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A bonsai garden is the picture of peace and tranquility. The time and dedication that goes into the trimming of each small piece of branch to allow the tree to blossom into a unique shape is a natural art form to behold.

The hobby of growing and shaping bonsai trees has gained in popularity in recent years. Some enjoy the relaxation it brings. Others like to watch the trees as they continue to grow into a new shape. Creating a center of peace, such as this, in your backyard is easier than you think.

In order to create your bonsai garden, you are going to need to start with bonsai trees, outdoor planters, and a plan. You don’t want all the trees side by side, you want to space the outdoor planters out, so you can walk to each tree and appreciate it, but not feel crowded by other trees. You may want to walk around your garden space a few times to get a good feel for where the trees should sit. You want to make sure where they are allows for a natural view of the trees with no distractions.

When selecting the outdoor planters for your bonsai tree, you need to keep in mind the overall impact it is supposed to have, little to none. The outdoor planters are not what you are trying to show off. They are simply the vessels that are supporting the bonsai trees that you are raising. That means the outdoor planters you choose should not be showy or over the top. Instead they should be natural looking pieces that add to the overall effect of the tree in them.

In addition to the outdoor planters you may want to add other items to your bonsai garden to complete the image of serenity.

Water is a very calming force, and can also have that effect in your garden. You can bring this extra calming impact to your bonsai garden by putting a fountain in between your outdoor planters. There are many completely built fountains on the market that you can put in place, with little to no fuss, plug in and let them flow. Want something a little bigger? What about a small Koi pond in the middle of your garden? If you are very creative and want a weekend project to really add some oomph to your bonsai garden, you could create your own babbling brook that runs through the garden space. This will involve all the elements of a pond building kit, plus some creative additions.

A final touch to your bonsai garden may be to add another style of garden to it. You can install a small Zen rock garden. The rakes and rocks are easy enough to buy and you can create a frame out of a few pieces of wood. Fill with very find white sand, place the rocks, and take your time creating an energetic design in the surface, as your days stresses melt away.
Jennifer Akre, owner of numerous online specialty shops, shares her insight on how to create more space outside your home by using decorative teak planters, charming planter boxes and sturdy teak garden planters.

Different types of gardens require different types of garden tools. Hardware stores typically offer a wide range of tools, but specialty shops offer more exclusive garden tools that shout quality. Wherever you decide to shop, here are a few pointers to help you choose correctly.

Is your garden large or small? A small garden obviously won’t require the same type of large garden equipment you would need for a more extensive one. For instance, a riding mower is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn. Who does most of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by just anyone.

When you buy secateurs, also called hand pruners or pruning shears, make sure the blade always stays sharp to avoid damaging the plant. Look for models that have blades that can be sharpened or replaced, as well as models with tension control and sizes that best fit your hands.

Hedge trimmers or shears are handy - but only if you have a hedge, or plan to grow one. Some hedge trimmers have curved blades to stop branches from sliding out when cut.

Forks are used for turning and aerating compost and for breaking up lumps of soil. The cheaper ones may not be strong enough for heavy soil, so check for sturdiness.

A shovel has a scoop blade and is best used to move dirt and garden soil. A spade has a flat blade great for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. The edge of a spade should be kept sharp for clean and efficient cutting and to cause the least amount of damage to plants. Shovels and spades are a basic garden necessity. You need at least one of each.

While secateurs are for smaller plants like roses, pruning saws are used for pruning trees and larger shrubs. They have a narrow curved blade that fits between stems or branches easily and cuts them as you pull back on the saw.

A chipping hoe is a handy tool for getting rid of small weeds. The Dutch or push-hoe is slightly more user-friendly of the available choices since the action required to use it does not jar the neck and shoulder quite so much.

A rake is also a basic requirement for the garden. A strong rake with a flat head and sharp metal prongs is used for smoothing a garden bed and getting out the last of the bumps and weeds. A plastic rake is used to gather leaves and grass clippings and shouldn’t be expected to perform heavier tasks.

While these are just a few of your options, you can see the variety of tools available to help you maintain a lush, healthy garden. Keep in mind that gardening tools don’t have to be expensive. Many online shops can offer excellent deals for the tools you need. And you could even be blessed enough to find some things at flea markets or yard sales.

