Posts filed under 'Gardening Tips General'
Make a Lilac bouquet and learn how to trim your Lilac Bush.
I received another nice bouquet from Jeff last week. It’s a Lilac Bouquet! It was on the table when I came home and I had to look twice to see if he had actually bought the flowers.
This time he mixed two Red Tulips in with it,and some other greens from various trees and plants around the garden, and some white flowers (I refer to them as “snow”). We had enjoyed the Tulips in one of our Container gardening pots for some time, so this was an excellent way to get just a little more time out of it.
I always hate to pick the flowers in the garden (which is why I told him he should do it). And, guess what? I received another bouquet this week! More Lilac’s!
According to Jeff, it’s good to prune them down a little as they are growing, so new flowers can come out. Then, when they all start to die down, remove the dead flower clusters, pruning them just above a node (where the leaf joins the stem).
You should also remove older branches that might be crowding in, or crossing over others. Cut these at the base of the shrub, just above the soil (yup, all the way down to the ground!). Also purne any weak looking branches, and/or broken spindly looking ones.
This way, you’ll have a beautiful Lilac tree next year, and can enjoy that first lilac aroma of the spring.
Get the Free Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
April 29th, 2007
When the summer sun starts beating down, some people think that it’s the perfect time to start pruning, but that’s not the case. As the temperature rises, plants actually grow slower, so there’s not as much need for fertilizer, or pruning. In fact, if you prune when it’s too hot, the plant might get sun burnt from too much exposure to the hot sun.
Also, when you do fertilize, water your plants first, and then put the fertilizer on. This prevents burning the roots because the first water that you put onto a dry plant goes right through the soil and to the bottom of the plants roots. If you are using liquid or crystal fertilizer (like Miracle Grow), only use half of the recommend amount. The manufactures directions are usually a lot more than your plant really needs, but it will keep you coming back to the store for more!
Get the Free Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
July 30th, 2006
Do you need an inexpensive way to mulch your vegetable garden or Rose Garden? Well, just look around, you can use almost anything that you find in your yard for mulch.
You can use grass clippings, spoiled hay, straw, newspaper (well, that’s in the yard when it’s first delivered, maybe?) The one thing you may not want to use is fireplace ash. Ash can damage growth for roses and other plants, so it’s good to stick with more natural things.
Before you use grass clippings and other yard debris, let them dry for a couple of days to slow down the decomposition. This will deter the heating you would get in a compost pile, and be sure the clippings are not up against the stems of the plants – that can cause rotting.
Get the Free Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
May 31st, 2006
In order to attract butterflies to your garden you need to provide for them what they need. Generally, butterflies look for two things in a garden. .
Continue Reading May 17th, 2006
The following article on choosing plants for your Square Foot Garden, or any garden, should be center stage in your design process. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about how to choose your plants, here’s your opportunity. Don’t just plant, plant the right stuff!
Continue Reading May 15th, 2006
