Perennials - Perennials should be cut back after blooming and reset this month (October). Perennials set now will be established and ready to grow in the spring. Some of the biennials tend to become perennials in our gardens, and occasionally a half-hardy annual lives on and on.

If you have not yet cleaned up all litter or garden trash, be sure it is done this fall. Do not provide a winter home for insect pests.

Chrysanthemums - October is the month of heaviest bloom for this queen of fall flowers. The most important thing to remember is to provide plenty of water for them. They are heavy feeders (which should have been taken care of in September) and heavy drinkers. Visit the fall shows and gardens of chrysanthemums and write down names of varieties you like and try them another year. The fall shows are wonderful places to see the best in the seasonal flowers. Keep a close check on the weather, and before killing frost lift clumps of chrysanthemums and put in the garage or basement for continued bloom. A few may even be potted and kept in the house. An additional month of flowers may be had in this way.

Soil Preparation - In open spaces in the garden, dig the soil deep, adding a little complete fertilizer. Or plant some type of cover crop and turn it under for a green manure. Soil preparation can go on all year in a garden. Just turning the soil will keep it in good tilth.

Miscellaneous - Take cuttings of herbaceous plants like the donkey ears plant and root them for next year’s garden. Many gardeners carry over plants of all kinds like the donkey ears plant simply as rooted cuttings taken during October. The cutting wood should be firm and seasoned, and not soft and succulent, for best results. Plant pansy seeds for transplanting next month. Pansies are the chief source of bloom in many winter gardens. Continue planting the garden lilies started last month.

Visit the countryside and gather seed pods, weeds and flowers for drying. Many interesting materials are available for winter bouquets, and October is the month for collecting and drying them. Divide and replant peonies, or plant new ones, this month.

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Large or tiny you can make your yard a place of beauty and calm with a small pond. By employing a little creativeness and some money saving techniques you can exhibit a one of a kind focal point that won’t break your bank.

Keeping It Clean

Use an aquarium vacuum that you can find at any pet store or pet area of a department store. This simple tool is mainly a long hose with a broad based suction head to cover as much area as workable while being comfortable to control. This ought to be done once a week during the summer months. You will want to restore the water you remove during cleaning.

Add a waterfall or other water airing to keep algae down. A waterfall or aerator adds oxygen to the water which is beneficial if you wish to keep fish in your pond as well as to restrict algae levels. They also help keep the water circulating and temperature lower to evade an algae bloom that will make your water green.

Light It Up

Station lights in strategic locations around the edge of your pool in the plants, rocks, or even under the surface of the water. Set the timer to start a few minutes before sunset, and set it to go off a few minutes after your ordinary bedtime. Using timers will reduce the cost of lighting your pond so that the lights are only on during the times you are most likely to see them.

Save Money on Water Use

Make use of self contained pond and filter elements so that you only have to put back water once a week when cleaning your pond. Buy the best filter you can pay for and make sure it is the appropriate size for your pond so that you have to replace filthy water less frequently

Plant Care

Plants can improve visual allure to your pond as well as help keep the water in sunny condition. Letting plants grow out of control, however, can have the contrary effect as well as letting them form mold and mildew. Keep your plants well pruned and check on them often.

Chemicals

If your water gets out of hand on you in spite of your consistent efforts you can add chemicals to contain algae or other contaminants that can trigger hazy water. If you have your pond populated with fish be sure any chemicals are nontoxic for use with living animals. Most pond supply stores only have in stock algaecides and enzyme products that are harmless to use with fish.

Conclusion

A pond is ordinarily a highlight of any landscape and requires monitoring and maintenance. It can become a hobby of sorts, because after you have one you sense a craving to keep improving it. Stay within your means and remember to enjoy it. By following the simple ideas mentioned you can control your pond and appreciate its intended real and emotional beauty.

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A yard full of delphiniums! How does that prospect strike you? I tried such a scheme 10 years on in my city lot, with only a 43-foot frontage, grew so many I literally sent a truckload of them to a trade show for decoration and still had so many left that it was almost impossible to tell any had been cut.

At first I thought my “yard full of delphiniums” idea was going to be a flop. The seedlings came along well enough and plants looked promising. But, by the first of June that year no more than a dozen had flowered. Then I went away for a week.

When I came back, I was flabbergasted. The yard had been transformed. I sat in the car and feasted my eyes on the most gorgeous sight I had even seen row upon row of magnificent bloom. Stalks were 4 to 6 feet high, some as tall as 7 feet, with 36 to 54 inches of bloom. There were blues, purples, mauves, lavenders, whites and bi-colors of every description.

