Savvy Gardening: Garden Ideas, Tips, Pictures, and More » Gardens

A Handy Organic Tip for Weed Control

Sirena Van Schaik — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:41 +0000

Every day I notice something new in the whole “go green” campaign. It seems to be a constant reminder of what I need to buy to ensure that I am as eco-friendly as possible. I feel immense guilt if I forget to bring my eco-friendly shopping bags when I go to any store and I am now the happy owner of close to 20 of those said bags.

Still, eco-friendly is a great choice and one that I heartily agree with, especially when it comes to gardening. I often shudder when I see those signs, “stay off the lawn, pesticide use,” and I think of all the hours of enjoyment that will be missed simply because someone sprayed their lawn.

If you are eco-friendly, or trying to go eco-friendly, here are is a handy organic tip on weed control that will keep you and your garden happy and healthy.

Weed Control:

I remember one year my garden became overrun with dandelions. I was in hell. Not because of the dandelions, nope I’m actually quite fond of this sunny little weed, but because of my over zealous neighbors who, I was positive, were casting hexes my way on a daily basis. Two long days were spent going over the lawn on my hands and knees and digging out the dandelions. I had a huge stack to toss into the compost by the time I was finished and my neighbors smiled at me in what appeared to be relief.

Unfortunately, not even a week after my adventures in weeding and the neighbor across the street, who could care less about how the neighbors felt, allowed his lawn of dandelions to mature and I watched in horror as they spread across my lawn again.

Now I take a completely relaxed view of dandelions and the only time you see me out there pulling them out is when I’m harvesting a treat for my son’s bunny.

Of course, this probably doesn’t offer you much advice right there but the most organic way to control weeds is to dig them out. Yes, it’s hard work and probably one of the worst jobs in gardening but it has to be done.

Now, the alternative to digging out weeds in places other than your lawn, is to use an old piece of carpet or a piece of black polyethylene. All you need to do is place the strip over the weed(s) and leave it. The lack of light will eventually kill the weed and it is not a next day cure to weeds. Generally, you need to wait several months for all the roots to die but in the end, if the patch of weeds was large enough, you save yourself the backache and the planet from chemicals.

Sirena Van Schaik

New Feature: Share your Garden

Sirena Van Schaik — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:27:39 +0000

Today, I was walking through a local corner store, which doubles as the local book and magazine store, and I was looking at all the beautifully pictured gardening magazines. I have a few favorites of my own but I did notice a trend on every single cover; beautiful gardens.

As much as we talk about gardening, give tips on how to make everything perfect in your outdoor space and look at plant species, it is often hard to get an vision of how all of this ties together in the greater scheme of outdoor beauty.

Yes, we can see the beautiful lily, the flagstone that we reviewed would look great with some deep purples but the end result is lost in translation sometimes. This is by no means saying that these tips aren’t helpful but it was something that sparked the discussion of a new feature here on Savvy Gardening.

So what exactly is it? Well, Savvy Gardening is asking any of our readers to share photographs of their gardens, or special gardening projects that they did. We will feature a new garden every few weeks and you will have the pleasure of seeing your photographs on Savvy Gardening.

If you are interested in sharing your photographs with us, please email me at sirena_vanschaik@yahoo.ca.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing some wonderful gardens.

Sirena Van Schaik

What’s in a zone?

Sirena Van Schaik — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:43:19 +0000

When I first started gardening, I had absolutely no idea what zones referred to. I was often asking the question, “Why can’t I have that plant? I mean, I like the flower, I have the right amount of shade or sun, the right amount of everything to have that plant, so why can’t I?”

The reason was that the plant couldn’t survive or thrive in my zone. Winters are a bit too cold and I would have to bring a lot of plants inside in early fall just to accommodate them. It took me a while to understand what the zones were and why I couldn’t ignore them. Today, I understand zones, although I don’t always like them, and on Savvy Gardening, we frequently mention zones. For that reason, I am going to take a quick look at zones.

What is a zone?

A zone, also known as a hardiness zone, is a geographical area that is classed together for the purpose of growing plants. Some plants thrive in one type of temperature and die in others. It is the way plants, and for that matter, the world is made. Zones can be large, or small but the main quality that the zone has in common is the minimum temperature that is reached each year. Zones are numbered from 1 to 11 with the coldest starting at one and the hottest starting at 11. Below are links to maps for various countries and hardiness.

