The five basic bonsai styles are formal upright, informal upright, slanting (or windswept), semi-cascade and cascade. All have their own individual beauty and serenity. I will now attempt to explain the basic principles of each style.
These kind of Flower Grenades were at first created for adding some plants to cities which needed some beautification, however most of us believe you could have a thrilling time using them wherever you live.
Have fun with throwing these out the window or inside the corner of your backyard and watch the plants grow. They’re ideal for the eco-warrior in you. The Flower Grenade’ have been created by Suck UK to introduce plant life in derelict city areas. They're totally biodegradable seed bombs, and arrive filled with soil as well as different seeds, such as Buttercups, Ryegrass and Poppies.
They won’t come up with a big boom once they land, however a couple weeks later, you will see some plants placed within their wake. The plants will need a minimum of 3 weeks to develop, while the Ryegrass will probably pop out after only one week.
The particular clay will totally dissolve during the rainfall, so there won’t be any kind of evidence left of your actions after a couple of days. It’s an ideal method to decorate some horrible backyards that were bugging you for some time.
Have fun with throwing these out the window or inside the corner of your backyard and watch the plants grow. They’re ideal for the eco-warrior in you. The Flower Grenade’ have been created by Suck UK to introduce plant life in derelict city areas. They're totally biodegradable seed bombs, and arrive filled with soil as well as different seeds, such as Buttercups, Ryegrass and Poppies.
They won’t come up with a big boom once they land, however a couple weeks later, you will see some plants placed within their wake. The plants will need a minimum of 3 weeks to develop, while the Ryegrass will probably pop out after only one week.
Just because the trees are bare and there is snow on the ground doesn't mean that your garden has to become a winter wasteland. A well-planned garden will provide year-round interest and visual treats. Many evergreens and hardy ornamental grasses can be quite stunning in the colder months.
But perhaps nothing can compare to the vibrant color of berries during the winter. Berry palates range from bright red to yellow to pale blue and white, so there is something sure to please your eye. Many berries will also attract a variety of birds to your garden. Here are a few suggestions for hardy berry-bearing beauties that can provide a bit of pizzazz to the drab winter landscape.
American Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum)
Berry: Red
Height: 10 to 12 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of white flowers in the spring. Some cultivars produce yellow berries. The European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus) has similar properties.
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Berry: Red
Height: 20 to 25 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 5
Partial Sun
Notes: This evergreen tree bears small white flowers in the spring. It has many cultivars, such as “Xanthocarpa,” which bears golden-yellow berries.
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Berry: Bluish-Black
Height: 6 to10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of dark berries that are very popular with birds and bears clusters of small white flowers in the spring.
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Berry: Dark Purple
Height: 4 to 6 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 4
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: The berries of the “Autumn Magic” cultivar last an especially long time into the winter. Although the Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) bears attractive red berries, it is considered invasive in many areas and should be avoided.
Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Berry: White
Height: 3 to 5 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Full Shade to Full Sun
Notes: This hardy shrub grows well in shade as well as sun and tolerates almost every soil type.
ReadMoreAt: helpfulgardener
But perhaps nothing can compare to the vibrant color of berries during the winter. Berry palates range from bright red to yellow to pale blue and white, so there is something sure to please your eye. Many berries will also attract a variety of birds to your garden. Here are a few suggestions for hardy berry-bearing beauties that can provide a bit of pizzazz to the drab winter landscape.
Berry: Red
Height: 10 to 12 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of white flowers in the spring. Some cultivars produce yellow berries. The European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus) has similar properties.
Berry: Red
Height: 20 to 25 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 5
Partial Sun
Notes: This evergreen tree bears small white flowers in the spring. It has many cultivars, such as “Xanthocarpa,” which bears golden-yellow berries.
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Berry: Bluish-Black
Height: 6 to10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of dark berries that are very popular with birds and bears clusters of small white flowers in the spring.
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Berry: Dark Purple
Height: 4 to 6 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 4
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: The berries of the “Autumn Magic” cultivar last an especially long time into the winter. Although the Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) bears attractive red berries, it is considered invasive in many areas and should be avoided.
Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Berry: White
Height: 3 to 5 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Full Shade to Full Sun
Notes: This hardy shrub grows well in shade as well as sun and tolerates almost every soil type.
ReadMoreAt: helpfulgardener
The key to a bountiful harvest is variety. It requires no more time to plant, weed, and water well-adapted seeds than it does with less productive varieties, but the outcome is much improved. Choose the best varieties and pay slightly more money, if necessary, to get increased yields of high quality vegetables for the same effort.
Selecting seeds from the thousands available can be a puzzle. Check with your local county extension office for a list of the best performing varieties for your area.
Some seed packets carry the "All-America Selections" label. The AAS is a non-profit organization that tests seeds by growing them in a variety of soil and climate conditions nationwide. Only those found to perform well under a variety of conditions and produce crops superior to other top selections on the market earn the prestigious AAS seal.
Planting Seed Outdoors
Moisten garden soil before planting. Plant seeds according to the directions on the seed packet, 1 1/2 to twice as deep as the diameter of the seed, in parallel rows far enough apart to allow space to work and for plants to grow.
Tap small seeds directly from the packet or rub them between your fingers to spread. Plant larger seeds individually. Cover with soil and water carefully to avoid washing the seeds out.
Create furrows for small seeds by pressing soil with the edge of a board or stick into the soil. Cover fine seeds with potting mix to avoid crusting. Larger seeds will generally grow through garden soil. For intense heat in summer planting, provide some sort of shade for the new seedlings.
Incorporate a complete fertilizer into the soil or bury it in bands two inches away from the seed row and about three inches deep. Complete fertilizer has nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium expressed in numbers on the packages as percent plant food content. A good analysis for a complete garden fertilizer is 16-16-8.
As seedlings reach about three inches in height they are ready to be thinned.
With the exception of tomatoes, most plants benefit from nitrogen fertilizer applied near the base every four weeks. Use 1/3 cup ammonium nitrate, 1/2 cup ammonium sulfate or 1/4 cup urea per ten feet of row.
Water your garden whenever the soil surface dries out. Seeded rows require frequent light watering, but you should reduce the frequency of watering and increase the quantity of water as the season progresses to develop deep root systems that will withstand heat and drought.
Keep weeds out. Despite a myriad of sprays on the market, the best weed control is a hoe. Getting rid of seedling weeds isn't a major chore. Visit the garden often with a hoe in hand.
Insect control can often be accomplished by hand as well. Mechanical controls or hand labor are advisable unless a crop becomes severely infested. Pesticide use and recommendations for various areas are constantly changing. Check with your county agent for current recommendations. A nurseryman can help find the right product. Always check the package labels for the types of insects the product controls and for the types of plants for which it has been approved.
Planting for Transplants
Plan for starting transplants by counting backward from the day you might expect to plant them outside. Determine the time required for seeds to germinate and develop into acceptable transplants. Count back that many weeks from the expected last frost date. Plant seeds so they will have time to develop before placing them in the garden.
Crops in the cabbage family develop transplants in four to five weeks. These crops can be set into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked – about six weeks before the expected date of last frost. Count backward from that date to start transplants.
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants require about six to eight weeks from seeding. These plants should be planted when the soil is warm, ten days or so after the date of the last frost until mid-June. With proper temperatures, tomato seedlings may appear in four to six days, but peppers may require ten to fourteen days. If conditions are a little cooler, seedlings may take a bit longer to germinate.
Allow about four to five weeks for cucumbers and melons to reach transplanting maturity. Cucumbers can be planted outdoors on the date of last frost, plant melons about two weeks later.
Transplant shock sets these transplants back a little. The seeds often catch up with the transplants, seem just as healthy, and produce just as quickly. Timing is everything. If melons become overgrown in the pot, they tend to do poorly all summer.
Starting Transplants
The best soil for starting seeds is loose, well-drained, fine textured, sterile, and low in nutrients. Many of the best starting “soils” are soil-less mixes. Various starter mixes are available in stores, as well as labor saving peat pellets.
