Jul
01
Posted by Bob
Old newspapers and organic mulch are a must have for anyone starting a new organic vegetable garden. Organic mulch can be made up of a variety of items that are probably on or around your property. Fallen leaves, flower blossoms, twigs, fallen needles from trees, and even bark can all be used as mulch. When you see any of these things around your property do not be afraid to gather it in bags and take it to the site of your future vegetable garden to use as mulch.
Many gardeners do not think mulch is important for anything other than visual appeal. While mulch will help make your planted garden look more tidy organic mulch has many other benefits that make it a vital part of your vegetable garden. For starters organic mulch will help cut down on the growth of weeds that could ruin your new garden.
Organic mulch will also help improve the quality of soil in your vegetable garden. Unlike non-organic mulches, organic mulch will decay and decompose overtime becoming a layer of rich and fertile topsoil. This will add nutrients to the vegetables in addition to its other uses.
Before the organic mulch decays it will help keep the water used to water your new vegetable garden from evaporating before it has a chance to do its work. It will also help keep the temperature of your soil even by warming the soil during the winter and cooling it during the summer. This is a great feature to those who grow vegetables all year round. The old newspaper helps perform another function that will help your vegetable garden thrive. Read the rest of this entry »
Jun
30
Posted by Bob
Butterflies are attracted to unsavory foodstuffs, such as moist animal droppings, urine and rotting fruits.
Try putting out slices of overripe bananas, oranges and other fruits, or a sponge in a dish of lightly salted water to see which butterflies come to investigate.
Sea salt provides a broader range of micronutrients than regular table salt and is more desirable to use.
Jun
21
Posted by Bob
To make artificial nectar for the hummingbirds to enjoy, use four parts water to one part table sugar.
Never use artificial sweeteners, honey or fruit juices. Place something red on the feeder. Clean your feeder with hot soapy water at least twice a week to keep it free of mold.
Food coloring is not needed. Most hummingbird feeders have a red color somewhere on the feeder to help attract the hummingbirds and, if it doesn’t, add a little red yourself.
Hummingbirds are fascinating and dart around here and there. It is unreal how fast they actually are.
Put forth a little effort to attract these little guys and you will be well rewarded.<br clear=left>
Jun
10
Posted by Bob
You should consider adding magnolias to your backyard landscape.
Why?
They are easy to grow and relatively pest free. Most have large showy flowers and attractive large leaves. Many are evergreen and attractive year round.
There are many great shrub-sized magnolias for the smaller garden. Check with your local garden center to find magnolias and to find the best time to plant in your area.
As a rule of thumb, it is best to plant in the early spring in the northern areas and in the fall in the southern areas.
Apr
07
Posted by Bob
The Joys of a backyard pond are limitless. Guaranteed, if you have kids or grandkids, that it will be a huge part of their life. They will love it.
This is my grandson and I in my backyard. He is now 4 and there is not a day he comes over here that we are not out back checking out the pond, the fish, looking for worms, etc.
Nothing - I mean nothing - adds more interest or joy to your backyard landscaping than a pond. A pond gives you the sound of the birds, attracts birds, butterflies and wildlife. The sound of the water relaxes you as you sit outdoors and enjoy a cool beverage.
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Apr
01
Posted by Bob
I have found nothing like the butterfly bush to attract butterflies in the garden. Our bushes seem to bloom later in the summer, around August, here in Ohio. Pink, white, purple, yellow - there are numerous colors.
A lot of monarch butterflies love it. In fact, I had one right next to my pond and had to move it as the monarchs would land and the frogs would eat them. Kind of defeats the purpose.
My grandson actually caught a monarch butterfly when he was 2 years old. He picked it right off the bush.
This is a very attractive addition to your backyard landscape and I highly recommend it.
Mar
18
Posted by Bob
Yew shrubs can be large or small depending on the variety. They are
needle-bearing evergreens in a deep green color on top which is lighter underneath.
Yews can grow in sun or shade.
This is important
— All species of yew contain highly poisonous alkaloids known as taxanes, with some variation in the exact formula of the alkaloid between the species.
All parts of the tree except the arils contain the alkaloid.
The arils are edible and sweet, but the seed is dangerously poisonous; unlike birds, the human stomach can break down the seed coat and release the taxanes into the body. This can have fatal results if yew ‘berries’ are eaten without removing the seeds first.
Make certain your kids know this!
Mar
14
Posted by Bob
Similar in overall appearance to the yew, plum yew’s foliage is a little coarser in texture and more olive green in color. There are low growing selections (‘Prostrata’) and a very beautiful, large, wide, spreading shrub (‘Duke Gardens’).
Unlike yew, plum yews are much more tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and are equally adapted to dense shade plantings. This makes them ideal in poor soil areas of your backyard landscape where you have trouble growing plants.
These are easy to grow and can cover large areas or, if you prefer, you can keep them trimmed.
Mar
02
Posted by Bob
Bird houses should be easily accessible so you can see how your birds are doing and, when the time comes, clean out the house.
Part of having bird houses is your willingness to watch out for your tenants. Monitor your bird houses every week and evict unwanted creatures: house sparrows, starlings, rodents, snakes, and insects.
Be careful when you inspect your bird boxes. You may find something other than a bird inside. Don’t be surprised to see squirrels, a mouse, a snake, or insects. Look for fleas, flies, mites, larvae, and lice in the bottom of the box.
If you find insects and parasites, your first reaction may be grab the nearest can of insect spray. If you do, use only insecticides known to be safe around birds: 1% rotenone powder or pyrethrin spray. If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap.
Here’s how to check your nest boxes:
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Feb
11
Posted by Bob
Plant your azalea in early spring or early fall.
If your soil is loose, well drained, and has lots of organic matter, planting will be easy. If drainage is poor, you’ll need to correct the drainage problem or plant in raised beds. You can work in some well-rotted leaf mold or compost if the soil is short of organic matter.
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