Archive for May, 2010

How to attract bees to your garden – Part 1

May 18th, 2010
2882338533 6df07389b0 m How to attract bees to your garden   Part 1

There are about 3,500 species of native bees in the USA bees need more than just flowers, they also need Nectar, pollen, water, nesting materials and open ground. Layout and light exposure can affect number and variety as well. Make sure to leave a small patch of bare ground for ground nesting bees. Probably 85% or more nest in the ground, or other, like preexisting cavity dead wood.

Bees like blue, purple, and yellow flowers most. Avoid flowers with short or no tubes. Flowers like mustards, valerian, buttercup, goldenrods, asters yarrow and Queen Anne’s lace attract short tongue bees.

Mint type of plants, and sage, oregano and lavender also attract long tongue bees. Thier nectar is the main reason.

Leaf-cutting bees prefer members of the legume family, like clover or wisteria.

Long-tongued bumble bees like flowers with deep corollas, such as larkspur, jewelweed, bergamot, blue and yellow penstemons, and snapdragon. They are great pollinators flowers such as tomato, eggplant and potato, and bell shaped flowers like blueberry. Wildflower, native flowers, will have more

nutritious pollen and nectar. Bees are also attracted to Cosmos, zinnia and Dahlia.

(Good web site for Dahlia http://www.lynchcreekdahlias.c om/ ) sunflowers are good also.

Because of their double petal, some flowers, as roses and marigolds are not as good.

If you can’t avoid insecticides, try to use less harmful ones.

And keep helping nature. It’s there for a reason.

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Garden Gift Baskets for the Avid Gardener

May 8th, 2010
2930394262 8ffee1cf28 m Garden Gift Baskets for the Avid Gardener

If you have a friend or relative that is an avid gardener, there is no more thoughtful gift than a garden gift basket for a holiday, birthday or anniversary present. At first, you may seem overwhelmed when shopping in your garden center or on the internet. There are a few things to consider when trying to find just the right “flavor” for your garden gift basket to give to the people who love to play in the dirt, so t speak.

First you must determine how much you want to spend for the garden gift basket. After you have the dollar amount, walk through the aisles of the garden center to see what items are available. Of course, you could also do an internet search to see what the most popular tools and gadgets are selling. You will be surprised at the range of goods that are available from the inexpensive to the extravagant. Keep in mind that you will want to get quality products that will last so your friend or relative will have years of enjoyment.

If your gardener is a novice you may want to start with the basics, a pruner, a watering can, gardening gloves, or special nozzles for the hose. There are many garden centers that have gift baskets already made up. It could include some gardening tools and seeds revolving around a specific theme like, vegetables or roses or herbs. If you choose to go with the herb theme and want to do it on your own, include some tasty herb seed packets, some small, pretty pots and a journal where notes can be kept.

If you have a gardener with a well used garden rake and tool belt, you can pretty much surmise that they have all of the state-of-the-art tools and have been collecting gardening equipment for years. Here, a simple but thoughtful gift would be a work apron that has be monogrammed or personalized with a funny garden saying. A well seasoned gardener will appreciate the thought you have put into the gift.

To really get the best gift for your gardener you should know the level of their expertise and if they have a theme. For example there are gardeners that only grow roses while there are others that specialize in herb gardening, knowing this will help you pick out the perfect gift. For instance a scarecrow would look dumb in a rose garden whereas a hummingbird feeder is way out of place in a vegetable patch. And be careful with the “cutesy” garden decorations, some people love garden gnomes or stone gargoyles whereas someone with an award winning exotic tropical garden wouldn’t think of having one.

If after you have gone through all these options, level of expertise and if they have a theme or not and you still don’t know what to buy, the answer is simple. Purchase them a gift certificate from your local garden center. Every gardener needs supplies through the year and your gift will help to offset the expense of their garden.

If after considering the gardener’s experience level and theme of their garden you remain stumped, a gardening gift certificate allowing them to select their own gift is a surefire way to please and inspire them as their garden grows through the years.

With a little inspiration you can find the perfect gift basket for your avid gardener. Don’t forget to put a pretty bow on the basket! Here is a natural pesticide that you may want to print on a card and include in the gift basket:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Every gardener likes to keep the garden as chemical free as they can.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Top five most dangerous plants and weeds that can ruin your garden – Part 1

May 8th, 2010
2883682454 6941d663b2 m Top five most dangerous plants and weeds that can ruin your garden   Part 1

The plants and weeds most harmful to lawns and gardens can be grouped under general headingS. The actual species of each type will vary according to location and climate.

1. Invasive plants are the first category of weeds that will ruin a garden. They are generally non-native plants which have been introduced to an area either by humans who thought they were attractive or by nature in the form of wind, rain and animals, usually birds. These plants literally take over, hence the title "invasive". In the Southeastern United States, wetland wetshade is like that and is counted one of the top noxious plants. The multiflora rose and Japanese honeysuckle are considered invasive.

2. Vining plants may also be invasive. These plants wind around everything initially grabbing with tiny tendrils which gain strength. They will choke other plants to death, including small trees. Any climbing garden plant such as tomatoes and beans would be subject to this killer. In the South the kudzo vine has caused great damage to crops and forests.

3. Another group of weeds which tend to take over are the thin blade grasses. This includes crab grass, Johnsongrass, and congongrass. Their roots are shallow and form runners which span out in all directions until they eventually choke out other low growing plants.

4. Broad leaf weeds are another category of rogue plants. They rob the soil of nutrients and shade some lower growing plants so that they are unable to get the sun they need. Some examples of these plants are the dollar plant and dandelions.

5. Parasitic weeds are those plants which attach themselves to other plants and feed on them, robbing them of the "food" needed to grow. The plant "victim" then becomes anemic and dies. Dodders is one of the most destructive weeds of this nature.

In order to produce a healthy garden, it pays to recognize the noxious plants and weeds as well as diseases caused by other avenues. Weeds can be pulled, hoed or sprayed with herbicides. They can also be prevented by close planting and use of mulch.

Know your weeds!

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