When uncertain about which is best, ask a reputable nursery to sell you some of what they use.
To make homemade potting soil, mix 1 part sand, 1 part sphagnum moss, with 1 part perlite or vermiculite.
Place the soil in a container. A 4-inch flower pot may be seeded with eighteen to twenty seeds. Cover seed with about 1/4 inch of the potting medium and place inside a plastic bag or cover with plastic. For the seeds to germinate, they must have moisture. Lightly water the trays or containers.
Close the plastic covering so moisture doesn't escape and place them where the temperature is right for germination. Sun isn't necessary for most seeds to germinate. Check the seeds daily. As soon as they emerge, remove the plastic immediately and put the container where it will receive plenty of light.
The ideal transplant is dark green, stocky, and healthy looking. Three factors are essential to develop such plants – adequate sunlight, proper temperatures, and fertilizer. Spindly plants are probably the result of too little light, high temperatures, and/or lack of fertility.
Getting enough light is essential to keep the plants from getting long and leggy and to prepare them for the intense sun they will encounter in the garden. A fluorescent fixture about four inches above the plants provides adequate light for good growth. Raise the bank of lights up keeping it four inches above the plants as they grow.
After the plants germinate, expose pots and seedlings to lower temperatures (about fifty-five degrees at night and sixty-five to seventy degrees during the day). Water when the soil becomes dry to the touch and add a soluble fertilizer to the water weekly.
When seedlings get their first true leaf, separate them. Thin plants in jiffy pellets to one per pot. Moisten and loosen soil in flats, pots, or trays using a dull knife blade. Take hold of the plant by a leaf and lift it out of the soil and separate it carefully from the others. Do not lift the tender plants by the stems because if the stems break the plant is no longer useful. Damage to a leaf may not render the plant useless.
Place the plant in prepared potting soil and give it plenty of sunshine, protect it from the wind or frost, and continue fertilizing the plant until it is time for transplanting. About ten days before transplanting, harden the plants by exposing them to cooler temperatures. Put them outside for a short time in the morning and increase the time outside each day.
Check the pots often to make sure they don't dry out and do not let the plants wilt in the sun and wind. Potted transplants outdoors may need frequent watering since the pot won't hold enough water to support heavy transpiration. However, do not keep the pots soaked.
Mid-Summer Planting
Midsummer is a good time to think about planting garden crops for fall harvest. Spring is not the only time for planting crops. Success in mid-season planting depends on planting the right crops. Midsummer is too late to plant winter squash, melons, tomatoes or other crops that require a long season for harvest. But many of the vegetables planted early in the spring develop quickly and are harvested by mid-summer leaving empty space in the garden. Such crops as lettuce, radishes, broccoli, carrots, spinach, peas, and cauliflower fit this description. Many of these vegetables and some others will develop quickly producing large vigorous plants yielding a large second crop during the cool fall days.
Use the bare soil left by harvesting short-season spring crops, or leave space intentionally for this purpose. Empty spaces in gardens tend to accumulate weeds. Efficient consecutive planting provides for a longer harvest and helps keep down weeds. Some plants are tastier when harvested during cool fall weather.
Cool season plants may do better planted in midsummer than in the spring. Plants in the cabbage family such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage make excellent late season choices because cool weather enhances their flavor and they are frost tolerant. The late season harvest means good eating later into the season than many other crops.
Brussels sprouts, also a member of the cabbage family, may not have enough time to mature if they are planted in July. However, they are very tolerant to frosts. If planted early enough to form small heads before frost, they will withstand hard frosts and may even remain useful after snow melts.
Carrots and beets planted in midsummer will not have time to grow excessively large before harvest. They will be prime for storage rather than surviving the stress of going through the hot season as mature plants. Leaf or head lettuce develops a sweet, mild flavor in cool weather. They will be the best quality in the fall – broccoli and cauliflower do likewise.
