Small Space Gardening

You might think that just because you live in an apartment you can’t have a garden. Nothing is further from the truth! You can grow fresh vegetables and spices right in your apartment without need of big pieces of land or space. There are many plants that lend themselves well to growing indoors and in pots.

Window boxes, patios, south-facing windows, and similar places are all great places to grow a garden. All you need is some patience, some containers, and some imagination to make it happen. Many plants flourish indoors and you can reap the bounty of the fresh harvest when they’ve ripened!

If your apartment has a small or medium-sized patio, you’re in luck. Of course, if you haven’t got a patio, you can still use a big window or grow shade plants that don’t need as much exposure to the sun. If your patio doesn’t have a lot of space, you can hang plants from a beam, eave, the railing, or choose vines that climb trellises. Hanging baskets are the apartment gardener’s best friend and can be used in a variety of situations to grow plants-you just need some imagination.

Flowers are also popular amongst apartment dwellers, especially annuals and others that don’t require constant planting and care. These are much lower maintenance than food plants, but don’t have the reward of fresh food later. Often, apartment dwellers can plant seeds early in the year, before those who plant outside can, thus harvesting earlier or having blooms faster.

Using the right container for your plant is paramount and will make or break your endeavor. Decide what kinds of plants you wish to grow and then choose containers appropriate to the plant’s size and root base. Make sure the plant and its container will fit in your intended growing spot and that you can get all of the plants you want to grow to fit in the area you plan to grow them. Nothing puts a damper on your enthusiasm faster than finding out you’ve got too little space and too many plants.

Avoid replanting your plants as much as possible, as this trauma slows their growth for a time and can cause late or even no harvest situations. While many vegetable plants will grow well from seeds even when grown on window box, some are better as shoots or beginners-tomatoes are a good example. Some plants will handle replanting well while others might call it quits after the first move. Consult your nursery or gardening specialist to find out which ones can handle it. Again, it’s best to avoid this altogether and choose a container big enough for the plant right from the get-go.

Remember: that container might look great now, but if the plant outgrows it or becomes stunted because it doesn’t have enough root space, is it worth it? When you choose your plants, make sure the plant matches the sunlight, area, and will do well indoors or partially outdoors (if on a patio). Most plants will do well if they don’t require full and total sunlight all day.

So give it a try and see if you can grow a garden in your apartment this year! You’ll find that it’s a lot easier and more fun than you’d thought.

Flowering Geraniums

The Geranium (Pelargonium) is the most popular indoor house plant in America. One of the “big three” that’s grown popularly here, they are the hardiest of the group and are easily grown and cared for. They can be the central attraction for any window garden or room dcor. They come in an enormous variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

The Geranium is commonly broken down into four major classifications to keep track of all the various strains and types of flower that fall into this family. These four classifications are: Show or Fancy (also called Lady Washington), the Zonal or Fish, the Ivy, and the Scented-leaved.

The Show, Fancy, or Lady Washington variety of Geranium is a very showy plant that produces large flowers that bloom for a few months of the year. These often appear in the summertime and grow in a wide range of colors and usually have a distinctive black spot in the center of each petal.

The Zonal or Fish Geranium is the plant you’ll see in homes most often. Because it flowers nearly every day from spring until fall, it’s quite popular. They will try to use their energy to grow, however, so trimming and care are needed to force flowering and keep the plant’s size under control. While the flowers of this type of Geranium aren’t as showy as others, they make up for it by blooming much longer.

The Ivy-leaved type of Geranium is, as it says, an ivy. This means it grows quickly and can be trained to climb or “snake” as you’d wish. Properly cared for and pruned, these can be one of the most beautiful of the Geraniums in a garden or home.

Finally, the Scented-leaved Geraniums are very popular in homes because, as their name implies, they are quite perfume heavy. They can be grown with other plants to make for a beautiful scent arrangement to complement the beautiful flowers they produce for a short time each year.

Mixing and matching these various types of Geranium is another popular way that enthusiasts display these flowers. Utilizing the Zonal, Scented-leaved, and Ivy for ground cover, indoor accent, and scent, they can complement many flowering plants such as the beautiful flowers of the Lady Washington when it blooms. All together, they make for a wonderful assortment that any grower would be proud to display.

