Making a reading garden

If you are a reader and simply cannot get enough of books, and then making a special place outdoors will certainly increase the level of your reading experience.  Being outside with a nice cold drink and a wonderful book is almost like a mini vacation and here is how to make that special little reading nook right in your backyard.  Some things to consider when picking a place is to make sure there is some shade, and the place is somewhat quiet.  Once you have picked out your place, you will want to make sure there are relaxing plants like lavender and plants like hosta that provide some beautiful foliage to create a true reading oasis. Allow somewhere to put your seating area.  There is a wide variety of garden furniture that is perfect for this.  Get a wicker rocking chair with a beautiful cushion or you can put a hammock up and truly relax with all the characters in your latest book.  A great element to have in an area like this is a good shade tree.  Pines, cedars and maples provide lovely shade and will add to the magical feel of your reading area.  Next, clear the area of weeds and other debris and make space for everything you want to add. Create a plan, so you do not over plant or make the area look tacky instead of calming.  You will also want to research the plants that work well in your climate area.  Any variety of phlox will work because they make a great ground cover and are also very colorful in addition to being very easy to care for and look.  After you have researched, visited your local nursery or hardware store and purchased what you heart desired, try placing the flowers and plants before you plant them to make sure you have them in the right spots.  Make sure to leave room for where you will sit and read. It is so much easier than you think and before you know it you will be reading in style!

Pruning your trees

Pruning is a method that involves removing dead or unneeded branches in order to allow the growth of flowers. Sometimes trees do not distribute their energy to the branches that are bearing more fruit than the others. In cutting the branches that are hoarding all the nutrients from the other branches, it will allow the other branches to flourish. It also prevents the tree branches to weigh down making the tree lopsided. You should not wait until the tree begins to bear fruit until you start pruning it. Pruning the branches should start regardless if there is fruit production or not. The first branches to be pruned should be those that look dead or weak and will be usually recognized by discoloration, lack of bearing fruit or in an odd shape. If it is not that obvious, just wait until the tree starts producing flowers, and you will know. The second thing to look at is if branches are too crowded next to each other. If there are branches growing too close to each other, cut off the smaller of the two in order to allow the larger one to have the room it needs to breathe. This same principle applies to the weight balance as well. If one side weighs down more, causing one side to be more lopsided or uneven, cut off some of the branches to help even the tree out. These are just the basic parts of pruning trees. There are branches that may require pruning, but these are the most common. Pruning needs for your tree depend on the age of the tree. The lifespan on this tree is only around three years. It requires pruning in order to form a tree. Once the tree is well established, you would use regulatory pruning to keep the tree in the placement you would like it. If these basic tips do not apply to you,  more of the advanced techniques based on the age of your tree.

Weed Prevention

Weeds, the word that gardeners hate and hate even more when they have to spend hours and hours removing these from their garden area. If you hate weeds then work on your landscape prevention. The option for weed removal is to remove weeds than they need to be.  Here are some ways to keep weeds at bay and under control.  The first one is to let sleeping weeds do just that, sleep!  There are many resprouted weed seeds in every square inch of your garden.  Normally the ones in the first couple of inches are the ones that will grow and become a nuisance.  When you start digging and moving the dirt around, it brings forth hundreds of other seeds that otherwise would not have caused any problems.  If you do have to dig and disturb the area, make sure to put a plant or mulch immediately to cover the area.  Which brings us to the next point, mulch prevents weeds from growing.  Mulch keeps soils full of moisture and at a cooler temperature and will keep the light from reaching the weed seeds.  Mulch needs to be kept about two to three inches deeply for it to be truly effective in its weed control.  If you do see weeds come into your garden area, make sure to pull them at the best time.  When the ground is dry and tough, you will not be able to pull the weed along with its root system out of the ground.  Weed as the ground is wet.  For example, just after a rain, the ground is perfect and loose, and the weed along with its roots will come right out of the ground with no problem.  If you have weeds that you cannot remove because they are too large or something, you can also remove their heads. It will limit their ability to spread and grow.  While there is no way to keep weeds completely out of your garden, you can keep them at bay by using these prevention methods.

Using Landscaping Stones

Using landscaping stones is a great way to bring a wonderful and natural look to a lawn or garden. Landscaping stones are great to use in the design for a garden or natural area as you are designing it. These are not expensive and will give a beautiful look as they are placed as a border around a garden and also to add to certain areas that grow inside of a garden or other area. Landscaping stones are also great to hide a slightly sloped bank on the side of a lawn. These stones can be placed around on the bank, and they will allow great drainage and will also allow lovely plants to grow throughout them during the entire year. The colors and sizes vary so picking the right one will be lots of fun. Building as you place these stones and see the finished product will bring joy. Landscaping stones are a great idea and will also add much-needed curb appeal to a lawn and will not cost very much to do.

Using landscaping stones is a great way to decorate a lawn or garden. They will provide a beautiful look and will also balance out a lawn and will give it a wonderful feel and look. Landscaping stones can be purchased from a large home and garden center or a landscaping company. These stones will be very heavy, so the truck is the best vehicle to move these stones. Design your lawn or garden first on paper to determine how many and what size landscaping stones will need to be purchased. You may only need a few or need an entire load of these great stones. It can help make a lawn and garden a great look and will help with designing these areas to be beautiful. Landscaping stones are also care and maintenance free and are great for homeowners and gardeners. Go ahead and design that beautiful garden and get started on having a beautiful lawn.

Proper Winter Care for Your Fish Pond Outdoors

Water features can both add value to one’s home as well as eliminate stress levels. They can be both indoor or outdoor features. Either having them installed indoors or out depends on the homeowner and what their desire is. If the pond is installed outside, there are some simple steps to help maintain them through the winter months. If winter stays throughout the year in your area, make sure that it is dug about 48 inches deep to allow for the fish to stay on the bottom. The thick ice on top will help protect the fish from the cold water and toxic gasses that buildup in the ice overtime. If one has too much ice on top for long periods, it will be a good idea to make a hole so that the air can circulate throughout the bottom of the water.

An aerator is a good idea to help create a small opening in the ice, but the placement of the aerator can be crucial. It needs to be placed halfway in the deepest part of the pond. If the aerator is put too close to the surface, it can freeze, and if it’s too deep, it can cause the whole pond to become too cold.

A deicer or heater works well for concrete ponds. Make a hole into the pond water and place the deicer inside to help keep the water warm. When the water is warm, the fish can breathe better. The water pump is also a good way to go because it can help the water circulate which helps the oxygen move.

Another way to keep your pond winterized is by covering it. Covering the pond in extreme cold temperatures will help protect the fish. The only downfall is the amount of snow that may accumulate on top. The plus side is that during the cold winter months, fish tend not to eat so feeding them is not a problem.

It is also advisable to plant plants around your pond for sir quality control.