What you need:

• Wire Wreath Form
• Sphagnum Moss
• Small Well Rooted Plants
• Floral U-pins
• Fishing Line
• Rubber Gloves
• Scissors
• Bucket

Before starting, a nice leisurely stroll through your local garden center is a wonderful way to find the right theme for your wreath.  Go in and absorb the sights, sounds and smells around you to gain inspiration for the wreath.  Plan your visit around the central idea of the wreath; a busy garden center might inspire a wreath that is colorful and filled with busy cheer.  A quiet early morning visit may inspire a wreth that exudes serenity.

Now that you have the mood, you need the plants.  There are hundreds of plants that can be used for living wreaths but it is important to use well-rooted plants.  When choosing the plants, take into consideration the soil composition, light requirements, and moisture needs of the plants since they should all be similar.  Succulents do very well in living wreaths and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.  If you are looking for some blooms in your living wreath, plants such as pansies, violets and many other flowering plants can do well.  Plants that have quick growing roots such as ivy also make an excellent choice for a living wreath.  Herbs such as mint, rosemary and lavender to name a few can be added to a wreath to create a desired ambiance.  Take time when choosing your plants and play around with placement before you commit to the purchase.

When you sit down to create your living wreath, make sure you do it in an area that can be cleaned easily.  Like many creative processes, this can be very messy.  I usually place a garbage bag down and work on top of it.  This makes clean up a breeze and saves time for the more important stuff, like admiring your work.

You will need a wire wreath form but it does not have to be a simple circular shape; hearts and other shapes also look nice.  You will also need fishing line, scissors, floral u-pins, a bucket and rubber gloves.  It is very important to wear rubber gloves since you will also be using Sphagnum Moss to line the wreath and hold the plants.  Sphagnum moss can cause a skin infection if it is handled without gloves. 

To begin, you will need to tie the end of the fishing line to a starting point on your wreath.  Place the Sphagnum Moss, which needs to be soaked for 30 minutes before hand, around the wreath form and make sure that it is generously layered.  Arrange the plants on top of the moss.  It is best if you lay them loosely so you can position the plants until you have created the mini garden that you desire.  After you are happy with the placement, take the first plant closest to the fishing line and place it in the Sphagnum Moss.  Secure the plant with more moss and loop the fishing line around both the moss and the plant.  Repeat these steps all the way around the wreath and keep a close eye on the shape to prevent the size from fluctuating around the wreath.  When the wreath is complete, tie off the fishing line and place the wreath where you want it.

Living wreaths do require a significant amount of care.  The plants need to be trimmed and controlled with floral pins and the living wreath will need to be watered every day.  The best way to accomplish this is to place the wreath in a garbage can lid and soak it for a few minutes in cool water.     

A finished living wreath can be a work of art and can be used in a multitude of ways.  Deep greens and seasonal flowers can create a welcoming wreath during the holidays.  Create a wreath with nothing but fresh herbs and place it in a kitchen.  Not only do you have a wonderfully scented kitchen but you can use the clippings to spice up any dish you desire.    

Romance can be achieved by adding candleholder spikes into the wreath and setting it on a table.  Be sure to securely fasten the spikes with fishing line.  Add a touch of mint or another favorite herb to give the romantic setting a seductive scent.      

A great way to bring the romance from indoors to out is to create several small wreaths and place them on candle spikes down a walkway.  The flickering light of the candles warm the colors of the wreaths at night and can provide a charming decoration during the day.      

One of my favourite ways to use a living wreath is to fill it with soothing greens, warm colors and a soft blend of lavender and chamomile. Add it as a table decoration or as a wall hanging in your bathroom spa.  The need for scented candles will be unnecessary with the relaxing smells that drift from a well-placed living wreath.    

The living wreath has become more than a way to bring the garden indoors during winter months.  It has become a way to create a decoration, a miniature garden, and a central object for relaxation and meditation and there is no end to their enjoyment throughout the whole process of creating and owning one.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Before going ahead and describing why the Bacho grass shears are considered to be state of the art gardening tools, you need to know a little about the Bacho Company. Also known as the Bahco AB, this is a proud company that has reflected delight in its products for a very long time. Their representation in over than 40 countries is a clear indicator of its success and popularity across the globe.  The Bacho products are manufactured under the banner of Snap-on Inc Group of Companies, Sweden.

It is true that there are plenty of qualitative companies in the world which are ready to offer you high quality gardening tools at an affordable price. Everybody today wants value for their money and in such a scenario, the Bacho grass shears sums as the best for the following few reasons.

