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You are here: Home / Archives for The yard / Gardening

Garden Projects For You To Take On This Year

by Trish



It is a new year, so that means it is time for a new garden. Many homeowners will forget about their garden when it comes to redecorating, even though the garden is one of the key areas of any home. Do not waste another year putting off using your garden, instead plan ahead and turn your garden into a beautiful area that is perfect for you to relax in during the summer months.


To help you make a start with your garden transformation, I have listed some garden projects that you may want to take on in 2013.

Vegetable Plot

2013 is the year of turning green, and what is more perfect than creating your own vegetable plot? Not only can you save a fortune by growing your own vegetables, but you also know exactly where they have come from.

Homeowners that decide to grow their own vegetables usually decide to do this just as part of a fun summer project, they soon realise that there are many benefits from growing your own vegetables.

You will need to invest a lot of time into your vegetable patch making sure that your vegetables grow well.

Invite Wildlife

During the summer months you can expect to see plenty of wildlife make their way through your garden, as long as your garden is wildlife friendly. There are many ways you can encourage wildlife to come into your garden, one of the most popular ways is by providing food.

If you love to watch birds fly by, why not get a bird table and some tasty bird treats. If you want birds to come into your garden even faster, purchase some coconuts and leave half a coconut out as this is something they love.

Water Feature

If you want a bigger project in your garden, why not think about creating a garden pond? Not only will it look fabulous, but it will also attract wildlife to the garden. It is important that you make your pond safely; this will ensure that you do not put any one at risk through unstable surfaces or flooding.

It may be worth calling out an expert to come and create the garden pond for you as it will look a lot more professional and stylish.

Garden Furniture

There is not much point in having a stylish garden area, if there is nowhere for you to sit and admire the work you have done. You may want to consider creating your own garden furniture as part of one your projects, however you should be prepared as this can take a long time and will also cost quite a bit of money.

Kerry loves gardening and decided to create a garden pond ready for summer 2013. She also brought some trendy rattan garden furniture from http://www.oakita.co.uk/

Filed Under: Garden decor, Gardening, The yard Tagged With: birds, garden, Garden Furniture, Garden Projects, pond, summer project, Vegetable Plot, water, Water Feature, Wildlife

5 Gardens In Australia To Visit With Your Kids

by Trish

There are few things more relaxing and cheerful than taking a stroll with your family through a beautiful Australian garden on a sunny day. Australia offers a wide variety of gardens to choose from. Let’s take a look at some gardens that are ideal for a family outing:

1. Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Ballarat is generally regarded as one of the best cool climate gardens in Victoria. It springs to life in March during the yearly Ballarat Begonia Weekend. With many activities for the kids, entertainment, workshops and tours, it’s a celebration that you shouldn’t miss. The tradition dates back to 1889, when tuberous begonias were first planted in the garden. This was shortly after their initial discovery in Bolivia and northern Peru. You will also encounter plenty of roses, dahlias, camellias and azaleas.

2. The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden

Located at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, this is a wonderful place to begin teaching your kids about plants. The garden is loaded with interactive places for children to explore and play. The Bamboo Forest is an area that is totally defined by bamboo. The qualities of texture, sound and light all change here. The Wetland Area is a natural pond that is full of life. Kids can use microscopes, aquaspheres, nets and a library to learn about plants and insects.

3. Castlemaine Botanical Gardens

Journey around this 19th Century garden and take a look at the original features including Lake Joanna, the rows of oak and elm trees and the carriage drive. The gardens have recently been subject to a massive refurbishment that cost several million dollars. Improvements have been made to the picnic area, parking area, amenities and the garden’s lake. In addition to this, a new playground has also been installed. The gardens date back to 1860, when 25 hectares next to Barker’s Creek were allotted for the botanic gardens. Many exotic trees can be found here, many of which have been registered with the National Trust. In 1867, the Duke of Edinburgh planted an English Oak here. The tree is still very much alive all these years later. As you might imagine, it is quite massive at this point.

4. Morwell Centenary Rose Garden

Located in Morwell, Victoria, the Latrobe Council and a group of volunteers have created three beautiful acres of roses that reside in a park setting. Roses climb on walls and create splashes of color, while the paths below go through beds of Austin, Floribunda and Hybrid Tea roses. Roses that were bred in New Zealand reside at the southern end.

5. Friends of Geelong Botanic Gardens

These gardens were created in 1985 with the goal of promoting the community’s appreciation and awareness of the Geelong Botanic Gardens. In addition, they aim to support the Gardens as a place for recreation, conservation, horticulture, scientific research and education. Volunteer guides give tours for groups and individuals. The Friends Teahouse is available for light refreshments during your visit.

