“Container gardening gives homeowners the opportunity to create striking results for their outdoor living areas without a great deal of time commitment or difficulty,” says Dan Heims, co-owner of Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Ore. “Whether a novice or seasoned gardener, incorporating the appropriate mix or combination of plants to containers is the most effective way to experience lasting results.”

Designed by Heims and his team of horticulturists at Terra Nova Nurseries, these four container recipes will enliven even the shabbiest of winter-hardened locales this spring and summer:

“Twist of Lime”

Ingredients:
Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’
Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’
Heuchera ‘Mahogany’
Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’

The stunning, chartreuse, elephant’s ear leaves of Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’ stand out, adding height and a tropical flare to containers; its leaves reach 3 to 4 feet across. The gorgeous form of golden Japanese Forest Grass that is Hakonechola ‘All Gold’ has arching, graceful, upright, and spiky foliage, adding texture and bright color to this container combination. “The glossy, mahogany-red, ruffled foliage of Heuchera ‘Mahogany’ produces wonderful, dense, shiny tones year-round,” says Heims. Heuchera ‘Lime Ricky’ has chartreuse spring leaves, which turn to lime-green, showy, ruffled leaves for the remainder of the year. This recipe can brighten even the shadiest of spaces.

“Dawn to Dusk”

Ingredients:
Heuchera ‘Marmalade’
Begonia ‘River Nile’
Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’
Athyrium ‘Dre’s Dagger’

Stunning, rich, shiny, undulating foliage adorn Terra Nova Nurseries’ Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ in ranges of color from umber to deep-sienna with hot-pink undersides. Begonia ‘River Nile’ produces distinguishing chartreuse leaves with heavily edged black or red-brown. Its leaf edges are ruffled while the leaf bases swirl inward to the leaf center. The compact plant of Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ has burnished black leaves, which are thickly spotted, hot-pink in spring. Its summer leaves lighten with creamy-pink dots that adorn the foliage. The narrow, deep-green fronds of Athyrium ‘Dre’s Dagger’ are crossed, coming to a narrow point with a terminal crest. Its statuesque form creates a dramatic quality in any container setting.

“Fun in the Shade”

Ingredients:
Heucherella ‘Stoplight’
Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’
Polemonium ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Eucomis ‘Oakhurst’
Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’

Bright-yellow leaves and a large, stoplight-like red blotch embellish Heucherella ‘Stoplight’ in spring. The remarkable, purple-metallic leaves of Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ transform to silver, giving rise to striking cinnabar-red flowers. Because it is a compact plant with flowers that bloom just above the leaves, it is an excellent choice in container gardens. A favorite of Heim’s, Polemonium ‘Stairway to Heaven’ has broad, bold, cream, variegated foliage with 12-inch stems bearing light-blue flowers; it is an exceptionally hardy, large-leafed, showy selection of Polemonium. The thick, fleshy, broadly linear leaves of Eucomis ‘Oakhurts’ form in a spear-like rosette with a pineapple-like array of purple flowers in late summer. ‘Oakhurst’ is a strong, red-purple form that creates an impact in containers. A vigorous, spreading Corydalis with succulent stems and gold, ferny leaves on a wide-spreading plant, ‘Berry Exciting’ produces fragrant, purple flowers.

“Purple Passion”

Ingredients:
Colocasia ‘Black Magic’
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’
Begonia ‘Benitochiba’
Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’

“One of the few ‘true blacks’ of the plant world,” says Heims, “the exotic form of Colocasia ‘Black Magic’ is tropical in appearance and loves moisture, making it superb for container gardens located around ponds or other water sources. ‘Jack Frost’ is a lovely Brunnera with silvered foliage on heart-shaped leaves with green veining and edged with a green border. The large, palmate leaves of Begonia ‘Benitochiba’ are a metallic, rose-red color; it is shrubby and self-branching with pint flowers and an upright cane-stem. The dark, glossy, ruffled leaves of Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’ are somewhat upright, catching sun from any direction. Attractive year-round and easy to grow, Terra Nova Nurseries’ horticulturists recommend it as a striking accent in the Purple Passion container recipe.

“Creating beautiful container gardens using various plant selections, colors, and textures is a therapeutic and enjoyable leisure activity for the whole family,” says Heims.

To learn about more plant container recipes, log onto www.terranovanurseries.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Use the Right Rake

Yard rakes will help you get the autumn leaves out of your garden and also remove any other debris. Don’t even think of planting seeds in a garden that has not first been cleared. Young, tender plants cannot force themselves through decaying leaves, twigs or other matter that may have accumulated in the garden over the winter.

A garden rake with tines that have some spring action can be used without causing too much damage to any existing plants. A narrow rake can maneuver around plants easier, but a wide rake makes quicker work of leaves. As with trowels, many rakes now come with ergonomic handles that put less stress on your back.

Garden rakes are able to break up the soil and smooth it down; thereby creating a clean area that is also free of debris and large stones. The teeth on a garden rake should be sharp enough to break up the soil, while the back part should be flat to tamp down the dirt. A bow rake is often used in a garden. As the name implies, this type of rake has long, curved bowed tines making it much easier to work in the soil.

Most garden rakes are about 60 inches long with handles that are made from fiberglass or hardwood. An average size rake head contains about 14 or 16 tines. When choosing a garden rake, note the shape of the teeth on the tines. They should be sharp enough to pull stones and other debris away from the plants, yet be able to smoothly rake over a cleared patch of soil.

Additional Tips for Buying a Garden Rake

Forged tools are more expensive, but they will last longer. Make your final selection after you check out all the key features of the tool. While long handled rakes are easier on your back, short handles provide you with more control especially around valuable plants.

Clean your tools after using them and when you store them away for the winter, apply a coat of wax to the tines to keep them in top working shape for the spring planting season. A garden rake will get a lot of use, so taking care of it will make it last longer. Buy the best that you can afford; this type of tool is a must-have and you will be reaping the rewards of a good garden rake for years to come.

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Creating Your Own Gardening Plans

The first step involves getting to know what type of climate you live in and what type of soil you have. Both of these items are important when creating a garden.  Depending on the climate and soil, certain plants will not be able to thrive.

The climate makes a huge difference in the variety of plants that can be used in the garden.  Certain areas have different lengths of growing season, and some plants need longer growing time.  When making gardening plans, take the time to investigate the type of area that you live in.  A very dry climate will probably not be the best climate to try and grow exotic flowers that need a lot of moisture.  Gardening plans need to be thought out carefully before going forward and planting.

Many areas have troublesome soil that will need to be conditioned or possible mixed with other soil to get a positive planting soil.  When making gardening plans, check with local garden stores on the type of soil conditions that are in your area.  A professional at a store can offer advice on how to prepare the soil for plants and specific steps that may need to be taken to keep the soil balanced.

When making gardening plans, also think about the space that you have and what type of garden you would like.  Is a water feature something you want to add?  How about small trees and bushes? Visit area nurseries to evaluate what is offered and what combinations would look best together.

Gardening plans can take a few months to put together.  Start planning a few months before the ideal planting season begins.  Gather resources to learn about plants and flowers and what will work in your area.  Gardening plans are exciting to work on and can involve the whole family.  This is a great way to spend time together in a productive manner.

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