The Bahco AB Company looks after the whole manufacturing process from A to Z, for which it is possible for this company to stay in completed control of the quality of each tool. This is one of the main reasons why this company offers full life time guarantee on its Bacho grass shears and other tools.  This particular implement comes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes which could be adjusted to fit your requirements to the T.

Safety is always first with the Bahco AB, and hence the Bacho grass shears are not only easy to maneuver but also extremely safe to use. There is nothing more important that the safety of its clients for the Bahco AB; therefore, every tool that bears the brand of  Bahco AB, would have been tested time and again for safety until it is guaranteed to be 100%  safe to use.

All the Bacho products come in world class designs. This is one of the few companies which upgrades its products on a yearly basis.  Bookmark their websites and surf through their online catalogue that is updated regularly. Almost every month you would have some or other offer which would further enhance the benefit of buying and owning a Bacho gardening tool.

The exceptionally beautiful designs perfectly complemented by their utility, have earned this company many international design awards. Up to this day, there are very few organizations that have been as constant in delivering best quality at the best price for such a long time. You always win with this company – both with the quality it offers you as with the price.

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At a time well before the irrigation systems today, this mountain of green in what was a primarily flat and arid area in Mesopotamia was essentially another wonder of the world.  Let’s talk about what made the Hanging Gardens so impressive and discuss how you can have your own miniature version in your yard.

A Misnamed Garden

Though they are called the Hanging Gardens, the name doesn’t come from the use of hanging plants, but because the Hanging Gardens were terraced.  The Greek word for “overhanging” has the same meaning as “hanging,” and so the name refers more to the terraces of the garden than the garden itself.  However, with enough plants to cover it, the terraces must have surely looked like a tower of green that rose into the sky, an impressive sight at the time.

The Irrigation System

At a time when modern things like sprinkler systems were unheard of, the Hanging Gardens were watered with an innovative methods.  By using a chain and pulley system to haul buckets that were filled with a pool of water at the bottom, the slaves of Babylon were able to bring the water up to the highest terrace, to another pool.  From that pool, channels could be opened to release water that would flow to the lower terraces and water the plants.

Making Your Own

If you are so inclined, you can decorate your yard so it has the same sort of spirit at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  All you need to do is to construct a set of terraces that can hold your plants, then decorate appropriately.  Though you obviously will not be able to make them as large as the original, hanging gardens in a person’s yard can still have several tiers of green, which will help to define the shape of that garden.  With a little work, you’ll find that you have your own terraced delight in your yard, creating an effect that’s sure to impress your friends and family

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Photo: Violets in a shady spot

Whether you’re just looking for a small garden to enhance the look under the tree in your front yard or if you’re trying to make the best of a yard with more shade than you know what to do with, shade gardens are the way to go. Shade gardens can add some green to parts of your yard where you’re more likely to have bare dirt, but you have to plan these gardens carefully. To help you get started on putting some shade gardens in your yard, here’s some tips on doing just that.

Be Prepared To Cut Roots

Because shade gardens are located under trees in your yard in most cases, you will find that in order to get your plants in the soil, you’ll need to work around or through tree roots. Of course, this can be difficult to do, since if you cut through too many roots, you’ll both destroy one of the methods the tree uses to get water and nutrition, as well as the main anchor source for your tree. An easy guideline to follow when preparing the soil for shade gardens is to not cut through a root that’s bigger through than a ballpoint pen.

Get The Soil Ready

One of the reasons that plants in forests manage to grow despite the shade is the because the mulch created from dead leave, needles, and animal matter creates a rich soil that’s good for growing small plants. Follow the same tactic by adding three inches of compost or manure to the ground around the base of your tree, followed by another three inches of mulch. It’s best to plan far ahead for this, getting this around your tree at least by fall, if you intend to have a good topsoil for the springtime.

The Plants

Because of the limited light in shade gardens, the plants that grow best in them are small perennials that don’t require a lot of light. Such flowering plants as violets, toadlillies, and foxglove all do well in shade gardens. Because you are dealing with mostly small plants in your shade gardens, you will be concentrating more on the color and texture that your plants provide, rather than planning varying sizes and shapes of plants.

Be sure to research which plants you want to use and see if they can thrive without as much sunlight as most plants. Do this, add good topsoil and a little extra care, and you’ll soon have the basis for the first of many shade gardens in your yard.

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The Key To A Hummingbird Garden

Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. They can hover in the air, flapping their little wings fifteen to eighty times per second. This delicate bird is the only one that can actually fly backwards. It is no wonder that they are so much fun to watch. Most gardeners love having hummingbirds in their yard, so if you want a hummingbird garden, you need to understand the bird and its needs.

