Home Garden Lighting

Garden is a good place to feel the nature even in metros. It's quite obvious that people enjoy the scenic beauty on fresh sunny morning but what about when it is dark. By installing right lights, garden can be changed into a romantic haven at night. Outdoor garden lighting will not only beautify your garden, but also prevent accidents in the dark. Basically, there are two types of garden lighting: low voltage garden lighting and solar garden lighting.

Low Voltage and Solar Garden Lighting
As the term suggests, Low voltage garden lighting is very economical. Moreover it is shock-free, so it's great for people having children and pets. The electricity, required for running these lights, is supplied by the power pack and is controlled by an automatic timer. Another cost-efficient and commonly used lighting is Solar Garden lighting. It is easy and doesn't need to be turned on or off. Solar garden lighting doesn't require any type of wiring, and saves electricity bill as it converts solar energy to electric power. However, solar garden lighting is not meant for large area or for parties.

Outdoor Garden Lighting Ideas
It's entirely up to you as how you want to illuminate your garden. However, here are given some garden lighting tips and ideas to facilitate your task of illuminating home garden.

Path Lighting:
It looks just fabulous and also makes an important part of any garden lighting project, for safety and aesthetic purposes. The best part about path lighting is that you see the effect, but not the source. Besides, it helps to safely lead from one location to another in the garden.

Step Lighting:
This type of lighting entails discrete small fixtures, which reliably light up the area - just exactly where required - in your garden. It makes steps and stairs safe and easy to use, in low light conditions.

Uplighting:
This lighting imparts a dramatic effect in the garden. It is usually used for highlighting focal points.

Down Lighting:
It is the technique of lighting plants and objects from above. It creates the most natural garden & landscape effect.

Specialty Lighting:
It usually calls for either in-wall, or surface mounted outdoor lighting installations. It helps to provide interesting highlight areas in the garden and define vertical surface areas.

Pool & Pond Lighting:
Such type of lighting has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions found in and around garden pools & ponds.

Lighting Accessories:
Check out the range of transformers and luminaries that match and enhance your garden lighting set up. There are accessories available in markets, to mount and enhance your garden lighting effects.

Garden Lawn

Lawns are integral part of one's garden. They are basically an area of land planted between gardens covered with grass, and other low lying plants like clover plants, which generally do not require very special care. A lawn is named as turf, pitch, field or green depending upon its plantation and usage. Each kind of grass requires specific kind of maintenance. In this article you will get to know about different kinds of lawn grasses and tips for the maintenance of your lawn. A properly maintained lawn adorns your garden and also provides it with flawless beauty.

Understanding Your Lawn Usage

Before doing anything, you must understand the usage of your lawns. If you are going to use your lawn for your kids and pets amusement, you need to select tough kind of grasses but if you are going to use it simply for decoration purposes you can for tender kind of grasses. As if you can go for Rye grass if you need a tender kind of grass which is delicate and requires constant care but if you need rough and tough grasses go for Zoysia grass which can survive the tough climate. Given here are some other kinds of grasses that can be used in your lawn for specific purposes as mentioned…

Types of Grass Covers Used in Lawn

There are basically four types of Grasses used in the lawns. Given here is the few varieties of each type.

Ornamental Grass Groundcovers

* Texas sedge
* Dwarf Lilyturf
* Striped Japanese
* Muhly grass,
* Pygmy Bamboo
* Alpine foxtail grass
* Buffalo grass.

Ornamental Grasses for Screening

* Blue Tower Switch Grass
* Giant Maiden Grass
* Variegated Giant Reed
* Golden Bamboo

Shady Garden Lawns Grasses

* Giant Fescue
* Golden Hakone Grass
* Tufted Hair Grass
* Weeping Sedge
* Northern sea oats

Ornamental Garden Lawns Grasses for Shade

* Bottlebrush grass
* Olive green foliage
* Pink Bottlebrush

Maintenance of Your Lawn

* Before planting any lawn grass in your lawn make sure that your lawn grass suits the season in which you are planting it as some grasses are meant for cool seasons and some are meant for warm season.