Stacey is a young stay at home mother who enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her 3 young children. She recently employed the services of Premium Pools & Gardens www.premiumpg.com.au to enhance her own backyard in the hope that her children will one day inherit her passion for gardening.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home and family, The yard Tagged With: activities, australia, balarat botanical gardens, Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, dahlias, flowers, Friends of Geelong Botanic Gardens, gardens, ian potter foundation childrens garden, kids, Morwell Centenary Rose Garden, plants, roses, shrubs, tour, trees, visit, workshop

Make Your Green Thumb Sweetie A Gardener Gift Basket

by Trish

If you have an avid gardener in your life or just someone who likes to be amist the flowers and plants, give her a gift basket with a garden theme this year. A gardener’s gift basket is one of the loveliest and most thoughtful things you can give someone who loves to plant and nurture their garden.

The Basket/Container

Consider what you will put your basket in. It doesn’t have to be a true basket, just something that will hold all the items. Consider a bell jar. These glasses resemble upside down wine glasses without the stems. They are perfect for starting and growing seedlings or one perfect plant. You can include everything inside and tie with a nice fat ribbon.

What to Include

Start with a pair of gardening gloves. They can be any color, just make sure they are the size that will fit your friend. Then, include a nail brush and gardener’s soap so that she can scrub her hands clean after playing in the dirt. A garden tool set in miniature is perfect if she likes to work in a greenhouse or with potted indoor plants. They’re also great if she likes terrariums.

Other things you can include are seed packets. If you know she loves flowers, go with all flowers. Or do a mix of vegetable seeds if you know she loves to tend her vegetable garden. A gardening book tailored to her interest is a nice idea. If she’s talking about making a shade garden or a raised bed garden this year, there are books specifically on those topics. Or if you don’t know what she might already have on her bookshelf, give her a gift certificate to a garden shop or bookstore that sells gardening books.

Also include sunblock for when she’s out in the sun, a hat that rolls up would also fit in the basket. You can also include a lip balm in a nice fragrance. Anything she might use when she’s out gardening is perfect.  A gardening themed t-shirt can be rolled up and placed in the basket as well.

If you’re stumped for what to give your gardening friend, go for a trug. These baskets are made for gathering flowers or fruits and vegetables. Any garden catalog or store will have them. Then, you can fill it with flowers and a gift certificate to a nursery that you know she loves. Throw in a magazine subscription about gardening and your gardening gift basket is all set.

A nice set of gardening sheers can be a great addition and a kneeling pad will save her knees. If you know her shoe size, go ahead and include gardening clogs. You might include a wind chime or another outdoor decoration that she can use in her garden and think of you.

Gardeners are a special breed. They love what they do whether they do it as a job or as a hobby. You will show how much you care about their interests and how you really went out of your way to make a gift that they will enjoy. Start making baskets today and you may make baskets for all your birthday and holiday gifting needs. It can be so much fun!

Attached Images:
  •  License: MBG Stock Photo provided by: smartphotostock.com

Barbara Petersen is a crafty writer with a special interest in gift giving and party planning. She regularly contributes to the All About Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog, put on by http://www.aagiftsandbaskets.com.

Filed Under: Gardening, General, Shopping, The yard Tagged With: basket, bell ;jar, flowers, garden, gardening books, gardening gloves, gift basket, green thumb, hat, sun block, tools, wine glasses

5 Great Things You Can Do With Your Garden This Summer That Will Make It Look Great

by Trish

Have you thought about what your garden is going to look like this summer? When people think about making some great changes to their home it’s always to the inside and the garden is merely an afterthought. That could be something people regret once the sun comes back because they’re going to be spending a lot more time outside. Sitting inside all day when it’s sunny is enough to drive you insane, so if you’re spending all that time outside you want it to be somewhere that’s beautiful.

Why don’t you take this time to think of all the wonderful changes you can make in your garden? It doesn’t need to be something that costs a lot of money and it can still look great if it doesn’t. There are things you can do that will suit all budgets. It’s probably a good idea to go over some things you can do right now. It will plant the idea of making changes in your head and perhaps you might like some of the ideas suggested. Get out your notepad, take some notes and you could be enjoying yourself a lot more than last summer.

Build yourself a pond

They put me here to try to make the world better

When you decide to build a pond you get to put your creative hat on because you can do anything you like. They can be big and fancy like something you’d find in a Japanese garden, or it can be a small hole in the ground with water in it. The choice is up to you and the sky is the limit. They also don’t usually cost much provided you do the work yourself and you don’t fill it with expensive fish. You also need to remember than having a water feature in the garden is a big responsibility if you have children running around.