I got out of my car and inspected them in detail. They were so brilliant that people passing by stopped and asked to come in to see them. Next to getting good stock, the important thing is care of it. My garden was thoroughly prepared for the seedlings as they came along. It was spaded and both compost and well rotted cow manure were put in.

Here is where you go to town on fertilizers It doesn’t matter what your soil is - loam, clay or sand - throw away the books and put in all the compost and manure your pocketbook will stand.

Mine was heavy clay soil. I trenched the bed two spades deep, put compost and manure in the trench and covered it with the next spade row of soil. Then, I raked it level and planted the delphiniums 18 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.

Planting

To set the begonia plants and delphinium plants out, I opened up a hole by taking out a shovelful of topsoil. I next put in a 2-1/4-inch potful of some complete fertilizer such as Vigoro plus another 2-1/4-inch potful of bone meal and mixed this with the soil. Then I put the soil back and opened up a smaller hole for the seedling. Being careful not to break the root ball, I inserted the seedling in the hole and firmed the earth around it with my fingers. Each growing tip or crown was at soil level. Each newly set row of begonia plants and delphinium plants was thoroughly watered.

From then on, it was just ordinary garden culture. I watered when necessary and always in the morning so that foliage would be dry at night. This discourages mildew. I kept weeds hoed out by shallow cultivation. Since I had been careful in properly preparing the soil and planting, little additional care was necessary from then on.

Spring and summer are the times of the year that people can make their homes look beautiful. Gardens are the way that this can be achieved. Making sure that you plan your gardens maintenance is an essential thing that needs to be done to keep them looking nice.

Making sure that your gardens get an adequate amount of water is an easy thing that can be done. There are times that the summer can appear to have almost drought like conditions and when this is the case the watering becomes even more important.

Night time has been known to be the best time to do this. The water will take a bit longer to absorb then it would if watering is done during the hotter times of the day.

Another important thing that people must do when thinking of gardens maintenance is weeding. Weeds can grow very quickly and can soon have the garden that you have worked so hard on looking messy.

Taking time out of your schedule to do some weeding on a regular basis can be the best way to keep the weeds from getting out of control. If you put this chore off it will be a very large chore for you to do when you finally decide it is time.

Having the appropriate tools can help you get this chore accomplished in no time at all. Hand held tools are great for those that find larger sized tools awkward. These can be purchased at many different stores throughout the country and are relatively inexpensive when it comes to cost. Department stores also carry these items, but they are often only found during the season for which they are intended.

The internet is the perfect spot for finding hints and ideas when it comes to gardens maintenance. Take a bit of time to look at some of the things that people have found to be useful to them. You may want to try some of them yourself.

There are a lot of reasons why so many folks enjoy gardening in a portable greenhouse. The same benefits can be had as you would enjoy from conventional gardening outside. However there are a few significant differences and advantages.

Greenhouse gardening has some important differences from planting an outdoor garden. Controlling the temperature is an important consideration in a portable greenhouse. It’s also important to properly care for your plants. There is no rain in a greenhouse. Therefore, you have to make sure your plants get the suitable amount of water for their survival.

In a portable greenhouse you can enjoy gardening whether it is cold outside or not. A greenhouse makes a great place to store your plants during the winter months . Throughout the winter, you can plant seeds and watch them grow into seedlings that can be planted in the ground come the spring. If you have a greenhouse, you will be able to have the pleasure of enjoying fresh flowers and vegetables all winter long.

It’s not just vegetables that make greenhouse gardening a great pastime. It is also perfect for ornamental plants and flowers. A portable greenhouse is just what you need to over-winter plants that will give your outdoor garden a head start the following spring. They are able to protect the plants from exposure to strong winds, rain and other elements. Seedlings should be sheltered from the outdoor elements, and a greenhouse is ideal for providing that protection.

Other reasons for a portable greenhouse include having a continuous supply of plants for every season. It’s a great chance to try out new species of plants that you might not otherwise consider. Greenhouse gardening allows you to tend your plants without any concerns about the elements that may beat down on them. The controlled atmosphere and climate in a greenhouse makes it perfect for fragile plants not accustomed to cold weather.

It’s important that you place your portable greenhouse in a suitable location. One of the keys to successful gardening in a greenhouse is having the right sun exposure. This is critical to the well being of the plants you are planning to grow. Also keep in mind any buildings and trees that are situated close to the greenhouse. Do they create a shadow over your greenhouse? Will the trees grow so tall that they will cut off the light?

