How to Care for an Indoor Bonsai

A bonsai plant is a striking reminder of a longstanding art. Because bonsai trees are so attractive, many people love to display them in their houses. Special care is required for your indoor bonsai trees since they're not exposed to full, natural sunlight and outdoor weather. In spite of their hardy appearance, some bonsai plants may be fragile when it comes to light and water.

Watering Your Indoor Bonsai

When you bring a bonsai tree indoors it will require sufficient lighting to replace the natural sunlight that it would have been receiving outdoors. Your plant will appreciate being located in an area with lots of air movement. The type of bonsai you have will dictate how often you need to water it, as will the state of the soil it is planted in. Some plants or trees need to have damp soil while others thrive well in spite of a drought.

Your bonsai tree will thrive in high humidity, which can be achieved by regular misting. A humidity tray may be used but make sure that the pot is not exposed to the water but is instead on some pebbles or a stand.

Pruning and Cutting

The indoor bonsai tree will still need to be regularly pruned and cut to maintain its appearance. Bonsais often appear changeless; however, they are definitely a living, growing tree. A bonsai tree needs to be repotted somewhere between one to three years, depending on the type, whether it's an outdoor or indoor plant. The branches will also need to be maintained to keep its style intact.

You might need to reduce the amount of fertilizer you use during the winter, depending on the variety of your bonsai. This is because some tree species hibernate during the season and do not need as much nutrients as in warmer months. An indoor bonsai will have difficulty experiencing each season in turn since it's in an unnatural setting.

You need to be on the lookout for pests and other irregularities that might appear on your indoor bonsai tree. Since they're indoors, they will likely attract mites and spiders from the outside. Use a soft, damp cloth or brush to carefully clean the branches and leaves of an indoor bonsai.

When to Cut Your Orchid

Very frequently you will happen to have an orchid that continued to grow year after year but that only ever brings forth one flowering pseudobulb. If you wish to increase the number of blooming growths, you can do so by a method of cutting with a knife in order to produce back shoots. With luck and an appropriate species (such as one from the Cattleyas), you will one day have a truly astonishing orchid.

Proceed as follows: Take a plant that has several back pseudobulbs, say four or five. Slice the rhizome in two between the bulbs, taking care not to otherwise disturb it. That's basically it, but here are some things to keep in mind:

• The best time to cut most orchids is during their resting phase, usually fall or winter. When they next enter into their growing stage, you may observe them sending forth two growths from one pseudobulb at the place where you cut it.
• Don't ever cut an orchid unless you are sure it is in perfect or near-perfect health. Cutting as described above will not harm a healthy plant, but could be stressful to a weak or sickly one.
• If you cut the same plant for back shoots every year, you will eventually have an orchid that is both bigger and more stunning that it would have been without the knife. This is the way some of the astonishing specimens are produced that you see in orchid shows.

There is more that can be said about the art of cutting to produce more blooms, as well as the process of taking cuttings to start more plants. To learn more about these and other secrets of orchid cultivation, a good guide such as that written by Nigel Howard is highly recommended.

The most up-to-date guide to contemporary orchid care, it is widely acknowedged, is Mr. Howard's Orchid Care Expert, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Howard's clearly written guide will provide a full immersion in the subject. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of information on many facets of orchid cultivation.

Don't Go In the Greenhouse Alone!

One of the enjoyable side hobbies of orchid devotion is that of seeking out references to these mystery-shrouded flowers in literature and popular entertainment.

Among the earliest short stories in which an orchid plays a primary role is a strange little piece by the pioneering science fiction writer, H.G. Wells.This story is really not so much science fiction as it is horror, though. You can find it in short story collections as well as on the Web under the title of "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" or simply, "The Strange Orchid."

Wells lived and wrote during the years of the first great orchid mania, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was also a time when there were still some isolated and relatively unexplored places in the world, which fired contemporary imaginations with fantasies of unknown monsters that might yet be lurking in some jungle or mountain fastness.

In his story, Wells built on the well-known mechanism of flowers discharging their scent into the air to attract insects, which in turn carry pollen from one plant to another, aiding the plants' reproduction. What if--Wells wondered--there were a flower that took this a step further by evolving the ability to use its scent to overpower and feed on large animals?

The story centers on an Englishman with a passion for orchids who has acquired a rare specimen. After months of tending to it he is excited to see that it is about to blossom. He goes alone one day, eager to enjoy the first sight and odor of the unknown flower. Later, his housekeeper discovers him on the floor near the orchid, which is emitting a powerful scent and looking very strong indeed (and evil!). An ominous red tint suffuses its
leaves and it has already pushed some of its finger-like shoots round the orchid lover's neck and beneath his shirt front.

With an inarticulate cry she ran towards him, and tried to pull him away from the leech-like suckers. She snapped two of these tentacles, and their sap dripped red.

Then the overpowering scent of the blossom began to make her head reel. How they clung to him! She tore at the tough ropes, and he and the white inflorescence swam about her. She felt she was fainting, knew she must not. She left him and hastily opened the nearest door, and, after she had panted for a moment in the fresh air, she had a brilliant inspiration. She caught up a flower-pot and smashed in the windows at the end of the greenhouse. Then she re-entered.

She tugged now with renewed strength at Wedderburn's motionless body, and brought the strange orchid crashing to the floor. It still clung with the grimmest tenacity to its victim. In a frenzy, she lugged it and him into the open air.

Then she thought of tearing through the sucker rootlets one by one, and in another minute she had released him and was dragging him away from the horror.

He was white and bleeding from a dozen circular patches.

Thanks to the quick thinking of the housekeeper in this story, the orchid's victim survives--this time.

Fortunately, orchids that feast on blood do not actually exist.You can, though, view this tale as symbolic of the strange grip that orchids can have on anyone who falls under their spell. People who succumb to orchid fever--and that includes everyone who decides to try their hand at growing them--tend to contract the illness for life. Now you've been warned!

