Tips For Attracting Butterflies To Your Garden

Butterflies are beautiful to watch. They seem so delicate, with their tiny wings. Yet, they also have a whimsical feeling about them – a combination of their brilliant colours and the way they flit around, never going in a completely straight line. You may think that they come and go at random, but there are some things that you can do to attract more butterflies. Here are some simple tips that will bring you more joy and more butterflies.

Provide a Variety of Flowers

Carefully choose what flowers you plant, as this will influence how many butterflies come to your garden. Make sure as well, that these are flowers that you enjoy. The more you enjoy the flowers, the more you will want to sit and admire them. The more you are near your flowers, the more chances you will have to see the butterflies that visit your garden.

You should plant the most fragrant flowers, as these have the most nectar. Popular fragrant flowers include french lavender, sage, sweet alyssum and oregano. While the butterflies tend not to care about the colour of the flower, you probably do. Plant flowers with colours that are pleasing to you, so that you spend more time looking at the flowers and any butterflies that visit them.

As well, choose flowers that will bloom all season long, or a combination of plants that bloom at different times during the warm months of spring and summer. A spring favourite is the sweet pea, along with marigolds during late spring. This is soon followed by summer favourites, such as dianthus, purple coneflowers, shasta daisies and the black-eyed susan.

In addition, it is important to have plants that will support the butterfly larvae, such as snap dragons, milkweed, lupine and sunflowers. A butterfly starts off as a caterpillar. Once a caterpillar has reached adulthood, it is ready to transform into a butterfly. At this point, the adult caterpillar will form a cocoon in order to start the transformation process. While it is in the cocoon, the caterpillar is officially called butterfly larvae. After a short period of time, the cocoon will break open and a butterfly will emerge. A few hours later and the butterfly is ready to fly off into the world.

Provide Shelter and Protection

Butterflies need protection from the elements and shelter from the wind and rain. An easy way to provide shelter is to place small brush piles in your yard. Also, it is very important that you don't use pesticides. It will kill both butterfly larvae and adult butterflies very easily. Adult butterflies are even more susceptible to pesticides because it is in the water they drink and the insects that they eat.

Provide Water

While butterflies need water to drink, they will avoid places where the water is deep. They can easily become trapped and drown in deep water, so provide places where the water is shallow. Even drops of water, damp sand or plants that hold water on their leaves and petals can provide sufficient sources of water.

Provide Sunny Spots

Sunshine helps to warm the wings of butterflies so that they can fly. Make sure that you position both rocks and flowers throughout your garden so that at every part of the day, there are always some flowers and rocks that are in the sun. Rocks are just as important as flowers, since butterflies also need time to rest during the day. Rocks provide not only a place to rest, but an area to soak up the sun as well.

Lovely Swings for your Lovely Gardens

What else but a swing can make your garden look so lovely and cozy? It can make your yard or garden a perfect place for relaxation in any time of the year. These outdoors types of swings can suit all ages from babies to senior people, because both children and adults love garden swings. They can enjoy swinging all year round breathing fresh air and admiring the nature around. On hot summer days swinging can cool you off. There are many types and designs of garden swings. Some of them are designed for only one person; the other swings can suit the entire family. Swings with covered tops can keep you from the sun or even rain, so you can enjoy swinging whenever you want. You will show real hospitability to your guests inviting them for a cup of nice tea or coffee in your garden, where a decorative swing can serve a perfect seat for all of you. You can sit hours talking about old good days, the weather and your children. Fresh air, friendly conversations and a soothing and relaxing effect of swinging will create the atmosphere of unity of nature and people. The negative part of it is that your guests will not wish to go home.

Garden swings are still very popular Garden swings were and still very popular nowadays, they are used in many outdoor places, such as terraces, bars and others. You can also put them on a porch, by your garden, on a patio, in the middle of your yard. Adults can enjoy themselves while their children are busy merrily swinging back and forth. Even some of them like using swings to rock with their children or grandchildren. Swinging sets come in different shapes and sizes, and their well-constructed forms are made to be out in different types of weather. Moreover you can order a special designed swinging set, which construction can hold more than four people if you wish. The materials, used for making windup swinging sets on cranks are such as wood and metal, that is why windup swings can serve you for a pretty long time, because they are 926durable and last for years. Thanks to various styles and sizes of garden swinging sets you can choose one for your local home to make your garden or yard the most fantastic and comfortable place to relax.

Purchasing a garden swing Purchasing a garden swing for your home is a crucial and important moment. You can buy them in specialized stores and they are also available online. The Internet gives us a great possibility to make a choice sitting home and looking through a large selection of many swings of different styles and sizes. You can find a great deal of such companies which offer you their products. Some of the less expensive garden swings can be found for less then one hundred dollars. But larger swings may cost a lot more. And it is up to you to decide which one will be the most suitable for you to decorate your place.