Ventilation is a requirement to lessen overheating that sun exposure might generate in the greenhouse. You should place a thermometer in a shaded area within the greenhouse. Then you must constantly monitor the temperature, especially during warm days. You may need to ventilate the greenhouse when necessary to avoid wilting of your plants due to excessive heat.

Greenhouse gardening is not only productive, it is also relaxing. Gardening has been shown to help ease stress and improve health. You’ll also reap the rewards of a bountiful harvest, whether it’s beautiful plants and flowers or tasty, nutritious vegetables.

There are two types of lawns to consider at this time of the year - the old lawn that has been established for some time, and the new lawn that is being developed. Consider the latter… many new home owners are faced with establishing a lawn after moving into a new home during the summer months. It is entirely possible to establish a lawn that will survive the winter if there are as many as six weeks of growing weather left in the late summer.

Prepare the soil well either by spading or digging with a rototiller to a depth of at least six inches. Next level the area by raking, and prepare a fine seed bed. Broadcast the grass seeds either by hand or with a mechanical seeder and increase the recommended amount by one-third. The amount will vary with the kind of seeds, but from two to five pounds per 1,000 square feet is needed to insure quick results.

A light rolling and watering will insure germination of the small grass seeds. Frequent and thorough watering is necessary for the germinating and developing seedlings. As soon as the seedlings begin to send out their runners and mat, a very light feeding may be used, provided there is still as much as four weeks left before frost is expected. It is not recommended to add any plant food to the soil during preparation of the seed bed as there is the danger of overstimulating vegetative growth and the plants might be cold tender.

Mowing should begin as soon as the grass is three to four inches tall. This procedure will normally give coverage in six weeks’ time. The period from August 15 to October 1 is recommended as one of the best times of the year to seed new lawns. There are many logical reasons for this.

For old, established lawns, the last feeding should be made during the first week of August. This feeding should be relatively light about 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet of area. Throughout most of the South, this has been a unique lawn year in that the early summer brought unusually heavy rains, rains of water-logging capabilities. This caused lush and coarse growth of many grasses. It also has caused the development of a shallow root system, so you must be on the lookout for signs of wilting and burning in the lawns. Thorough watering will check this condition and keep the lawn growing.

For lawn enthusiast who want a green lawn through the winter, lomandra breeze grass, try bent-grasses or bluegrasses as a permanent lawn grass. These require a great deal more care than Bermuda lawns, but are good in shade and are evergreen. They do suffer in periods of hot weather, though. A good way to get green lawns during the winter is to sow annual rye in the permanent lawn grass during August at the rate of about two or three pounds per 1,000 square feet. Water well, and at about the time of the first killing frost the seedlings will be of a size to transition into winter as a green carpet.

Proper mowing and watering practices must be maintained to keep the lawn well groomed. With the return of good growing conditions in the spring, the permanent grasses will crowd out the short-lived rye grass. This green lawn will add sparkle to an otherwise drab winter landscape.

Far too few people realize the significance of the role that farm fertilizer plays in our economy and our existence. Our economy has become so reliant on foreign sources (nearly every American home has an item in it with “MADE IN CHINA” or “SRI LANKA” printed on the backside) that our average citizen’s welfare is in jeopardy. It wouldn’t be practical for our main source of grain and produce to come from another country. This makes farm fertilizer a vital commodity.

Farm fertilizer ensures high yields and a high quality product, and fish emulsion has served this purpose for centuries, never letting the farmer down and always delivering exemplary results.

Fish emulsion has proven itself to be the best farm fertilizer to use. Our farms supply us with the basics we need for survival. Our farms have no choice but to produce a healthy harvest to supply our country with what we need to stay alive. Our suffering economy has been losing jobs and we can’t afford to outsource our food production. We shouldn’t trust our food to anyone else anyway. The farmer’s career is secure as long as fish emulsion is in the equation.

No one can argue that fish emulsion isn’t an exceptional farm fertilizer. Environmentally friendly, chemical free fish emulsion doesn’t harm a thing, unlike those overused synthetic fertilizers. Collectively, we’ve become more health-conscious, trying to erase the years of abuse that we’ve done to our bodies by eating chemically tainted foods. Our unhealthy lifestyles have even created “weight-loss game shows”. We don’t diet anymore, we change the way we eat.

Fish emulsion has also helped the farmer’s pocket book out. When you legitimately sell a 100% organic product, you can demand a higher price and people will pay it, simply because they want only the best to put in their bodies and to feed their families. Everyone benefits when fish emulsion is used for farm fertilizer.

