Gardening
Greenhouse Gardening
A Greenhouse can extend your growing season by months and allow you to sow seeds and harvest crops much earlier than
you normally would. With proper planning, some crops can be harvested continuously. This can turn your gardening
and cultivation into a year round activity. A wider variety of plants started from seed. The germination rate will be
much higher as well. The amount of sunlight that a greenhouse allows and the ability to control temperatures will give you
a healthier and more productive crop. By starting your crops from seed you can also be assured that your crops are as
organic as can be, provided the seeds were not treated with fungicide (ask your nursery). A greenhouse can also make
it possible for you to grow plants that you normally may not be able to grow at all due to climate. Many citrus and other
fruit crops fall into this category.
Greenhouses come in all shapes, from the standard rectangular shape, to round or even conservatories connected to the
house. There is no best size for a greenhouse. The size that fits your space best works fine. Even a small greenhouse
can accomodate many plants. Some commercially made greenhouses are extendable with add on sections to add as needed.
The best available material for a greenhouse frame is aluminum. The maintentance is very low, it never deteriorates, and
it allows the most light in due to it being thinner than wooden frames.
Make sure you allow for good ventilation. Allow room for at least one work bench. Keep in mind that you will also
need storage space in the greenhouse for extra pots, hand tools, etc.
About the author: Matthew Leo is the publisher of numerous websites, including
Organic Gardening,
Practical Wine and
Cooking Recipes
October in the Flower Garden -
Preparing for Winter
A very busy time begins in the garden as the summer and autumn flowers fade. Although much depends upon the weather, the
time is approaching quickly when we must put everything in order for the winter. In my part of the country, Halloween, at
the end of the month, usually is heralded in with snow and cold temperatures.
The whole flower garden should be dug over, but it is most important not to injure the hardy plants that will remain.
Where there are a lot of these, it is safer to dig with a fork than a spade. A spade is much more likely to cut roots
through if it comes across them. This, of course, presupposes you already have a flower bed with easily worked soil.
Annual plants may all be pulled up and carted away to the compost bin as they cease to flower.
Remember that many of our hardy perennial plants die down for the winter. Their leaves and stems wither and die. But we
must not conclude that the plant is dead just cause the tops die. The roots are very much alive and in the spring
beautiful fresh young growth will peep through the soil. This is just a caution for the newbie gardener.
Nature has all sorts of methods to enable her hardy plants to pass the winter safely. Some, like the hardy perennials,
are simply going to sleep, in a manner of speaking. Some, like the bulbous plants - the snowdrops, and winter aconites,
and others - are waking up, for these sleep during the hot summer months. Some plants remain fresh and green winter and
summer alike.
Just as we should have made everything neat and trim for the summer, so during the next few weeks everything should be
made neat and tidy for the winter. All dead leaves, stems, etc., should be cleared away, and stakes taken up and stored
except where plants still need them.
If our gardens were only made and planted in the spring, our hardy plants will not need dividing. But if they have
been around two or three seasons then probably some of them will be better divided. We divide clumps that have grown to a
large size because if they throw up too many flowering stems, they will not be well nourished or produce a fine blossom
and towards the center the plant will grow poorly.
We should remember that it is good for the future welfare of a plant to replant it in a different spot from where it has
been. If we do not need all the pieces we can make of a divided plant, we should replant the strong or outer portions.
About the author: Sandra Dinkins-Wilson is a lover of beautiful things including
Flower Gardens.
She has created a website for Flower Garden Lovers,
and those that love them, with gardening tips, artwork and books on the subject.
4 Quick Tips
September Tip: Wait to Dig Up Bulbs. If you want to overwinter summer-blooming bulbs that aren't hardy in your
area (such as cannas, calla lilies, and dahlias), wait to dig them up until after the first frost kills foliage. This change
in temperature tells the bulb it's time for dormancy.
Fall is the best time to buy and plant peonies if you want beautiful blooms next spring.
Tips for Moving Plants Indoors: Bring tender plants, such as passion flower and lemon verbena, indoors before
the first frost. To help tender plants adjust to indoor light levels, place them in a shady spot outdoors for about two
weeks. Before bringing them inside, check tender plants for pests and diseases and give them a good shower with the hose
or watering can. This is also a good time to cut back plants slightly--up to one-fourth of the plant.
Deter Deer: Rotate Repellents Fall is breeding season for deer, and it also means that deer will be eating
more tender plants--leaving stringy, stripped foliage behind--to prepare for winter. To deter them, combine taste
repellents (such as hot-pepper spray, soap spray, and rotten eggs) with scent repellents (such as scented soaps, garlic,
and fabric-softener strips). If deer ignore or adapt to the smells, the bad tastes may deter them. Rotate and change
repellents often so deer don't get used to any one smell or taste.