If these intriguing plants have put their bite on you, you'll want to find out as much as you can about how to grow orchids successfully.  The most complete guide to expert orchid growing, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's guide is a full course in itself, suitable for novices as well as the more experienced. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which features an ever-growing database of information on all topics of orchid cultivation.

Blooming Orchids Need to be Kept Cool

So, you've tenderly cared for an orchid for months and now it is finally rewarding you with a gorgeous bloom.  Should you treat the plant any differently now? The best answer one can give is: Perhaps.

Although the variety of your orchid will be the final determinant, as a general rule it would be prudent for you to remove the plant to a cooler and drier place that that in which it was grown. This will help the flowers to last much longer than in a warm and moist greenhouse or other typical growing room.

Most orchids will not be harmed by putting them into a cooler, drier location when they are blooming. Most will positively benefit from it. Nevertheless, you should ensure that the temperature of your orchid's temporary new home should never get below 50 degrees F. at night.

Here's an experiment you can carry out if you happen to have two orchids of the same variety which blossom at around the same time. Leave one in your growing room, and place the other in a cool, dry place as recommended above. You will almost certainly notice that the one in your "cool room" will have fresh flowers for a significantly longer time than the one that was left behind.

The flowers of even the best-kept orchids will finally begin to fade at some point, of course. When this happens you can move the plant back to the warm growing room. Just take care to shade it from the sun until it has re-adjusted to the warmer surroundings. Otherwise it can become scorched.

One of the keys to success in growing orchids is understanding their life cycles and the different stages they go through. Every stage requires a different kind of care, and the blossoming stage has its own unique "rules.".

The most up-to-date guide to contemporary orchid care, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's ebook is a complete course in itself, appropriate for neophytes as well as the more experienced. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which contains an ever-growing database of postings on all facets of orchid cultivation.

Hobbyist Enjoy Healthy Foods With Their Home Garden

There is an increasing trend towards growing a home garden so that fresh produce is readily available to enjoy for meals, or for freezing and canning. One primary reason for this is that people are learning more about the pesticides that are routinely sprayed on the fruits and vegetables that are available in the supermarkets these days. The produce grown in one's own back yard provides better nutrition.

Not only that, but for many people starting and cultivating a home garden for the purpose of providing wonderful foods for the table is an enjoyable endeavor. Gardening has long been a popular hobby for many people all around the world, but when you add the extra incentive of being able to provide your family with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that have not been contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, it is easy to see why the popularity of the garden has grown.

In addition to concerns about the quality and safety of store-bought produce, another reason why people love to have a home garden bursting with wonderful foods is that you can go out and pick the vegetables at just the right time to assure freshness. Compare this with tomatoes, for example, that are picked long before they ripen, transported, stored and finally put on the store shelf.

In that scenario, which is common of the vast majority of produce sold in the grocery stores today, the tomato has been detached from its life-giving parent plant for many days and sometimes weeks. But with a vegetable garden just outside your kitchen door, you can pick your tomatoes when they are at their peak of ripeness and be able to have the freshest tomatoes to add to your salad or for your famous tomato sauce.

Most of the common and popular vegetables that are available in the produce sections of grocery stores can be grown in home gardens. Some of the most popular varieties are carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage, and many varieties of squash, just to name a few. And don't forget about all of the wonderful berries that can be home grown as well. Technically a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most popular foods that people enjoy including in their home gardens. They are easy to grow and simply delicious plucked off the vine.

Produce from a vegetable garden can be used immediately or it can be frozen or canned for later use, and many people include herbs in their gardens too. In fact, herbs can be even more convenient as they can even be grown indoors, making your gardening efforts even more simple and easy. And, just as those fresh vegetables taste better and are better for you, you will also find that fresh herbs from the garden are superior in taste and flavor as compared to the dried and packaged varieties.

Aside from all of the benefits of a home garden for providing wonderful food and tasty herbs for your meals, many people simply love being in the garden, weeding, watering and tending their crops. There is a great sense of satisfaction in planting and tending the garden and in seeing your efforts bloom and grow. And, sharing a meal of good food with friends is a feeling many people treasure.

No realestate is finished without some type of grass, as well as some forms of shruberry to help enhance the overall quality of the building. The added value of curb appeal can make the difference when selling a house or increasing the value of a home. Any little bit helps and you do not always need a professional to do the landscaping for you. There is no downside to get some advice from professionals or some knowledge prior to you beginning tearing up your front yard. A few trees, some nice green grass and you will have it down pat before you know it. Who knows? Possibly you will decide it as a career that you might be curious in following. The following are some of the frequently asked question people have for landscaping so that you can have an idea of how landscaping is done and how it can be easier than you might think.

At what point should I hire a landscaper?

You should hire a landscaper if you don't have a "green thumb" and you are not going to have the necessary time to commit to getting rid of the prior landscape and planting the new. There are certain steps that must be put into place to prevent soil erosion so it will need at a minimum a weekend of hard work. Landscaper's are not inexpensive but you can find one at a fair cost contingent upon on how big the area is and how much labor you intend to complete yourself. If you are going to maintain the area, you will save money as well.

Perennials and annuals - What makes them different?

Both are, of course, plants but the variation is in the time span in which they last and how frequently you are required to plant them again. Annuals must be replanted eash year. Some examples of annuals are any type of vegetable, sunflowers as well as flowers such as violets. Perennials are plants that will renew themselves. They include trees, bulb plants such as lilies, tulips and include roses as well as other hardy plants that become dormant in the winter months. The majority of ornamental grasses are thought to be perennials.

How do I decide which type to plant?

The type of plant you select will depend on your environmental condition and how much you want to water. It will also be dependent on the amount of sun your yard receives throughout the day. Some plants thrive in the shade while others will wilt. For those individuals who live in drought prone areas, they should consider planting plants that are hardy that require little water and really help to conserve the soil from process of erosion. Numerous individuals choose to have rock gardens and cactus if they happen to live in desert environments.

