Eric shares his latest Garden Smart Tip and Ideas. A wonderful addition to your patio garden would be an ornamental fruit tree. Eric shows us a beautiful example of a 'Moro' orange. It's a fantastic tree in a container. There is a lot of flexibility that you have with fruit trees in containers. You can move them around to sunny spots on the patio. In the wintertime you can move them indoors for protection. These trees have great ornamental value plus they have the added benefit of providing a...
We next discuss trimming regular hedges. Most people just want a hedge that's tidy and neat, one that performs a function of blocking a view. We discuss some newly planted Boxwoods. Glenn planted these several months ago and wants to keep these low growing, about the height of the wall behind them. When the new growth starts to come up and the plant has reached its desired height, he prunes them. Glenn leaves an open space between the plant and the wall, this allows for good air circulation, ...
To keep your young tree healthy through the winter there are several maintenance tips to keep in mind. You need to protect them from mice and voles gnawing around the base of the tree because they can easily girdle the bark and cause a tree to die. A simple way to prevent this is to use a plastic wrap. Simply put it around the base of the tree about an inch or so below the soil line and wrap it around the tree all the way up. This will prevent the little mice teeth from gnawing on the bark. A...
This ReadyMade video explains how to build a raised bed garden for your home to block out that ugly garage or naked neighbor.
If working an area with poor or eroded soil something must be done to improve the soil so plants will grow. A great tip is to use about 50% organic matter and 50% native soil, mix it together, put it around the rocks, then plant Thyme or other creeping plants. This will help the plants to establish themselves. Don't put organic matter under the rocks because over time it will allow the rocks to sink.
If looking for a way to make your garden interesting throughout the year don't just concentrate on the flowers, look at other parts of the plant. An example is a Rose bush. After the Roses are finished many have beautiful leaves. One plant has beautiful hips, large seeds pods. They add interest during the summer, then in the fall they'll turn a ruby red creating interest throughout the entire season. Consider the whole plant and its' characteristics during different seasons.
Top dressing is important for roses. Add one or two inches of good organic matter in and around the plants, taking care not to disturb the roots. Lori likes a material that is well composted, something with a lot of different sized particles, a product with a little nutrient charge included. Something with phosphorous, nitrogen, even some bone meal as well as some iron is good, since these ingredients tend to green the leaves. Top dressing will keep Roses looking good year after year.
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak are a problem throughout the United States. The resin on the leaves is what bothers us, causing acute dermatitis (a bad rash). If you happen to come in contact with it, quickly wash with hot soapy water, that should at least reduce the amount of irritation. Poison Ivy has three leaves and a little bit of red where the leaf merges with the stem. There is a new product made especially for eradicating Poison Ivy and tough brush. To use this product, spray the leaves tho...
Although most of us can't grow Mangoes or Avocados or some of the other plants we're looked at, most everyone can grow or enjoy Orchids. Today they're readily available and there are thousands of species and it's believed there are thousands that have yet to be been discovered. Considering the way they're propagated today and the many places they're sold there is no reason we all shouldn't be growing Orchids. Karen had a fear of growing Orchids, thinking they were difficult to grow. She recei...
If you have a beautiful Annual flower bed or a formal bed with lawn on one side you'll want a clean edge between the two. It not only looks nice but keeps weeds from encroaching into the bed helping reduce maintenance. There are several ways to create a nice edge to your beds. You can use a shovel, digging a line bit by bit but that gets hard on the back. Available materials for edging include, plastic edging and metal strips and wooden edging pieces. The wooden edges can be linked together b...
Weeds are the bain of a gardeners existence. Many people reach for something and spray. There are many cultural things that can be tried before spraying. Cutting the grass correctly and ensuring good drainage will go a long way towards preventing weeds. If water is puddling on top of the soil you know you're going to have to do something, some drainage tiles, bringing in more soil to level it out, somehow improve the drainage. With conditions like this you will not only have problems with wee...
here are lots of products for fertilizing Roses and Roses need fertilizing for the best blooms. A household product that works well is Epsom Salt. The Magnesium Sulfate in Epsom Salts is great for Roses. All you do is take a half cup of Epsom Salt Crystals and sprinkle it around the Rose, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. That will be enough when you water it in to get those blooms going. The only thing to be concerned about is if you have high magnesium levels in your soil. It is alwa...
Fall is a great time to fertilize your lawn, especially cool season grasses like Bluegrass and Tall Fescue. By fertilizing in the fall you're building up the root system but because it's cool the top won't grow as well so you won't need to mow as much. Before spreading your fertilizer you want to top dress with compost. Compost is a great additive for the lawn, especially if you sprinkle a quarter to a half inch layer on top of the lawn. It will work its way down and when down there will feed...
Raise your glass to an extraordinary garden! Landscape designer Michael Glassman demonstrates how the use of glass mulch around plants, rocks, or fountains elevates an ordinary garden into a masterful work of art.