Organic farm fertilizer ensures the safety of the farmer’s final product and can greatly increase profits. It’s a win win situation for all involved. The consumer eats healthy, meaning less trips to the doctor in the long run as health will be better overall for those who eat healthy. (Who really likes paying to go to the doctor, or being sick?) The farmer has peace of mind knowing that he/she is growing the best product possible. Plus they’ll have a few extra bucks, since using fish emulsion for fertilizer will not only demand a higher price, but will deliver a higher yield. Eventually, those higher yields will let the farmer bring the price down, allowing everyone the opportunity to eat healthy.

If we were meant to use chemicals to grow our food, then Mother Nature would have given us chemical mines. So it only makes sense to use what nature intended what Native Americans relied on to keep their population alive. Why use chemicals?

It makes cents and sense to go organic. Cost and safety are both important issues when it comes to farm fertilizer. Synthetic fertilizers are a thing of the past and if you aren’t using fish emulsion on your crops now, then maybe it’s time to switch. The amount of fertilizer it takes to maintain hundreds of acres just multiplies your benefits that much more. Simple math.

The best part of it all is that it harms no one and helps everyone! Using organic farm fertilizer will let our planet still have a leg to stand on when it comes to survival. You can’t go wrong when you grow organic. When we keep our farms producing amazing amounts of food, our precious fuel for our bodies we keep our food industry jobs in our country. The next time you’re faced with the dilemma of what kind of farm fertilizer to buy, don’t let it be a dilemma. Go organic!

In the beginning there were no roses, just the house set among oaks on a sloping hill. They were not interested in landscaping but something had to be done. So the couple called in an energetic nurseryman who planted the grounds with honeysuckle, Bridalwreath, lilacs, spirea and evergreens. In a few years his plants far outgrew their allotted space and the grounds were no more pleasant than before.

About this time the oak trees succumbed to a disease, one by one, and had to be removed. As if to save the situation, fate, disguised as an Etoile de Hollande rose flourishing in the shrubbery border, stepped in and inoculated the couple with a rose-growing virus.

Never since has Etoile de Hollande bloomed so luxuriantly, but no matter. The rose was responsible for the slowly rising fever that caused this husband wife teem to get eight more roses.

Despite neglect, the plants thrived. Maybe fate made them beautiful to inspire but more likely, it was good soil balance, lack of cultivation and a “green growing mulch” of portulaca or “moss roses” Which had crept into the bed.

Not much later fate took full charge. A broken arm in the fall and during the slow months it was mending, all the books in the house had been read and the only thing left was seed and flower catalogues.

The picture of roses brought the old fever back and now there was nothing to interfere with its course. Not even the persistent considering of golf as the only worthwhile diversion but the arm would not allow any play.

Due to the early training under a wonderful mother who loved growing things, the man of the house felt quite at home in this new world and as his vision broadened, he realized how easily a rose bed could replace a golf green.

Right off he knew growing roses on flat ground was as challenging as desert landscaping. It was a tame adventure compared to the thrill of hillside landscaping to develop really good ones on a hillside, such as his.

The property, on a slope facing south, was 168 feet long, 85 feet wide and rises approximately 50 feet above the street. The land climbs in a series of terraces from street to level ground and the house. The ascent continued, in smaller terraces behind the house, to level ground and the garage. It rises again to the rear lot line.

Such terrain is unconventional and presents obstacles. Some imagination, a strong determination-. to have lots of A bright roses and a free expression of our creative powers were needed to develop it.

Beauty and Utility

The highly decorative flowering crabapples are choice trees for the purpose in attracting flying wildlife. Those with the smaller fruits seem to be more favored by the birds. First to be eaten will be the abundant, beautiful scarlet fruits of the Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargenti), lowest growing of the family (up to 8 feet) but wide spreading. By winter the fruits of Malus floribunda will be taken, while those on Malus seiboldi will provide late-winter food.

The European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia), or Rowan Tree as it is known abroad, produces spectacular clusters of orange fruits that are as delectable to Waxwings, Robins, and other birds, as the foliage, unfortunately, is to Japanese beetles. The native Mountain Ash (S. americana) is equally interesting to the birds but poorer in form and more difficult to purchase.

The hawthorns, too, are widely used ornamentals which produce abundant, colorful food. English Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is perhaps the best of half a dozen fine bird-attracting varieties. Cockspur Thorn (C. crus-galli), Washington Hawthorn (C. phaenopyrum), and Arnold Hawthorn (C. arnoldiana) are among the most widely planted for this purpose. All of these hawthorns require full sun, and well-drained soil.

