Caring For Rose Bushes

Caring For Rose Bushes

Roses are some of the most popular and beautiful flowering shrubs grown, but starting a rose garden may seem daunting to new gardeners. However, growing roses for beginners doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavor. In fact, with properplanting and care

, nearly anyone can become a successful rose gardener. Read on for growing information on roses.

When growing roses, it’s important to choose a site receiving at least six hours of sun each day. Rose bushes must also be located in well-drained, fertile soil. Plant dormant roses in early spring (or fall. Potted plants can be planted any time between spring and fall, but preferably spring. Continue Reading

10 Tips for Beginning Gardeners

The rewards of gardening are great — fresh air, exercise, beauty and relaxation, to name a few. But designing and planting your very first garden can feel like an overwhelming task. Luckily, gardens are surprisingly forgiving creations, and the best way to learn is by simply diving in. Here are 10 tips to help get a new garden off on the right foot.

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Flowers for the Fall

     20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape

Gardeners tend to get excited about spring, looking forward to trying out new plants and maybe even making a big move and changing their landscapes. And in summer there’s the joy of the garden in full bloom, and most fruit trees and vegetable gardens produce abundantly. By September, though, even the most avid gardener can start to feel worn out, and the best-tended garden can start to look a little tired.

That’s too bad, because gardening in the fall can be delightful. The weather is generally cooler than in summer (except in places like San Francisco), yet the garden doesn’t need as much care as in the spring . Continue To Read

Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Landscape by Phoenix Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

10 Container Garden Ideas

People love container gardens—and it’s easy to understand why. For one thing, you can grow plants almost anywhere, which means you get to show off your creativity in unexpected places.
Got a rusty old chair? Make it a pedestal for a container garden. This arrangement for sun or part sun is overflowing with cottage charm featuring dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), calibrachoa, and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)—three plants that are as easy on the eyes as they are easy to grow. Continue Reading Here

Tomato Disease Prevention by Using Aspirin

How-to Grow a Vegetable Garden from Kitchen Scraps

Homemade Insecticidal Soap Spray

Homemade Insecticidal Soap Spray 

1/4 cup grated soap, use real soap like Ivory or a Naptha based soap.
4 cups hot water, make sure that it is hot enough to melt the soap.

Mix soap into water until dissolved. I store mine in a mason jar.

To use the concentrate mix 1-2 teaspoons with 32 oz. (4 cups) of water in a spray bottle.
Shake to make sure its mixed well. Spray directly on the Aphids

This has been safe for all the plants that I have used it on. You can test it on a small set of leaves to make sure. I will be adding more Homemade garden sprays in the coming weeks.

Thanks to Tom Wentworth for this post.

Gardening Tips For Growing Chives

 
 Chives thrive in full sun and well drained moist soil rich in organic matter. They tolerate light shade, but 6 - 8 hours of direct light is best. Chives are very hardy perennials in zones 3-10. In cooler climates, you can grow them as annuals. The most ideal temperature for growing chives is 60° F – 72° F.  Chives are a excellent herb for your indoor garden. They do very well in containers.

You can plant your chive seeds indoors 8-10 weeks prior the last frost of winter. Transplant seedlings outdoors or direct sow seeds outside after the danger of frost has passed.  Chives grow best in sandy or loamy soil that is rich in organic matter.  For best results, amend your garden soil with a thick layer of organic or worm compost prior to planting. Test the soil pH; chives do best at 6.0 – 7.0.

Sow your chive seeds 2-3 inches deep. Keep them spaced about 6-8 inches apart or you can thin them to this spacing once they reach about 2-3 inches high. Over-fertilizing can be detrimental to your chives as this plant is not a heavy feeder. A soil rich in organic compost should provide sufficient nutrients for them to grow healthy.

Water chives regular until they become established.  Give them a good watering during dry, hot periods.  Chives can be harvested about 6 weeks after sprouting.
Cut them off 1/2 - 1 inch above the soil line. This will leave enough of the plant to regrow.

Homemade Ant killer

These are a very effective homemade ant killers that work. The cost to make them is very small compared to commercial ant killers.

HOMEMADE ANT BAIT:

To create a homemade ant bait start by boiling a cup of sugar and two cups water. After it  cools, add a tablespoon of boric acid (Borax) and shake very well to mix. Put this blend in jar lids or milk jug caps and etc.  Place the homemade ant bait by ant trails or mounds. Leave out as long as needed. They do dry out over time and may need to be cleaned and refilled.*


HOMEMADE ANT SPRAY:

I use a ratio of 1 part sugar to 3 parts water and a tablespoon of borax. To use
combine boric acid (Borax), sugar and water in a spray bottle. Shake very well to mix .*

*Keep this ant bait and spray away from children!