Learn The Secrets to Creating The Ultimate Garden!
August 24th, 2009
Our FREE 95 page report has got everything you need all in one place. Help and advice whatever project you are on with. It is literally like having your own expert on hand 24 hours a day.
Instantly identify the plants that will thrive in your garden.
This tip will save you money and prevent the disappointment of losing prized specimens.
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by your garden, put off by the sheer amount of work that has to be done to realize your dream? Is there just too
much to remember as different seasons bring different challenges?
Bringing out the very best in your garden means that every passing day is critical. Do you feel equipped to avoid mistakes in your gardening projects, mistakes that will take literally months to realise and put right?
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Trees
August 23rd, 2009
The word tree denotes plants, a family mapped through various generations, as well as scientific notations like binary trees. So anything that has a root, strong trunk or stem, and branches out
can be termed as a tree. In fact, a few centuries ago people placed in the entrance way a “tree” for visitors to hang hats and coats on.
In nature trees are big plants that grow tall, flower, and fruit. Trees are all around us—furniture, paper, food, houses, and toys. We use things made from trees, enjoy shaded avenues, revel in the forests, and cut trees out of avarice—urbanization. Trees are what sustain life and play an important role in the ecosystem. They enrich the soil, prevent erosion, and are home to birds, insects, small animals, and fungi.
Trees are valuable to mankind. They provide fruits and are sources of energy or fuel, medicines, detergents, as well as cosmetics. In fact, fossil fuels are produced by the death of trees.
That trees have always been a part of our lives is seen from holy books and scriptures which praise the existence of trees—the Bible and Koran both mention the date palms and describe its
beauty, utility, and uses. In fact, just recently a date seed that is 2,000 years old, found in the excavations of Masada, has germinated. Even in Eastern cultures, the tree played an important
role and was worshipped. Art documents that very often the Buddha as the Master was represented by a tree (bodhi) enclosed within a railing—such depictions are found in Buddhist sites that date as far back as the 2nd century BCE.
Trees have a definite role to play in the ecosystem. Ecosystems are maintained in balance by trees. When the land is verdant with trees that are flourishing and healthy, other aspects of our
environment like soil, water, and air, also remain healthy. Trees improve air quality by replenishing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. They replace nutrients in the soil that support
growth—minerals as well as nitrogen, and conserve water.
Trees also bring down the temperature in summer months and ensure adequate rainfall. During winter months they protect humans by breaking the force of cold winds. Trees prevent landslides
and can protect the land from the disastrous effects of hurricanes and tidal waves. They protect humans from respiratory problems by acting as air filters, as the trees trap dust particles and
absorb gaseous pollutants. They reduce greenhouse gases through photosynthesis. Trees shade life from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays from the sun, which are becoming more intense
with the thinning of the ozone layer. Urban noise is muffled by tree cover, as tree leaves diffuse sound waves.
Studies have shown that adequate tree cover in urban areas can help save energy costs by fifty percent in summer and twenty per cent in winter. Trees are our friends, and need to be protected
from annihilation and destruction.
Tags: cut trees, forests, fossil fuels, trees
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An Introduction To Palm Trees
August 16th, 2009
A palm tree symbolizes life and its continuance, as well as joy and happiness. Dante mentions that Christians travelling to the Holy Land were known as “palmeros.” palm trees have been a part of myths as well as religion. The palm tree in the primal garden, the Garden of Eden, was known to be the tree of Life. Palm trees were also where the Goddess Astarte or Tamar resided.
A festival known as “palm Sunday” is celebrated by Christians to commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem just a few days before his crucifixion. People welcomed Jesus by waving
palm fronds and carpeting his path with palm leaves.
The palm family of trees has approximately 202 genera and 2,600 species. The palms are native to tropical and subtropical climates, and commonly known palms are date, coconut, and areca
nut. Known to have existed around 80 million years ago, palms are among the oldest varieties of flowering plants.
The trunks of the palm have been used since ancient times to build catamarans or special boats.
Dates are harvested from palms. Palms produce coir ropes, mats, and bags, and palm oil is extracted from palms, along with palm wine.
In the US, different species of palm are native to Florida, California, Hawaii, Southern Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. In fact, South Carolina is popularly known as the Palmetto State after the palms that line the coast.