* Keep proper care of the watering your lawns. Apart from regular sprinkles, make sure you properly water your lawns once in a week. Also make sure that you water your garden lawns when your lawn grass is dry enough to leave your footprints as you walk across it.

* Early morning or late evening is the best time to irrigate your lawns.

* Many lawn grasses are prone to pests and insects like chinch bugs, army worms and sod webworms. Make sure you use lawn fertilizers to keep them away. However avoid frequent usage of lawn fertilizer though. It is best to use organic fertilizer. Avoid using pesticides, insecticides or fungicides because they also kill the beneficial elements in the soil.

* You should also frequently mow the grasses to keep them in shape. However make sure you do it with a sharp mower. Dull mowing leads to browning of grasses.

The Bare Root Rose

The bareroot rose is the easiest way to raise a rose. They provide a massive choice and generally establish quickly.



Location

This needs to be decided before buying, if your rose's new home is going to be outside make sure it will receive a minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight per day and will get plenty of air circulating around it. Test your soil for adequate nutrients using any widely available soil testing kit and also for drainage, dig your hole for your new rose and fill with water, if ideal it should drain away with a few hours. If you're planting inside, your new rose will require in its first week or so shaded sunlight and then direct sunlight after.



Choice

When I get friends asking for advice there always seems to be one vital bit of knowledge missing and that's exactly what to buy for the best. If you follow these guidelines you will help prevent most problems. It's all too easy to visit flower gardens and nurseries on a day out and buy your bare root rose there and that's ok but only if it's local!



I know what you'll probably think here but this has to help, there are many places you can buy bare root roses from, mail order and online . However, if you buy from a local nursery and they've cultivated the roses themselves they will have a much better chance of surviving as the condition they grew up in will be very similar to your own garden. You can ask all about where it grew up, what watering and feeding regime it's already been exposed to and you just need to copy this as closely as you can.



Planting

Whether your rose is going to live in a container or in the ground or outside or inside the planting process is basically the same apart from a couple of differences. Dig a hole roughly two feet deep and wide, for containers pick a size you want the rose to mature to. It needs good drainage, your own soil may well be ideal, if not mix with some perlite. Planting in the ground will require much more watering within the first 2 weeks. Make sure the bud or graft union is covered for the first week by creating a small mound of soil around it. This will help keeping it moist but do expose the union after this time

How to Water Different Orchid Types

Orchids come from all over the world and from very different environments. There consumption of water not only differs from one orchid to another but also from one season to another. Below I will give a general watering guide for the most popular orchid types.

Brassia orchid types require watering all year; however water less often during the winter. Foliage requires spraying, but do not get buds or flowers wet.

Water Cattleya orchids well in the summer, but scarcely in the winter time. Spray foliage in the summer.

The orchid type Coelogyne needs water on a regular basis from spring through summer and start reducing fall into winter.

Cymbidium orchid types require water all year. In the winter allow the plant to dry out between watering. Mist foliage in the summer.

Water Dendrobium orchids gradually as new growth appears. Water sparingly until flower buds are well defined. Water well as growth speeds up. In the winter keep Dendrobiums dry.

Liberally water Encyclia orchid types when actively growing. Spray over head except when flowering. In the winter, just water enough to keep the pseudo bulbs from drying out.

Freely water the Epidendrum orchid during active growth and water less in the winter to avoid rot.

During the summer water Laelia orchid types well and allow them to almost completely dry out in the winter when resting.

Water the orchid type Lycaste freely during summer and maintain humidity. Start backing off water when foliage turns yellow. In winter only water if pseudo bulbs start shriving and becoming dehydrated.

Masdevallia orchids require water throughout the year. Water carefully and do not allow roots to dry out. Keeping the plant too wet though can cause rotting.

Water Maxillaria orchids freely during the summer and then less in the winter. Do not allow plant to completely dry out.

Miltonioosis orchid types can be watered throughout the year.

Water Odontoglossum orchid types all year, but less in the winter.

Ocidium orchids can be watered throughout the year; however natural species need to be kept dry in winter when the growth stops.

The Paphiopedilum orchid requires a light mist if any moisture is needed. Avoid letting water run into center of the growth where it can cause rotting.