Protect the kids from playground falls and mulch the plants at the same time! Landscape designer Michael Glassman spins his wheels finding inventive ways to use recycled rubber tires in the backyard.
Elderly woman shows how to prune plants properly. Video covers which plants to prune, when to prune, cleaning prune tools and how to prune the individual plants. Watch video for best results.
Lars discusses how to use the hori hori knife within your garden. Video gives a brief history on the knife and how it can be applied to home gardening techniques.
Lars discusses an organic fire ant control method developed at Texas A&M university. Lars stresses on the safety and environmentally friendly factors these products practice.
Many people tend to focus on decorating and tidying up their house, often forgetting to care for their patio. This makes little sense to us because the doorway and patio is the first thing all your guests will see as they enter your house. So spruce your patio up by building a patio and walkway out of flagstone.
Stone patios offer you that perfect balance of beauty and function. They're super sturdy, strong, and can take quite the beating from rain, snow, and everyday wear and tear without getting marred. So if you're considering installing a stone patio in your front yard, save some money by doing it yourself.
Rock gardens are a great way to add color and texture to your lawn. Learn how to build a rock garden in your yard. Common goal is to add interest to your yard. You will need rocks, top soil and plants. If you don't know what type of plants talk to your nurseyman at the garden center.
Tim Carter demonstrates how to use recycled cobblestones. Cobblestone can be used to edge gardens, driveways and walkways. These paving stones make a great border.
Protecting a new or young tree by staking it enables it to grow the strong root system it needs to secure itself in the ground. We will showyou how to stake a tree.
When it comes to upkeep, Jose is nothing less than thorough. In this video series he shows you how to take care of your lawn and garden, even makes sure you clean your tools!
When building a fence around your home, it's important to know how to build it and which way to face it. In this tutorial, you'll find out some helpful tips for properly facing your fence the right-way. Building it the wrong way can make it look bad and give off an ugly look to your yard. So good luck and enjoy!
If you're in the market for a new lawn mower, there are plenty of options, and it might be hard making a decision on which one is right for you. This video breaks down what you need to consider before buying a lawn mower and how to find one that best fits your needs.
See a hose end sprayer demonstration and get expert tips and advice on lawn care and maintenance in this free gardening video.
Watch as a seasoned professional demonstrates how to clean a pool screen enclosure -- including what tools you will need, the best techniques for removing debris, and how to maneuver safely -- in this free online video about home pool care.
Whenever you design elements for your garden, you should always keep in mind, that the more natural they are the better they seem to fit in. That's exactly what is done when you create this rustic bent wood trellis. But others have taken this idea a step further. In this how to video, Jim Long, author of the book Making Bentwood Arbors and Trellises, explains how to create these artistic garden ornaments.
Willow can be woven into many shapes or to form a living boundary fence. The reason they are called living is because some of the stems used to create the structure root in the soil and grow to form new shoots. This does mean that annual trimming is needed to maintain the shape, but at the same time it adds interest to the garden. Creating a living structure is very simple to do and all you need is a few pruning tools and a bundle of willow sticks in various thicknesses. With this tutorial yo...
Remodeling your home or backyard can be expensive, but you can save some money by doing it yourself. If you are re-doing your patio you can use tile to decorate it your yourself. In this Home & Garden how-to video you will learn how to create a sea turtle mural out of tile for your backyard patio.
One landscape idea that's getting a lot of attention these days is outdoor rooms. More and more people are starting to enjoy the practical benefits of dividing their yards into discrete spaces. There are many reasons to create outdoor rooms. You might want to entertain in one area and sit and contemplate in another. One area might be for the kids or even pets, while the other is for cooking. See how to use hedges and other plants to create rooms with this how to video.
This tutorial video will show you how to select quality flagstone. Flagstone is usually flat stone used for patios and exterior work on houses.
There are a lot of garden hoses out there, but not all hoses are created equal. This how to video shows you how to choose the right garden hose for you.
We've all done it, whether the hose got caught under the lawn mower or if the ends got frayed. Garden hose can get slits and holes in them. This how to video shows you easy garden hose repairs that will keep you from buying a new one.
Tim Carter of AsktheBuilder.com demonstrates how to get an oil stain off a concrete or blacktop driveway.
Pat Simpson helps you select the right shed for your back yard. Whether your using it for supplies or tools, he'll point you in the right direction.
Watch this video to learn the basics of installing an underground sprinkler system. The points discussed in this video are just a few of the ways a sprinkler system can be used and applied. The video covers ways to set up the system and calibrate it to effectively water your lawn and garden.
The colder weather means your pond may need some preventative maintenance. Think about the fish, plants and pumps when you are cleaning up. Follow these tips to be successful
Want to make your own trellis instead of buying one?