Caring for these flowers is a little work, but well worth the effort in the payoff they give. Learning more about how to care for them and keep them free of disease while nourishing them properly will greatly increase your success.

Proper Lighting and Growing Conditions For Healthy Houseplants

There are six basic considerations which must be kept in mind in the selection and care of any house plant or group of house plants: Light and Sun, Temperature and Humidity, Ventilation, Watering, Cleaning and Summer Care. Read through the section that follows and keep these points in mind as you care for your plants. What we have to say here is uncomplicated but extremely important. These are general rules that apply to any plant you might grow at home.

When you hope to grow any house plant or a grouping of house plants, there are six important things you need to take into consideration. The proper lighting and sun, adequate temperatures, aeration, water requirements, cleaning and summer season care. Read through the following information and keep each bit of information in mind when caring for your house plants. There are some general guidelines that are applicable to any type of plant you choose to grow.

Lighting and Sunshine

Once you choose the plants you are going to buy, you need to plan accordingly where you are going to place them in your home. If you reside in a house or apartment building, with exposure from all areas, it is best to plan your choices around a south-facing light source.

A good south-facing light source is going to provide your plants with the most sunshine. However, a north facing window is going to allow for lower light exposure. Some plants are actually bothered by having minimal light, but you can always produce a shaded condition in a highly sun prone area. It is more difficult to produce a sunlight effect in a north window in the winter season.

Starting with southern exposure, a bay window on the south side of the home is ideal. It is an indoor gardeners dream come true. Here your plants will be exposed to light and sunshine all day long.

House plants that grow in a sunny window, including flowering varieties, will turn their blooms in the direction of the sun. Because you are growing these plants for your own enjoyment, it is advisable to avoid putting these plants in low light areas and to turn the pots daily so that the flowers do not grow in a lopsided way.

There are also many plants that will grow well without direct sunlight exposure. It is true that no plant will ever grow without some sort of light exposure, so lighting is essential to the plants you choose. If you would like, you can keep a Snake plant or English Ivy in the recesses of a dark location for a short period of time, however, even these plants will not last long if not given periodic sun exposure. The plants will first loose their leaves, then their luster will diminish and begin to droop and eventually no matter what you do, they will die.

Create New Plants From Cuttings

There are a number of ways that professional gardeners propagate new plants. The main methods, which will be described here, are stem cutting and leaf cutting. Creating new stock from cuttings serves a dual purpose: obviously, you are able to produce more plants, but you are also able to trim back the existing plant, maintaining its appearance and health and preventing it from becoming overgrown.

To create cuttings, you rarely require specialized tools. Most of what you need can be found in the average household. You will need a number of pots in varying sizes, a sharp penknife or razor blade and if you think you will need them, a “dibble” and a tamper.

When you are setting cuttings, the same guidelines should be followed. The ideal propagating mixture is vermiculite and then normal potting soil is to be used once the cutting has struck roots.

The time that each cutting takes to develop a root structure will vary according to the variety of plant and the type of cutting. Generally, the minimum time to expect for roots to begin is about three weeks, whilst others may take a much longer time.

To make a stem cutting, a section approximately four to five inches long is sliced with a diagonal cut just below a leaf node. One longer piece from an overgrown plant may provide multiple cuttings. Ensure that these cuttings, or “slips”, are made with a sharp knife or razor blade. Never use scissors as they will cause damage to the stem and rot will set in. A diagonal cut allows a greater exposure of the potential rooting surface. Any buds or excess leaves should be removed to encourage stronger rooting.

Select and fill the number of pots you require with the starting mixture. Make a hole for each slip with the dibble or a pencil, carefully place the slips into the hole and then gently press the mixture around the stem of the slip. Don’t use the slips themselves to create the hole as this will cause bruising and then rotting. Check that the base of the slip is in contact with the base of the hole to ensure successful rooting. When planting is complete, soak the slips in water either from above of below and then the pots should be covered with a glass jar or similar to prevent moisture loss. If you have a terrarium or a fishbowl that can be drilled, this will hold a number of pots at once, making handling much easier.

