Avoid These Common Gardening Mistakes

The gardening season is upon us, and the number of novice
gardeners planting vegetables, flowers, and shrubs in the
wrong place or at the wrong time, and under watering and
over watering different varieties, will no doubt put many
new gardener's new love in jeopardy and end in frustration
and hopelessness.

Count me in the "hopeless" category, or at least those were
my feelings about gardening last year. This year, I've
taken matters into my own hands, and instead of giving into
the temptation of hiring a professional landscaper, I
decided to buckle down and take the time to read about what
I had been doing wrong to see such a dismal turnout of the
flowers I'd planted and other gardening disasters I'd
endured since I bought a house just a year ago.

Mistake Number One : Planting bulbs and plants that attract
common garden pests who will destroy them with great
exuberance the following spring. You will need to be
careful to get varieties that are resistant to animals and
vermin that inhabit your area, such as deer, or else you
may end up seeing your hard work eaten within a matter of
days.

Deer are some of the worst offenders, as they will blow
through an entire garden of tasty bulbs in a matter of one
night, as they did with about 50 of my bulbs just days ago.
Be sure to read the labels and look up deer resistant
varieties and be aware of any other animals that may
inhabit your area as well.

I have intimate knowledge of this foible unfortunately, and
with my new barely-over-an-acre yard, I was pretty bummed
out that I must have had, as my sister would say a "black
thumb" (get it, instead of a green thumb, I kill
everything).

Well, that's not really the case, I just had to find out
what I was doing wrong and give my plants, trees, flowers
and shrubs what they were looking for, since each had
different needs.

My biggest mistake was that I thought all plants were
treated the same. I believed that as long as you watered
them a lot, gave them a spot with plenty of sunshine, and
planted them in the same sort of soil, there was no way you
could go wrong. That's simply not true, as many of you
know.

Some plants, like tomato plants, which happen to be the
most popular vegetable grown here where I live in Northeast
Ohio, love sunshine and can grow in just about any soil,
while others, like ivy and foxglove, love the shade and
flourish in the darker, richer soil that tends to be
present in shady areas.

Pruning is another huge issue that causes confusion amongst
newbie gardeners (yes, I'm a case in point on this one
too). For example, I pruned my hydrangea bushes all the
way down last fall, and because of that, I will most likely
see very little to no flowers this summer and fall.

The reason is that the wooden pieces that result after the
hydrangea has lost it's greenness actually create the buds
in the fall after their current blossoms die and fall off,
and if you prune this all the way back in the fall, you
will be cutting off the producing stems of the buds for
flowers next season. Sometimes gardening is going against
what you would think is common sense, and this is a good
example.

Many other plants, like most rose bushes, do require a
drastic pruning in the fall after they have "died" for the
winter and essentially gone into a hibernating state. I
mistakenly used this rule of thumb for roses and applied it
to hydrangeas, which essentially is going to result in my
bushes not having any blossoms this season.

Watering is another huge fauxpas where new gardeners tend
to apply the same rules for all of their plants and
flowers, even though they do not require a lot of watering.

An example of this is the difference between the salvia
plant, which is actually an excellent choice for
drought-prone locations, and the beautiful hanging plant,
the fuchsia, which thrives on tons of water.

Most plants do come with a tiny little direction stick when
you buy them as starter plants in greenhouses, and if you
are unsure of how to take care of a particular plant to get
the maximum enjoyment out of it as well as maximum beauty
and durability, then you can always ask a knowledgeable
assistant in a local greenhouse where you are purchasing
plants.

Of course, this wonderful thing called the internet and
it's revolution of data at your fingertips is always a good
source as well, where anyone can search for the best
gardening techniques for specific plants is also a boon to
any new gardener, and of course many who've been doing it
for years as well!

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Danna Schneider is the founder of
http://www.herbalnewsmagazine.com/genf20-hgh-releaser/ and
http://www.herbal-therapeutics.com , where news and
suggestions on new natural ways to combat the aging process
can be found as well as tips to live a healthier, more
active and happier life through natural supplementation and
lifestyle choices.

An Overview of the Art of Bonsai

Bonsai, the artistic representation of a natural tree,
first appeared in China over a thousand years ago on a very
basic scale known as "pun-sai". The Japanese have been
recorded to adopt and refine the art to an extent not yet
approached in China. The Japanese today regard bonsai as a
symbol of their culture and ideals.

On its arrival in the western world, the art of bonsai has
been warmly welcomed and embraced as a rewarding past time
or hobby. It is said to allow a greater understanding and
being with nature in addition to enhancing our gardens.

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.

A tree with a style such as formal upright occurs when it
has grown in the open under perfect conditions. The most
important requirement for this style is that the trunk
should be perfectly straight, tapering naturally and evenly
from base to apex. The branches should be symmetrically
spaced so that they are balanced when viewed from any
direction. It is quite a demanding style to achieve.
Junipers, pines, and spruces are great to try and grow in
the formal upright style.