Water Phalaenopsis orchid types all year, but avoid over watering. Do not allow water to run into the center of the plant to avoid rotting.

Keep the roots of Phragmipedium orchids evenly moist by watering year round.

Only water Pleione orchids during growth.

Water the Stanhopea orchid while in active growth. Mist during summer, but not when flowering.

Freely water Vanda orchid types during the summer to encourage aerial roots and mist foliage regularly.

Zygopetalum orchids need more water in the summer and less in the winter. Do not spray foliage and only water through the roots.

These are general guidelines for the different orchid types. Specific species or hybrids inside of each type or orchid may need to be adjusted for best results.

What Flowers Can Grow Well in a Rock Filled Flower Bed?

Rock filled flower beds, or rock flower gardens, have become quite popular in recent years. They make for a lovely decorative feature to the property and they make for a fun hobby. Most plants that do well in a flower rock garden are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. The plants that thrive do so because they tolerate the reflected heat from the rock.

Herbs grow well in rock filled flower beds. Some popular herbs grown in these gardens include: Thyme, Rosemary, and Lavender. They require the soil to be well drained or they can wilt and die. Below is a list of a number of popular flowers that grow well in a rock filled flower bed.

Rock Rose: The Red Rose is one shrub that grows well in rock bed gardens. This plant is a small shrub and the flowers have a saucer shape and are a deep red color. These flowers bloom in the late spring and summer. The leaves are grayish/green and are fairly narrow.

Aster: The Asters, particularly the Alpine Aster are popular rock bed flowers. They bloom in the late summer and fall. The flowers are produced in large clusters and come in a variety of colors that include: pink, red, white, lavender, and purple. They grow as bushy clumps so it is important to create enough space when planting. They can grow in a wide variety of climates. Depending on the temperature, germination can take from 15 to 30 days.

Japanese Barberry: This flower grows well in a rock garden. Small and spiny, it blooms in the spring and has reddish/purple leaves which change to red and orange in the fall. The flowers are a light yellow and then produce small red fruits. These flowers do not do well in really cold climates.

Alpine Columbine: The colors of the flowers of the Alpine Columbine are violet and white and the leaves are bluish-green. As well, these flowers come in a wide variety of hybrid colors and strains. These hardy plants grow well in a variety of climates. They bloom from early May through to June. It is a popular choice for a rock bed garden as they attract hummingbirds.

Primrose: The Primrose blooms early in the spring and comes in a wide variety of colors. They prefer cooler temperatures and do not like the direct sun for long periods of time in the hot summer months. There are a broad variety of Primroses.

Carpet Bugle: The most common color of the Carpet Bugle bloom is bluish-purple, but there also flowers that can be white or rose. It serves as helpful ground cover in a garden. The color of the foliage can range from green to bronze to purple. They bloom from early spring to mid July. It is a great plant to help reduce soil erosion. They survive well during droughts.

Rock filled flower beds are a lovely addition to any home. The key to maintaining a flourishing flower garden is to know what flowers will thrive in the environment and what care is required to keep them healthy and in bloom.
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Organic Gardening - How You Can Make The Best Out Of It

Ecological gardening: what essentially is it? It is plantation of fruits, veggies, flowers, etc. Without using any chemical ridden pesticides, fertilizers but by using Organic-home made fertilizer.

Following are benefits of organic gardening :

1 ) Completely chemical free garden

2 ) Save the environment from dangerous chemicals

3 ) No major drawbacks or dangerous effects of it

4 ) Better health- foods are grown naturally and removed naturally from the soils so many of the nutriments of the plant are not lost

5 ) Conserving cash by growing your own plants

6 ) Organic Veg are way more tastier, juicer and healthier than fruits grown though chemical based gardening

To make it more engaging and effective you can develop organic gardening as your hobby and get the delicious fruits out of it for your patience and efforts put into it .Creating an organic garden is simple and easy to do but need a lot of patience and work with a tiny know-how you can make your own Eden.