Now it is important to add that although zones help in deciding on plants, it is not the definitive. Plants that may grow in your climate, may not grow in your garden. There are many different things to look at including amount of annual precipitation, soil composition, acidity in the soil and the natural light that your garden has. The zones are merely a starting point to finding the best plants for your home.

Below is a listing of the minimum temperatures for each zone:

Zone 1: below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 46 degrees Celsius
Zone 2: minus 50 to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 46 to minus 40 degrees Celsius
Zone 3: minus 40 to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 40 to minus 34 degrees Celsius
Zone 4: minus 30 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 34 to minus 29 degrees Celsius
Zone 5: minus 20 to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 29 to minus 23 degrees Celsius
Zone 6: minus 10 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 23 to minus 18 degrees Celsius
Zone 7: 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 18 to minus 12 degrees Celsius
Zone 8: 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 12 to minus 7 degrees Celsius
Zone 9: 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 7 to minus 1 degrees Celsius
Zone 10: 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 1 to 4 degrees Celsius
Zone 11: anything above 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius

Taking a Page from Nature

Sirena Van Schaik — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:50:45 +0000

This weekend, I went for a nice long hike with my family for Father’s Day. It was a nice day, not too warm and the shade from the trees provided the perfect backdrop for tranquil moods. Sunlight filtered through the trees leaving little pools of yellow light on the forest floor and the earth around us was a cascade of greens and browns. Large ferns nestled in between the dark browns of decaying trees and wild flowers found a spaces of sunlight to stretch out there weary petals and grab hold of the faint rays.

It was beautiful and it got me thinking about elements that I would like to see in my garden. That in turn made me think about sharing those ideas with you, the readers of Savvy Gardening. So what exactly am I getting at? It’s simple, when you are designing your own garden, take a few minutes to take some things from nature.

Okay, I probably lost you there since nature is abundant in a garden but I mean it in a more inspirational way. Have you ever taken a photograph of a forest path? When you stop and look at the pictures you can look at it and find a haphazard mess with trees leaning everywhere and plants growing wherever there is space and sunlight. It might not be the exact image that you have for a garden but if you stop and take a closer look you can find so many points that you could incorporate into your garden.

Forest ferns may provide the perfect shade of green in one corner of your garden. The path that gently meanders around trees that are hundreds of years old may provide you with a layout for your own garden path. The carefree sprinkling of wild flowers can give you an array of colors to pull out of the picture and into your own garden. There are a million ways to be inspired from nature around us an it is very easy to start using the nature in your yard to build up flower beds and ponds.

For me, I have already decided on incorporating a few more ferns, adding a few more trees and I have plotted out a patch in my yard where I would like to plant wildflowers. The hike has given me endless inspiration and that is really what you should pull from nature; the inspiration to create a garden of untold delights.

Happy Gardening,

Sirena Van Schaik

Plant of the Week: The Knock Out Rose

Sirena Van Schaik — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:49:37 +0000

I would like to take some time each week or every other week to look at a plant that may be a great addition to any garden. I have my personal favorites, as do many other gardeners, but I always look for new plants that may find itself worked into a new or old part of my garden. This week, I would like to start off with the Rosa ‘Radrazz’, which is also known as the Knock Out Rose.

I have to admit, like most gardeners, that many of the plants that I find are either found in a nursery, garden center or on the pages of a gardening magazine or book. The Knock Out Rose is one that I saw in a Fine Gardening magazine and after seeing the plant, it has been put on my must have list. This is surprising in itself since I am not a big rose fan. I mean, I love them in a garden but since they are not my favorite flower, I tend to move away from them and move towards flowers and plants that I love.

The reason why I love the Knock Out Rose is simple. It is a “Knock Out” with its dark foliage providing a breathtaking backdrop of deep green, which deepens to a dark purple in fall, for this fast growing shrub rose. The flowers themselves are brilliant colors and you can find this rose in red, pink, blush and rainbow (pink with a yellow center) and sunny (white with a yellow center). The rose comes in single or double blooms.

