Home And Garden

  G ardening is a much-loved activity but unfortunately, due to our busy lifestyles, we don't all have the time to beautify our outdoor spaces. So how exactly can we give our gardens the attention it deserves? To get the nation gardening smarter, we suggested 10 tips across watering, lawn maintenance and weeding to help you see greater rewards from your own garden. Watering 1.  Keep flowering beds evenly moist. Water just 1-2 times per week. 2.  It's better to water plants in the evening or early in the morning, when the soil is cooler, as less will evaporate than during the heat of the day. 3.  Avoid watering leaves or plant heads to avoid mould formation, and water gently to avoid damage. 4.  Try an automatic irrigation system if you are away a lot. With a water control they can regulate the amount of moisture in the soil so can let more or less through depending on how the soil feels. Lawn 5.  Protect your lawn from hot weather – temperatures o...

  Does it seem like your own garden is always have no proper shape , your lawn is always overgrown, weeds are taking over and those shrubs are in constant need of pruning? It doesn’t have to be this way! There are little things you can do to ensure that your garden always looks good, saving you from doing all the difficult, laborious work at once. Make a few little changes to your gardening habits and you’ll have more time to relax and enjoy your backyard. 1. Just a trim Pruning your plants regularly will prevent them from growing out of control and save you having to do annual battle. Trimming often means you only have to nip off the tips of new growth, so you won’t need to get the rake out and deal with a mass of green waste. Instead, you can just let it land on the ground, where it will turn into mulch. Tip:  If you’re trimming large foliage plants, it’s best not to use shears because they tend to cut leaves in half. The remaining leaf stubs will then brown off, leaving you...

It's important to learn how to take care of summer plants in the winter, because most so-called summer plants cannot withstand freezing winter temperatures. Whether your summer plant is a tropical plant or a tender herb you'd like to keep alive throughout the winter months, learn the steps to taking care of plants through the wintertime. How to Take Care of Summer Plants in the Winter When people talk about summer plants, what do they mean? Identify your plant below and learn the specifics of how to take care of summer plants in the winter. Annual Flowers Annual summer flowers such as impatiens and begonias hail from warm, tropical climates. Most cannot withstand temperatures consistently dipping below 50 or 60 degrees. You'll see frost damage on the flowers first, followed by dying leaves. You can try to maintain them throughout the winter months by placing a cold frame around the garden bed. A cold frame consists of side panels and an angled clear plastic or gla...

Q: How often should I water my orchid? A: Many people make the mistake of assuming that since orchids are native to tropical rainforests, they must be watered several times a week. Unfortunately, watering this frequently will kill the roots of any orchid in short order. The general rule of thumb for orchids grown in the home is to water every 5 to 12 days, depending on the type of orchid, the temperature the plant is grown in, and the time of year. During the warm summer months when days are long, more frequent watering is required than in the cooler, shorter days of winter. There are three basic types of orchids, as far as watering is concerned: those that should be kept evenly moist at all times; those that should be allowed to nearly dry out between waterings, except when in active growth; and those that should always be allowed to dry out a bit between waterings. The guidelines below list the major varieties of orchid in each type. Varieties to keep evenly moist (not soggy or ...

There are a lot of fungus varieties that can cause problems in turf grass. Mushrooms are among the most visible but least harmful of lawn fungi. Fairy rings are caused by up to 50 different types of fungi and create expanding rings in turf. Neither of these problems has a simple "cure." But there are a few things that might be helpful if you discover you have one or both of these lawn disease situations. Mushrooms Don't Harm Your Turf Mushrooms are caused by a large number of different fungi. They are sensitive to moisture and so they normally appear during periods of heavy rainfall or on very heavily irrigated turf. Mushrooms feed on decaying organic material in the thatch or soil, and do not attack living grass plants. Shallow dead tree roots, construction debris, or heavy thatch on the lawn can become the "host" that mushrooms feed upon. In almost all cases, mushrooms will disappear when lawn moisture levels return to normal, and regular mowing is about ...

Flowerbeds can add style, beauty and texture to your landscaping. To separate your flowerbeds from the rest of your yard, or to protect your delicate plants and flowers from yard traffic like kids and pets, then you need to add a flowerbed border. The following steps will show you how to create a stone flowerbed border that will be functional and fashionable. Instructions prepare to Build a Flowerbed Border 1 Figure out the purpose of the stone flowerbed border. The purpose of the boarder is going to influence what type of stones you use. For example if you need the border to act as a retaining wall then you will need larger stones that fit tightly together. 2 Learn about your stone options. There is a good selection of rocks and rock products that you can use to create your stone flowerbed border. There are slab rocks, cut rocks, river rocks, colored stones and river stones. To get the best results, you will want to select a rock that will meet your flowerbed's functional needs...

Indoor Plants are subject to attack by surprisingly huge number of pests & diseases, not quite as many as outdoor plants, but more than enough for most plant owners. Most Pests & Diseases arrive with new plants, so always inspect any potential purchase thoroughly before putting it with your existing houseplants. How to use chemicals? Modern pesticides are usually effective, and when used correctly, they are harmless to plants, pets, & people. However they often contain potentially damaging substances, so take care when using them. Choose the right Product for the Problem Read the Label & follow the instructions Use the correct Dose Spray outside, if possible, in sheltered positions Spray Plants inside a large plastic bag, when using aerosol spray, & leave them for 20 minutes Remove pets (especially fish) from the room where treatment is taking place Keep pesticides away from children & animals Houseplant Pests APHIDS There are many different species of ap...