Organic gardening Tips for Newbs

The entire gardening has been divided into 3 phases :

1.Before

2.During

3.After

Before planting

Selection of location :

Choose a location that receives the proper quantity of sunlight for the plant you would like in your ecological garden. As an example, don't choose a site which hasn't got daylight exposure for plant which needs regular sunlight. You also have to decide on the dimensions of your garden so that there's sufficient room for each plant

Choosing the right plant

Dependent on your location and size and kind of soil select your plants which you want in your garden

During planting

Make your own Natural Manure

Ecological gardening is all about doing away with chemical fertilizers and making your own natural manure. So it is best to make your own natural fertilizes like composts to dung you garden. Preparing compost is really easy and cheap. All you have to do is dig an enormous hole and dispose in it all of the biodegradable waste. For instance you can use kitchen waste products like remains of veg, dried leaves of trees, rotten vegetables and fruit etc. Into and then mix in a tiny water. And leave it for some days. When the entire waste degrades you may use it as manure.

Use of Mulch

Mulching help in protecting flowerbeds and trees of garden. Mulch is any material placed over soil in the garden. It's engineered to retain soil moisture, supply nutrient elements and food to plants, deter weeds and forestalls erosion and water conservation. So a Gardner should use it as an important tip to make his / her garden more stunning

After Planting

After you have planted your seeds maintenance is the next step. Water your ecological garden each day which helps to prevents fungus and provides it nutrient and moisture. The other problems are of pests , such as slugs and beetles, so use natural and organic pesticides for your garden. Also remember to weed your garden.

Transplanting Roses

You will have your own reasons for transplanting roses and relocating them, and as long as you follow a few simple rules, all should go well.

Proceed with caution. Thorns! Wear sturdy gloves, you do not want to drop your gorgeous rose and damage it, think of the plant above yourself.



Preparation

Water the plant well the night before the relocation. One of the main reasons for this is that you will not be able to remove the whole root system intact; a healthy rose plant will have deep roots. You will leave at least a small part of these roots behind. This is not a problem if watered well. Mark the plant on its trunk just where the grown level is so you know what depth to go to with the new hole.



Groundwork

Prepare the new location before removing from the original one. Dig a hole at least 12 – 18 inches wide and deep. However, this is only a rough guide, if you have a large plant increase the size accordingly. Prepare an area nearby where you can rest your rose without it getting damaged before re-planting. This is extremely important as the size of the rose will rarely be accurate at this stage, so offer the rose up to the hole and see what adjustments need to be made.



Now remove some of the soil from where the plant was and create a small mound at the bottom of the new hole you've dug. To judge the size of mound and hole, simply place the rose plant on the mound and a stick across the top of the hole. When the mark you made earlier on the trunk matches the level you're there.



Fixing

Spread the roots around the mound evenly and then fill the hole in with as much of the soil taken from where the plant was originally, making sure to layer it. Simply place a layer of soil, then water, repeating this action until you reach the level required. Now using the rest of the soil, (from the old or new hole), create a mound approximately 18 inches around the plant. This is a wonderful little trick that directs water more directly to the roots.



Water the plant well for the first day and then continue with your normal routine



Transplanting From Container To Ground

This is possible but tricky. It has to be done in its dormant period, before any digging prune it hard, prune it back by two thirds. Then water well for three days, perform the transplant on the fourth day using the advice above, making sure to remove any fibrous or tangled roots. Shield from harsh sunlight for several weeks.

Further Ideas for Growing Vegetables in Containers

Like the earlier post here are few more ideas for growing vegetables in containers.

Provide Support



You can also give vines such as cucumber, beans, or peas an upright support such as this obelisk. By letting vines grow up, there's space in the container to grow trailing plants such as nasturtium and fillers such as kale, signet marigolds, and eggplant.









Try Succession Planting



Gardeners get more produce from a small space by using a technique called succession planting. It means you replace varieties once they're done bearing with something else. For example, the lettuce in this container will fade in summer, allowing you to grow eggplant, pepper, or another heat-loving variety with lovely lemon verbena.





Keep it Manageable



You may be able to get more plants than you think in a tight space. Here, just four pots provide a plethora of produce: cucumbers, rosemary, Swiss chard, tomatoes, kale, eggplants, basil, peppers, and more. Limit the number of varieties you grow to only what you can use to save time and effort.