Birds need a place to live, and also a place that provides food, water and shelter from predators.

When it gets cold and the winter winds blow, many “snow bunnies” move south to live in warmer weather. Many birds migrate south also, taking advantage of milder temperatures and southern cuisine with a greater variety of insects and seeds. However, you have many year-round residents who are joined by other birds that migrate only as far as your backyard so it is important to create a living area that is enticing to them.

Check over your back yard. Provide a pile of brush or bushes for birds and animals to hide in when predators approach. Small birds will look for shelter from sparrow hawks and other predators. Leave dead trees standing through the winter so woodpeckers can find food and build nests in cavities. Consider providing plants and trees with fruits and berries? The search for food starts at dawn and continues till dusk. If birds are able to eat enough, they will store enough energy to survive a very cold winter’s night. Then they start the process all over again for another day.

Meals for your winter birds must be served in appropriate bird feeders and not just thrown on the ground where it can be spoiled by dampness, mold and pesticides. Choose a location that has easy access for you, so the bird feeders can be refilled in cold weather. Select a place where discarded seed shells and bird droppings won’t be a cleanup problem. Place your feeders out of reach of the neighborhood cats and other predators. The most effective way to attract a large variety of birds to your yard is to put out separate feeders for each of your banquets for the birds.

Don’t forget that even in winter, birds need to drink. Eating snow (if there is any) just doesn’t get it. Sometimes the birds suffer more for lack of water than food. A heated birdbath with fresh unfrozen water will prove attractive to many of your winter visitors.
Backyard bird supplies are found at: http://www.birdsdunrite.com Jerry

For those without garden space, indoor gardening can be a rewarding alternative. Imagine growing organic fruits, and vegetables in your home without soil. Hydroponics is an effective means of growing plants with water containing nutrients instead. It offers all the benefits of a greenhouse, using only twenty percent of the space required for soil gardening. To start out as a hydroponic gardener, you can choose one of the many available hydroponic kits, or enjoy the satisfaction of making your own homemade hydroponic growing system.

There are several homemade hydroponic growing system methods. The two simplest methods are the reservoir method, and the flood and drain method.

Five gallon plastic tubs with matching lids work well for either method. Tubs should be opaque in order to prevent light from reaching the nutrient solution, or liquid plant food. Wash containers with vinegar, and then soap and water, to kill any bacteria.

Begin by creating your grow medium. Place seedlings and an inert mixture of perlite, vermiculite, and coconut coir into individual plastic planters. Cut two rows of holes, matching the diameter of the individual planter’s size, into the tub’s lid. Drop a planter into each hole. Fit the lid, laden with planters, onto its container.

In the reservoir method, the plants will be sitting in a reservoir filled to the roots with nutrient solution. An external air pump will provide a constant, but gentle flow of air bubbles to the solution, providing the roots with oxygen. Cut an additional hole in the lid and pass an airline of tubing from the pump, through the hole, and down to bottom of the container.

For the flood and drain method, a second tub with matching lid will act as the reservoir. This time, instead of cutting that extra hole for the tubing into the lid, cut holes into the sides of each tub. Run the the waterline from tub to tub. Use waterproof caulking to seal the connections. The principle here is based on gravity. When the reservoir is positioned level to, or higher than, the grow medium, the solution will run from the reservoir through the line and flood the grow medium. Reverse the positions to drain it. Plants should be flooded in this manner several times daily.

After setting up the hydration system, lighting will need to be provided. Place your homemade hydroponic growing system in a window that receives direct sunlight. Use a High Intensity Discharge lamp, or fluorescent lamp in the absence of direct sunlight

If you don’t have time to build your own homemade hydroponics growing system, pick up a kit. Hydroponic kits include everything needed to begin indoor gardening including nutrients, pH kits, and grow guide. Hydroponic kits are available in any one of the system methods. Choose the one that will work best for you.

Whether you create your own homemade hydroponics growing system or purchase one of the system methods available as hydroponic kits, you will enjoy growing your own produce.
Find out how to quickly build an effective hydroponic growing system on a budget. Grab a ready made kit that would make you project easier, faster and stress free. Chose an easy build homemade hydroponic kit and all the accessories to save yourself the time and money.