As with all other things, many species of palm are facing extinction and are under threat from urbanisation, natural disasters, hybridization, and a lack of knowledge amongst common folk.
Destruction of natural habitats, forest clearing operations, mining, clearing of mangroves, and dumping of trash are all detrimental to the survival of palms. Like other plants, palms are also prone to destruction by nature and disease.
Ornamental palms are a luxury and can cost from fifty to several hundred dollars.
Today the palm, the “Prince among trees,” needs care and attention. Otherwise, a tree that has lasted centuries will not remain for centuries to come.
Palm Trees provides detailed information on Trees, Palm Trees, Christmas Trees, Tree Houses and more.
Tags: areca nut, ornamental palms, palm oil, palm tree, palms
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How To Build A Waterfall
August 15th, 2009
With a fair amount of hard work and patience, you can easily build your own waterfall in your garden. However, before embarking on the task, there are some things to consider. Check whether your landscape has an elevation. If not, it means more labor. Building a waterfall pond will require digging. Check with utility companies to see if you’ll be damaging any of their underground cables in the process.
While building the waterfall, the important aspects to be considered are the base pool, the height to which water is to be lifted and the feature on which it is to be cascaded. Begin digging the
ground at the desired spot. This would require care and labor. Pack the bottom of the pond with stones and sand. This will give it an ocean bed effect, as well as prevent water from percolating
inside the ground.
Now you can begin setting up the cascade. It is better to play with materials that are freely available in the garden, such as rocks. Select rocks that are large enough and at the same time fit
well into each other. Place the rocks in such a way that the heavier rocks are at the bottom and the smaller ones are at the top. The basal rocks must jut into the pond, otherwise the fall won’t
happen. Do not pile the rocks too high. Judge the height of the waterfall by the amount of water in the pond. Concrete rocks are also available in the market. These wedge nicely into each other,
but they increase the cost of the waterfall.
Once this is done, the difficult task of setting up the pump begins. You will need a submersible pump. Place this pump inside the water. Attach the pipe to it and bring the pipe to the top of the
rocks. The pipe should be hidden into the rocks. Adjust the rocks a little if need be. Even at the topmost point the pipe should be hidden among rocks. When the water falls, it should appear as
if it is falling through the rocks and not through artificial pipes.
Many aesthetic things can be done with the waterfall. Some rocks can be placed in steps one above the other. If these rocks are flat enough, the water will strike them and bounce down,
leading to another waterfall in itself. Fishes and plants can be placed in the pond. Artificial birds or mermaids can be erected around the pond. You can even keep a birdfeeder so that birds would
chirp around the waterfall all the time, giving it a more natural effect.
The sound of water striking water in the garden is soothing. However, do not keep the waterfall running when you are absent. It will lower the level of water in the pond and the pump may burn out.
Tags: build a waterfall, pump, waterfall, waterfall pond
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Waterfall Gardens
August 13th, 2009
Waterfall gardens are gardens built around natural or artificially built waterfalls. They are generally located far from the hustle and bustle of urban life. They are designed to be abundant in natural beauty and tranquility. In fact, the very purpose of having a waterfall in the center of the garden is to dampen outside vehicular sounds and to make people feel more harmonious with nature.
The waterfalls are prime attractions in such waterfall gardens. Waterfalls in such gardens are constructed using natural rock to build the cascade. The rocks are placed aesthetically and the same time subtly enough to seem natural. Water is allowed to flow into ponds, which house fishes and various aquatic plants. There may be exotic species of both in a bid to attract more visitors. Sometimes the ponds are crafted to be long enough to run through the entire length of the garden. The banks of the ponds are lined with pebbles or rounded stones to enhance their look.
Such gardens use decorative ferns and trees in order to provide shade and botanical value to them. Some of them also grow trees from different continents. This process requires acclimatization of the trees, done by experts. Sometimes the names of these trees, common as well as binomial, are displayed on boards hung around them, along with other botanical information.
People usually spend a couple of hours or even a whole day in these gardens. There are trails designed to guide the visitors around the gardens. Most of these trails are built parallel to the waterfall ponds. Bistros, park benches and canopied tables with chairs around them are kept at regular intervals. There are also food stalls, gift shops and bathrooms for the visitors.
