightly lit room until it's warm enough to plant in your garden. If possible place them in a window that gets at least a few hours of direct sunlight a day. Don't put them on a radiator, in front of a heater, or in the direct path of the heated air flow from you furnace.

Water only when the plants are dry. Over watering is much more common than under watering and can kill a plant just as quickly. Stick you finger in the top inch of soil. If it's even slightly damp don't water. Some plants need more water than others. Obviously if the leaves are drooping water the plant.

Don't fertilize at least for the first 30 days. Many florists and plant nurseries give the plants a boost of fertilizer before they go on sale. So your potted plant won't need any for the first month they're with you. Too much fertilizer or fertilizing too often will burn the plant. Because the soil is in pot the level of fertilizers builds up. Use a fertilizer that you dissolve in water and use it at half strength every six weeks.

Plants bloom in cycles. Winter is only a normal bloom cycle for plants in tropical or warm desert climates. The odds are your plant was forced to bloom which uses quite a bit of energy. For example: narcissus normally bloom in the early spring, roses in summer and mums in the fall. Once your plant has finished blooming don't try to force more flowers with extra fertilizer or more sunlight.

Recognize that certain plants will thrive only in conditions where they would naturally grow. Poinsettias are tropical plants and won't make it through the lightest frost. Cactus need a period of dormancy caused by lack of water so if you live in Seattle the cactus will likely succumb to all the rain.

When the weather warms up and the date of the latest average frost has passed, keep the plant on the patio or entry way where it's still sheltered but can acclimate to the outside. Flowering plants need eight hours of sunlight to promote blooms, keep that in mind when you select the permanent home for the plant.

Dig a hole that's larger than the pot. Place the plant in the hole at the same level as when it was in the pot. In other words the soil mark from the original potted soil should be slightly below ground level.

Water thoroughly and enjoy.

Landscape Ideas For Front Yard: Easy Summer Flowers

Late spring is the perfect time to plant seeds for easy to grow summer flowers. The soil needs to be warm enough for germination and the spring rains will help the seedlings get going.

Summer annual flowers include zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, petunias, bachelor buttons, balsam, alyssum, marigolds, vinca, and lobelia to name just a few.  

Flowers need at least six hours of full sun to bloom profusely. In very hot areas such as the Southwest and desert areas, afternoon shade is appreciated.

Prepare the soil by digging down at least six inches. Turn the soil over with a shovel. Add compost or well rotten manure and a time release fertilizer per the package directions. Turn the soil over again to mix in your ingredients.

If your flower bed is up against a wall or fence, plant the tallest flowers in the back, medium tall in the middle and short or spreading flowers in the front. The tall flowers can use the wall to lean on and won't shade the shorter flowers.

If your flower bed is in the middle of the yard, plant the tall flowers in the center, surrounded by medium tall flowers and then ringed by the shorter and spreading flowers.

Throw caution to the wind and plant a splashy mix of all different colors, much like you'd find in a meadow. Or plant in coordinated colors. All pastels are very pretty. Pick a two bright opposing colors like red and blue and fill in with plenty of white. Orange and purple work well too with lots of white or cream. Or pick all shades of the same color like blue and then use a pop of yellow every once in awhile.   

Plant seeds three times as closely as the seed package says. That gives you extra seedlings because you'll lose some to the birds and bugs. Cover the seeds as directed and then add a layer of mulch on top. Water thoroughly. Only water when the soil looks dry not on a schedule. Too much water can be as bad for baby plants as not enough water.

After the seeds have sprouted wait until they have at least four true leaves then thin to the desired spacing.

Landscape Ideas For Front Yard: More Tips to Grow Roses

Dead Heading

One of the benefits of roses is having lots of beautiful bouquets in the house. That's good for you and good for your roses. Flowers have only one purpose in life and that's to produce seeds so the plant can reproduce itself. Once the seeds have set many flowers, including roses, stop blooming. Remove the flowers as they become old and the bush should keep producing new blossoms.  It will help flower production if you pick blossoms in their prime as well.