Popular Dogwoods

Popular with man and bird alike is the lovely Flowering Dogwood, whose showy red fruits are eaten by no less than 93 species.

Of the shrub Dogwoods, we have found that the migrating Thrushes prefer the blue berries of the Silky Cornel (Cornus amomum). Generally they are all eaten by mid-October. Gray Dogwood (C. paniculata) and Redosier (C. stolonifera) also give excellent results.

Evergreens like the aglaonema chinese evergreen add much to the gardens year round beauty and to its success in attracting birds. Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is among the best. Unfortunately it is an alternate host for the cedar-apple rust and should not be planted in the vicinity of apple orchards. Elsewhere it serves a triple purpose: excellent cover, fine nesting sites, and choice winter food. The blue-gray fruits are eaten by more than a score of birds. Both staminate and pistillate trees must be present to produce fruit. This is also necessary to produce berries on the showy American Holly (llex opaca), and Black Alder or Winterberry (I. verticillata), both favorites of many birds. Ordinarily, the latter holds its fruits into mid-winter, as its name suggests. This past year, though, we watched flocks of Robins and Bluebirds completely strip several heavily laden bushes by early November, though the majority of the plants such as chinese evergreen were untouched until later.

For planting around the trees, the suburban gardener has a wide choice of shrubs, with barberries, blackberries and raspberries, blueberries and huckleberries, buckthorns, chokeberries, cotoneasters, dogwoods, honeysuckles, and viburnums all highly recommended.

Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Alder-Buckthorn (R. frangula) reach a height of 15 to 18 feet, and are considered by some authorities to be the most effective of all shrubs in attracting birds. Buckthorn is not recommended, however, in areas where oats are grown because it harbors oat rust.

Perhaps the most popular plants, in the gardeners estimation, are the viburnums. The majority of them are noted for their brightly colored fruits, either at maturity or at some time during ripening. Some are notable, too, for their blossoms or their fall foliage, or both.

Most widely planted is the vigorous growing European Cranberrybush (V. opulus) which closely resembles the native High-bush Cranberry (V. trilobum). Unfortunately, its brilliant red fruits are much tarter than those of V. trilobum which are used in making preserves. The birds evidently find the berries unpalatable until they have frozen and thawed a number of times. In late winter they are greedily eaten, by flocks of wandering Waxwings and by Robins and Bluebirds migrating northward.

Because Aloe plants are made up of 95% water, they are really frost sensitive. If they are grown outdoors in temperate climates, they ought to stay planted in extensive sun, or else light shade. The dirt they are grown in should be moderately fertile, and fast draining. Established plants will endure a lack of water quite well, but for the gain of the plant, H2O ought to be provided.

Because of their reputation, Aloe vera plants are obtainable at nearly all garden shop or garden centers. Unless you reside in an area with an extremely balmy environment, it’s best to leave your Aloe plant in the pot and position it close to a window that gets a lot of sun. You can move the pot to the open air during the summer months.

Aloe vera is a succulent, and as such, retains a considerable amount of water within its foliage and root system. At some stage in the winter months, the plant will become dormant, as a consequence will require very little moisture.

During this cycle watering must be negligible. Let the potmix become totally dry before giving the plant a mug or two of h2o. Throughout the summer months, the soil should be entirely soaked, but then be allowed to dehydrate again before re-watering.

When it comes time to re-pot your Aloes be mindful that that they have a shallow, spreading root structure so select a wide planter, rather than a deep-seated one. Using a planter with a drainage opening, or you will need to lay a 1-2 inch tier of gravel inside the base of the planter to make sure there is adequate drainage.

Utilize a first-class commercial potting blend with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added. You may possibly also use a packaged ‘cacti mixture’ soil. Fertilize once a year, in the spring with a dilute (half potency), bloom type fertilizer (10-40-10).

Aloes are propagated by re-potting the pups which are formed at the base of older plants, when they are a couple inches tall (or higher). They may also be grown from Aloe seeds.

The Aloe plant has many healing properties, however, I can only talk from my individual experiences. I always make sure I have an Aloe plant witin easy reach of the kitchen. I do this mostly for helping with minor burns. I know if I apply Aloe immediately to my burn with newly picked gel it removes any pain almost immediately. Any subsequent blistering is also kept to a minimum.

I also found Aloe Gel successfully reduced itching from stings, bites in addition to a variety of ’stinging’ flora, such as poison ivy. It is also excellent for the same problems, when they are encountered by your family pet.

To benefit from it medicinally, merely detach a lower leaf from the plant, cut it open and apply the gel to the affected area.