Make them Handy


Place your containers where you will be able to access them easily. It might be right outside your kitchen door, next to the grill, or beside to your favorite bench or chair












Play off Plants



Not sure what to plant together? Look for hints in leaf, flower, or foliage color. Note how the purple tones of blue basil play perfectly with the deep, dark leaves of Black Pearl pepper. Purple Ruffles basil, red cabbage, or Kohlibri kohlrabi would also mix wonderfully.








Match Your Style



Create the lush look by growing plants that seem to explode with color, texture, and fragrance. See how nasturtiums, signet marigolds, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and pineapple sage fill this area with cottage garden elegance.










Add Art



Leave a little space in your containers for garden decor. Here, a bentwood trellis adds color and interest to a planting of basil, parsley, and chives.











Add Art, Part 2



If you don't want your container of herbs or vegetables to be a focal point, try tucking it in with garden art. For example, this little container makes a perfect accent to a collection of bee skeps.











Go Upside Down



Raise eyebrows by growing your tomatoes underneath their pot. Whether you choose hanging baskets, a five-gallon bucket with a hole on the bottom, or a device such as this product (called the Patio Garden), it can be an interesting way to cultivate your favorite vegetable.

Containers from Recycled Materials

Think outside the terra-cotta planter with these stylish alternatives

Wire Wastebasket



Find a wire wastebasket of preferred height at a home store. Lightly line it with peat moss, then fill the remaining area with potting soil. Top it off with your desired plants. Here, white delphiniums lend subtle elegance to an entry area.










Vintage-Look Lampshade



Cover the bottom of a new or flea-market lampshade with an inch of small stones for drainage, then fill with soilless potting mix. To introduce a sophisticated style to your garden, plant the shade with this textured combination of dusty miller, lambs' ears, and flowering tobacco.







Paint Can Planters



Look for clean, unlabeled paint cans in various sizes at a home store. Using a hammer and nail, punch several holes in the bottom of each can for drainage. Fill with potting soil and tuck in plants such as the flowering tobacco, kalanchoe, and corn plant (Dracaena) shown here.







Clever Wood Cube



This mosasic-look planter started out as a plain, unfinished wood cube with several drainage holes drilled in the bottom. To add texture, we glued halves of wooden clothes pins (minus the springs) to the outside, added four 2-inch wooden balls for feet, and spray-painted the whole thing white. We finished up with a coat of polyurethane, then filled with potting mix and a maidenhair fern.




Wicker Window Boxes



Select a wicker storage basket that fits the desired space. Use small nails and wire to fasten the basket securely to a window sill. Arrange small potted plants to fit snuggly in the basket. We used pentas, sweet potato vine, and coleus in this example. Pull the pots out to water and let them drain before returning them to the basket.



Toolbox Planter



Raid the toolshed (or an antiques dealer) for this idea. An old wooden toolbox gets a makeover with a collection of small potted plants. Drill holes in the bottom of the box to allow for drainage. And if your box isn't made of a rot-resistant wood like cedar or redwood, finish it with a coat of polyurethane

Fresh Ideas for Growing Vegetables in Containers

Enjoy tasty, homegrown vegetables on your doorstep, deck, patio, balcony, or garden with these herb and vegetable garden ideas for containers.

Add Color with Containers




Boost your garden's color quotient by using bright pots. These glazed containers in cheery shades of blue, orange, and yellow instantly add interest to a display of purple basil, Hungarian Wax pepper, tomato, parsley, and golden oregano.








Grow Up



Grow your vegetables in hanging baskets if ground space is scarce. Compact or "bush" varieties are best, though many herbs are also perfect picks for baskets. This pairing of tomato and basil, for example, creates a delicious and attractive display.

Test Garden Tip: Set up a drip-watering system to save you a substantial amount of time with a hose or watering can.


Be Creative



Give your plantings personality and save money by using recycled containers. Here, old wine crates provide a perfect home for small varieties, including lettuce, Thumbelina carrots, everbearing strawberries, and signet marigolds.









Stagger Height




Select containers of different sizes and create a grouping to offer additional interest. These four containers filled with cucumber, tomato, pepper, basil, thyme, and parsley add lots of visual appeal to a landscape.









