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.

We’ve created an outstanding resource for you on donkey ears plant. Visit us at http://www.plant-care.com/kalanchoe-donkey-ears-i809.html. Don’t reprint this exact article.

One of the weekly activities of most households is keeping their lawn pretty and healthy. Different styles and approaches are employed in taking care of your green outdoor carpet. There are elementary rules that every mower should follow. Here are some must do advises for mowing the correct and safe way.

Always clear the area before you start mowing. It is very important to eliminate hazards and the likelihood of mishaps. Keep children away from all lawn mowing activities at all times. Make sure that none of them are in the mowing area. Never introduce kids to rides in a riding mower as a recreational activity. Children can fall off a mower resulting to serious injuries. They can also interfere with safe unit operation.

Remember to always inspect the area prior to mowing. Take out all debris, rocks and branches from the mowing area. Injuries can befall you or anyone else by flying debris and rocks. They can also inflict damage on your lawn mower costing you a considerable amount of money.

Protect yourself at all times. Goggles to protect the eyes for safety measure is a good idea. For a mowing activity, sandals and sneakers may not be very practical. Wear shoes that have non slip soles and footwear that is sturdy. Slips while mowing can also inflict considerable damage.

Take care of your lungs. Do not start your lawn mower inside your garage or in a garden shed. Keep in mind that burning gasoline produces carbon monoxide which is highly poisonous. Rev up your lawn mower out in the open space where there is lots of fresh air. When adding gasoline, do it out doors also, with the engine turned off of course. Choose a fuel that with at least 87 minimum octane.

Mowing is best done when the grass is dry, and during daytime when vision is better. When approaching blind corners, shrubs, trees or other objects that could obstruct your view, always exercise caution. Cut just a third of the grass’s length every time to keep your grass healthy. You can adjust the cutting length by shifting the mowing deck. Turn the engine off before you do any adjustment.

Make a different pattern every time you cut your grass. You can go from east to west, or north to south, or do it in angles. BY doing this, you can keep your grass healthy and keep the soil from compacting because of your mower wheels.

If you are cutting grass on a hill, mow across it when you are using a walk behind mower, mow across. Do not mow up and down and never pull the mower backwards towards your feet. When using a riding mower on a hill, do the opposite. Command your rig up and down the hill as mowing across would cause you to tip the rig.

People employ different ways to keep their lawns in excellent condition. Always refer to these unfailing basic tips for a wonderful, safe, and accident free greenery.

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.

If you have ever spent any time at all in a garden (your own or another persons) then you know that flower gardens bring joy and tranquility. They are very soothing to be around. In fact, I would go so far to say that being in a garden is one of my very favorite spots to be in. Here are some steps in making your garden really pop!

Pick the right plants.

When you choose a perennial garden (meaning the plants come back every year) then you will need to make sure that the plants not only are suited to your climate or zone, but also bloom in succession, so that you always have something blooming in your garden.

This is not as difficult as it may sound. Shop at your local nursery for the best selection of perennial plants that will be cold hardy in your area. Then simply look at the tags on the plants you are buying to select staggered bloom times.

An alternative to this approach is to get a premade plan or garden map that is made for your zone, and to buy the plants listed. This is a great way to go if you want your garden to be as fuss free as possible.

Add hardscaping elements.

The plants in your garden are really important, but what makes your garden shine are the other elements that you add.

When you use garden fencing, garden statues, and pathways in your garden, you will really make your plants stand out more. For a simple cottage look just add a white picket edging a few stepping stones and a statue of children. Or you can achieve an Asian theme by selecting plants with clean lines, using polished rocks, and placing a Buddha garden statue front and center.

Water, water, water.

It is easy to kill a garden when it is not watered enough - or if you water too much. One of the easiest ways to get enough water to your garden is to use a soaker hose, and just leave it on for an hour or so every 2 to 3 days depending on your weather.

The problem with food and plants these days is that they are all too expensive with the economy as it is. A garden is a good alternative, but the start up costs of getting your garden going can be too much at once for you. Following some simple tips, you can lower the costs and have it running in no time.

Gardening costs that we don’t commonly think about would include reading material. After all, we have to learn somewhere! If you don’t have a knowledgeable friend around to teach you, you will end up paying possibly hundreds on learning material. The smart beginner will instead use the library for books, or use the Internet to find the gardening tips and advice necessary.

Going to a nursery is expensive- it’s probably the last place you want to look. That is, unless you have knowledge of how to buy plants and flowers off season. The only real problem here is that when buying like this, the plants or flowers will not bloom until the next growing period. Since they are in less demand, the price associated with them will drop.

Roadside shops that sell plants are the most cost effective for your money- the only problem is finding them. Going to a local farmer’s market is your best bet in finding discount plants and flowers. You can also barter at these locations, unlike nurseries, so you can truly find a good fit for your budget and what you want for your garden.

Don’t be afraid to make friends with other gardeners- you will find they are the most generous of the bunch. Gardeners will actively engage in garden swapping, or a term used to describe the process of trading seeds, bulbs, and other materials to grow a new type of plant in your garden. The trade will, of course, demand that you have something to give in return.