The planted slips should then be placed in a shaded spot and kept moist. When the slips have a root structure approximately an inch or so long, they should be repotted into their own pots that have been filled with normal potting soil. This will be on average around three to eight weeks from the time the slips were planted.

You need to be patient when you are creating new plants from cuttings. Avoid the temptation of removing them from the starting mixture to check them as you may damage the roots. Wait at least three to four weeks and you will then be able to perform a test to see if they are ready. At this time, hold the stem at the base between your thumb and index finger and gently pull. If there is resistance, carefully dig the slip out and inspect the roots. If the roots of this slip are long enough for replanting, the other slips should also be ready as they should grow at roughly the same speed.

Check the cuttings at least once or twice a week to ensure that they are moist enough. At this time it is a good idea to allow them to “air” for a short time. When they are ready for transplanting, take the covers off, carefully transplant the new plants taking care not to damage the fragile root system and give them a thorough soaking. Keep these newly transplanted specimens in the shade for another couple of weeks to allow them to get over the transplanting shock, then place them in a sunny spot.

There is no “best” time of the year for making cuttings from most house plants. Utmost care for newly propagated plants are best achieved with this style of propagation is needed especially for plants like Impatiens, Coleus, Geraniums or Pelargoniums, Ivy and Philodendron.

How To Create a Landscaped Backyard

There is more to landscaping your backyard than just putting plants here and there. It should be thought of as a kind of art through which we can express our personality and creative abilities. Consider the three elements in landscaping design: structure, area and the texture of the plants.

What is structure? Basically, this is the form that the plant takes and how its branches are arranged. There are different shapes to trees. Some have a hanging effect, such as the white bark willow, whilst others have a very stiff, upright appearance such as poplar trees.

Area is the second element of landscaping design. This is not the size of the yard; rather, it is the visual “flow” and arrangement of the plants. In an effective landscape design, the different groups of plants lead the eye around the garden.

Another important aspect of landscaping design is texture. Technically speaking, texture is how the plant appears in relation to the other plants that are around it. One example is that of the marigold, that looks either “rough” or “smooth” depending upon the plants that it is grouped with.

Once you have an understanding of how these elements work, you can put them to good use. The following are some more ideas as to how you can landscape your backyard.

Planning

When you are planning your landscape, you should make a list of all the items and tools you will need. Have a list of “substitute” plants for the eventuality that your first choice is unobtainable.

Work out a schedule for the building, prioritizing as you do so. This will assist you to estimate the time you will need to set aside to complete the landscaping. Most average projects can be completed in a week or fortnight.

Selecting the Plants

Using the design elements discussed earlier, choose the plants. Many varieties of plants will work well en masse. Aim to create a 3D effect that looks effective from no matter where you view it.

Use your creativity. Think about a theme to use in the garden design. Some examples of commonly used themes are country, romantic, tropical or formal.

Make it work – the Construction Process

Make sure that the soil is adequately prepared. You may decide to have elevated beds, either by heaping the soil or using landscape stones as borders. Elevated beds eliminate the problem of excess water loss during irrigation.

There is an optimum time to plant trees and other foliage. This is during the months of October and November. Planting at this time of the year allows the plants to establish their root system during the dormant winter months in time for the new growth in spring.

Selecting The Best Plant For Your Aparment

Even if you live in a small apartment, you can grow a garden for fresh vegetables and herbs. In fact, many plants can be grown in an apartment, some in a window box and others on a patio. There are hundreds of plants, vegetables, and flowers that you can grow in containers. You can even buy containers to match any dcor.

If you are lucky enough to have a patio off your apartment, this will lend itself well to gardening. If you don’t have a patio to use, you can still place plants near the window to give them sunlight, or choose plants that grow well in the shade. If you lack floor space or a patio, you can also grow plants on trellises to use vertical space. Or, try hanging baskets. Even strawberry plants can be grown in this manner.

If you wish to grow flowers in your apartment, annuals are probably the best choice. You won’t have to worry about what to do with your perennials during the winter months. Be aware that some flowers can attract certain flying insect. For your apartment, choose flowers such as magnolias that repel insects and rodents.