Incorporate Colorful Varieties



Use vegetables with attractive foliage, flowers, or fruits in your favorite planters. Here, red-stemmed Swiss chard, glowing Lemon Gem marigolds, and a hot pepper add great color and texture to a container.









Make an Herbal Window Box



Let great scents waft in your home each time you open a window by growing herbs in your window boxes. This lovely example incorporates variegated sage, variegated thyme, Italian parsley, and sweet alyssum.









Grow Edible Flowers



Add color and cheer to your containers -- as well as salads, dishes, and desserts -- by growing edible flowers. Note how calendula and signet marigolds brighten a planting of Swiss chard, cabbage, basil, and tomatoes.












Use Textural Contrasts



Make a stunning statement even if you're growing all-green plants by combining textures. Here, rosemary's fine, needle-like leaves are a perfect balance to the big, bold eggplant. A potted citrus, lemon verbena, and thyme further enhance the effect.






More on Texture



Grasses seem to go with everything. Get the look in your vegetable garden by incorporating onions and chives. They offer a great contrast to the cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers shown here. And happily, their flavors are a perfect fit, too!










Enjoy Climbers


A scrambling cucumber is the star of this container creation. With its big leaves, bright flowers, and yummy fruits it's a natural showstopper -- especially when paired with an upright plant such as rosemary.

Test Garden Tip: Make harvest easy by letting cucumbers grow along the railing of your deck or patio.

A Therapeutic Garden

There is more in your garden than plants and soil. The opportunity for renewed mental and physical health grows there, too.


Cultivate Healthy Minds

For all of recorded history, gardens have been viewed as places of wonder, capable of restoring health and peace to those who entered. Physicians in pharaoh-ruled Egypt prescribed walks through gardens to improve mental well-being. Monks of yore used their gardens to soothe world-weary travelers. And one of the seven wonders of the ancient world -- the Hanging Gardens of Babylon -- was built by King Nebuchadnezzar to heal his wife, Amyitis, of homesickness and depression.

Today, research and insights are bearing out an age-old truth -- the natural world influences the mind, body, and soul in remarkably complex ways. "Gardening is a wonderful means to improve physical fitness and mental outlook," says Diane Roberts Stoler, an avid gardener and health psychologist who practices in Boxford, Massachusetts. Here's a look at how you and your family can improve your health, garden-style.


Cultivate Healthy Minds

Multiple studies show that a plant-filled environment helps people relax, raises pain tolerance for people with chronic disorders, and improves moods. One of these studies, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that regular exposure to natural environments such as gardens helps people recover from the ill effects of stress more quickly.

Why is that? "Gardens surround us with sensory feedback very different from that of the urban scene," says Maria Gabaldo, a horticultural therapist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Horticultural therapists use plants to promote health, well-being, and social contact among people recovering from disabilities, substance abuse, illness, and other problems.

Research from Kansas State University's Department of Horticulture finds that colorful flowers work more effectively than green foliage alone to reduce tension. "Flowers are symbolically and emotionally integrated with human life," says Eunhee Kim, the research assistant professor at Kansas State who led the studies. Seeing them can be a powerful distraction from stressful thoughts.

Gardening may also delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, says Paul Nussbaum, a clinical neuropsychologist from Pittsburgh and author of Brain Health and Wellness. "It's an excellent mental workout because it requires sophisticated brain activity," he explains. "Learning a new skill, like gardening, helps plow and nurture new neural connections in the brain."

Pat Davis has been gardening at her Massachusetts home for more than 30 years. When she had a mild stroke at the age of 53, she could barely move, let alone tend to her flowers. But during physical therapy, she figured out how to replicate the exercises in her garden. Instead of pinching Silly Putty to improve her dexterity, she peeled the seedpods on her money plants. "It was very therapeutic," says Pat, who is now fully recovered.


Let Your Body Grow

Tamara Dorris used her Sacramento County, California, plot to treat an ailing body. In 2002, she was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, an illness that nearly killed her. She schooled herself in the theory that nutrition is vital to healing and gives most of the credit for her full recovery to her strict disease-fighting diet of whole foods. "I also believe the act of watering and pulling weeds and picking foods from the garden was meditative and helpful in my overall recovery," says Tamara, who wrote a book about her experience, titled Get Well Now!