If space is not available exactly when mid-summer planting needs to take place, start seeds of plants like lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli in a sheltered location of the garden. Plant the seeds in good soil and seed them in a nursery bed with the rows close together. Transplant them to their growing location as earlier crops mature and are removed. This will save garden space and require less seed.
Midsummer plantings need to grow quickly and vigorously. Take care of the preliminaries to give them the best start possible.
Remove all dead plants and weeds (including roots) from the area to be planted. Till or turn the soil to loosen it and work in organic matter. Fertilizer is most efficiently used when it is banded along the vegetable row. Make a two to three-inch trench and scatter 1/3 to 1/2 cup of 16-16-8 fertilizer for every ten feet of trench. Cover the trench.
Make a seed row two inches to the side of the fertilizer band. The roots of the crops will be nourished by the fertilizer, leaving weeds between the rows to fend for themselves. Nitrogen fertilizer may be needed as a side dressing two to three weeks after planting.
Germination can be a problem in hot, dry summer weather. As the soil surface dries out quickly and crusts, the small seeds have a hard time emerging. Conserve moisture in the soil by covering rows with a light mulch of grass clippings. Water lightly and frequently until the seeds appear. Another option is to cover the row with a 1 x 4 or 1 x 6 boards or burlap strips. Check frequently to see when the seedlings germinate and remove the board. Burlap allows water to penetrate without causing the soil to crust over. Remove the burlap covering when the seeds germinate.
Seedbed covers, made from two long boards nailed together at a 90-degree angle, form an excellent cover to let the seeds germinate. These covers form a "tent" over the row to keep the seedbed moist. Light shelter or shade should be provided during the hottest portions of the very hot summer days until the seedlings are established.
Do not forget to control harmful pests. Maggots will destroy all of the cabbage family and the turnips. Treat the soil before planting with diazinon or chlorban granules if maggots tend to attack your crops.
There is nothing more enjoyable than spending time outdoors with your family and friends. Summertime backyard barbecue's and pool parties are the common outdoor activity when entertaining in the summer months. By adding an outdoor fireplace to your yard or patio you can add to the enjoyment you receive while spending time outside. Outdoor fireplaces make it possible for you to spend your evenings outside during the summer by adding the warm glow of a fire.
Outdoor fireplaces also extend your outdoor season by allowing you to enjoy your yard and patio long into the fall and winter months, especially if you live in a state or climate with shorter summers
Since outdoor fireplaces can be as simple as a freestanding fire pit and as elaborate as a full scale outdoor fireplace you have many choices to choose from. With this in mind we have pulled helpful information on choosing your outdoor fireplace, safety tips, decorating tips and even activities that you can use when entertaining outdoors. This information will hopefully help you to make an informed decision when shopping for your outdoor fireplace.
Bellevue Botanical Garden d'Lights, Washington state, USA
Fantastic labor hundreds volunteers shakes ...
Fantastic labor hundreds volunteers shakes ...
You can make your own brooms! If you have a green thumb, you can start by growing your own broomcorn. But even if you can't grow broomcorn, you can order it from a supplier (see Resources at the end of this article). Photos for each step of the broom-making process are available in the Image Gallery; see link above.
With a few simple tools and materials, you can make your own brooms.
To make a hearth broom, 28 heads of broomcorn are used for the inside layers of bristles and 17 heads for the outside layer.
Only simple tools are required to make a broom. Note foot held apparatus (for holding cord taut), left, and the sewing clamp, top right.
Before tying the outside layer, trim the ends from the previous two layers, tapering the material toward the handle. Be careful not to cut the string.
Place the outside layer of broomcorn heads with the pith (concave) side to the handle
When the top layer has been placed all around the piece, wind the string around the broom at least eight times.
Plaiting works best with an odd number of stalks. If there is an even number, simply find the thickest stalk and split it in half with a knife or thumb nail. The green cord is used to pull the end of the cord under the band to hide it.
For making a flat broom, you'll need a sewing clamp (two boards held together with bolts and wing nuts).
Put the cord around the broom bristles and run the two ends through the loop. This is a called a lark's head knot, but it's more of a tie or a hold.
