Creating the Perfect Garden Using Feng Shui
By · Commentswritten by Rebecca Rambal
Photo by Leonard John Matthews
When you think of Feng Shui, you mainly associate it with the home or the office, rearranging the furniture and surrounding yourself with objects that attract good luck. However it is not only indoors that can be designed using Feng Shui. You can also use it to create the perfect garden environment.
If a garden is part of your property, Feng Shui should be incorporated into it. That will really help to bring you the best results. We all like our gardens to look impressive and beautiful. It allows us to appreciate our environment a lot more and it helps to release positive energy that helps us flourish. Feng Shui gives us the tools needed to create the most positive outside environment and the best part is that you don’t need a huge garden to use Feng Shui arrangements.
Incorporating Feng Shui into the Garden
One of the main factors that you have to take into account when it comes to Feng Shui is that clutter is always a bad thing. This also applies to the garden. If you have a lot of clutter outside of your doorway you won’t attract good energy. Make sure that the entrance to your home looks welcoming and tidy. Also make sure you clean up once Winter is gone. The cold weather and the snow will cause leaves to stick to your lawn and in your flower beds. Once you have tidied everything away, you can truly start to incorporate Feng Shui into the garden.
If you want to plant trees in your garden, aim to plant them at the sides and around the back of your garden. Don’t plant them too close to your home as, although they are fantastic producers of positive energy, they can overshadow the home and look a little too imposing if placed too close. There should always be plenty of natural light shining into your home, so don’t place anything in the garden that will block out the light. Read More→
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Gardening Tips : How to Make a Butterfly Garden
By · CommentsI think this garden lady has some good information, and she does not beat around the bush-but gets right down to what you want to know!
–GartenGrl–
Making a butterfly garden involves growing leafy plants for caterpillars and planting fluffy blooms like leatrice, lavender and Black-Eyed-Susan. Create a butterfly-friendly garden with tips from a…
Originally posted 2009-06-08 07:00:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Garden Problems? Might Be A Walnut Tree
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Photo by cizauskasA few years ago I lived in an old victorian house in Ann Arbor, Michigan that had a handful of stately old 100 foot tall Walnut trees (juglans regia). I quickly discovered that there were a number of plants that simply died or started to die as soon as I planted them under that tree – petunias, peonies, roses, impatiens to name just an unfortunate few. I was beginning to think perhaps I was not as good a gardener as I thought myself to be.
After asking around a bit I discovered that walnut trees are considered a gardening challenge because there are a number of plants that simply can not survive under them. This is due to a poisonous substance that leaches from the walnut trees called juglone-I sure would not be eating any veggies or herbs grown near or under a walnut tree( I heard somewhere that it was an ingredient in rat poison many years ago…not sure if that is true or just some kind of urban legend). So if you have hanging plants under a giant and elegant tree that keep dying and you do not know why, try looking up to see if that tree is a walnut tree. If it is then that is one garden problem you can consider solved! Read More→
Originally posted 2009-12-16 16:57:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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FirePots and Cool Outdoor Decor
By · Comments
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Originally posted 2008-10-13 15:05:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
How to Grow Avocado
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Photo by bionicteachingby: Hans Dekker
Fruit gardening and vegetable gardening is a very exciting venture. Growing Avocado’s was one of the challenges I took on as a hobby fruit and vegetable gardener. When you are not an inhabitant of state with a tropical climate you can grow avocado’s in containers.
So, if you’re a fan of the avocado, chances are you already know how to grow avocado plants. Although the avocado tree is a tropical plant that thrives only in zones 9, 10, and 11, many gardeners grow avocado plants indoors, they grow it as a houseplant. Avocado plants are typically started from the seed in the center of the fruit. Many gardeners begin their avocado plants by piercing the seed with toothpicks and then suspending it (pointed end up) over a glass, vase, or jar of water. You can keep the water sweet by adding some charcoal in the bottom of your container. In two to six weeks, if the seed germinates, you should have a young plant, ready to pot. However, not all avocado seeds will germinate in this way. If your seed hasn’t sprouted in six weeks, toss it out and try again. Read More→
Originally posted 2010-01-08 11:09:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Native Plants In Late Summer
By · CommentsHere is another great video that discussed some excellent native plant choices that you can add to your native plant garden.