Although the color and shrubbery is wonderful, the main draw for me over this flower is the fact that it is fairly hardy and requires very little care. Generally, you only need to prune in the spring, provide it with proper care, i.e. water, fertilizer, and that is it. The plant does the rest right down to the deadheads. This rose is also very resistant to black spots. The bush itself is very hardy and can survive in Zones 4 to 10.

I honestly do not believe that you can find a rose that requires such a low amount of fuss and have as much glory with a full shrub filled with brilliant blooms. There is nothing that I find that would deter me from purchasing this rose for my garden, well except space but I can always make more of that.

Sirena Van Schaik

The Rented Garden

Sirena Van Schaik — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:56:31 +0000

When I first moved out on my own, at the young age of 17, I moved into a large 3 bedroom house with a beautiful yard, full mature trees and large patio for parties. I, and my two roommates, thought that we had moved into heaven and for a first time rental, it was a very good deal for what we got.

I didn’t think much about gardening at that point, really at 17-18 the big draw are the patio parties, but I did wonder if it would be okay to plant a few flowers in the planters available. I didn’t though partly because I wasn’t sure what plants to use, partly because I was a young and poor and partly because I wasnt’ sure if it was okay to do so.

Since then, I have found that planting a garden in a rental property is something that many renters wonder about. I have met many avid gardeners that are just waiting to sign the dotted line on their own mortgages so they can get out into the yard to start setting up the garden they have been dreaming about. This very same gardeners that have been keeping flowers to a minimum, mostly in planters, and are always in despair at how sparse their rented yard looks.

When it comes to a rented house, there really is no reason why you should avoid the joys of having a rented garden. Most rental boards have a policy that property should be enjoyed as though it is yours and not a rental, barring major redesigning however. Most rental properties have flower beds already dug into them and some even come with an assortment of perennials already in place. There is nothing hindering a renter from moving into those flower beds and creating a whole new theme.

About 10 years ago, I moved into another beautiful 3 bedroom house, I preferred 3 bedrooms for some reason. Anyway, this house was set in an older Italian neighborhood and every yard had full gardens, fruit trees, flower beds and grass to make even the most cared for golf course envious. I jumped into the fact that I now had places to plant flowers, fruit trees to tend to and an assortment of other ideas to put into place. I was still very hesitant about starting new projects but I enjoyed the rose bushes that were already in place and the space that was provided. As I became more comfortable in my rented space, I began adding flower beds to the yard and quickly started designing a garden I could enjoy completely.

And that is what every gardener who rents should know. It is okay to add flower beds and other garden areas. If it is a big project, such as a pond or walkway, I would strongly suggest speaking to the home owner before you do. More than likely, they won’t have a problem but in the off chance that they do, you won’t risk eviction by talking to them first.

When you decide to plant your rented garden, I would recommend a few things to alleviate any worries or potential problems.

Ask the landlord: I already mentioned this but if you are adding anything, it doesn’t hurt to ask or even just to mention that you are planning to expand the flower beds.
Plan for leaving: As with all rented spaces, there will be a time when you will move. This may not always be in the summer so if you don’t want to loose money on perennials, stick to annuals instead. You can have very nice gardens with only annuals and although it can cost you more money in the grand scheme of gardening, you won’t have to worry about losing an $80 perennial. If your lease runs from summer to summer, plan to use perennials that can handle being transported.
Make the garden easy to use: Although we all have ideas of what we want in a garden, it is important to create a garden that can be up-kept with relative ease. The next renters may not have any interest in gardening and if it can be taken care of with very little effort, the landlord will appreciate you all the more and will send out great references if you are renting again.
Don’t think of it as rented: Don’t spend all your time thinking about the garden as rented. Simply enjoy it now and put in the things that you want in it. Sure you may leave it behind but you can always look forward to a new blank canvas to try new ideas.
Make use of containers: Yes, I know that not everyone wants to stick with containers but it can minimize the amount of money you are putting into a rental. When you move, if you have cared for your containers, you can gather up your pots and keep a piece of your investment when you leave.

So these are only a few tips but the main point that I am trying to get across is that you do not need to feel stuck with no gardening enjoyment if you rent. Maybe you won’t be able to do as much as home owners but you can still have magnificent gardens that have guests and passer-byers whispering, “I wish my garden was like that.”

Sirena Van Schaik