Once you’ve chosen the plants, you’ll also need to select a container in which to grow them. Choosing the right container from the beginning can help your plants grow successfully. You can grow many vegetables from seeds, but if they are replanted too often, they will not thrive. Typically, plants grown in vegetable gardens, like tomatoes, can handle one replanting just fine. However, especially once they start to bear fruit, you should leave them alone in their container.

When you’re buying a container for your plants, imagine what they will look like when full-grown. Consider the size of the mature plant, and whether you will have enough room to let it grow in the apartment or on your patio unrestricted. For example, a hanging basket can be a great choice to hang outside your apartment, but if it is too small for the plant to grow freely, its growth will be stifled.

There are many varieties of plants that can be grown in small areas. You can have beautiful orchids, or potted plants, or palms like the bamboo palm plant. So be sure to choose these when shopping for plants to grow in your apartment. You can grow everything from herbs and vegetables to foliage and even beautiful flowers in your apartment, if you consider the plants’ requirements before purchasing them.

Putting Trellis To Your Garden

Most gardeners, even beginners, understand that garden trellis can be used to make your garden stand out. Because of this, many gardeners want to incorporate trellis into their garden, but this can be difficult to do well. However, there are several easy ways to use garden trellis to add interest to your yard and garden.

The simplest way to use a trellis is by growing climbing vines on it. Simply attach your trellis to a wall or other architectural element of your home, and plant vines such as Morning Glory or Clematis. Depending on the variety of plant you choose, flowering vines can be climbing up the trellis very quickly.

Of course, there are many different plants with vines to choose from. You should pick those you like best, making sure that they will grow well in the sun and soil conditions where your trellis will be placed. Depending on the plant you choose, you may need to tie the vines to the trellis using string or twine, or at least wrap the vines around the trellis, until the vines learn to twist around the trellis to climb it on their own.

This can be a very simple way to decorate the exterior of your home more beautiful and organic, but it can also help as insulation from the heat when the trellis is placed on an exterior wall of your home. However, it can also be attached to a carport or any other structural element. Keep in mind that as the vines grow, they will provide more shade and a refreshingly cool spot in your yard. When placed near a carport, they can screen off the cars and other foreign elements near your garden.

In fact, privacy fencing is the second most popular reason to use a trellis. It can be used to separate the front yard from the back yard, to create a small private space in your garden, or to enclose a feature such as a patio area, gazebo, or pool.

In fact, some trellis is sold particularly for privacy. This kind of trellis has smaller holes between the wooden slats. It provides excellent shade, even without vines or plants climbing it. With beautiful flowering vines climbing its sides, it makes a beautiful and unobtrusive screen.

Another excellent reason to add a trellis to your garden is to add interest to a container garden or to a set of patio plants. If you have a container garden and it seems to lack visual interest, a piece of trellis behind the containers can add the visual appeal your garden was lacking, bringing attention to your beautiful plants. Potted trellis can also be used as support for plants in your container needing extra support, such as tomato plants.

The trellis can be cut as tall or as short as you need, making it a particularly versatile garden element. In fact, trellis can be purchased in a wide variety of styles and materials, to blend with the rest of your garden or stand out as a visual statement.

Create Your Own Landscape

There is no doubt that you can save money by doing your own landscaping. You can also beautify your property at the same time. You can not only enhance your home but it can also prove to be a source of exercise and a way to enjoy the fresh air. When you do your own yard care, you save money and improve your own physical condition. However, if you are not satisfied with the results, then you have wasted time and money. It is possible that with a few tips you can ensure your yard will look better and learn how to better care for your yard as well.

First of all, it is important that you know what type of soil you have. Some plants and shrubs thrive in acidic soil, while others prefer a bit more alkalinity in the soil. There is also sandy soil and soil with clay in it, as well as loamy soil, and this can all factor into making a difference in what kinds of plants will be able to live in your soil. You need to have your soil tested and evaluated, in order to figure out what kinds of plants and vegetation should be planted.

When you buy plants that succeed in your current soil, then you end up saving money wisely and have a more attractive yard. If there are plants that you are considering, but your soil condition is not ideal, it is possible to improve soil and get it to the proper condition. You may only need to add mulch, limestone or clamshells, depending upon what you need to have happen. If it is possible to not a great difference between what you want and what you have, it may be possible to made more accommodating adjustments.