Hydroponics

You see fish nibbling on plants in an aquarium, and seaweeds in the ocean, and you observe—these plants can grow without soil. You call this technology, hydroponics. Hydroponics is also called soil-less gardening, soil-less culture, chemiculture, and water gardening.

Taken from two Greek words—“water” and “work”, hydroponics simply means growing plants without soil. Hydroponics system is used to grow plants without soil in water to which nutrients have been added. Thanks to the people who conducted experiments on the feasibility for growing commercial crops using the hydroponic system in the early 1900s—a century before that, hydroponics was just used as a research technique.

Now, you will practically find hydroponic home gardens and commercial cropping operations all throughout the US and other countries—indoors or outdoors in various mediums, like water, gravel, sand, sawdust, vermiculite, or other soil-less materials. But don’t think that hydroponically grown plants are entirely different--like all plants, plants that are grown hydroponically need light, water, and oxygen to survive.

Hydroponic home gardens

Since hydroponically grown plants never come in contact with disease-ridden soil, they are healthier than their garden counterparts. In a hydroponic garden, the plants are also given an optimum balance of the nutrients they need. Hydroponic kits give specific instructions on how this is attained. The fruits and vegetables that are grown are therefore rich with the desired nutrients and vitamin content that are delivered via a solution rather than via the soil as in a regular garden.

Some mediums that have been successfully used are shredded compound like coconut or peat, rockwool (may come in cube form, a spun synthetic fiber found in potted aquarium plants). One of the best horticultural rooting medium that has been developed for hydro systems is a sponge, which is quite expensive. Another one that has been used is in grow rooms is perlite.

Hydroponic systems for commercial operations

For commercial operations, a big advantage for growing using hydroponics is that plants can be grown closer together rather than if they were grown in the field. The yield is much greater n volume. Multiple cropping or growing several plants or crops in the same tank can be practiced. Space is saved, and weeds and pest problems are eliminated when you use the right hydro sysmtem.

One downside that can be told for hydroponic systems is that the equipment can be costly, and personnel needs a lot of training. In addition, the amount of physical support required is tremendous. The plants are usually held upright by wire supports. Another option to grow hydroponics is to root them in a sterile medium, like pure sand or gravel. The elements, like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential nutrients that are normally found in soil must be supplied not only in optimum concentrations but in correct balance.

And more…eliminating toxins from the soil

Grow hydroponics—but there is more to this. Inversely, contaminated land can be cleaned up—by harvesting waste. It may seem strange, but possible by using plants that could suck up toxic metals from the soil. Land contaminated with metals can be cleaned up in an environmentally friendly way—by simply harvesting and disposing the plants that were earlier made to suck up the toxic metals from the soil.

What Vegetable Garden Is Right For You?

Two Types of Vegetable Gardens

For those of us who love to nurture and consume vegetables, home gardening is a great activity to take part in. Once you have decided to have your own vegetable garden, the next step is to decide what type of vegetable garden you want. There are two types of gardens: land gardens and container gardens. When one plants vegetables in the ground, it is called land gardening. When one plants vegetables in pots, it is called container gardening. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Find out which is right for you through this simple guide to land and container vegetable gardening.

Land Vegetable Gardening

To plant a vegetable garden on solid ground, you must carefully determine the size, location, and soil of your garden.

When you're planning a garden, it's important to decide the size of garden you want. In order to easily maintain a garden, you should start out small with a small garden and gradually expand if you later on desire to. I recommend starting out with a garden of 25 square feet or smaller. As you get the hang of gardening, you can expand your garden to be as big as you wish.

Before beginning a vegetable garden on solid ground, consider the location of your garden. Plants need about six hours of sunlight in order to fulfill their potential. Therefore, it is inadvisable to place your garden where there is a lot of shade. You should also make sure that you can locate your garden in a place with sufficient drainage. To protect your vegetables from drowning, make sure you can position your garden away from the bottoms of hills and other places where water is likely to collect.

Before planting in the ground, you should make sure that the soil is compatible for gardening. Soil that's slightly loose and simple to till is best. Stay away from hard, difficult-packed soil. If your yard has mediocre soil, mulch or compost will be a big help for your garden. In fact, composting won’t only greatly help your garden, it will also decrease the amount of your trash.

If you have the desired size, location, and soil for a land garden, you will enhance your chances for success in gardening on solid ground for beginners.

Container Gardening

If, on the other hand, you have little space, little sunshine, infertile soil, or impaired mobility, you may want to grow vegetables in containers. Container gardening allows you to position the plants in places where they can receive the best growing conditions in your area. Container gardening also creates better pest management and a chance to have color in areas where you want color. The downside of container gardening is that containers demand daily watering, which you must do by hand.