Since waterfall gardens are used for commercial purposes, great care is taken in their designing and landscaping. A team of experts chalks up the plans and a team of contractors looks after the construction. These gardens also require regular staff for reserving and conducting the visitors, as well as for the maintenance of the gardens.
Waterfall gardens do not charge their visitors much. Several of them are subsidized by the government and so they provide free entry for their visitors. Some of them charge monthly or annual fees, which are quite nominal.
Indoor Waterfalls provides detailed information on waterfalls, indoor waterfalls, waterfall gardens, waterfall ponds and more. Indoor Waterfalls is affiliated with Outdoor Stone Fireplace.
Tags: aquatic plants, gardens, grow trees, indoor waterfalls, tranquility, waterfall gardens, waterfall ponds
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Planting Summer Flower Bulbs
August 11th, 2009
In the summer, the sun is shining and everything is vibrant. Even the summer flowers are brighter and bolder. No meek pastels or pasty whites here; summer flower bulbs are vivacious.
While less hardy plants are dried, brown, and dying, summer flowers are bright, alive, and thriving. Summer flower bulbs are flowers that bloom in the summer. Some examples are daylilies, lilies, gladiolus, dahlia, begonia, and caladium.
Summer flower bulbs should be planted in early spring. They need to be planted in an area with adequate drainage. Flower bulbs will rot in standing water. For this reason, they should never be planted at the bottom of a hill.
Summer flower bulbs vary in their sun requirements. Dahlias, lilies, and daylilies, for example, thrive in full sun to partial shade. Gladiolus, on the other hand, requires full sun and iris prefer partial shade. When planning your arrangement, pay special attention to the amount of sun your
garden or flowerbed receives and pick your flower bulbs accordingly.
All summer flower bulbs require loose, workable soil. If the area has never been used for
growing, add some compost or peat moss. Most bulbs will not require any special fertilization,
but follow your package directions carefully.
These flowers work best in masses. For the best effect, do not plant a single bulb or a thin line of
bulbs. They look best when they are clumped as in the wild.
Summer flower bulbs should be planted when the soil is dry and free-flowing. Did the hole six to
eight inches deep, and place the bulb in with the pointed side facing up. Cover the hole with dirt
and pack firmly. Water thoroughly.
If you plant your summer flower bulbs in an appropriate location and give them the most basic
attention, you will be abundantly rewarded. When all the other plants and flowers are dying, you
will have a bed of bright, vibrant flowers.
Flower Bulb Catalog provides detailed information on Flower Bulbs, Flower Bulb Catalog,
Flower Bulbs for Sale, Wholesale Flower Bulbs and more. Flower Bulb Catalog is affiliated with
Silk Wedding Flowers.
Tags: begonia, caladium, dahlia, daylilies, flower bulbs, gladiolus, lillies, summer flowers
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How to Plant Spring Flower Bulbs
August 2nd, 2009
Spring is the favorite season of many. It is a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejuvenation.
One ofthe greatest joys of spring is the beautiful assortment of flowers. You can get this joy at home by
planting spring flower bulbs. These are bulbs that bloom in early spring while other plants are
still developing.
There are many spring flowering bulbs, but some of the most popular are crocus, tulip, narcissus,
and hyacinth. These bulbs should be planted before the ground freezes, preferably in late
September or early October. This enables them to develop a strong root system before the first
frost.
Spring flower bulbs should be planted in an area that drains well. Bulbs will rot in standing
water. They must also receive adequate sunshine—at least six hours daily. The soil doesn’t need
any special treatment, but it should be loose and workable. If you are working a new area, you
might want to add some compost or peat moss.
When it comes time to dig the hole, follow the package directions. Most bulbs will require a
depth of six to eight inches, but loosen the soil for an additional four inches. Place the bulb in the
ground with the pointy end facing up. Pack the dirt firmly and water thoroughly.
Spring flower bulbs require very little care. Simply water them occasionally, and add a mulch
cover when cold weather comes. With a little water, sunshine, and luck, you will be blessed with
beautiful, fragrant blooms in early spring.
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