Gardens are good for bodies in other ways as well, such as motivation for regular exercise. "Since so many people enjoy yard work, they are more likely to continue doing it for many years," says Lori Turner, associate professor of health science at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. New findings uncovered by Turner and her research team indicate that gardening is second only to weight training as an activity most likely to ward off osteoporosis. All that pulling, lifting, and digging is a great way to expend calories too. A person weighing around 180 pounds will burn about 200 calories after 30 minutes of gardening.

More and more, evidence shows that people who consume diets rich in fruits and vegetables and get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day or so are less likely to develop a host of illnesses, including heart disease.

Best yet, all this bounty is no farther than your backyard. And the garden-fresh taste of homegrown veggies is out of this world compared to the taste of ones that have often been shipped thousands of miles to your grocer.


Sow Soulfully

"Quality of life is directly related to the ability to closely connect to the natural world," says Nancy Easterling, president of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. As gardening brings nature to us, it inspires patience and contemplation. Being responsible for the care of another living thing "can be very powerful for feeling good about oneself. We all need to be needed, to feel useful. Our sense of confidence grows in a garden," says Rebecca Haller, director of the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Denver.

An example of that philosophy in action can be seen at the Avon Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center at San Francisco General Hospital. There, you'll find Sanctuary Gardens, created by garden architect Topher Delaney as a way to nurture wounded psyches and offer a safe, serene place for patients. "Gardens are about faith in the future," says Delaney. "They are magical and miraculous healers of the spirit."


Get the Kids Involved

Your children may moan and groan about having to help in the garden, but you should still insist that they partake. Not only will they develop a lifelong love of things that grow, they'll have you to thank for a healthier diet.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, had fourth-graders learn about gardening by doing things such as planting seeds indoors and outdoors, spending time recognizing types of weeds, and studying proper harvest techniques. After 17 weeks of gardening, the children made a surprising discovery -- they liked many vegetables that kids are renowned for loathing. Among the vegetables the children grew to love: carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and zucchini. Now that's the miracle of gardening.

Top Plants for Your Butterfly Garden

Create a best-on-the-block butterfly garden with these must-have plants.

Butterfly Weed



Grow a butterfly weed or two and you're sure to have Monarchs. The adults drink nectar from the plant's summertime orange flowers, and the caterpillars eat the plant's leaves.

Here's a hint: Add variety to your garden with other milkweeds, such as annual bloodflower or tall swamp milkweed.


Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Grow it with: Liatris, another long-blooming perennial that Monarch butterflies love to visit.

Butterfly Bush



This shrub is called butterfly bush for a reason -- you're sure to see it covered in butterflies all summer long. An easy-care shrub, it features fragrant flowers in shades of blue, purple, and white.

Here's a hint: If your butterfly bush starts to get big, prune it back in winter or early spring. You can cut it almost all the way down to the ground.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide, depending on type
Grow it with: Mexican sunflower; this annual's bold orange flowers look great against just about any butterfly bush


Aster



A top plant for the fall garden, aster is a heavy bloomer with colorful flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, red, and white. Aster does double duty: The blossoms supply nectar for fall butterflies, and Pearl Crescent caterpillars feed on the plant's leaves.

Here's a hint: Look for newer named varieties of asters; they're often more disease resistant and compact

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, depending on type
Grow it with: Bloody geranium -- this spring- and summer-blooming perennial develops bright red fall foliage that looks great with colorful aster flowers.


Purple Coneflower



There are lots of reasons to grow purple coneflower if you have a sunny spot. A wide range of butterflies love sipping its nectar; the plant is very heat and drought tolerant, it's a perfect cut flower, and it blooms almost all summer long.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, depending on type
Grow it with: Anise hyssop for a combo that will give you pretty bouquets and tons of butterflies for weeks in summer.