At what time is the ideal season for planting?

The ideal planting season is dependent upon what variation of plant you want to grow. Bulbs are best planted in the fall so that they have time to root within the soil. Other plants are more suitable to planting in the months of the spring. Some plants will not produce flowers or fruits for one or two seasons later so you have to prepare for this. Trees will need to go through several years before they become substantial enough to provide enough shade or produce fruit.

How can I protect my newly planted greenery and flowers from the weather and elements?

At the time of the beginning weeks and months numerous plants are in danger of dying from the atmospheric condition however you can take the necessary steps to help prevent this from happening. Wind and rain are two of the biggest threats. To guard your plants from both you will have to provide them with protection. You can lay down a a barrier to protect between the ground and the plant. This will help secure the plant's roots and prevent too much water from absorbing into the ground. The additional gain will be suppression of weeds from growing up through the barrier. To prevent wind erosion of the soil, spread hay or straw in and around the plants to assist in protecting the soil. If you put a bag that protects around the plant that will maintain the plant warm enough to prevent frost.

For a lot more informational value go here: City Landscape as well as Landscape Designer and certainly try Landscape Plants

Bean Plant Growth

A favorite vegetable for gardenering, are the many varieties of the bean plant and by becoming aware of the grow zones and seasons you can reap the full benefits. All types of beans, ranging from the common snap pea to soy beans, are a healthy addition to any diet. High in protein, the bean is one of the base ingredients in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as an excellent side dish for those with a preference for meat.

For gardeners, the first stage of bean plant growth is important and you will need to be sure to purchase good seed products before planting. High quality seeds have a much higher chance of the plant taking root, which will result in a higher yield in your garden. While these seeds may be slightly more expensive, the overall increase of bean plant growth is worth the investment, especially if you intend on having a larger garden.

The best plant growth conditions for beans range in temperature from no lower than 61 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius. Temperatures below these levels will endanger the growth for the plant and in fact may even cause it to die.

Germination can take several weeks to be accomplished and can range anywhere from three days to an entire month, however, most bean plants begin to break ground around two weeks after planting. At this point, the bean plant growth stage is termed as a seedling because the plant is at a very young stage in its development. This phase of the bean plant growth cycle is vital, as a healthy seedling will mature into a robust plant. If your seedlings are dehydrated or over watered, as well as planted too early, your crops will suffer and the amount of beans gathered later in the cycle will be diminished.

From the point that your plant has become a seedling, it takes an average of at least fifty days for your plant to produce pods and be ready for harvest. This means that there is realistically only one growth cycle for beans in a year. Planting of beans should occur no earlier than March to ensure that your plants have had adequate time to grow during the season before fall frosts strike. Frost can seriously harm bean plant growth, and care should be taken to avoid this. In colder climates, this can be tricky, therefore a greenhouse alternative can be used to help grow the plants.

Because it is an annual plant, they can grow again each year for several seasons at a time. Seeds should be placed about two inches apart during planting a garden and when the plants have started growing, it is recommended to remove any weaker plants, so each plant has about 4 inches of space on each side. The soil should be fully cultivated to help prevent the garden from being overtaken by weeds.

Orchids Are Everywhere, If We Know Where to Look

Many people "know" that orchids are entirely tropical or subtropical in nature. But in fact, orchids can be found in virtually every part of the globe outside of the deserts and the polar regions.

About 85% of orchid species may inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large number to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a coolish area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a hothouse or other such area in which do so so.

There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You could be surprised to learn that there could well be orchids growing in your own vicinity, even if you make your home in a cool region. Take the fairly common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady's Slippers and Ladyslippers) is a name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many members that grow in cool climates over much of North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountains, or even in Canada, you could have Lady Slippers growing wild in some woods near you.

One species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you are thinking of growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be adapted to your particular climate, and--if you live in a place that has low temperatures in the winter--you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

One of the prettiest native-American orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.Although both of them are lovely, you would be better off growing the Yellow Lady Slipper if your orchid growing experience is limited.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to obtain. They are also cheaper to acquire, generally, than more exotic orchid plants. They are an excellent orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more "foreign" types.

All of the rules governing successful orchid growing apply to the Lady Slippers and related plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid growing, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide will provide a complete education on the subject. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.

Are You Letting Your Orchids Rest?

Orchids require "rest" time every year. The exact time for this depends on the species, but for most orchids it should start some time in the fall and continue well into winter. You must treat your plants differently at this time than you would during their energetic growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is an often-overlooked part of growing orchids successfully.

A good general practice is to allow your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. How do you do this? Basically by lowering the temperature where you keep your plants, and by restricting their water.

For orchids that originate in hot or very warm regions, you should keep the temperature at about 60 0r 65. For species from cooler climes, you can let the temperature drop to as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

During this time, provide your orchids just enough water to keep them from shriveling. The bulk of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking steps to keep the air humid. From time to time, though, you should poke down into the soil and examine the stem, roots and rooting medium of your plants. If these are beginning to dry out you can water them directly.

Some species will continue to grow during the winter. These will need somewhat more water than those that truly go dormant. If you see new shoots coming up, though, try to avoid wetting them or they else they might rot.

Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will lose their leaves after they have finished their growth for the year. You need to give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will allow their pseuduobulbs to ripen, which in turn causes them to grow stronger and flower more freely.

Proper orchid care is not that hard or mysterious. But to prevent problems will require more detailed information than can be included in a short article. The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid care, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded online. Howard's clearly written guide will provide a complete education on the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on many topics of orchid cultivation.

Winter Vegetable Gardening Yields a Spring Harvest

When you think of gardening, chances are that you probably don't consider winter the best time to do it. After all, very few plants can survive in the harsh, cold environment. Why else do the trees lose their leaves and such? However, there are a number of sturdy, rough plants that you can choose to grow for harvest in the springtime. Winter vegetable gardening does not really include actually growing these plants during the winter. Rather, most of the growing takes place in the fall before winter time, and the plants are merely sturdy enough to survive the cold better than other plants.

