Home And Garden

Geraniums are one of the most reliable plants in the home garden. They can be obtained in flower in late spring and will add color to the garden until frost. The new cultivars offer almost shatter-proof flowers that withstand wind and rain. Geraniums can be obtained as seedlings or established plants. Planting: Set out plants in the spring after danger of frost is past. Geraniums that have been injured by cold temperatures will produce little growth and the foliage will often be red. Planting in late May is preferable for the most productive plants. Plant geraniums where they will receive sunlight for best flower production. Select a site where water drainage is good. Geraniums will grow in almost any type of soil if well-aerated and porous. Heavy clay soils should be improved by adding organic matter each year. An inch of coarse sphagnum peat moss, partially-rotted manure, or compost spaded in when preparing the beds is ideal. Geranium plants are generally available as rooted c...

Hydrangeas have been cultivated in western gardens since the first American species were brought to England in the 1730s. Hydrangea macrophylla, the common, big-leaf hydrangea has been known by gardeners in its native land of Japan for many hundreds of years and grown in its many forms. There it has been treasured not only for the beauty of flowers and foliage, but also used as an herb, certain serrata forms having long been popular to create a sweet herbal tea. In the West, the large-leaved Hydrangea macrophylla intrigued French plant breeders at the turn of the last century. A few, like Lemoine, Mouillère, and Cayeux began raising new seedlings and charming the public with the beauty of young pot plants in full bloom, with their large, domed heads of pink, blue or white flowers. Today the potted hydrangea is almost a symbol in France of Mother's Day. With the late twentieth century came a renewed interest in lacecap forms of Hydrangea macrophylla, and European breeders ag...

The  Canary Date Palm Tree , scientific name  Phoenix canariensis , is easily recognized through its crown of leaves and trunk characteristics. It is also known as Canary Island Date Palm, Canary Palm, Pineapple Palm, and Canary Island Palm.  It is native to Canary Islands and North Africa. Growth Rate:  Moderate Height:  up to 50 – 60ft Light Req:  Full sun to Partial shade Water R eq:  Moderate Cold Tolerance:  down to 15F The trunk is topped with a big crown of 45-50 large dark green leaves with 80-100 leaflets in two rows. Arching pinnate, or feather-like, fronds can get up to 18ft long. Lower half of stem are covered with 2-3 inch sharp spines. Be careful while pruning. Canary Date Palm Tree Description Phoenix canariensis is a massive palm tree that can grow up to 40-50ft tall and 30-40ft wide. It has gray-brown stout trunk covered with old leaf bases in unique diamond shapes. It is not a self-cleaning palm, so you need to...

Front or backyard landscaping can be very expensive. You want to make sure that you get a professional that you can trust will do the job right for you. Ask plenty of questions before signing any agreement or contracts when hiring a professional landscaper or garden designer. If you decide to use a professional service, have them come out to your property to look at the site, ask for references and check them out. Too often we look at the companies pretty portfolio of garden designs and front yards and we assume that they’ll do a as good or better a job for us. Please don’t assume anything. How to Hire a Landscaper?-Do Your Homework ·   Invite prospective landscapers or designers to your house so that they can make appropriate suggestions and give an accurate quote. ·   Talk to people who have used their services and go out and see the project if you can. I can’t stress this point enough – do the research up front and save yourself possible headache and financial woes dow...

The botanical name is  Howea Fosteriana , but is known more commonly as the Kentia or the sentry palm. The Kentia is an upright palm with beautiful, arching, dark green leaves. Its use as an indoor palm dates back to the socialite days of the Victorian era. Kentias are generally available in the 5-12 foot range for indoor use. Where it is native, Lord Howe Island east of Australia, the Kentia palm can reach a height of 60 feet. Today, seed is still imported from the island and grown in both Hawaii and California. Kentias do not have a tap root, and does very well as a containerized palm. They are usually grown as single plants until they reach a certain height. Then they are matched up and planted as multiples of 2 to 5 plants per pot and grown on. This process can take 4 to 7 years before they are ready for sale. Although the Kentia is versatile and will tolerate lower light levels, a bright indirect morning sunshine location should provide enough light and intensity to sustain t...

Conditioning a plant to the home environment is the first step in adapting store bought greenery to life in your house or apartment. Our homes usually have less light and humidity than the plant had before we bought it. Houseplants might lose their leaves within a week or two of purchase if our home environment provides too drastic a change for them. Conditioning plants to our home extends their life and it's possible to buy preconditioned plants. Buy from a garden center and ask them if the plant is pre-conditioned. To condition new plants expose them to the maximum amount of light available. Over a period of a few weeks, gradually reduce the available light to approximate the desired final location for the plant. You can remove excess fertilizer and salts from the soil by allowing water to filter down through the soil and escape through the drainage hole. The greenhouse where your plant lived before was more humid than your living area. Using a humidifier is good for your...

Decide on the Position Firstly, you need to think carefully about where you will place the pond. If it has trees overhanging, then you will be driven mad by leaves falling in. If it is too shady, your plants won't appreciate it (water lilies and other water plants generally like plenty of sunshine). Above all of course, however, do pick a place where you can see it and appreciate it. Incidentally, this is the point where you really want to sit back and be sure that this is what you want.  Before long, you will be spending money and digging a hole that takes just as much work to fill up again if you change your mind.  Make sure that what you are planning is going to add to the value of your home and garden, and not be out of place. Decide on the Size Now decide on the size. The best way to visualise it is to lay a hose pipe on the ground to define the edge of the pond. Then look at it from different viewpoints to make sure that it fits well into the view of the garden....