Garden Ramblings now online.

As forecast in my last post the October issue of Garden Ramblings has now been published and all subscribers will have been sent an email copy. You can also read the newsletter online here.

This issue includes a guest article by Aurora Celonious entitled "The Beauty of the Orchid". Here is a brief extract: "Orchids make up an enormous group of plants, with around 25,000 species, and perhaps 60,000 hybrids produced artificially. Little short of a thousand new hybrids are added to the collection each year.

The word 'orchid' comes from a Greek word 'orchis' meaning 'testicle'. Theophrastos, the Greek 'father of botany' coined this word. He was the head of the lyceum in Athens and the successor of Aristotle. He led it for thirty-five years, i.e. up to his death in 287 BC. He called it so because he thought that the bulb resembled a testicle!" more..

Garden Ramblings - October Issue

The October issue of my monthly newsletter Garden ramblings is due out this Saturday so I am hard at work to ensure that it is published on time. It will include the regular Plant of the Month feature and the main article will be all about bulbs that you should be buying now if you want to have a garden full of Spring flowers.

There will be a guest article, probably about orchids, although that has not yet been finally decided. The other regular features, Special Offers and Useful Resources, will be there as usual but, here again, I will wait until the last minute to decide exactly what will be included to make sure that the information is as up to date as possible.

If you are not already a subscriber just go to The Garden Supplies Advisor and sign up. All subscribers can download a free copy of "Easy Plant Propagation" by Mike McGroarty as a thank for signing up.

Fall is for Gardening

"Fall is for gardening" says Billy Fountain. "With temperatures cooling down somewhat from the record-breaking highs we have just endured, there may be a hint of fall in the air. Now is the time when we can once again enjoy our decks and patios. I enjoy gardening much more in the fall with cooler temperatures and a slower pace.

For maximum enjoyment of fall color, now is the time to plant your chrysanthemums. There are so many colors to choose from, but the most popular is the bright yellow variety called Yellow Triumph. The bright golden flowers show off well against the dark green foliage. Other colors include bronze, white and maroon. Choosing colors depends on your personal taste, and all these varieties grow well in our area." more..

Are you sitting there with your digital camera full of fabulous flower pictures that you have taken over the summer? Instead of your old-fashioned photo album you can now purchase an electronic version. Westinghouse has introduced the Digital Photo Frame, a 5.6-inch LCD display that looks like a picture frame and displays up to 80 digital photos, individually or in a slide-show format. The photos are imported by plugging in a memory card or downloading from a computer. more..

A Zen Garden of Your Own

When you hear the term "Zen Garden" the picture conjured up is of a dry landscape with rocks surrounded by carefully raked gravel which invites you to withdraw from the noise of the world outside and to enter into silent meditation.

Some say that zen priests adopted the dry landscape style in the eleventh century as an aid to create a deeper understanding of the zen concepts, but others hold that the Japanese Zen Garden is a myth. They claim that it is a late 20th Century western creation that has nothing to do with the Japanese Garden Tradition and that the dry garden style is not unique to zen temples but can be found associated with many other buildings.

Whatever your view it is undeniable that there is something rather special about this dry landscape style which is generally known as a Zen garden. The main elements consist of rocks representing mountains or islands surrounded by flowing water in the form of sand or gravel.
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Those Garden Gnomes are Causing Trouble Again.

People either love them or hate them, but Garden Gnomes are never far from the headlines.

In a recent issue the gardening writer for the Maryland Gazette suggested that you should "Redo the landscape of your garden every few years. Add sculptures, fountains and tacky red garden gnomes to annoy your neighbors. ..."

Following the recent petrol shortages and panic buying at the pumps, Greg Wright said "I'm tempted to start a "panic" about possible disruption to the global supply of garden gnomes".

Meanwhile in Fairfax County the retired Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Smith of Fairfax City has a mystery to solve. "Did 20 out of about 50 small concrete gnome statutes he placed on a hill beside his driveway on Woodland Drive walk away on their own or did someone take them? "

He also said that, if the gnomes are returned, he would not press charges.

"If that happened, I'd be a happy camper," Smith said. "They can just bring them back and put them on my front lawn, at night, just like they took them."

Two women in Scotland have not been so lucky. They were arrested and charged following the discovery of an "Aladdin's cave" of more than 40 garden gnomes stolen from homes across central Scotland. The discovery of the garden ornaments at a house in Alloa followed a spate of thefts of ornamental gnomes, hedgehogs and rabbits from local gardens.

Garden Ramblings

Just in case anyone is still reading this blog, this is to let you know that the September issue of my monthly newsletter Garden Ramblings has now been published.

If you have happened upon this blog by chance and wondered why it is updated so infrequently, the answer is that I now concentrate on my main gardening blog Garden Supplies News. There you will find notes and comments on current gardening news including such delights as "World Naked Gardening Day" among other more mundane items.

Thinking of Selling Your House?

I thought you might be interested in a new site of mine which is all about preparing your house for sale. I know that this is not obviously related to gardening but, if you take a look at the site, you will find that a large section deals with the steps you can take to make the most of your yard. Apart from advice on undertaking a thorough clean-up, there is information on dealing with your shrubbery, new flower planting and lawncare. In all you will find 55 tips on how to spruce up your home without spending a fortune. Well worth a look.

Garden gnomes fighting for votes

A new set of garden gnomes has just burst on to the scene. Timed to coincide with the fortcoming general election in the UK, three new characters have been produced in a limited edition for a local TV station. The gnomes are disguised as the three party leaders sporting rosettes and acting out their policies.