Joe Pye Weed



Create towers of flowers with big Joe Pye weed, which can grow more than 6 feet tall. If you don't have that much room, don't worry -- types such as 'Little Joe' stay smaller. Either way, both you and the butterflies will love the big clusters of dusty-pink flowers that appear from midsummer to fall.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide, depending on type
Grow it with: South American verbena for an easy-care combination no butterfly can resist.


Salvia



There's a salvia for every garden: some are tall, others are short. Some have blue or purple blooms, and others have red, orange, or pink flowers. While you might have trouble picking a salvia, the butterflies won't -- they'll reliably flock to it every summer. 'May Night' is shown here.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Grow it with: Coreopsis for a long-blooming, no-fail blue-and-yellow combination.


Passionflower



Hardy passionflower is one of the most exotic vines you can grow. It's also one of the best for butterflies as a variety of them drink its nectar. It's a host plant for several types of butterflies, as well.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: Climbs to 10 feet
Grow it with: Black-eyed Susan vine for a charming blue-and-yellow combo of quick-growing vines.


Mexican Sunflower



This plant is big and bold -- and perfect for butterflies. Enjoy this easy-care annual's nonstop display of big orange flowers all summer long.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Grow it with: South American verbena; the plants look amazing together and like the same growing conditions


South American Verbena



This plant is a perfect cut flower -- but don't worry about using it in bouquets. The more you cut, the more it blooms, so there will always be a supply of the lavender-purple blooms for butterflies to enjoy, too.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Grow it with: Yarrow, which has flat clusters of blooms in a rainbow of shades. Like South American verbena, it's heat and drought resistant, so it's a cinch to grow.


Zinnia


Just about everyone loves zinnia, which is why it's a favorite of butterfly gardeners, cottage gardeners, and beginning gardeners. It blooms in an almost endless range of colors and looks great all summer long.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide.
Grow it with: Fennel, which has a ferny texture that looks perfect against the bold zinnia blooms.


Black-Eyed Susan



Black-eyed Susan is just as perfect for bouquets as it is for butterflies. This tough perennial blooms in late summer with big, yellow, daisy-shaped flowers.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide, depending on type
Grow it with: Purple coneflower for a classic prairie-style combination

The Art Of Planting Rose...

The art of planting roses doesn't have to be a complicated thing to do. When you have the right knowledge there is no limit to how beautiful a garden or rosebush that you can create. In this guide, you will not only have all of the right skills at your fingertips, but you will get 101 tips that you can use to grow your very own bed of roses. With this extensive manual at hand, you will never have to buy another bouquet again. Now you will have all of the beauty and delicious fragrance that roses can give you with you all the time. Here are some of the best ideas and tips for planting your roses.


1. Check with your local gardening center or florist for the best type of roses to
grow in you climate. If you are a novice, you should look for disease resistant
types of roses because they require a lot less maintenance.


2. When planting roses, you want to pick a spot that is well lit in the morning.
You also want an area that is sunlit for at least 6 hours a day. Roses need
a great deal of light if they are to grow properly.


3. Pick an area that has plenty of well drained soil. Great soil has a PH level
where the amount of acid in the soil is at about 5.5-7.0. You can get a testing
kit for your soil at any garden center.


4. Organic matter like manure or lime helps to nourish the roots of your roses.
You should soak the roots in water or puddle clay for many minutes,
and cut off the root's ends that are broken.


5. The first 3-4 weeks after planting your roses, you should water them often.
Usually this is when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Roses need a lot of hydration
and food to remain healthy. read more articles :


6. Four weeks after planting, you should start soaking the bed every 2 weeks or so.
You should do this in the morning for the best results.


7. Begin fertilization approximately 3 months after planting. Use 3-6 inches of
mulch to control the moisture, temperature, and to stops weeds from coming up.
Mulch also helps to lock in the vital nutrients your roses need in order to remain healthy.


8. Planting in the Spring is the best.



9. You want to plant your roses in an area that is well circulated with air.
Your roses will not grow in an enclosed or tight area.



10. Dig a hole that is two times bigger than the amount of space
that your roses take up. It makes it easier to plant them and creates a
spaced area for them to grow with freedom. Poor circulation for your roses
can cause fungal diseases. Using a larger hole also makes it easier for
you to pull them up later and pot them if you'd like.