Homemade Hydroponic Gardening System

If you are starting out with indoor gardening, there is a lot to learn. One of the important environmental factors that you will need to provide for your plants is appropriate light. Plants need light for photosynthesis. Plants have the amazing ability to change light energy through photosynthesis into glucose and oxygen, which they need to thrive and grow. You will want to consider the grow lights you use in your indoor growing area very carefully, because it is a major aspect that will affect the success of your gardening venture. There are several new grow lights, and very popular ones include HID lights, HPS grow lights, LED grow lights, and MH grow lights. These are all hydroponic gardening grow lights, and all can be used with plants grown in soil as well.

HID lights go by the full name of high-intensity discharge lights. MH grow lights and HPS grow lights are also high-intensity discharge lamps. HID lights produce a great deal of light that more closely resembles sunlight than the light produced by either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, which is better for plant growth and reproduction. The way light is produced by HID lamps is when you turn the electricity on, the current runs through a ballast, which regulates the electrical flow to the electrodes, which are inside an arc tube, along with various gases and metals. When an electrical arc is produced, the gas in the tube helps start the light bulb, and the metals, once they reach the appropriate temperature, evaporate and produce the light that you see.

HPS grow lights make excellent hydroponic lights. HPS stands for high-pressure sodium, and these are used by professional growers to produce vegetables and flowers indoors commercially. HPS lamps use mercury in the arc tube, as well as sodium, and this makes for good color rendering, or colors showing up accurately when lit by the bulb. The spectrum color that a bulb gives off is important, because plants thrive under different colors depending on their stage of maturity. If you are trying to grow lettuce, for example, you will want to use the blue light spectrum under which it thrives. If you have mature tomato plants that you want to produce fruit and flowers, then you will want to use a red/orange spectrum to induce the plant to behave appropriately.

LED grow lights are called this due to a light-emitting diode that allows the lamp to produce light. These lights are handy because they come in an array of colors used in growing plants, and they produce a lot of light that is easily focused where you need it. They have a very long life as well.

MH grow lights are metal halide lamps. The arc tubes of these compact and efficient bulbs contain argon gas, mercury and a mix of metal halides. Like other HID lights, these lights require the use of a ballast in order to function properly.
Susan Slobac works at a Hydroponics supply store and is knowledgeable about grow lights. She has been taught by industry professionals about the details of hydroponic lights and shares her insights on the many varieties of grow lights for indoor gardening.

Many people throughout the world love to grow vegetable gardens. In some places these gardens feed the family throughout the year, but in other places they are grown more for pleasure than for food. Sure, the people that grow in these areas will enjoy the produce as well, but for the most part it is something that is done for pleasure. One thing that all people with vegetable gardens are interested in, however, is growing great vegetables.

If you want to grow some of the best vegetable plants that you can grow you are going to need to plan carefully and give them plenty of care throughout the growing season. Some of the most typical variety of garden vegetables will have various results, simply according to the amount of time that is spent on them throughout the year. For example, most people with vegetable gardens grow tomatoes. They are a hardy plant that will grow without much attention from the gardener. In fact, most people simply grow them in a cage and pick their fruit when they become ripe. You could do the same thing, but why not grow a better tomato plant?

Tomato plants will put off shoots that come up in between the stalk and branches. They are typically called suckers because they do not give your tomato plant anything, they simply take away from it’s strength. If you pinch these suckers off when they first appear you will give your tomato plants a chance to grow strong and produce well throughout the season. If you are consistent with this process you can expect to have some strong plants that produce extra large fruit and most people love having large tomatoes.

You will also need to keep your tomato plants upright. Some people use cages to keep their plants off of the ground but if you have been pulling your suckers like we discussed earlier then you will need something more. I always use tall wooden stakes to keep my tomatoes upright. These stakes are sometimes 6 feet in length and get driven into the ground a couple of feet. I put one by each plant and then keep the tomato tied to it by use of old nylons.