Sturdy Plants

Which kinds of plants can cling to life when the temperature dips to zero? There are still enough that you can undertake winter vegetable gardening. You have such varieties as carrots, cauliflower, and beets to grow over the winter. While surely not as numerable as plants designed for growth during the normal gardening season, these vegetable gardening seeds will grow during some of the harshest winters that we experience as far north as states like Oregon and Pennsylvania, which tend to be temperate in the summer and can experience some very cold winters.

However, winter vegetable gardening also incorporates some other tools to help you grow during the off-season. Consider building walls or windbreaks to help keep the temperature around ten degrees warmer on the coldest days, and exterior greenhouses can help keep the plants in temperate weather even when there is ice on the ground. On same days, you may even need to ventilate greenhouses to prevent an excessive amount of heat from harming your plants. Considering that the ground can freeze up to half a foot deep depending on the temperature, you should take every precaution available to give your plants a fighting chance. By following these tips, winter vegetable gardening should never be a problem.

As previously stated, winter vegetable gardening doesn't really involve growing plants in the winter, when they will grow very slowly, if at all. Instead, it simply helps these plants to survive so that you can pick them in the spring for delicious vegetables like beets, carrots, and cauliflower. It does take a little more work and is slightly more expensive than traditional gardening, but there is no reason why a season should stop you from practicing one of your favorite hobbies. It can be a challenge at times, surely, but winter vegetable gardening is an incredibly rewarding experience.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

Home Vegetable Gardening for Great Home-Grown Food

There used to be a time when literally everyone had their own garden. Of course, the grocery store changed all of that, and now the trend is that most people don't have any garden at all. This is a sad statistic because home vegetable gardening can save you hundreds of dollars a year, as millions of people still appreciate each year. As if that weren't persuasion enough, you can also grow one hundred percent organic food with no extra chemicals which can have harmful side effects. Home vegetable gardening is more widely practiced in countries like France where it seems like literally everyone has a garden, but it is still fairly popular over in the United States.

Self-Sufficient

Home vegetable gardening is a great way to supplement what you purchase at the grocery store. There is absolutely no reason why you can't grow enough corn, carrots, beets, and other veggies to last the entire year for your family, and those are hundreds of your own dollars that you won't need to spend. Not only that, but you can go completely organic for a fraction of the price of organic food in stores while getting the same benefits. Organic foods tend to be tastier and more nutritional, but they can be pretty expensive if you go to a health foods store.

However, you can also grow food in the winter time by practicing what is known as winter vegetable gardening. The selection of plants that can grow during the winter is somewhat limited, but you can still grow vegetables like beets, cauliflower, and carrots for an early spring harvest after the ground completely thaws. You'll need to practice some different methods of home vegetable gardening, but being able to pick those vegetables in the spring can be well worth the effort. Be warned that you might need to spend a little extra on supplies like greenhouses and raised gardening beds, but even these supplies won't set you back too much.

It's a wonder that more people don't practice home vegetable gardening. It is incredibly simple to pick up, even if you are a novice, and you don't need that many tools to do it. In fact, it is pretty difficult for a garden to turn out a failure, although lack of maintenance can harm the vitality of your plants (i.e. forgetting to mix plant food, compost, or manure into the soil before planting seeds or not watering them enough). Home vegetable gardening is a great hobby that will save you money and give you some very delicious food in the process.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

The Advantages of Having a Hydroponic Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a great thing both for hydroponic gardeners as well as those who grow in soil. Generally speaking, a greenhouse has the same advantages for either. However, hydroponic gardening is especially well suited for a greenhouse setting, since temperature, airflow and light are more easily controlled.

Many plants do exceptionally well in a hydroponic greenhouse, among them strawberries, peas, Welsh onions and others. Also, flowers such as orchids are great for greenhouse gardening.

Hydroponic gardeners find controlling light to be particularly challenging. Since the plant is grown in water rather than soil, algal growth can be an issue; however, preventing light from getting to the surface of the water is easy in a greenhouse, since light can be controlled with shades and shutters.

Obviously, just like plants which are grown in soil, plants grown hydroponically also need plenty of light. A greenhouse does not inherently have more light than would an outdoor setting. Because the light is filtered and diffused within the greenhouse, the grower is able to provide a more warm and consistent light for growing. The plants are shielded from reduced temperatures, yet given plenty of sun.

In winter, you will get low temperatures in northern climates of course, but the sun will be be full for several hours. Be sure that your greenhouse has a translucent polycarbonate wall as it will keep the ideal temperatures for growing plants inside even while it is cold outside.

You can install vents and fans to keep the inside of your greenhouse from getting too hot; hydroponically grown plants do need a consistent temperature, just as soil grown plants do.

Growing plants in a greenhouse allows you to garden in all kinds of weather. Without a greenhouse, your only option may be within your house, something not everyone can do.

Unlike growing in your home, a greenhouse has significantly better light and watering setups. There are few homeowners who have the room to install high pressure sodium grow lights or metal halide lights for their vegetables – not to mention running irrigation systems through the guestroom!

When you have a greenhouse, these systems can be placed optimally for your plants, making things easier for you as a gardener. This is especially important for hydroponic gardeners, since the water and light are far more important than in soil gardening – a soil garden is typically much better at being self-regulated in this regard.

It is also easier to set up a feeding system in a greenhouse, something which is very important for hydroponically grown plants. With good soil, plants can gain most of the nutrients they need easily. However, a gardener must arrange for all nutrients to be delivered properly when gardening hydroponically.

You will also want to look at pH levels. When in a hydroponic setting there is greater probability in the shifting of the pH. Acid and alkaline levels can shift rapidly when growing in water. A hydroponic garden allows for the gardener to set up a system that has automatic pH controls.

You can build your own greenhouse or buy one which is pre-assembled. These are a great investment for anyone interested in indoor hydroponic gardening. They can be purchased in a wide range of sizes, with modular systems also available so you can expand along with your garden.