Feeding and Watering

Feed your roses a slow release fertilizer per the package directions. Most roses will only need to be fed in early spring right after they've leafed out and late summer. Water well after feeding.

As we said roses don't like their feet wet so water only when the top 2 inches feel dry. Roots go down about three feet so if the top of the soil feels moist the roses don't need to be watered yet.

You can grow beautiful roses without a lot of effort.

Landscape Ideas For Front Yard: Tips to Grow Roses

Prepare the soil

Roses require rich and loamy soil. When choosing a spot to plant new roses pick one that gets at least six hours of sunshine a day. Roses don't like their feet wet so stay away from areas that don't drain well. Dig a hole twice as deep and wide as your rose bush container. Backfill the hole with a mixture of 50% compost and 50% of the soil you've removed. Sprinkle in slow release fertilizer per the package directions. Please the rose in the prepared hole. Make sure the soil line on the rose is at the same level as the soil line in your garden. You may have to fill the hole a little more or remove a bit of soil. When you're satisfied, place the bush in the hole and fill the hole half way and water well. When the water has drained completely fill in the hole.

If your roses are already established freshen up their soil by adding compost, well rotten manure, or top soil. Sprinkle with a slow release fertilizer and work this mixture into the soil around the rose bushes.

Bugs and other critters

Keep ahead of bugs by inspecting the roses on a daily basis or at least twice a week. If you catch problems early they won't become serious. Aphids love roses. Wash them off with a hard spray from your garden hose. If that doesn't work use a spray of 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water. The soap sticks to the aphids and kills them but it won't hurt the roses.

If you find a grayish to white film on the leaves and rose buds it's probably powdery mildew. It's not serious but it will ruin the look of the flowers. Use a fungicide especially for roses. Neem is a good one.

Other problems are dark spots on the leaves, holes, skeletonized leaves and flower buds becoming brownish. Take a sample of the rose bush to your local plant nursery and they can tell you exactly what the problem is and how to solve it.

Landscape Ideas for Front Yard: More Flowers For Baskets

Bacopa
Bacopa vines are have small dark green leaves and bright white tiny flowers. Several varieties have blue flowers. Plant both in one container for a showy basket. Bacopa grows slowly but steadily. It does not recover from wilting, so keep well watered. It needs sunlight to blossom but doesn't like the heat. In Arizona it's best grown in an eastern exposure. Use it to grow over the sides of a raised planter as well as from hanging baskets.

Petunias
Petunias are ideal for a hanging planter in the sun as long as it's well-watered. If the soil has pulled away from the sides of the pot, submerge the entire pot in water until it stops bubbling. Dead head spent blossoms to keep the petunia blooming. Combine petunias with a taller plant such as snapdragons for contrast.

Succulents
Several succulents grow in containers and have a trailing habit. Burro's tail has overlapping oval shaped trailing cylinders. Lipstick plant has bright pink flowers that look like a tube of lipstick when in bud. Ice plant blooms in red, purple, pink and yellow.

Landscape Ideas For Front Yard: flowers for hanging baskets

Ivy Geranium
Geranium flowers on a vine rather than on an upright bush, ivy geraniums do well in planters. The flowers clusters are a bit smaller than on upright geraniums. Colors include pink, white, red and purple. Often the flowers will be streaked with a contrasting color. Ivy geraniums need shade from the hot afternoon sun. They do best in late winter and spring.

Sweet Potato Vine
Once sweet potato vines get going they grow to 20 or more feet long. Propagate the vine by taking a cutting and rooting in water. The leaves are loped, 4-inches long and 3-inches wide and chartreuse green. Purple sweet potato vine is a deep dark purple. It grows a bit slower than the green variety. Both grow in dappled shade and direct sunlight. The vines break easily so keep them in a protected place. Trim to keep the vines contained. As long as there is no frost sweet potato vines keep growing all year long.

How To Grow Spring Bulbs in the Winter

Waiting for spring during the cold winter months doesn't have to mean staring at a bleak winter landscape wishing for warmer weather.  Get a head start on spring with forced flower bulbs. Many varieties do well in pots when given the proper environment.  A little planning ahead and the right types of bulbs is about all it takes.