The first year that I used this method I ended up having to get taller stakes, simply because they were growing so tall. They also produced some of the largest, best tasting tomatoes that I ever grew. So if you want to grow great tomatoes, try giving them the care they deserve. If you take care of them, believe me, they will take care of you.
New to gardening? Get lots more gardening tips at: http://www.garden-plants.org

Nitrogen is the essential element that in terms of quantity is required most by plants. It has many functions in plant metabolism, not least having a crucial role in protein formation. As it readily becomes unavailable in the form that plants can absorb it, it is also applied the most as a plant feed. Therefore in the majority of gardening situations, it is necessary to avoid a state of nitrogen deficiency and add it to the soil. In what form should this be done? For nitrogen, while present in the atmosphere as a gas, and locked up in organic compounds in the soil humus, is only available to the plants as mineral salts dissolved in the soil water.

The short and simple answer or perhaps simplistic answer is to apply readily soluble, chemical fertilizer such as Ammonium Sulphate or Urea. However plant nutrition does not take place in isolation from the general conditions prevailing in the soil. For instance, a lack of oxygen in the soil sets in motion a process known as de-nitrification, whereby mineral nitrogen changes to a gas phase, and is consequently lost to the atmosphere.

In order to prevent this, it’s necessary to ensure adequate drainage, and also a large percentage of organic matter, in the form of humus, in the soil. A high humus content helps to form a crumbly soil structure and thus a satisfactory balance between air and moisture. It further serves as raw material for essential soil organisms such as earthworms, which by their activity both enhance the soil’s aeration and indirectly cause nitrogen to become more available to plant roots together with the other elements vital to plant growth. It follows therefore that periodically adding compost or humus to the earth is an integral and necessary part of plant nutrition.

If Nitrogen fertilizer in chemical form is to be applied, it should be done so during the plants’ growing season. For lawns, the spring and early autumn are generally the ideal seasons, at least in Mediterranean climates, whereas fertilizing in the summer often induces fungal infestations. Chemical fertilizing is a cheaper and probably more effective method of feeding lawns than the spreading of compost, but it should be noted amongst other drawbacks, that a serious environmental issue is at stake here.

The problem is that nitrogen fertilizer is easily leached out of the soil by rain or irrigation, and in the form that it rapidly turns into, (nitrates and nitrites) pollutes the water table, or any other body of water into which it eventually drains, such as lakes and rivers. It is primarily for this reason that I advocate the use of slow release fertilizer containing a balance of nutrients, as opposed to soluble types. In any case, for lawns, entirely satisfactory results can be achieved in most home garden situations by their use.

With regard to the garden plants as a whole, it’s usually necessary to add nitrogen fertilizer while planting a new garden bed. The soil should be thoroughly composted before hand, at a rate of at least 20 liters per square meter of ground, and a balanced slow release fertilizer, containing a high percentage of N and P (nitrogen and phosphorous respectively) applied at the rate indicated by the manufacturer’s instructions.
My name is Jonathan Ya’akobi.

I’ve been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984. I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners. I also teach horticulture to students on training courses. I’d love to help you get the very best from your garden, so you’re welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com

There are two colors you need to learn about before you start composting: green and brown. Those colors, in the right ratios, will turn ordinary coffee grounds and wood chips into two other colors: “black gold”. Okay, it’s actually a very dark brown, earthy substance, but you get the idea. The trouble is, many people are unaware of what they should put in a compost bin or tumbler in the first place. Here’s a rundown of what can go in and what has to stay out of your compost pile.

Greens include materials like kitchen scraps, such as fruit peels or crushed eggshells. It does not include meat, bones, dairy products, oils or grease. Keep these things out of your compost pile, as they do not decompose properly and will make the pile smell horrible. Plus, meat in a compost pile invites every critter you have tried to get rid of over to your house for a free meal. Rodents and wildlife will start scouring your yard looking for more food sources, ruining gardens and messing up the pile.

Browns include materials from your yard, such as dead leaves and plants, grass clippings, sawdust and yard debris like chopped up tree branches. Manure from grass eaters like cows are okay, and can actually help speed up the composting process since they are high in nitrogen. Fertilizers and manures, the kind of browns added to plants to make them grow, are something you can put in a compost pile; human and pet manure is strictly forbidden. Not only is it incredibly gross, but also full of diseases and parasites that you just don’t want to have mixed in with your plants.

