Pruning Roses, Sprouts And Nightmare Weeds

hughe — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:15:48 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

If you want some indoor gardening activities while waiting for spring and a window farm does not appeal, why not grow some sprouts? Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that you either love or hate, but they are not what I am talking about. “How to grow sprouts” is the title of an article I found in the Christian Science Monitor which is all about sprouting seeds. In their case mung beans which are ready to eat anywhere from three to five days after sowing. Read more..

Pruning roses is one of those tasks that often worries novice gardeners, so it’s useful to have a reminder of the correct way to tackle it. Dr. Michael Ishak is a retired physician and an accomplished rose consultant with the South Coast Rose Society. Although his advice is aimed at California residents who have to take a couple of extra steps to induce a resting period, the general principles apply wherever you live. I was pleased to be reminded that climbing roses should have their stems trained horizontally to encourage the plant to produce shoots and flowers at each bud rather than just at the tip. Read more..

Whenever I see a title like “Getting rid of nightmare weeds” I hope that I will discover the simple solution to removing the bindweed and couch grass from my garden. Needless to say there is no magic bullet, in fact one lady mentioned in the article took 20 years to eradicate horsetail from her yard. That is an extreme case but bindweed, it seems, does need three years to kill off all the roots. And then it might just creep back from next door unless you install “a weed barrier of at least three feet (one metre) deep (deeper if possible)”. In my case I just learn to live with them. Did I mention that this comes from the Delta Optimist? Read more..

Finally I could not resist including a link to this garden gadget despite the fact that it has nothing to do with gardening or tulips, but just vaguely looks like one. Read the article then watch the video.

Tulip Corkscrew

Spring Clean the Roses and Scrap the Lawn

hughe — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:15:33 +0000

“Staring at enticing photos of roses in magazines, books, and catalogs during winter makes it easy to conjure up images of warm days, fragrant blooms, and lush green foliage. But one look outside quickly snaps you back to reality: The garden’s a mess” is how Lynn Hunt introduces her piece on Spring Cleaning in the Rose Garden. Here you will find lots of practical advice, in particular the importance of removing all diseased leaves and her suggestions on feeding your plants. Read more..

If you live in a part of the country with an arid climate and want an alternative to the usual advice that you should just grow native plants, Susan Reimer has a suggestion. Give up your lawn and grow succulents instead. Although they like water and they look more lush and lovely when they get it, they will survive through dry weather. Grow them in containers and you will be able to move them around during the season. You will also be able to store them indoors during the winter. Read more..

It’s that time of year again when we should be starting on the veggies. And there’s no shortage of advice on how to set about it. Lee Reich has “10 steps to a successful first vegetable garden” with basic advice for beginners. If you prefer video Bob Webster has his “Vegetable Gardening 2010 Edition” which is a recording of his seminar. Take your pick.

Garden Supplies News » Roses

Pruning Roses, Sprouts And Nightmare Weeds

Spring Clean the Roses and Scrap the Lawn