True need for food and the like should be solved through organizations in your area. Government and private organizations that help those in poverty will be glad to help start gardens, offer tools, and even provide food for families in extreme need. Don’t be too full of pride to make use of the services- they are, after all, made for those in your situation.

Closing Comments

Creativity is the key to all problems. When you are looking for money to go towards a garden, just think of how you can approach the situation with a frugal sense of mind. You will either come out ahead, and build the garden, or just keep trying harder and make progress.

Whether you purchase or grow your transplants, well-grown 6 to 8 week old plants are best for the majority of these vegetables, except celery which should have a longer period of growth. The transplants should appear stalky and well grown showing every sign of receiving ample light. Tomato transplants will be about 6 to 8 inches high. Sometimes these transplants are sold in Hats without separation. Although they may be more expensive, plants grown in flats in individual containers like peat-pots, will transplant best and get off to a quicker start.

Bean seeds do not germinate successfully until the soil has warmed up somewhat. So there is little advantage in starting them too early. They are very tender and easily damaged by frost.

Some transplants benefit by watering them in with a weak fertilizer solution. These are known as starter solutions. Some companies sell some of their high analysis fertilizers in packages specifically for such use. Follow the manufacturers directions in using the fertilizer in this way.

Sweet corn addicts find plenty of varieties to suit their taste in home garden planting. Some prefer the old fashioned strains because of their sweetness and tenderness; others prefer the higher yields of the many hybrid sweet corn varieties available commercially.

Gardeners in the extreme north of the western region, particularly in the higher altitudes, are not quite so fortunate. The season is not long enough to mature these varieties successfully each year. To help fill these needs, earlier maturing kinds have found a place in some seed catalogues.

Glad Planting Time

May is the month to plant gladiolus corms out west. It is well to plant any time after the leaves start coming out on trees and shrubs. You can choose from a variety of best shade trees. This varies from late April until late May, depending on locality. Some plantings may be made at two week intervals up until the last of June to insure blossoms until frost. A better way to get succession of bloom is to select varieties whose blooming dates vary from early to late in the season. In general, smaller size corms bloom later, so planting corms in a variety of sizes will also aid in bloom succession.

Soaking corms in fungicide dips aids in reducing glad diseases. Plant #1 size corms from four to six inches deep (deeper in a light sandy soil) and smaller corms somewhat shallower, according to their size.

Dont plant dahlia tubers until danger of killing frosts is past. Plant the tubers so the eyes or buds are about four inches below the ground level. Make sure, when planting dahlia tubers, that a bud is present at the top of the tuber, otherwise no plant will form. Large clumps can be cut into a number of smaller divisions as long as one makes sure that each division has a bud at the base of the crown.

For a number of years, Chrysanthemum enthusiast have grown outdoors many of the large-flowered mums. These late-blooming incurves, spiders and other odd types have better texture and longer lasting qualities than garden mums. They grow these largely for show purposes and for a certain thrill of accomplishment that garden mums do not provide.

In the past, it was difficult to obtain cuttings of the large flowered mums or even to know what kinds to attempt. But by attending shows and talking with other chrysanthemum lovers you can soon chose the most appealing varieties, and then experiment over a period of several years to see what results could be obtained with the same mums outdoors under your conditions.

If you grow good mums, you ought to enter a show, partly for the worth-while service you can render the beginner who may be completely at sea about what choices to make. More progress has been made in mums over the years than many other flower. Many old varieties are worthless compared to the new, and should not take valuable space. Of course, not all new ones are good or all old ones undesirable. That is why it is necessary to visit shows and gardens of growers who specialize in mums. There is a mum for every purpose but you sometimes have to hunt for it.

Although we prefer to see a variety at a show before ordering it, we have found that almost any variety that blooms by November 1st in the New York area can be grown successfully outdoors. Varieties that bloom up to November 8 can be attempted if some sort of protective covering is used.

The big mums should have a bed by themselves, for they dont fit very well into any landscaping design like small front yard landscaping if you give them the best care. Best care, for show purposes usually, means limiting each plant to not more than 3 stems, which develop near the base of the plant after the first pinch, and removing all but one flower bud to a stem. This makes the plants grow into such giants, that they make too startling an accent in the garden and small yard landscaping. However, if you I dont do these two things, the mums can well be used in the garden picture with other material. You ought to disbud them at least to some extent, even if you dont want prize blooms, to prevent flowers from crowding each other. The blossoms remaining after disbudding also will be larger and more lasting than those of the common hardy mums.

Besides the large incurves and spiders, a number of good pompons of splendid substance will grow outdoors very successfully and they are more frost-resistant than the incurves. Some grow 5 and 6 feet tall; in fact, it is usually true that the later the bloom, the taller the plant. They may be kept lower by starting the cuttings late, say in late May or early June. This wont affect the blooming time much. The only advantages in making early cuttings are that plants will grow sturdy before hot weather and, in the case of hardy varieties, plants will be bushier because they will have at least one additional pinching.