Black and gray materials, like ashes from wood, limes or charcoal from barbecues should also stay out of the compost bin. These materials have too much alkaline, which messes with the pH level of the compost batch. Plants will not thrive in high amounts of alkaline, so leaves these things out. Additionally, keep out weeds, contaminated plants, anything that involves pesticides, or very wet or soggy matter. Wood and tree branches are great, but use a wood chipper or chipper shredder to chop them up into smaller pieces that your compost batch can digest easier. Lastly, do not put metals, plastics or glass in the compost pile-start a recycling bin in your home and put these materials in there. Remember, your compost pile is not a garbage heap, but a place to harvest your black gold-the best color in composting.
For a huge selection of composting and gardening supplies including compost tumblers and chipper shredders, visit our website today.

Growing orchids is a very challenging task, they usually grow in the wild and you have to copy the environment from where they usually bloom and grow. To be able to grow beautiful orchids is a very rewarding experience and like any other houseplants, you can successfully grow beautiful orchids if you know how to care for orchids.

Orchids are very beautiful flowers with thousands of different species and they need special care and set-up to grow. Here are some helpful tips on how to care for orchids.

Proper light. One very important factor in the proper care for orchids is the light requirement of this plant. Watching the leaves of your orchids will help you determine if the plant is getting too much or little light. If the leaves become reddish or yellowish it means that your plant is getting too much light and you need to move the plant to more shade. If the leaves turn into dark green, then you need to move it to more light. A correct light will produce a light grass green leaves.

Watering. Of course like other plants, knowing how to care for your orchids includes correct watering. It is best to use rainwater than chemically treated water like tap water. There are a lot of factors to be considered in watering your orchids. One factor is the climatic conditions; you need to water more in the summer or when the weather is warm and less in the winter. The size of the pot is also another consideration when watering your orchid, small pots need frequent watering since it dry out faster than large pots. Correct watering will result in good, firm and healthy roots and over watered orchids will result in unhealthy and brown dead roots. Over watering is not a proper way to care for orchids; it will drown the roots and will easily kill your orchids. Orchids can stand being dryer than being over watered or moist.

Orchids need air. Proper care for orchids includes providing the needed air for their growth. Remember that in their natural habitat, orchids usually grow anchored in a tree with little or no soil and a lot of fresh air. Orchids can be planted on containers purposely designed to allow air circulation on their roots. Hanging baskets with coconut fiber is also another option that will allow air circulation on their roots. Air is very important in growing beautiful orchids.
Growing beautiful orchids is not as difficult as you think it is if you know the proper techniques on how to care for orchids. Do you want to learn how to care for and grow amazing orchids using easy to follow step-by-step techniques? Visit Orchid Care Expert

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including How to Care for Orchids. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

Having a low maintenance front yard is the goal of many people. You can get easy to manage landscaping done by any of the professional landscapers in your area or you can do it yourself.

Either way you can have landscaping done that will take minimal work to keep looking fantastic all year round.

If you are going to get a professional in to do your landscaping though, be sure to tell him that this is your over all goal, that you want to have a yard that will not take a lot of work to keep up.

If you have less grass in your landscaping then you will cut out a lot of maintenance time right there. Mowing the lawn can take up a lot of time and energy so keeping the grass to a minimum is a great way to save on work.

Talk to the landscaping expert about alternative that you can use to keep your yard look good with little lawn area.

Some people choose to use clover instead of grass. Using a clover lawn in your landscaping is a good idea because it will save you money and time. You will not have to mow it very often at all and a clover lawn is even good for landscaping in area that is prone to droughts.

They do well virtually everywhere. And best of all for those who want to get out there and enjoy their landscaping, bugs hate clover.

Watering the yard can be a big hassle as well. That is why many people incorporate automatic irrigation systems into their landscaping designs these days. This can save you tons of time and money.

This is one of the easiest ways for you to keep your yard looking healthy and well watered during the hotter months of the year.

No more hooking up the sprinkler or having to drag out the hose. You can get a professional to install one of these systems for your landscaping design quickly and easily or you can get a kit and do it yourself.
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