You also need to understand how much backyard space each plant will need. Some plants will require more room for their roots and others do not. You should choose a plant that tends to grow heartily everywhere, and if you do not have enough space, you may find your other vegetation is overcrowded and they may choke out and die. Make sure you completely understand the spacing needs for in between plants. Many smaller trees, landscaping bushes and shrubbery need to have at least 3-4 feet between them to have enough room to grow properly.

What Plants Will Thrive In My Yard?

There is no doubt that you can save money by doing your own landscaping. You can also beautify your property at the same time. You can not only enhance your home but it can also prove to be a source of exercise and a way to enjoy the fresh air. When you do your own yard care, you save money and improve your own physical condition. However, if you are not satisfied with the results, then you have wasted time and money. It is possible that with a few tips you can ensure your yard will look better and learn how to better care for your yard as well.

First of all, it is important that you know what type of soil you have. Some plants and shrubs thrive in acidic soil, while others prefer a bit more alkalinity in the soil. There is also sandy soil and soil with clay in it, as well as loamy soil, and this can all factor into making a difference in what kinds of plants will be able to live in your soil. You need to have your soil tested and evaluated, in order to figure out what kinds of plants and vegetation should be planted.

When you buy plants that succeed in your current soil, then you end up saving money wisely and have a more attractive yard. If there are plants that you are considering, but your soil condition is not ideal, it is possible to improve soil and get it to the proper condition. You may only need to add mulch, limestone or clamshells, depending upon what you need to have happen. If it is possible to not a great difference between what you want and what you have, it may be possible to made more accommodating adjustments.

You also need to understand how much backyard space each plant will need. Some plants will require more room for their roots and others do not. You should choose a plant that tends to grow heartily everywhere, and if you do not have enough space, you may find your other vegetation is overcrowded and they may choke out and die. Make sure you completely understand the spacing needs for in between plants. Many smaller trees, landscaping bushes and shrubbery need to have at least 3-4 feet between them to have enough room to grow properly.

Can Outdoor Environments Affect Indoor Houseplants?

When growing houseplants, you may be surprised to learn that the outside environment does affect your indoor plants. If you are trying to maintain a healthy indoor garden, one of the main barriers to your plants’ health is pollution. In cities, and even in suburbs, dust, grime, and exhaust make it hard even for indoor plants to thrive.

Because plants ‘breathe” through their leaves, allowing their leaves to become covered with dust and dirt is not only unattractive, but also harmful to the plants. Therefore, you should pay special attention to cleaning the foliage of your plants, making sure that they are kept clean and free from dirt and dust.

If your plants have shiny smooth leaves, the easiest way to clean the leaves is to give them a sponge-bath with slightly warmed water and a very small amount of soap. Then, rinse with clean water, making sure that no soapy residue is left on the leaves. This will remove any dust or dirt, as well as any pests which may have found their way onto your houseplants.

If your plants have hairy leaves, such as African Violets, keep them clean by occasionally brushing the leaves with a fine soft brush. However, be gentle, so that you do not harm the leaves with rough treatment.

During the summer, you can give your plants special care by returning them to nature for the season. If you have a garden, or even a porch or patio, your houseplants can spend two or three months outside each year. However, keep in mind that you should try to replicate their indoor conditions when you leave your plants in the garden, as they have acclimated to being indoors, just like an aralia plant. Try to replicate the amount of light your plants were receiving indoors, keeping plants in shady or sunny spots as needed. Aralias usually get wilted stems when exposed to too much light outdoors. A nursery can also help you determine which of your plants prefer sunny or shady environments.

While you could take the plants out of their pots and plant them directly in the garden, it is probably better to sink the pots into the soil, leaving the plant in the pot. This will keep your plants from the shock of transferring them to completely new and different soil. Also, the pot will keep the roots from spreading, which would make it difficult to re-pot them at the end of the summer. You may wish to drop some gravel into the hole first, to ensure adequate drainage.

While your plants are spending time in the garden, you should not forget about them. Even with rainfall, make sure that they are adequately watered. Make sure to examine them occasionally to make sure that they are not being attacked by pests. When you bring them back inside at the end of the summer, make sure no pests get a free ride into your house, where they can attack your other houseplants.

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