They follow mapped out routes to food, but they are always willing to investigate new food sources when tempted. If you want to tempt hummingbirds to stop over in your yard this year plant the right sources of hummingbird food. Humming birds don’t have a great sense of smell, so planting fragrant flowers won’t attract them the same way it will attract bees to your garden. Hummingbirds are drawn to stimulating colors, so if you want to see lots of these little birds in your hummingbird garden, make sure you plant bright flowering plants.

A few favorites in the hummingbird garden include azalea, butterfly bush, flowering quince, honeysuckle, morning glory, trumpet creeper, yucca, canna, coral bells, four o’clocks, lupine, foxglove, fuchsia, petunias, impatiens, and salvia.  If you want to attract hummingbirds to your hummingbird garden and give them a safe feeding environment, make sure that you do not spray your flowers with chemical pesticides. Pesticides may take care of pests but they can be harmful to hummingbirds or at the very least, cause them to steer clear of your yard.

In addition to planting the right plants in your hummingbird garden, it is important to provide your feathered friends with ample perching opportunities. This can be in the form of a planter, shepherd’s crook for hanging a plant, or even a bird bath. A bird bath also doubles as a source of water that will also make your yard a desirable place to visit. You can supplement your neighborhood hummingbird’s diet with a special hummingbird feeder. These feeders work best if they are a bright color and can be filled with purchased liquid nectar or even homemade sugar water. To make it especially attractive, tint the water with red food coloring.

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Setting up a backyard garden is the surest way to invite butterflies to your home.   Here we will go over starting a backyard garden and which plants attract butterflies.

Designing Backyard Gardens

There are many things that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden. First, you need to take into consideration the present condition of your backyard. If you backyard already have existing plants, you need to take an inventory of the plants and decide which ones you are going to keep and which ones have to go.

Do not over crowd your backyard with plants if you don’t want your backyard to look cluttered. Besides putting too many plants in your backyard will invite mosquitoes and other insects into your home. To make sure that you have just enough plants to make your backyard look good, take a sketch pad and drawn the lay-out of your backyard garden. Leave enough breathing space in your design to avoid crowding.

The second thing that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden is your budget. You need to ask yourself how you can afford to spend on your backyard garden. To know how much money you can spare for your garden, check your monthly income and savings against your usual monthly expenses. Make sure that you do not drain your finances just to make your backyard garden look beautiful. Yes, a beautiful backyard garden is important but you don’t really have to go broke just to create a lovely picture at the back of your home.

The third thing that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden is the type of plant that you need. If you want to invite butterflies into your garden, you need to use plants that are attractive to butterflies. Some plants that are attractive to butterflies are milkweed, aspen, chokecherry, dill, parsley, marigold, aster, lilac, cottonwood, pansy, clover and others.  To attract a variety of butterflies into your backyard, try planning different types of plants. Add native plants into your list of planting materials. Native plants are good at attracting species of butterflies that are endemic in your area.

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Since rain gardens often absorb storm water, they can help prevent flooding due to storm water overflow. These types of gardens are very helpful especially if you live in low lying areas that are prone to flooding during heavy rains.

Constructing Your Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are shaped like basins to serve as effective rain catchments system. To make your rain gardens more attractive, you can design the rim of your garden. You can have a round, kidney, bean or square or any shape you want as long as you do not restrict the natural flow of the storm water. If you have a big area is your backyard, you might want to design your rain garden in such a way that it will blend into the terrain of your backyard.

If possible, do not dig one large hole in your backyard for your sunken garden. Not only will a large gapping hole look ugly it your backyard, it will also invite accidents especially if you have small children.

Note that children are naturally very curious so there is always a danger that they will stumble into the big hole and hurt themselves. Instead of digging one large hole for your rain garden, consider creating a rain garden a kind of border in one side of your backyard where the water usually settles down after the rain.

To make your backyard more attractive and friendly to children, create a border between the garden and your lawn. You may use plants as hedges or a simply pathway to delineate the areas of your backyard. Besides, separating your lawn and you garden can also help your garden look better.

When constructing your rain gardens, you need to pay close attention to the soil type that you have. If you live in an area where the soil is naturally sandy, expect the water from your rain garden to seep through faster.

In this case, you need to prepare a deep but small garden to process the rain water well. However, if you live in an area where the soil in is clayish, it may take time before the water drains off from your rain garden. In this case, you need to set up a shallow but large rain garden.