Paint your fingers green

Your garden might look plain just now, but if you decided to get green fingers you could turn it into a work of art. Looking after flowers is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your garden, but remember that it’s not easy. If flowers are not your thing then maybe you could grow your own vegetables instead. Sometimes it’s nicer putting in all that work if you can be rewarded with food at the end of the day. It’s your garden so you can grow anything you want.

Lay a patio

terrace August 2006

It’s always nice to have a patio if you’ve always been used to grass everywhere you look when you go outside. It turns into a great place to eat your dinner in the evenings during summer because you can buy a proper table and chairs. You can also keep a barbeque on the patio and invite people around for food whenever you want. Of course you can do all this on the grass, but there’s just something about a proper patio that makes it a better option.

Give it the once over

Sometimes you don’t even need to add anything new to your garden to make it look great. Taking away all the crap that’s lying around is enough. You could go one better and paint everything so it looks like the day you moved in. When you’re cleaning out all the crap you do realize you won’t think of it in this way? You’ll think it’s all great stuff, so keep your emotions in check and throw out everything that you don’t need.

Treat yourself to something special

Everything we’ve talked about up until now is just a few nice things you can do to make your garden look nicer. You always have the option of treating yourself to something special, but this option is only available if you have enough money. I’m talking about a swimming pool, sauna, hot-tub, or anything else that would take your breath away every time you went outside. If you do have the money sometimes treating yourself is exactly what you need.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.andertoons.com
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Jeff Kruger is the owner of a famous Mower Shop in Perth which specializes in custom designed turf equipments to make your yard look great. He spends his free time blogging and watching rugby.

Filed Under: Garden decor, Gardening, The yard Tagged With: ;changes, barbecue, flowers, garden, great things, ideas, Japanese garden, paint, patio, plants, pond, summer, sun, vegetables

Zip it Up–Top Tips to Protect Your Plants from Winter’s Cold

by Trish

With winter at its peak, you’ve probably never thought of tending to your garden. However, keep in mind that the cold temperatures this season brings can be difficult on your plants. So to make sure that they’ll make it through the winter, it’s never to late to zip them up so that they can brave the cold. You can also do other gardening chores this season that will ensure you’ll have a healthy garden as spring approaches. Here are some of the best tips to accomplish such things.

Around the garden

If there are remaining potted plants outside, wheel them in a sun room, shed, greenhouse or garage. Although they may not be at their best indoors since they won’t be receiving sufficient sunlight, the shade will ensure that they’ll make it long enough to survive through the winter.

Don’t forget to rake around your garden for fallen leaves because if you leave them be, they can cause heavy damage and may even serve as a breeding ground for diseases come spring time. Likewise, it might be the worse chore for winter, but you still need to do some weeding since weeds don’t take vacations. Most weeds are undergoing their flowering and seeding stages during winter, so before they spread their seeds, uproot them to save yourself from future weeding.

Trees and Shrubs

For your trees and shrubs, it’s all about covering them up against the cold and pruning. If snow has built up on the branches of the trees, make sure it doesn’t turn into ice by knocking it off from the branches using an upward motion to prevent the limbs from breaking. After you’ve done this, you can prune most of the shrubs and deciduous shade trees around your garden, but avoid pruning flowering trees.

Check around if there are newly planted trees, especially those with thin barks, and shrubs that you forgot to wrap. If there are, cover their trunks from the base up to keep moisture at bay. Then, build wind breaks around trees and shrubs that are not protected. Position poles on the ground, making two sides of a triangle. The triangle’s tip should be positioned on the spot that receives the most wind. Then attach a burlap or cloth around the posts, but make sure that it doesn’t touch the leafy parts. This will protect the trees and shrubs from freezing.

Indoor plants

Although your houseplants may not be totally exposed to the perils of winter, they still require special attention so that they will not succumb to the cold. Hence, check all of your plants for pests or diseases. If some of them are affected, treat them with organic products to prevent the pests or diseases from spreading.

When watering the houseplants, do it minimally. The water should just be enough to saturate the soil and drain through the container holes. Make sure not to over water the plants, or else they’ll end up soaking in standing water that can damage their roots. Also, take the time to turn plants every other week so that all the foliage will receive sufficient sunlight. And during extremely cold nights, draw down the curtains or blinds to protect the plants on your windowsills against the cold.

This guest post was penned by Ericka for http://www.steelbuildingsdesign.co.uk/. Ericka is passionate about learning and sharing information about gardening. She is also fond of writing articles about home improvement.

Filed Under: Gardening, The yard Tagged With: cold, Gardening, healthy garden, plants, potted plants, protect plants, prune, rake, spring, winter

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