When you finish you will run your needle all the way through the broom the long way across. Cut your strings flush and start a new row
The lock stitch is used to sew the broom.
Cut the bottom of the broom flat and thread a leather strip or piece of jute cord through the hole in the hand to hang the new broom
With a few simple tools and materials, you can make your own brooms.
To make a hearth broom, 28 heads of broomcorn are used for the inside layers of bristles and 17 heads for the outside layer.
Only simple tools are required to make a broom. Note foot held apparatus (for holding cord taut), left, and the sewing clamp, top right.
Before tying the outside layer, trim the ends from the previous two layers, tapering the material toward the handle. Be careful not to cut the string.
Place the outside layer of broomcorn heads with the pith (concave) side to the handle
When the top layer has been placed all around the piece, wind the string around the broom at least eight times.
Plaiting works best with an odd number of stalks. If there is an even number, simply find the thickest stalk and split it in half with a knife or thumb nail. The green cord is used to pull the end of the cord under the band to hide it.
For making a flat broom, you'll need a sewing clamp (two boards held together with bolts and wing nuts).
Put the cord around the broom bristles and run the two ends through the loop. This is a called a lark's head knot, but it's more of a tie or a hold.
When you finish you will run your needle all the way through the broom the long way across. Cut your strings flush and start a new row
The lock stitch is used to sew the broom.
Cut the bottom of the broom flat and thread a leather strip or piece of jute cord through the hole in the hand to hang the new broomBroomcorn
One of the most common questions I hear when I am demonstrating my craft is, “What plant material is used for the broom bristles?” The material is called broomcorn (Sorghum bicolor). This plant is closely related to sweet sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), which is the plant used to produce sorghum molasses. Broomcorn is an annual and, from a distance, looks like sweet corn in the field. Yet, upon close examination, there are no cobs, just a large tassel on the top. That tassel is the part of the plant used for making brooms. Other materials can be used for the sweeper of a broom, but we're focusing on traditional corn brooms.
To make a hearth broom, 28 heads of broomcorn are used for the inside layers of bristles and 17 heads for the outside layer. Each head is measured with a cubit (the distance between your elbow to your longest finger). Put the knuckle of the corn, the place where the head meets the stalk, at your elbow. If the bristles, or brush, are past the tip of your fingers, that stalk is a keeper. If the material is too short, it will be used for a whisk broom later.
The broomcorn is prepared by cutting the stalks differently for each layer. Stalks are trimmed just past the knuckle on the stalk side for inside layers, but left longer for outside layers so they can be plaited. Place the broomcorn in a bucket of hot water with the cut ends submerged. The corn needs to soak for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Assemble the following materials before you sit down to make a broom:
- Broomcorn (about 2-3 pounds per broom)
- #18 nylon cord (for tying)
- Hemp string for sewing (20 lb. test)
- Wooden handle (18 inches)
Tools
- foot held apparatus (for holding cord taut)
- scissors
- knife
- large needle
- sewing clamp
- lighter
- drill
The Handle
While the broomcorn is soaking, you can prepare the broom handle. I prefer the rustic look and use a stick with the bark still on it. (Commercial dowel handles can be ordered from a supplier.) When I collect handles, I cut them to length (18 inches for a hearth broom), and they dry for at least six months. If any shrinkage, cracking or bark peeling occurs while drying, reject those sticks. Sharpen the tip with a hatchet or knife and drill an eighth-inch hole just above the taper. That hole is for tying the string onto the handle.
The next step is to choose the nylon cord and to wrap it around the apparatus that will be used to create tension when tying the broom. I make and use something called a foot spinner. The photo offers a visual of this as well as other necessary tools. It is not high tech; with a few pieces of scrap wood and some deck screws, it is easy to make one of these. Some people simply use a stick, but I prefer the spinner as it keeps the string from rubbing on the ground.
I use #18 nylon cord or larger. Mason line will work, although finding appealing colors may be a challenge. Some outfitters or camping stores will have nylon cord for anchoring duck decoys. And local craft stores carry macramé cord, which also works well.
Read More At: motherearthnews.com