Tag: gardening

Tips & Guides, Gardening basics ,

Testing Garden pH Levels

by ksenija November 12, 2011 No Comments

Testing the pH level of garden soil is an important step to maintaining a healthy garden, even if it has been successful for many years. PH levels range from 1 to 14, with the neutral value as 7; 1-6 is considered acidic, and 8-14 is alkaline. The most plants grow well in the middle of that range from a 6.0 to 7.0. PH levels also affect the nutrients that a plant receives, and those levels can change over time.
If you grow pH-sensitive landscaping plants or vegetable crops, knowledge of your garden’s soil pH level is an essential part of proper plant maintenance. Without knowledge of your soil’s pH, soil preparation and fertilization is essentially a shot in the dark. Under-or over-fertilization can lead to poor plant performance, plant damage, and even plant death. Furthermore, over-fertilization is taxing on the natural environment.

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Gardening basics , ,

Rose Gardening Soil Preparation

by ksenija November 12, 2011 No Comments

People need healthy food to perform their best, and roses are no different. Roses flourish beautifully in the right conditions, and the proper balance of soil “ingredients” is important for growing rose bushes. While these flowers are not frail, caring for roses can mean a lot of preparation work before you get to enjoy their beauty. In fact, roses are plants that require a large amount of nutrients in the soil in order to grow large and colorful blooms. The most important thing you can do for you roses is to feed them right. Since roses gain their nourishment through the soil that they are planted in, this means that you should take extra care to make sure that the soil is prepared sufficiently to support healthy growth.


Here are some tips for proper rose gardening soil preparation.

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Tips & Guides, Projects , ,

Beauty Of English Tudor Gardens

by ksenija November 11, 2011 No Comments

The Tudors followed Italian influence in creating gardens which mirrored the alignment of the house, creating a harmony of line and proportion that had been missing in the Medieval period. For the first time since the Romans left, sundials and statues were once more popular garden ornaments. But the most prominent contribution of the Tudors to gardening was the knot garden. Knots were intricate patterns of lawn hedges, usually of box, intended to be viewed from the mount, or raised walks. The spaces between the hedges were often filled with flowers, shrubs, or herbs. No Tudor gardens have survived intact, but some of the best examples still remaining can be glimpsed at Haddon Hall (Derbyshire), Montacute House (Somerset), and Hampton Court Palace (near London).

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Tips & Guides, Gardening basics ,

Why The Perennial Plant Survive Through The Winter?

by ksenija November 11, 2011 No Comments

Perennial plants persist for many growing seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows the following spring. One reason why the perennial plant is sought after is because of its remarkable ability to survive year round through most weather conditions. Not unlike your local mail delivery person, perennials lives on through rain, sleet, or snow – perfect for the year round gardener. What is it about perennials that enables it’s winter survival abilities, whereas other plants will shrivel up and die as soon as the going get tough? Why can’t scientists engineer annuals or biennials to last as long the perennial plant?

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