Home Garden

Have you ever considered setting up a garden for your entire family? Wouldn’t it be neat having a space for everyone to enjoy and to work together in? Here are a few tips for you to think about and consider when you start planning for a family garden:

1. The garden needs to be green. You might say this is pretty obvious. I am however referring to the new definition of the word “green”. The garden needs to be environmentally friendly. You want to add something to the planet, not create more damage. So carefully consider what kind of garden you want and the types of vegetables, flowers, shrubs or trees that you want to plant. What type of layout do you want to have? Will you have a pond, a small waterfall, or just plants? These are all questions you need to consider before you put the shovel in the ground the first time.

2. The garden needs to be functional. Now you are really starting to wonder where I am coming from. What does functionality have to do with a garden? Your garden could be the most elaborate in the neighborhood, but if it is not functional you have wasted your time, money and effort. While beautiful and colorful plants may be visually appealing, they may not be the optimum usage of space for your family. Consider having several smaller spaces in your garden for different uses, for example: a sitting area; a quiet meditation area; a children’s play area and/or an area for pets.

3. Consider the needs and desires of the entire family, including your pets. Everyone has a different opinion as to what is beautiful or not. Some people are formal and want every leaf just so, others just want a place to run and play. Think about a spot for picnics, or open spaces to play in. Think about what would make this a fun, yet relaxing and entertaining space that the entire family will enjoy. You’ll be surprised what you can come up with. Get the entire family involved. Go to home and garden shows and go visit public gardens. See what others have done and go for it.

4. Do you know what you want to get out of the garden? I think I have already touched on this, but it is important. What area of the world do you live in? Do you have 4 seasons? Or are you in a hot environment? The area you live in and the climate changes you experience will give you some things to consider. You might not want to have an acre of green grass if you live in a desert type of environment. And if you live in the north, tropical plants will not be a good fit. So please keep in mind the region you live in before you start your garden project. Also consider using plants that are native species to your region, as they will be hardier and not upset the local bio-system.

5. Will you have a need for privacy? Are you looking for a private spot to meditate or to relax? This would imply that you might want vines, or bushes to give you privacy. Or how about a small maze that ends in a seating area? Let your imagination soar.

Hopefully this has given you some food for thought. Getting a garden going will be something the entire family can get into and it will be good for the environment and planet. It will also give you something to be able to enjoy when you have time off and need to get away – right in your own backyard!

Composting is a method of recycling naturally, a process that uses microorganisms, that include bacteria and fungi, to decompose organic material into a nutrient rich humus or organic matter that can be used to amend your gardens soil and add nutrients for plant life to benefit from.

There are several ways that you can create a composting system. You can use a compost bin, tumbler or just a simple pile, they all are good methods. It is best to keep the area that you do your composting dry and not in a low area that water sits, along with an area that has good air circulation.

Even though you can compost green material or brown material separately, it is best to mix these two components equally. Green material being nitrogen rich, like by-products of plant life and brown material being carbon rich, like cardboard, paper, and saw dust or wood shavings. Avoid the use of any dairy products, cooked foods, meats or litter from cats or dogs. plants that have suffered from diseases should be avoided, especially if you are cold composting.

Collecting equal parts of brown and green organic material at the same time is not always possible, just be sure as you collect material that you mix it together well with what already exists in your pile if you are hot composting. With the cold compost method you can just keep piling the material as you get it and leave it to decompose naturally, it just takes longer for the decomposition process to finish. The end results will still be a nutrient rich humus, known as organic matter. Keeping your compost pile mixed, moist and
aerated will allow the process of decomposition to process the material quicker and avoid the possibility of any odors that my occur.

Depending on the method you choose for your composting operation, it can take anywhere from as little as six weeks to a year to have a product that is ready to use for your organic gardening needs.

Compost has many benefits, when added as a soil amendment, it will supply nutrients for plant life to benefit from, helps plants build a resistance to disease and pest problems, it aids in the breakdown of toxins that may exist in the soil, improves the soils structure, and retains moisture to name a few.

Used as mulch, compost also has benefits that will create a healthy environment for the plants you are growing. It is a great way to suppress weeds and prevent moisture from evaporating from the soil.

Composting your organic household and yard waste is a cost effective method of recycling, along with being healthier for the environment by avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

We’ve come to associate rose colors with various meanings based on history and mythology. Cleopatra valued the flowers for their scent; Aphrodite is credited with creating the first rose from a mixture of her tears and Adonis’s blood. Roses are woven throughout the ages in music, paintings, literature, and more.

We give roses as gifts, and knowing what meaning is attached to their colors will help select the right sentiment we mean to express.

The Red Rose

Everyone knows about red roses; they express passion or love. The most popular color flower for Valentine’s Day and expressions of romance and love, red is the number one best seller for florists. Red roses are typically given in the long-stem style.

The Pink Rose

When giving a pink rose, with its soft soothing shades one thinks of affection or maybe admiration. Thank you’s are frequently accompanied with these pastel-tinted flowers, as well as the occasional expression of sympathy.