Bulbs
Lots of bulbs can be forced or tricked into blooming out of season.  Most of them naturally flower in the spring time with a few exceptions.  Easter or trumpet lilies are forced for very early spring blooming when they naturally bloom in mid summer.  Amaryllis is forced for blooming during the winter holidays but naturally bloom in early summer.

Spring blooming bulbs include tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils, tulips, and grape hyacinths.

Get the bulbs ready to grow
Most spring bulbs require a period of cold to induce the flowering process. However, cold doesn't mean freezing. If the bulbs freeze they'll die. Keep the bulbs in a dark cool (below 40 degrees) place such as a garage, in the vegetable crisper of the fridge or planted in pots that are kept outside in a protected area. When the chilling period is within a week or two of the appropriate time check the tops of the bulbs for any new shoots. They'll appear as tiny very light green bumps. If you see them it's time to plant.

Tulips and hyacinths require the longest chilling period, 16 weeks. Crocuses require from 12 to 14 weeks. Daffodils from 10 to 12 weeks. Narcissus, a relative of daffodils don't require any chilling. Chilling times are approximate.

house cleaning tips
Planting
Select a pot with drainage. Fill with three inches of soil. Place the bulb in the pot flat side down and pointed end up. If you have spotted the light green bumps, plant that end up. Cover the bulbs with soil and water thoroughly. Let drain.  Do not over water or the bulbs will rot. Let them almost dry out completely between waterings. Keep in a cold dark area until the shoots are above the soil. Move to a warmer sunnier area.

Forced in water
Bulbs will grow forced in water without soil. After the chilling period fill a clear glass or glass container with several inches of marbles. Place the bulb on top and add marbles up to the neck of the bulb. Fill the glass with water up to just over the bottom of the bulb. Place in a well lighted window. Keep the water level steady. Don't immerse the bulb in water. If the water gets cloudy change it completely.

More flowers for window boxes

Plant the flowers in a plastic light weight window box using a potting soil which retains moisture.   Line the inside of the window box attached to the house with a layer of sphagnum moss.  Place the planted plastic window box inside the attached window box.   These extra steps will keep the flowers from drying out so quickly.  In addition the plastic flower box can be removed for a good soaking which might be difficult with the attached window box.

Combination

Probably the best location for a window box is morning sun and afternoon shade.  Geraniums come in a myriad of pinks, purples, reds and white and do very well in window boxes.  They are probably the best flower for that purpose.  Lobelia is a low growing flower only four to five inches tall and 12 inches wide.  It's covered with small blossoms in brilliant blue, pale blue or light purple.  Petunias are a window box standard.  The flowers can be single, double, grandiflora or ruffled.  Some flowers are edged in  white. 

When planting the window box, choose flowers that trail over the edges like alyssum, some that grow taller such as snapdragons for the back of the box and some that are Contrasting colors

The Best Flowers for Window Boxes

Best is a relative term and that goes for "best" flowers.  Nearly all flowers will grow in window boxes but some varieties are better suited than others. Generally flowers that do well in containers don't need to be dead headed to keep blooming, have a moderate growth habit and roots that don't need more than 12 inches or so of soil.

Shade

The location of the window box is one of the most important factors in how well the flowers bloom.  Most flowers need at least six to eight hours of sun per day to bloom.  However, there are a number of flowers that thrive in the shade.  Begonias are fleshy leaved plants that have small flowers.  The leaves can be bronze, pure green, or dark green.  The flowers come in pink, white and purple.  Tuberous begonias have flowers the size of golf balls and arrow shaped dark green leaves.  Both do well in shade. Other flowers for shaded window boxes include monkshood, dwarf columbine, lily of the valley, impatiens, violets and pansies.

Sun

Window boxes that receive sun all day long need to be watered as much as once a day during the warm summer months.  Lantana is drought tolerant and loves the sun.  Zinnias do well with lots of sun and will pop right back if they wilt. Salvia is another good choice.