Great Orchid Growers Treat their Plants Rght

Most folks can successfully grow orchids if they take the time to learn about the differences between the major families of these exciting plants, as well as their varied needs.

Orchids come from a wide variety of environments which differ from one another in almost every respect. As a result, you will find that some species produce their flowers early in spring, others in summer and yet others during the dull days of winter. Their respective times of beginning their seasonal growth also vary, but for convenience you may rest all of your orchids in the winter. The majority will then begin to push up their young shoots as soon as the days lengthen and the sun gains increased power.

When orchids are in their growing periods (as opposed to their dormancy), they must be treated differently with respect to heat, based on where they originated. East Indian orchids require the most heat. Inside, maintain the air temperature around them at 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70 degrees at day. In the outdoors they will thrive at up to 75 degrees in the early spring. During the hottest parts of summer they will tolerate temperatures as high as 85 or 90. Just be sure to shade the plants from the direct rays of the sun at these times.

If you are growing these East Indian-originated orchids, you should make sure that the atmosphere surrounding them is well supplied with moisture. Mist abundantly! You can also splash water over the paths and tables in your greenhouse or other growing area. A nice, moist, rising heat will be produced this way. Be sure and do it every day.

Brazilian orchids come from a cooler climate one that is not so highly saturated with moisture. They of course require less heat and less moisture but they do need a considerable degree of warmth during their growing season. The same applies to the majority of orchids that originated in Mexico. They should be heated artificially to approximately 60 degrees at night and 65 or 70 by day during the spring. As days lengthen the temperature may be allowed to increase so that during the months of May through August the night heat may range from 65 to 70 and
by day from 70 to 85 degrees.

There are also the cool orchids, so called. These should be kept in a separate area from other orchids, if you can. These plants' native habitats are the Andean countries of South America, where they are found growing high up. These must be grown at lower temperatures. You might try a range of 45 to 55 degrees during the winter, and 50 to as high as 65 during the summer. However you grow them, you must ensure that they are shaded from the sun most of the time. You can easily kill the cool orchids with too much heat!

There are numerous other groups and subgroups of these plants, too many to go over them in a limited space. If you want to learn more, the best and most complete guide to modern orchid growing, beyond question, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. There are many books on the subject of orchids, but Mr. Howard's guide constitutes a complete education all to itself. And, you will find it suitable for beginners as well as more seasoned orchid cultivators. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on all aspects of orchids.

Why The Bamboo Orchid Are Thriving As an Indoor Plant

One of the most prized flower species in the world is the orchid, of which there are thousands of variations.  One of the most beautiful and admired types of orchid is the bamboo orchid plant.  Some orchid varieties are inexpensive or simple to take care of, while others are rare and need specific environments.  The bamboo orchid is an uncommon breed of orchid, and should be cared for by an advanced gardener.

The flowers of the bamboo orchid plant are typically soft purples, pinks, or whites.These flowers emit a lovely fragrance.  The plant is quite different from other species of orchids because it can grow as tall as five feet high when it is in the wild.  It receives its name from the tall, stiff stem of the plant.  It can resemble reeds or bamboo, which is quite different from other orchid varieties.  Normally they flower through the summer and early autumn, however there are some environments in the world where the blooms can be found all year.  Because of the beautiful colors and fragrances of the flowers, they attract numerous species of butterflies, birds, and bees.

In the wild, the bamboo orchid plant is found in the Pacific Islands and parts of Asia.  However, it can now be found in locations such as Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Hawaii.  Though there are more areas than ever where the plant is growing, it is still at risk of extinction in several of its native habitats.  Though there used to be many of these orchids growing wild in Singapore, it is now estimated that less than two hundred plants are present in the country.The drop in orchid population is closely linked to the destruction of the rain forest.  These tropical plants thrive in tropical forests that are frequently destroyed to create grazing land.

Experienced orchid growers may successfully care for the bamboo orchid plant indoors.  It is important to create the proper environment for the plant, so that it will grow and thrive.  The bamboo orchid naturally grows in humid environments.If you live in a dry location, you are able to simulate the humidity by placing a bowl of water close to the orchid.  As the water slowly evaporates, it will simulate humidity for the plant.  While the orchid needs some sun during the day, it also needs shade.  Placing your plant near a window should give it enough exposure to light.  If you live in a tropical location, you may be able to grow your bamboo orchid outside.

Each variety of orchid has a specific set of environmental needs that have to be met for its success.  If you want to try your hand at growing a bamboo orchid plant, consider visiting a garden center or orchid association for advice on what your plant will need.  They will help you find a suitable plant and make sure that you have the proper setting and food for it to bloom and thrive.

Forcing Bulbs Indoors

Bring Outside Bloomers Inside

Looking for a while to brighten up those dull winter days? Start in the fall to force spring blooming bulbs inddors and you can have lovely blooms in the middle of winter. Growing bulbs indoors is easy and fun, and takes up very little space. Creating a simulated short winter does the trick. Fool potted bulbs into thinking t's winter by putting them in a cool closet, in the refrigerator, or if it's cold outside, in a foam cooler on a balcony, patio or porch. By doing this, they will grow sturdy roots and start to sprout in preparation for spring.

Start With Good Soil

You can make your own potting soil, or use any commercial organic potting mix. You can do it easily.Use 2 parts peat moss, one part perlite, and one part sterilized potting soil. Get all these things mixed together well. These ingredients will make a nutrient filled potting soil that is clean, porous, and moisture retaining,.

Unsterilized soil from your outside garden because it may contain bacterial or fungal pathogens that could infect the plant roots, so it's better not to use it.

Going To Pot

After you have the soil ready, choose the pot you want to use and place a few pieces of broken crockery over the drainage holes. Place it so the soil can't fall out during the planting process, but with enough free space to allow water to still drain out the hole.