The White Rose

When we think of white, we think of brides and weddings; white roses are a symbol of purity. The main choice for bridal flowers, this flower is sophisticated yet simple. This color of flower is often used at funerals, where we show honor and respect with white. There is a spiritual component to white which ties in with honoring a departed one.

The Yellow Rose

The color of the sun, bright and strong, yellow roses are all about happiness. The color is relatively new for roses, post 18th century, and is strongly associated with friendship. It is a very popular color for roses.

The Orange Rose

The orange rose can be soft and coral-like or fiery like the sunset. Either way, orange is for passion and desire. If you picked this flower as a gift you might be hinting at a possible romance. It’s a 20th century rose, a hybrid of red and yellow, and as a new flower color its meaning will change with time.

The Lavender Rose

If the message is mysterious or hinting of enchantment, then the lavender rose is perfect. The rareness of the color lavender has caused people to associate the flower with the unusual. It could be a love at first sight gift. If you pick a deeper shade of purple the color hints at royalty and elegance.

The Mix of Roses

If roses of varied colors are combined the significance of their colors is changed. Red roses in a bouquet with orange and deep gold colors are autumnal and no longer speak of passion. A soft pink flower can combined with other pastel flowers for the perfect baby gift or a spring bouquet. Use creativity when combining rose colors; combine them for seasonal affect or to express a wider array of sentiments.

Hosta Andrew is a wonderful large blue variegated Hosta plant. This plant forms a clump that is 21 inches high by 50 inches wide. The ovate leaves of Andrew are 9 inches long by 7 inches wide. This plant does need a decent amount of space in order to grow to its full potential.

The colors of Andrew’s leaves are a white with a nice wide blue/green margin. There is a narrow area of a more green color between the white and the blue sections of this plant. It is a tri-colored plant and all the colors work together in harmony to form a very attractive Hosta plant. The blue color is actually more blue than green which is nice because many blue/green Hostas are more green than blue.

Hosta Andrew does require shade to grow. Many of the blue Hostas cannot be grown in much sun and Andrew is no exception. This perennial plant requires protection from slugs.

The flowers of this Hosta are pale lavender and are held 22 inches above the plant itself. The flowers of Hosta Andrew are insignificant and have sterile seeds.

This is a great plant for beginners as it is not a demanding plant. It requires basic Hosta care such as plenty of water and well drained fertile soil.

This plant is slow growing and should not be used as a quick filler for the garden. Give it the time it needs to grow and it will be the showpiece of your shade garden.

Hosta American Sweetheart is a large but slow growing Hosta variety. This variegated Hosta forms a clump that is 20 inches high by 50 inches wide and needs plenty of space to grow into. It should not be planted with companions that are too small to handle such a large neighbor.

This plant has a unique method of holding its leaves. They try to point straight up which is very dramatic when a plant has such large leaves. The leaves of American Sweetheart are 9 inches long by 7 inches wide. Smaller Hostas occasionally have this extremely upright growth habit but the larger ones tend to be a bit less upright in growth habit.

The leaf coloration of this plant is creamy white with a very wide green edge. The leaves are slightly wavy and cup downward.

The flowers are lavender and bloom a bit on the late side from August to September. The flowers are sterile on Hosta American Sweetheart so just let the birds eat them and divide for additional plants. The flowers are held 26 inches above the plant itself.

This is a great plant that can be grown in the sunlight. It is also slug resistant which is a plus if you tend to have problems with these pests in your garden.

American Sweetheart is easy (if slow) to grow and does not have any special growing requirements. Just give it lots of space, good soil, and plenty of water and it will make a very dramatic statement in your garden.

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I never considered myself creative until I took up gardening, but gardening is definitely one activity that brings out the creative juices in even the most creatively challenged of us.

Gardening is an activity that gets in your blood and your bones. It can take over your thoughts and makes you obsessive. A dear friend of mine and fellow gardener sums it up best in her email signature:

There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “obsession”.

Excessive amounts of time spend on the follow activities may be a sign that you have crossed over the line:

• Buying gardening magazines
• Joining garden clubs
• Viewing public and private gardens
• Researching your favorites plants online
• Spending hours searching for new and interesting plants
• Visiting nurseries and botanical gardens near and far

These are all signs that must be heeded!

There is something very rewarding about digging in the dirt and seeing the fruits – or flowers – of your labour. Gardens are a never-ending, always evolving project. You are never done. If closure is what you are looking for, gardening is not the activity for you.

In spite or your hard work some of your favourite plants which have been thriving for years suddenly decide to move on, never to be seen again. On the other hand, there are those surprises that you never planted that suddenly appear to delight you for years to come. An exact science it is not. An ever rewarding “hobby” or “obsession” it is.

Joining a garden or horticultural club or association is one way to share your obsession without getting glazed looks in return. Ah – people who understand your passion for hemerocallis (daylilies) and heucheras. Who will share their favorite plants with you and offer you their wisdom to go with it. Life is good.

So nurture your artistic side and let the creative juices flow. But be forewarned. When the dirt gets under your nails the passion may enter your blood, and when that happens, there is no turning back!