–GartenGrl
And then of course there’s the Purple Cone Flower just finishing up this time of the year but nonetheless spectacular. And just look at this exuberant display of Black-Eyed Susans. It just seems like the more you turn up the heat, the better they perform. These showy flowers are particularly suited as companions to many of the native grasses which move so gracefully in the wind. .
Originally posted 2009-06-01 07:00:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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The Zebra Longwing, Beautiful and Unique
By · CommentsThe Zebra Longwing, Beautiful and Unique by Diana Cooper
The Zebra Longwing, also known as the Zebra Heliconian, was declared the official butterfly of my home state Florida in 1996. These beautiful and unique little creatures, actually insects, with long narrow black wings and yellow zebra-like stripes (purposely designed by nature to help avoid and warn off predators) live throughout Florida and are plentiful on my land in the North Central section. You can also find Zebras in warm and damp tropical areas of Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Certain passion vines are the host plant for the Zebra Longwing; it is the only plant the larvae will eat. A corky stemmed passion vine is a favorite of theirs which grows wild in Florida, classified as a weed. Eggs are laid in groups of 5-15 on leaves of the host plant. The larvae will hang in a “J” position waiting to form a chrysalis. In about 10 to 14 days the adult emerges. No time is wasted with this life cycle for an eager male will mate with a female as she is about to emerge from the chrysalis. The Zebra Longwing can go from egg to butterfly in a little over three weeks.
Zebra Longwings live a longer life than most butterflies, up to 6 months compared to a week or two. Experts believe this is because of their diet. Not only do Zebras feed on nectar, they are the only known butterflies to eat pollen which is rich in protein. If denied pollen, their life span is greatly decreased. Zebras feed off of a variety of plants. I noticed my group feeds off many, including the lantana, porterweed, mexican sunflower, powder puff, milkweed and candy corn but the one they seem to enjoy the most is the red penta.
During the daytime hours the Zebras will fly slowly and gracefully, almost as floating, through the air instead of fast and fluttery like other butterflies; however, they can pick up speed when threatened. The Zebra Longwing is less fearful of predators, not only because of their warning colors, but because of their foul taste. Passion vines, consumed by the larvae, contain a toxin that makes adult Zebras poisonous to predators. Once a predator experiences such a taste they will never forget.
Another unusual feature of Zebra Longwings is that adults roost in groups of up to 70 at night. The Zebras on my land will huddle together (about 18-20) on a strand of moss hanging from an oak tree near one of my gardens. Each night they return to the same spot and on cold and gloomy days they will remain there. Although Zebras are commonly in flight all year in South Florida, I have seen a few survive on my land during the cold winter months.
Zebra Longwings are wonderful to have around. If you live in their territory and don’t have the native plants required, just plant some of the above mentioned flowers and in no time you should have your own family of Zebra Longwings.
Diana Cooper specializes in nature and wildlife photography. You can visit her websites at http://www.dianasphotography.com (gallery, articles, links) and http://www.cafepress.com/dianasphotos (photo cards and gift items of flowers and butterflies).
Article Source: http://articlecrux.com
Originally posted 2009-01-30 01:16:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Ornamental Grasses
By · CommentsI am a big fan of ornamental grasses. They provide a lovely soft texture that is very relaxing to look at.Check out this great video narrated by Skip Richter about using ornamental grass in the garden.(A word of caution, though-look for mounding varieties if you don’t want them to spread throughout your garden.)
Posted by GartenGrl
Video courtesy of Utube
Originally posted 2009-09-16 14:35:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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What Style of Fall Clean-up Is Best For You?
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Photo by lepiaf.geo (better off slipping into blur)In November in Michigan it is time to put your garden to sleep for the winter. There are perhaps three different approaches to this and each one has its advantages and disadvantages to consider.
The “tidy clean-up” basically cuts every plant-except woody herbs and shrubs- to with-in an inch of it’s life and removes every ounce of dead plant matter with-in a mile. This method looks very clean. Reminiscent of your living room after the maid service leaves. This technique will ensure that very few diseased leaves are left behind to infect next years plants.It may also help hinder the slug and pest population. The cons of this technique outweigh the pros, because by removing all plant matter you have also removed all the vital nutrients the decomposing plant matter provides. You have also removed the winter protection and that plant matter provides for roots. Which means that you will have to add expensive fertilizers and amendments to your garden to make up for this. More expensive and less healthy for your garden this technique is not the best approach to a healthy garden. Read More→
Originally posted 2009-12-03 15:47:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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