Begin by filling the pot half-full of soil mix. Keep the pointed ends up when placing the bulbs in the container. Without actually letting the bulbs touch, plant the bulbs as closely together as possible. Fill the pot with soil mix, then water the bulbs thoroughly from the top or immerse in a tub of water. That will settle the soil around the bulbs.

Give The Bulbs Some Time

Early blooming bulbs like crocus, daffodils and snowdrops work well.  You can get some lovely bulbs to use from many places. For instance, click here for Daffodils from Breck's, plus many other lovely flowering bulbs). To force these early bloomers takes about 12 weeks. Tulips and bulbs like them need longer, about 16 weeks. The flowers will be taller if they are left in cold storage longer.

Too short a time in storage will result in smaller plants and sometimes flowers that start to grown then die.

The Bulbs Need Light.

When the right number of weeks is almost up, start checking the pots now and then. Fine white roots coming out of the drainage holes, and/or shoots 2 or three inches above the soil, are signs to take the pots out of cold storage.

Once the bulbs are at this point, they should be placed in indirect lighting for a while before moving them to direct sunlight. Be carefuly not to allow the soil to dry out.

It also works better to first move bulbs to a fairly cool location if possible, such as an unheated entryway or closed off back bedroom, where the temperatures are in the ’50s, before moving them on to the heated areas of the house, and into more direct sunlight.

Don't Throw The Bulbs Out - Reuse Them.

The bulbs can be reused if you cut the flower stems off after the blooms die. Make sure the foliage has plenty of sunlight to continue to grow, as this gather nutrients for the bulb to bloom next year.

After the foliage withers, don’t pull the leaves off. Leaving the leaves in place, store the bulbs in the pots in a cool, dry place until they can be planted outside. Don’t try to make the same bulbs bloom inside again, as the bulb is weakened from being forced to bloom. Blooms, if any, produced from a second forcing would be small.

Planting the bulbs in the garden allows them to return to a natural schedule with the seasons. After a year or two they should be back on schedule and making a beautiful display of blooms at the appropriate times.

Gardening Design with Annuals

Gardening Design with Annuals

Most flowers, and some non-flowering plants, can be divided into annuals, perennials and biennials. Biennials bloom only every other year. Perennials will lose their flowers, but then come right back the following year - often for many, many years. Annuals, by contrast, bloom one year and never again, typically dying out entirely.

As a result, annuals have to be freshly planted every year - hence the name. But as a kind of reward, they offer garden designers the widest array possible of stunning color and style choices. Annuals are the brightest, the most intense and among the most beautiful flowers available.

If you want a garden that is full of the deepest colors - shocking yellows, deep purples, vibrant reds - annuals are your best bet. If you want to pack your garden with an effusion of flowering plants, annuals will give you what you're looking for. Just don't forget you will have to re-do the effort every year. But then, for some, that's part of the fun!

Annuals can be further divided into Spring, Summer and Fall annuals. Spring annuals such as pansies, violas or snapdragons can be planted in early Spring. Summer annuals, such as petunias or impatiens should be planted later, in order to avoid exposure to any late cold snap.

Unless you grow from seed, you'll pick up some annuals already growing, probably already in bloom. Look for soil that has been kept moist but not wet. Excessively wet soil promotes diseases and harmful growths that often don't show up until after you've had the plant for a while. Soil shouldn't be too dry, either. That leads to sickly plants that sometimes don't survive transplanting.

Young annuals are fragile and if the conditions in which they were raised before you acquired them aren't right, they often won't last very long. Best to invest your time and money in ones that have the best chance for survival.

Give them that chance by planting in loose, well fed soil. For fertilization, fish emulsion or other commercial mixtures containing the right amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients are a good start. Just follow the directions on the package.

Annuals can be planted close together, provided each has adequate soil, water and nutrients. A good guideline is to observe wild flowers in a densely packed area. Nature has figured out long ago how much room, sunlight and water a plant needs to thrive.

Many annuals are best acquired before they've begun to blossom. When you find young ones that have many healthy looking buds, you can bet you'll have lots of flowers before long. Since they haven't blossomed yet, they'll have the maximum life span.

Picking out healthy plants isn't hard. If it looks healthy, it usually is. Straight sturdy stalks (for those that grow that way naturally), no wilting, bright greens (with little or no browning), and other obvious signs rarely lead you astray.

Don't worry too much if your first gardening design experiments aren't 100% successful. In some cases, plants will die no matter how well you treat them. Annuals are relatively inexpensive and you'll have plenty of room in your budget to create that carpet of color you want.

Gardening Design - Winter Choices

Gardening Design - Winter Choices

Most gardeners who live in cold climates just pack up for winter and head inside. Watching the landscape through a window, they see stretches of snow covered ground, dead stalks and a few hardy evergreens. Not a bad view, actually!

But for the truly adventurous there are many choices of shrub or tree that can help brighten even those gloomy winter scenes, inside and out.

Holly has been popular around Christmas for centuries. With year-round foliage and colorful berries, it will bring life and color into your life. The bush tolerates cutting even in the dead of winter, so you can prune a few to hang on the door, or make a nice decoration for the dinner table.

China Holly is a delightful variation. Rounded and about 8 foot high, they're drought tolerant and just beautiful. Inkberry Holly is a nice choice, too. It's shorter and the black berries make for an interesting difference from the usual type. Winterberry Holly is a good choice if you want to attract those few bird species that hang around during the cold months.

Birch trees add an artistic touch to the gardening design and can be used as lining around your property or as a centerpiece in the lawn. Since they're deciduous they lose their leaves in the late Fall, but the subtle coloring of the wood and the shape of the branches make them natural sculpture.

Paper Birch has bark that makes an interesting appearance, as it sheds and folds. A variety known as Yellow Birch is a colorful type. Young's Weeping Birch grows only to six to twelve feet, making it a wonderful shorter version. Most birch trees can grow 60 feet or more over a period of decades.