In an informal upright bonsai the trunk should slightly
bend to the right or left - but never towards the viewer.
This applies to all types of bonsai. Neither the trunk nor
branches should be pointing towards the viewer when the
bonsai is viewed from the front. For this style, try a
Japanese maple, Trident maple, or almost any conifer and
ornamental tree.

Trees that slant naturally occur as a result of buff
setting winds or deep shade during early development.
Whether curved or straight, the whole trunk leans at a
definite angle. The stronger roots grow out on the side,
away from the angle of the trunk lean, to support the
weight. Almost any type of tree will work well with this
style.

The growing tip of a cascade bonsai reaches below the base
of a container. The trunk has a natural taper and gives the
impression of the forces of nature pulling against the
forces of gravity. Branches appear to be seeking the light.
The winding main trunk is reminiscent of a stream
meandering down the side of a mountain. There are many
types of trees that can be used to achieve a cascading
bonsai. The key here is to make sure the tree isn't
naturally straight and upright.

The tip of a semi-cascade, like the cascade, projects over
the rim of the container, but does not drop below its base.
The style occurs in nature when trees grow on cliffs or
overhang water. The angle of the trunk in this bonsai is
not precise, as long as the effect is strongly horizontal,
even if the plant grows well below the level of the pot
rim. Any exposed roots should balance the trunk. Flowering
cherry trees, cedars, and junipers work very well in this
style of bonsai. Many people feel this style of bonsai is
the epitome of beauty in the art.

It is important for you to remember, as a beginner, that no
single bonsai style is the "right" style. More than
anything else you should not try to train a bonsai to grow
in a style it is not accustomed to. Study the natural
growth patterns of the tree you are going to grow and
enhance on the pattern nature gave it.

----------------------------------------------------
Patrick Carpen is the designer, writer and owner of the
website http://bonsaitree.infobay.ws/
He is an internet entrepreneur who helps the average user
better understand the workings of internet in addition to
providing high quality content on selected topics

How to Build a Window Box

Building a window box is an easy DIY project that is great
for any beginner. The best choice of wood for a window box
is cedar or cypress, because both woods will naturally
resist rotting the best. This will give your window box
the best chance of lasting more than five years. The
process of building a window box begins with measuring the
window for window box length, followed by assembly,
followed lastly by hanging it. Let's skip straight to the
middle and focus in on the actual building of a window box
and the steps that are required. You'll need a drill, a
few special bits, a brad gun, and a miter saw for this
project.

For simplicity purposes let's build a 36" window box from
3/4" thick cypress. Cypress wood stock can be attained
from most local lumberyards in a variety of dimensions.
For window box purposes, a 1" x 8" board is recommended.
For this box we will need roughly 12 feet of length. Now,
miter the board at 34.5" three consecutive times such that
you have three boards, one for the bottom, front, and back.
We want to join these three boards with screws so that the
boards are held tightly together. Butt two boards up at a
ninety degree angle and join them with some gorilla wood
glue. You want to make sure you use a wood glue designed
for exterior purposes. Once glued, shoot a few brad nails
along the joint to hold the two boards together
temporarily. Next, countersink three small holes through
the boards in preparation to pass screws in to more
securely join the boards in a ninety degree fashion. A
countersink drill bit is one that drills a pilot hole deep
and a big hole shallow so that the screw head can sink pass
the face of the board. Countersink a hole on the left, in
the middle, and on the right. Next, sink a screw into the
boards so that they grab tightly. The butt joint should
show on the bottom of the box. Repeat the same steps to
fasten the back board to the bottom boards. Once finished,
you will have everything but the side pieces.

For fastening of the side pieces I recommend again using
gorilla glue and brad nails to quickly secure the piece to
the box. Follow that up with countersunk holes and screws
to secure the side pieces to the box firmly. The side
piece should be cut to size first. Once the side pieces
are attached, the structural assembly of the box is
complete. Next, use a drill with a 1/4" drill bit to drill
drain holes in the bottom. I recommend placing a hole in
each corner of the box and one in the very center where
water will likely migrate to the most. Next, caulk inside
the box to seal all the inner joints. This will reinforce
the box and also keep water from seeping through. Lastly,
staple an erosion tarp to the inside of the box. This will
act as a filter between dirt and water so that water can
drain through the box easily while keeping the dirt in.
Viola, now you're ready to hang it and put flowers in it.
It's just that easy. If you're not up for the challenge of
building a wooden window box every five years, a good idea
may be to consider investing in a PVC window box. They're
moisture resistant, reasonably priced, and because they
don't rot they're designed to last 30 years and more
without any maintenance.

----------------------------------------------------
Matthew Buquoi is the owner of Flower Window Boxes, Inc.
His expertise is manufacturing PVC window boxes and custom
window boxes. He has many years of experience in building,
painting, and installing window boxes. Flower Window Boxes
specializes in affordable PVC window boxes and are known as
the largest manufacturer online and they sell direct to the
public.
http://www.flowerwindowboxes.com