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Flowers And Ferns

When creating a balcony garden, you’re looking to add some color to the outside of your home. Flowers and ferns are perfect for this. The pots you use for your balcony garden can be small or large, just make sure they’re the right size for the plants you plan to include in your garden. A good idea is to put larger pots on the ground on your balcony, and put your smaller ones higher up, either on a bench or on the rail of your balcony. You can also hang pots that include flowers or ferns, as these will also shade your balcony so that your home or apartment doesn’t get too hot.

Watering

When you have a balcony garden, especially if you have a large overhang, you want to make sure you water your plants everyday. You should also check on your balcony garden often to ensure that all your plants are getting adequate amounts of sunlight, water, as well as any nutrients they may need. If you don’t keep up with your plants, they will whither and die, and that won’t do a thing for the exterior appearance of your home.

Don’t Overdo It

When it comes to balcony gardens, don’t go too overboard or else you will find your balcony garden overgrown. If you use ivy, make sure you keep it under control so it doesn’t overtake your entire home or apartment building. Balcony gardens don’t need a lot of plant life. Just a few plants will do wonders for any balcony. By creating a balcony garden, and tending to it often, you will have a beautiful garden that will improve the look of your home as well as provide you with a very rewarding hobby.

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Butterfly Gardens Are Diverse

There are many types of butterflies in the world and each type prefers specific flowers to gain nutrients, lay their eggs, and feed their young. If you want your butterfly garden to attract many different kinds of butterflies, make sure that you plant many different kinds of flowers. Scientists aren’t sure why, but they have found that certain color butterflies prefer certain kinds of plants. Perhaps they are drawn to like colors for their camouflaging abilities or perhaps certain colored plants taste better to them than others. Whatever the reason, you will see many different butterflies in you butterfly garden, if you plant many different plants.

Some wonderful plants to include in butterfly gardens are coneflower, blackeyed susan, marigolds, butterfly bush, lantana, hibiscus, verbena, lilacs, lavender, and rosemary.

Butterfly Gardens Provide Shelter

There are butterfly predators in your neighborhood and as a result, butterfly gardens should contain suitable shelters for your winged friends. A butterfly hutch is the perfect safe resting place for the butterflies in your garden. You can purchase one at a local nursery or even make one yourself. You can leave it plain or decorate it in a whimsical fashion. The main things to look for in a good butterfly hutch are slits that are big enough to let the butterflies in but too small for nasty predators to gain access and an interior that contains pieces of bark for the butterfly to nest on.

Butterfly Gardens Give Nourishment

If you want a butterfly garden that will attract many butterflies and nourish your soul make sure you provide food and water for the many butterflies that will descend on your yard. Many of the flowers you plant will provide nectar for your butterflies, but you can also help nature along by providing feeders full of sugar water. You can even leave out little bits of sugar water in saucers scattered around your plants or place a piece of over ripe fruit in your garden to attract many butterflies.  Butterflies also need water, so placing a small birdbath in your garden is a great idea.

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With a vertical garden, you can choose from a variety of flowering vines. You can use different techniques to help the vines grow up the sides of your house as well as the fence. You will learn here some of the popular ways people attach the vines to their homes for beautiful vertical gardens.

Vertical gardens are great for people who have limited space. These gardens also consist of hanging planters whether on porches, fence posts, or hanging from balconies. Wherever you live you can have vertical gardens.

What to Use for Vertical Gardens

You can use a trellis, string, fishing line or a mesh fabric. The trellis can be wood or iron. The theory behind the vertical gardens is, if you provide a way for the vines to attach themselves to, you will have a wall of beauty.

If you plant around fences, the vines will grow up by attaching to the word or iron fences. Brick exterior houses usually need no added help as the vines attach themselves to the rough brick texture.

What Plants to Use in Vertical Gardens

Climbing roses are a favorite for these kinds of gardens, as is the Clematis. Other plants people love to see climb are morning glories, honeysuckle, ivy and in some areas grape vines. When you think about the different colors and varieties of these plant versions, you could add so much color to your outside area that will look elegant with color.

You can also add hanging basket plants such as carnations, petunias, dailies and geraniums to name a few. Hanging baskets can be seen up high or at eye level. The ability to make vertical gardens gives everyone the opportunity to have a beautiful array of color anywhere.

Another type of vertical garden is the stacked box vertical gardens. These gardens are square boxes stacked on top up each other in a vertical direction. You then plant your plants inside with the flowers pointing out. This makes a box garden that can be use indoors or outdoors.

These gardens make excellent poolside gardens without the hassle of pulling weeds or protecting from the chorine from the pool water. Vertical gardens are spectacular for all who plant them and enjoy them.

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