Yew trees have long been associated with the Christmas season in Great Britain, but can be grown in many countries. Their evergreen needles and bright red berries provide a nice bit of color during winter. Be sure not to eat the berries, which are poisonous.

Several Japanese species have evolved in the windswept areas and form lovely additions to the home. The Japanese Barberry is a roundish shrub that does well in certain parts of the country. They're hardy up to Zone 3. A few feet high and wide, they produce lovely Fall colors and the berries will last until very late into the season.

The American version will thrive in Zones 2-8 and its fruit is a favorite of birds. They're also deer resistant, so if you live in an area they frequent you get two benefits in one bush. During the other seasons you might enjoy the fragrant foliage.

Complete the picture with a tall grass that can add to the scene in winter. Plume grass is an ornamental and will last all year round in Zones 4-9. With a thin shaft and puffy top, you'll enjoy seeing them against the background.

Don't let winter stop you from enjoying your green thumb. Pick some winter plants today and enliven your gardening design for the winter.

Herb Gardening Tips

Herb Gardening Tips

Herb gardening is becoming more and more popular every day, and for a good reason.  Herbs have practical value, serve a purpose, and with herb gardening you can actually use your plants.  When most people think of herb gardening they automatically think of cooking, but herbs are also grown for their pleasant aroma and their beauty.

One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them.  First the tops of leafy herbs have to be cut, washed, and hung up for the water to evaporate.  Then, tie stems together and hang up in a paper bag to dry.  After two to three weeks they must be removed; crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven, and store in a glass jar.

One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening is basil.  “Dark Opal” and regular green basil are beautiful additions to any garden and often used as decoration.  Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red leaves.  Basil isn’t just used for its looks; it is used for extra flavor in tomato juices and pastes.

Chives are very petite looking and resemble a blade of grass.  They are much stronger than they look, however, and will grow well through a drought and a drought.  Their toughness and sturdiness makes Chives a perfect plant for herb gardening, especially if the gardener doesn’t want plants that require a lot of hassle.  Chives are good used in salads, egg dishes, and many different sauces.

Mint is also very simple to grow and is good to use in mint jelly, mint juleps, lemonade, and any other kind of fruity drink.  Mint is also good in herb gardening for its unique minty smell.  Two herbs that appear in nearly everyone’s herb garden are thyme and sage.  Both of these herb gardening favorites are used for flavoring soups, chicken, turkey, pork, and other sausages.  Sage is also grown sometimes for its beautiful blue spiked flowers.

Lavender is probably the best smelling herb in all of herb gardening and is often used in candles, as a perfume scent, and to improve the smell in linen chests.  The light purple flowers smell absolutely lovely.

Other types of herbs often grown in herb gardening include borage (used in salads), chervil (used in egg dishes), sweet marjoram (flavors lamb, fish, salad, and soup), sesame (flavors crackers, cookies, and bread), and dill (flavors meats and used in pickles).  Herb gardening allows gardeners to use herbs from their own garden for cooking, looks, and smell.  Herb gardening will produce much fresher herbs with more flavor than store-bought herbs, and are a lot cheaper.

Flower Gardening is as easy as 1,2,3

Flower Gardening is as easy as 1,2,3

Flower gardening is becoming more and more popular every day.  Flowers can brighten everyone’s day, they smell nice, and are a great hobby.  Flower gardening is simple, inexpensive, and loads of fun.  Flower gardening can be done for yard decoration, simply as a hobby, or even professionally.
There are some decisions that have to be made before even flower gardening can be started.  You must decide if you want annuals that live for one season and must be replanted every year, or perennials that survive the winter and return again in the summer.  When buying and planting, pay attention to what kind of flowers thrive in your climate as well ass the sun requirements.
When flower gardening, you must decide what type of look you want before planting.  For instance, mixing different heights, colors, and varieties of flowers together in a “wild-plant style” will give your garden a meadow look and can be very charming.  If short flowers are planted in the front of your garden and work up to the tallest flowers in the back you will have a “stepping stone style”.
You can order seeds for flower gardening from catalogues or buy them from a nursery.  Most people will go to the nursery and buy actual flowers and then transplant them.  After you have prepared your garden area and bought flowers, it is a good idea to lay the flowers out in the bed to make sure you like the arrangement and that they will be spaced properly.
One of the easiest processes in flower gardening is the planting/ if you have seeds just sprinkle them around in the flower bed.  For planting transplants dig a hole just bigger than the flower, pull the container off, and set the flower in the hole right side up.  Cover it with the loose soil and press down firmly, then water.

Maintaining a flower garden is even easier than planting one.  Although they might make it on their own, a bag of fertilizer applied in the early spring is a good idea.  Pinch back any blooms after they start to fade and keep them good and watered.  To save yourself work during the next season of flower gardening, rid your garden of all debris and spread out organic nutrients like peat moss or compost.  Don’t forget to turn over the soil to properly mix in the fertilizer and rake smooth when finished.  If you have perennials planted be careful not to disturb their roots in this process.

Flower gardening is as easy as 1, 2, and 3: simply decide what to plant; plant it, and water, water, water!  Flower gardening is undoubtedly gaining in popularity and gives anyone excellent reason to spend some outdoors and test out their green thumb.

Hummingbird Feeders Add Beauty to Your Garden

Their feeding habits, their ability to hover, and their being the smallest birds in the world make hummingbirds really amazing to watch. These birds are small, averaging 3.5 inches from head to tail.

For feeding the humminbirds the best way is to place a nectar feeder high up on a tree branch to prevent it from other animals eating it away. Hummingbirds are attractd to a combination of sugar and water. This blend is the closest approximation to flower nectar available. When you prepare homemade nectar you should not use honey, molasses or any other artificial sweeteners.

A simple recipe for homemade nectar is 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil melting the sugar, set aside to cool. When this mixture is cool you can fill your feeder. This is a 1 to 3 mix. You should not add food coloring to the mix.