Some plants are especially fit for container-gardening. Vegetables that grow appropriately in containers are those that are used to growing in confined spaces, such as salad greens, spinach, eggplant, Swiss chard, beets, radish, carrots, peppers, bush beans, tomatoes, bush varieties of summer squash and cucumbers, green onions, and many herbs. Other plants will also grow well in pots, even if they are not meant for container gardening.

Regardless of the type or size of container used, adequate drainage is a necessity for successful plants. It is wise to add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of the container to control drainage. For most vegetable crops, 5-gallon containers are the most appropriate size.

Some Last Notes

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to have a garden without pests, and land gardens attract the most bugs. Unless you want to use chemicals, you will have to kill any pests on the plants yourself and with the help of pest-eating bugs. You can buy these pest-eating bugs, such as ladybugs or praying mantis, from garden stores to get rid of pests. For larger bugs like grasshoppers and such, you will have to pick them off by hand.

Another issue you may have while vegetable gardening is to make sure the weeds do not take over your garden, especially if you have a land garden. If you don’t go out daily to pick the weeds, the weeds will choke out the plants and take over. Watering your garden is important not only to keep your plants alive and healthy, but also to repel some of the bugs that might otherwise eat your plants.

Your Final Decision

Vegetable gardening is a rewarding experience, because you end up with a delicious plant harvest. The question is whether you should start a land garden or container garden. This question is usually answered by one’s own resources. If you have an area outdoors that is sunny for at least six hours a day and yields good soil, opt for the land garden. If you live in a city, let’s say, and do not have a parcel of land to garden on, then create a container garden. Either way, don’t miss out on the cherishing moments of farming in and eating from a vegetable garden. If you loved the ripe vegetables that grandma used to grow, you should relive those precious memories by starting your own land or container vegetable garden.

What You Need to Know When Buying Bonsai Trees As a Gift

The first thing you will need to buy is a bonsai tree. Before buying a bonsai tree you need to determine whether your recipient will require an indoor or outdoor bonsai tree. Does the recipient live in a warm area year round like New Mexico or New Orleans or do they live in an area where the seasons change like New York or North Dakota. Next you will need to determine which bonsai tree species to buy. There are many types of bonsai trees like the Japanese maple, elm, ficus, maple, and juniper. Some bonsai tree species are more difficult to grow than others so you will need to make sure that you choose the appropriate species for the person who will be receiving the bonsai tree.

The second thing you will need to bonsai pot. Today there are various styles, colors, shapes and size to choose from so you can easily find a bonsai pot for the bonsai tree that is perfect for anyone. When selecting the bonsai pot, you will need to the correct size for the bonsai tree to ensure the tree fits inside the pot.

The third thing you will need to buy is bonsai soil. Unlike other types of plants, bonsai trees require a certain type of soil to grow. Some soils are already mixed with fertilizer to make your life easier. However, when buying bonsai soil you need to make sure that you not only buy enough soil to fill the pot but you will need to include extra soil as well.

The fourth thing you will need to buy is bonsai fertilizer. Bonsai trees require fertilizer for growth and nutrition. There are many kinds to choose from starting with organic and non organic types. Regardless of which fertilizer you choose, you will need to understand what nitrogen level your bonsai tree requires. To be safe buy extra fertilizer and package it with your bonsai gift.

The fifth thing you will need to buy is wire and tools. These items are essential especially for the novice in bonsai growing. Bonsai tool kits are available and they come with the standard tools such as the bending jack, concave cutter, scissors and wire cutters. The wire is also essential since wire is used to form the bonsai tree.

The last thing you will need to buy is a watering pot or can. Like most plant life, bonsai trees need frequent watering. Including a watering pot is a must since it is a subtle reminder that the bonsai tree requires water.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, when it comes to bonsai trees, anytime can be a good time to buy a bonsai gift. When giving a bonsai tree as a gift make sure you include a pot, soil, bonsai fertilizer, wire tools, and a watering pot. By including these items your bonsai gift will be the perfect gift!

Local Garden Supply Center

Another area of marketing is the loyalty card schemes and related gardening clubs. These are the sort of methods that are not offered by the larger chains of garden supply centers. (With the exception of loyalty cards perhaps)

One of the advantages enjoyed by the large garden supply center companies is the pricing they can offer their customers. Due to the large quantities they purchase for resell they can usually get a better deal than the smaller independent operators. However, the one thing that many smaller garden supply centers have that many of the big chains lack is service and knowledge of the products they sell. Of course the economies of scale are also a disadvantage because you will have the same plants as everyone else. If you like growing a more eclectic range of flowers and vegetables you will only get these from the smaller garden suppliers.

For the home gardener who knows exactly what they want and how to use it, the larger corporate garden supply center is going to have a larger selection from which to choose while saving a little but of money. However, seeking advice from the same chain's employees can be hit or miss as to whether they understand home gardening or just there for a summer job.

