Gardening Services Guide

Archive for the ‘General Gardening Tips’ Category

When people think flower gardens, images of pansies, begonias, or even the majestic bird of paradise are conjured up in the mind. Trees are not often considered, and yet there are many flowering trees that can be a wonderful addition to any flower garden. Indeed, many trees not only have beautiful leaves, but also colorful fruits which may attract birds.

Remember, though, that your tree must fit into your garden, not stick out like a sore thumb in the space you’ve chose for flower gardening; plant trees that complement your flowers and don’t use many trees if you don’t have a large space, as the effect will be an unpleasant one of unnatural overcrowding. Moreover, if your tree bears large, soft fruits, take into consideration that you will have to spend part of your time gathering the fruit when it falls to the ground, to avoid it rotting and attracting insects and just causing an unsightly appearance in your garden.

As with all plants, you need to do your research before purchasing a tree for your flower gardening. Plant trees in deep, fertile topsoil with good drainage qualities; this is the ideal for most trees. There are not many trees that do well in wet soil or very sandy soil that remains too dry. If you don’t have the proper soil for a particular species that you wish to add to the space you’ve chosen for flower gardening, plant trees of a different species, or think about constructing raised beds to which you can add the proper soil.

Most trees require full sunlight and should be planted at a distance from buildings or other large trees which will cast a shade for the majority of the day. Obviously, even when given the best environmental conditions, it will take years to achieve a decent-sized flowering tree; these plants are not like annuals and perennials which will bloom within the first growing season, the second at the latest.

The Calley Pear tree can be used in flower gardens, as it produces fragrant white flowers that later bear small round fruits; just don’t use it in narrow areas when flower gardening. Plant trees of this nature if you want a specimen with few pests that can tolerate most soils, except those that are wet or extremely poor. Once its flowers are spent, its foliage presents a visual spectacle, going from orange to scarlet to crimson in the fall. Crab apples are popular additions to flowering gardens, having beautiful flowers and fruits that attract birds. Crab apples require a bit of maintenance, though, and pruning should be done on a regular basis; these trees need to be watched carefully, as they are susceptible to many diseases and insect infestations. Crab apple trees do not do well in hot and dry environments.

Flowering dogwoods are attractive additions to your haven of flower gardening. Plant trees of this species to enjoy yellow flowers and red medium-sized fruits throughout the fall when the leaves turn scarlet. These trees need deep soil that is moist but well drained; they do not do well in hot and dry locations. Mulching is a good idea for these trees. Then there’s also the flowering peach, which produces single, pink flowers. This species grows relatively rapidly if provided with good soil, but will slow down and grow poorly if not maintained; indeed, this tree needs to be pruned, fertilized and protected against pests on a regular basis. Do not plant in wet soil.

There are many other varieties of flowering trees. It’s up to you to research what kind of tree you’d like and what its environmental needs are. What’s important is to be patient with your flowering trees, as they will not provide you with instant bloom. But give them time and you will be more than satisfied.

Hand gardening tools are needed for every kind of gardening job – small or large, indoors or outdoors. Once, hand gardening tools had basic designs and your choices were very limited. The tools looked more like farm implements, scaled back some to adjust to the normally smaller jobs they are used for regularly. That was then and this is now! The times have definitely changed.

A Bonanza of Hand Gardening Tools

The variety of hand gardening tools is enormous. There is a tool for every task.

? Shovels

? Spades

? Cultivators

? Tined Digging Forks

? Sheers

? Weeding Forks

? Trimmers

? Pruning Knives

? Loppers

? Axes

? Hoes

? Fertilizer spreaders

Now how about the not so obvious hand garden tools?

? Markers and lines for flower beds

? Augers for bulb hole digging

? Planting tools

? Seed spoons

? Laser levels

? Composters

It is an endless list and each item can be further categorized in several ways.

I Broke My Grandmother’s Trowel

That trowel has been in the family for 3 generations and you just broke it. Your Grandmother lovingly used it in her stunning flower gardens. She passed it on to your mother who also used it for years. You don’t want to tell your mother you broke the family gardening heirloom until you buy a replacement, so it’s time to shop for hand gardening tools. What you find is amazing. No longer are hand gardening tools buried in the back of the hardware store in a limited selection display of iron implements only a farmer could love. They are prominently offered for sale, not just at the local nursery, but also in catalogues and on the internet. And these are not your Grandmother’s trowels. These trowels are sleek designer hand gardening tools that incorporate the latest technology.

Mom Will Love This One

Before you decide which hand gardening tools to purchase, it is important to consider several major factors that will affect your choice. Hand gardening tools are made out of different materials. You can choose between iron, stainless steel and even aluminum. The difference between the materials means a difference in weight, maneuverability, effectiveness and durability. The stainless steel hand garden tools weigh a lot less than iron tools. You will also need to evaluate what job the hand gardening tools must tackle. If you will be digging in soft flowerbed soil, the material in the implement is not as an important factor as when the tool will be used in compacted clay soil.

Additional factors include your budget, physical limitations you need to accommodate, innovations in design and even aesthetics. You can buy hand tools that are traditional looking, or you can buy designer styled hand gardening tools that are pleasing to look at and look good even when not being used. You can breathe a sigh of relief that your mother will love the hand gardening tools you choose.