Hummingbirds rely heavily on flower and prepared nectar for their energy needs, however, they will also eat small insects for protein. You should be able to successfully attract hummingbirds to a backyard feeder with a proper combination of cleanliness, timing, and consistency.

A hummingbird feeder has to be clean and the nectar fresh or the bird will not feed from it and if it does, it may become sick. A hummingbird feeder should be colorful, red and orange seem to be the best colors for attracting the birds. For the hummingbirds in the area to see the feeder easier, it would be a good idea to attach a red ribbon.

There are a couple of different types of hummingbird feeders. The dish type has a perch and allows a good view of the way a hummingbird feeds. The gravity fed bottle feeder has no perch so that eliminates the problem of other animals landing on it to feed. Hummingbird feeders come in many different styles and shapes from simple glass or plastic bottles and home made feeder plates to beautifully hand blown glass bulbs that enhance the charm of any backyard.

The best time to hang your hummingbird feeder is shortly before spring. If a hummingbird is drawn to the bird feeder during this time, it will likely return throughout the spring, summer, and well into fall.

Adding flowers and feeders to your garden will attract hummingbirds. The same plants you have in your yard will attract butterflies as well as hummingbirds. By going to your local garden supply shop you will be able to locate feeders and plants to attract the hummingbirds.

Don't stop gardening in the fall!

Don't stop gardening in the fall!

Many gardeners do not even consider fall gardening because of the winter frosts that might make an early appearance.  On the contrary, fall gardening will result in excellent vegetables and will extend crops long after spring planted plants are finished.  Vegetables produced from fall gardening are sometimes sweeter and milder than those grow in the summer and offer a brand new taste to the same old veggies.

What you choose to grow during you fall gardening will depend on your available space and what you like to eat, just like spring plants.  Even the crops that enjoy the heat, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers, will produce until frosts hit, which can be pretty late in the year in southern areas.  However, there are some plants that will quit towards the end of summer like snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers.  If these vegetables are planted around the middle of the summer they can be harvested until the first frosts as well.  Hardy, tough vegetables will grow until the temperature is as low as 20 degrees, but those that aren’t as strong will only be able to grow through light frosts.  Remember that if you have root and tuber plants and the tops are killed by a freeze the edible part can be saved if a large amount of mulch is used.

When fall gardening, make sure and pick the vegetables with the shortest growing season so they can be full grown and harvested before the frost arrives.  Most seed packages will be labeled “early season”, or you can find the seeds boasting the fewest days to maturity.  You may want to go after your seeds for fall gardening in spring or early summer; they are usually not kept in stock towards the end of summer.  If they are stored in a cool and dry location they will keep until you are ready to plant.

In order to know exactly when the best time to start fall gardening, you must know about when the first hard frost will hit your area.  One of the best ways to tell this is by a Farmer’s Almanac.  They will give you exact dates and are rarely wrong.  You will also need to know exactly how long it is going to take your plants to mature.

To get your soil ready for fall gardening you must first remove any leftover spring/summer crops and weeds.  Crops leftover from the last season can end up spreading bacteria and disease if left in the garden.  Spread a couple of inches of compost or mulch over the garden area to increase the nutrients, however, if spring plants were fertilized heavily it may not need much, if any.  Till the top layer of soil, wet it down, and let it set for about 12-24 hours.  Once this has been done, you are ready to start planting.

Many gardeners will run from fall gardening so they don’t have to deal with frosts, but if tough, sturdy vegetables are planted they can withstand a few frosts and give you some wonderful tasting produce.  Fall gardening gives you the chance to enjoy your vegetable garden for at least a little bit more time.

Planting A Primrose Path

Planting A Primrose Path

An area of any size, a path of any length, or even a simple wooded corner has in it a potential Primrose Path. Whether four feet long or four hundred, it can have charm. It isn't necessarily length and size that make for success, but rather an indefinable element compounded of composition, arrangement, Tightness, and vigor of the plant material involved.

The soil on our Primrose Path is partly composed of rotted leaves and old stumps. It is rich and black and loose, and almost always slightly moist to the touch. The nearby stream runs with ample water the year round, and in flooding spring rains the primroses are occasionally under water. Our slope is slight and to the southwest. The plants bask in morning sun briefly till about eleven, when trees shade them, then again filtered sunlight dapples them through the afternoon.

Of course a brook isn't essential. And primroses will thrive as happily on east, south, or west slopes—but not so well on the north. They definitely do want a cool moist area, and shade from the noonday sun. In other words if your garden is high, dry, and hot, better to plant marigolds!

We have well over a hundred plants now, and our goal is unlimited. Each year we buy a few more from the catalogues, the local nursery, and the grocery store. (You can successfully transplant primroses in full flower.) Every year we also start more plants from seed (partly because a thousand of anything is costly).

Plant seeds outside in May, in a small six by six seedling corner of the vegetable garden that gets five hours of sun daily. We sow seeds one eighth to a quarter of an inch deep in light well-drained soil. In two weeks or so seedlings first appear. We thin them to stand six inches apart.

In the fall we cover the small thrifty plants with pine or evergreen boughs, and then leaves. The boughs prevent the leaves from packing on the crowns. The plants remain in the nursery through the first winter. Early the next spring they are set on the Primrose Path.

We dig a hole and loosen the soil in the area around it, giving each plant a site with plenty of good growing room. We free it from roots and encroaching greenery. A few trowels full of leaf mold or superphosphate mixed in the earth under the plant is helpful. Set each plant and firm the soil up around the crown but never cover it. Water, and then the fun begins. Observe how they take hold and grow. If there are normal spring rains no further watering is needed.

One of my favorite pastimes is to wander in our nearby woods with a small dump wagon or basket, collecting leaf mold and material from inside old rotted stumps. Both can be used in Or on top of the soil, and will greatly spur primroses to their best. Many of the first-year plants will flower the following spring on the Primrose Path. They'll be tentative, small blooms, to be sure, and only a few, but enough to reveal colors. The subsequent spring they really let go and bloom riotously.