Local Garden Centers Have the Advantage

While there are pros and cons to both the small independent garden supply center and the large chain-owned outlets the needs and preference of the customer are often different, resulting in some customers sharing their business between the two. There is also a perception that the independent garden supply center must be priced higher than their corporate competition and in some cases that may be true, but customers are often surprised by the savings they can find at the small outlets.

Where the independent local garden supply center will score is in the choice of plants. They will be localized to your area and will grow well for you. The large chains will have the same inventory for a wide geographical area. But not all the plants that grow in the south of the country will work in the north because of different daylight sun hours and rainfall. The other reason why the plants will be more suitable for you is that they will work in your soil.

The expertise of the garden centre staff will know the general conditions of the soils in your area and they will make sure they sell what grows best for you.

So while the large multiple garden centers do have a place for the serious gardener you need to lose your local garden supply center.

The Top 5 Mistakes Most People Make

As a rose grower myself and author of a gardening website, I get many questions about why a certain rose bush has failed or what a person might be doing wrong. Over time, these many mistakes people make, began to fall into five major categories.

The five major rose growing mistakes that most people could avoid!

1. Planting in the wrong location:

Before you actually dig the hole for your new rose bush, consider the location. It will need six hours of good light including some time in the sun. It will need healthy soil where water drains well and other plants and trees haven't taken over with their own roots. Not in the shade of a large tree, or over a concrete pipe or in a pot small enough for a geranium! Take time to choose the right location.

2. Choosing the wrong bush in the first place:

My rose bush, Savoy Hotel, grew so large I had to move the neighbors fence! The estimated size was actually on the label when I purchased it, so check how big it will get and plan the space accordingly. Rose bushes are programed to grow to a certain size, not necessarily the height you want, so check the labeling carefully.

While doing this check, look up the hardiness of the particular rose. Not all roses grow at minus 20 degrees centigrade in Calgary! Some are very susceptible to certain diseases such as blackspot, and guess what, some rose bushes only bloom once a year!

Check these things out BEFORE you purchase.

Type of rose, color, scent, size at full growth, hardiness and blooming time: make your choices before you plant, not after.

3. Pruning at the wrong time of year:

I have an acquaintance who continues to question why her roses don't bloom: even though, every year she cuts out all the new growth as it tries to bud, because this new growth blocks her view out of her living-room window. Pruning at the correct time will promote growth and increase blossom production.

Climbers should be pruned in the fall and trained to travel where you want them to travel. Fall is the time to train your climbers, not the spring, because all you would be doing is removing the new shoots that produce the new stems and the new blossoms.

Hybrid Teas and minis that have a repeat blooming, get cut back in early spring and just given a short haircut in the fall to prevent wind damage during the winter. This cut back in spring promotes new growth and helps you to re-shape the bush.

Bushes that don't re-bloom such as most Old Growth Roses, get pruned right after the blossoms fade, sometimes after the hips have formed if you like to encourage the hips to grow: perhaps as late as the fall. Pruning at the correct time will produce a healthier bush and a lot more roses!

4. Not knowing exactly what you planted:

You will not have much success with one, two or three above if you haven't dealt with this one, and you would be surprised how many people tell me ”...I don't remember the name....and I can't for the life of me find the metal tag....are you sure there was one?”

All roses come with a metal name tag and if they don't, go buy them somewhere that does!

Keep the tag on the bush and make a note of what it says, then in a year or two when you need an answer to a question about something that has gone wrong you can look it up and people like myself can help you.

Not knowing if the bush is a climber or a Polyantha, Rosa Mundi or Queen Elizabeth, makes a lot of difference. Knowing the name means you can check with your National or local society about the likely growing characteristics of your plant: knowing what it should be doing goes a long way to solving most problems.

5. Not tending to the W.F.D:

Of course, I know of several beautiful roses that have spread themselves along twenty feet or more of stone wall, and produced arm-loads of fabulous roses every year while getting no attention whatsoever: even abuse from passing car exhausts. But if you are going to be successful, don't fall into the trap of ignoring the W. F and D!

Water, Food and Dead-heading, all play their part in rose growing 101 and you ignore them at your peril. Mistake number five, ignoring the W. F and D chores.

Water deeply at least twice a week. Put down organic rose fertilizer in early spring and early summer. Liquid fertilize every week or two and keep the rose clean of dead blooms otherwise the bush thinks it's finished for the season and go dormant, produce hips, and get completely confused. Keep the roses coming by removing the old faded ones. Your rose bush wants to make more babies....encourage it to do so!

If you tend to your rose garden and avoid these five major mistakes, the chances are high that your bushes will flourish and your roses will be the envy of your family and friends. Growing roses will have it's reward if you take notice of the five mistakes.

Growing roses just got easier.