"There is a gnome for every political persuasion. The exquisite Tony Blair model is digging around for non-existent weapons of mass destruction," a statement said.

"For those with an influx of snails and other garden beasties there is the scary Michael Howard gnome holding a "Keep Out" sign and for the more relaxed, there's a charming carrot-topped fellow sitting on a fence supping from a glass of ginger beer."

If you fancy one for your garden, you will have a fight on your hands because there are just ten sets which are to be offered in an online competition organised by the digital television gardening channel, UKTV Style Gardens, who released the models.

Garden gnomes in trouble again

Garden gnomes are in the news again. Police in Lyon reported recently that about 100 garden gnomes were "liberated" from front gardens in the French city and placed in a park next to a motorway. "They were all standing there with their faces to the motorway, watching the traffic speed past," a police statement said.

It is not known who took the diminutive figures, but when an arrest is made, they will need a good criminal lawyer.

"Owners can pick up their abducted gnomes from a police department office," the statement said.

No-one has claimed responsibility, but a "Garden Gnome Liberation Front" has been causing a nuisance for years in France with its pranks.
Source

Teak Deck Furniture

When choosing teak deck furniture there are a number of points that you will want to consider. Perhaps first, why are you picking teak in preference to any other wood? Garden furniture made from teak is more expensive than chairs and tables constructed from other materials and there is a good reason for this; teak lasts longer than any other wood and has a life expectancy of some 75 years. You can buy deck and patio furniture made from cedar, wicker, iron, steel or aluminium but none will have the durability or low maintenance of teak. Read more..

Before you buy aquatic plants...

Before you buy aquatic plants you need to know something about the different types that are available. In the center of your pond you can plant water lilies and oxygenators which need deep water. Here you can also grow the floating plants such as the water hyacinth. On the shelf at the edges of your pond you can grow the marginal plants that prefer a planting depth of about a foot. Bog plants can be grown outside your pond provided that the soil is always wet.

The rule of thumb for deciding how many plants to grow in your pond is two oxygenators, one water lily and one marginal to each square metre of water surface. The oxygenators remain submerged but provide oxygen and are essential to help to control the growth of algae in the water. There are several varieties of oxygenators but, since some can become rather invasive, you are advised to consult you local water garden as to the best type for your locality. Read on

"I've just moved to New England and I want to start a garden this summer. It's very different here! How do I start? I feel like a beginner all over again." To find out how Barbara Barger answers this question read on.

Koi Pond Supplies

This page on koi pond supplies gives a brief overview of the things you will need to keep your fish healthy and happy. First and foremost, food for your koi. Then kits to test the water quality of your pond and, should these disclose any problems, we survey the various proprietary remedies that are available. Next a quick look at some statues and other items of decor that you can use to enhance the surroundings of your pond. Finally we consider the equipment and accessories that can help with the maintenance and day to day upkeep of your pond.
Read more..

A Solar Water Garden Pump

If you use a solar water garden pump, you can avoid one of those annoying features of using electrical equipment in the garden - having to provide a power supply. And there is the added benefit that the solar power is free provided courtesy of the sun. You will also, in your own small way, be cutting down on your use of the public power supply and so be acting in an environmentally friendly manner.

A solar water garden pump can be used in a variety of ways in the garden. Probably the most popular use is to power a fountain. Here you have a number of choices. At the bottom of the range are small self-contained floating fountains with a built-in solar panel. One model can create a fountain of water up to seventeen inches high in bright sunlight. It comes with three nozzles for different fountain effects. Read on

Interflora agrees to 3i takeover

Interflora, the UK florist company jointly owned by 1,850 member firms, has agreed a takeover by venture capitalist 3i. It is thought that increasing competition from the supermarkets has persuaded members to vote for the sale.

Despite the competition independent florists believe that they have a bright future since their great strengths are service and skills which cannot be matched by the supermarkets. The florists offer same day delivery, often in a matter of hours, which is a service not offered by the larger outlets. In addition the independents have specialist skills in designing arrangements and displays.

Source: BBC

A point to remember when buying flowers is that they have their own special language so Check the meaning before you buy flowers online.

Gardening trends for 2005

"The topic of gardening trends comes up with each new year" according to Richard Poffenbaugh who lives in Ontario. "One thing is for sure, gardening or landscaping need not be boring. There is plenty of fertile ground for new ideas and ways of doing things." He then lists his top five choices for popular trends. Read more..

Another major trend this year is a form of gardening that was popular in the past and is now being rediscovered in a big way. "Terrariums, those miniature green worlds under glass that gardeners of a certain age remember so well, are making a comeback" says Denise Cowie. "Terrarium-workshop attendance is up; plant stores and gardening catalogs are showcasing fancy containers; the Philadelphia Flower Show has almost doubled the number of competitions for terrariums this year; and one lifestyle magazine even suggests making tiny terrariums out of clear glass ornaments left over from Christmas." Read on..

"Turn off your radio, take off your headsets and listen to the birds" is the advice of Dean Fosdick. "The programming comes commercial-free and the songs, calls and whistles are performed by some of the finest soloists in nature." Read on..

Just to bring you back to earth with a bump, here is some pratical advice from Virginia Hayes on what you should be doing in your yard now. Read more..

And don't forget to check out The Garden Supplies Advisor where new articles are added on a regular basis.