July with its hot dry days usually puts the brakes on the any landscape gardeners enthusiasm. The brilliant colors of spring have faded and now greens and browns have taken their places.

Trees or shrubs which bloom in midsummer are most welcome connecting links between springs gorgeous flowers and the brilliant show of autumn colors. Two such trees are the Japanese pagoda, Sophora japonica, and silk tree or mimosa, Albizzia julibrissin.

Japanese Pagoda Tree

The Japanese pagoda tree is comparatively rare in the heart of the Midwest, but it surely deserves wider use as a lawn specimen. The tree, introduced from China in 1747, belongs to the legume family and bears the characteristic pea-shaped flowers of that group. The creamy-white blossoms are borne in clusters six to 12 inches long at the tops of the leafy branches.

The fruits are pods which hang in the autumn as bead-like strings, since the seeds are separated by constrictions of the pods. The oldest trees are about 40 feet high. Young trees have a tendency to form low-forked trunks. The leaves remain on the tree until late in the fall, and in winter the green-colored young branches are attractive. The Japanese pagoda tree is fairly hardy and free from insects and diseases. Early spring foliage is sometimes injured by late freezes. Anyone planting this tree must wait patiently for it to flower, since usually about 15 years are required.

The Mimosa

The mimosa or silk tree, a favorite in Southern gardens, has gradually extended its range and is now quite common in the America’s heartland. Here the tree is usually low-headed or multiple stemmed and reaches a height of from 15 to 30 feet.

The species is a native of Persia to central China and its Oriental character is accentuated by its interesting flat-topped head and spreading foliage of extreme grace and delicacy. Each leaf has from ten to 25 pinnae which bear 10 to 60 leaflets. The soft green leaflets are about half an inch in length, sickle shaped and one sided. As with some other plants of the legume family, the foliage exhibits the peculiar sensitivity which causes the leaflets to fold together in pairs at night.

The beauty of the mimosa flower is not a result of colorful petals as occurs in most flowers but rather the presence of a great many stamens about two inches in length which vary in color from pinkish hues to light yellowish pink, to coral red. Just like the beauty of lilly of the valley flowers. Of course. the darker colored ones are in greatest demand. Like the lilly flowers, the flowers are clustered in round stalked heads in the axils of the current season’s growth. The flowers which continue to appear from July to September are followed by the fruits which consist of flat seed pods which become twisted and curly as they mature.

The mimosa is best planted as a specimen in a sunny, well-drained location. This tree may be injured quite often by our winter’s low temperatures, but since flowers are produced on the new growth, a nice display of color may be expected even after the removal of damaged branches in the spring. The mimosa is shy about putting forth its new leaves, but once its mind is made up, the growth appears almost like magic. Propagation is usually by seeds sown in early spring. The seeds are very hard and germination is hastened by soaking them in hot water for about two hours.

There is in all probability no flower as lovely or as popular as a rose. They have been around for 1000s of years and are loved in almost every country. Growing rose bushes is reward full and easy. All you require is a slight bit of gardening know how to get started. Through understanding a little bit more about horticulture care, the more productive you will be with your rose bushes.

There are umpteen other varieties of rose bushes. There is literally a rose to accommodate every taste, orientation, color, shape and anything else you can think of or they can come up with. Rose bush care is pretty simple when you understand what roses need. Roses like to be planted in sunny spots. They need at least 6 hours of unfiltered, direct sunlight a day. Even those rose bushes that are said to do really well in the shade still need about four to six hours of direct sunlight a day. Roses also require great ground to grow in. You can always modify the soil in your garden with a little bit of compost.

Like any other plant you will sometimes have to deal with a pest problem. Rose bushes are inclined to being invaded by many different kinds of hurtful insects like rose midge larva, rose cane borer, thrips, Japanese beetles, stem girders, aphids, rose slugs, mites, caterpillars, scale insects, and rose chafers.

Nobody wants to have to deal with these pests but to support the lifetime of the plant, it is necessary to correct the problem. You have several choices of how you are planning to deal with the pest trouble after you have identified which type of bug you are contending with. If you only see 1 or 2 bugs you can try picking them off the roses and killing them yourself. Make sure to remove the entire leaf you find them on because they could have laid eggs that are still hidden on the leaf.

You always have the pick of utilizing synthetic or natural chemicals to help you get rid of the pests. Make sure to observe the directions on the packet of how to use these types of chemicals. Even natural or organic chemical substances can be harmful to people if they are used improperly. If you are adamant about not utilizing any type of chemicals on your rose bushes, you can always try utilizing the natural enemies of the pests. Not all bugs that you see in your garden are devastating to plants. Lady bugs and some types of wasps consume pests that can harm rose bushes. You can see your local garden center to see if this is an option for you with the type of pests that you have. Or you can check online.

Another section of rose bush care is deadheading. Deadheading is another word for cutting. This promotes more blooms. The rose will set seed and stop growing new flowering shoots if the bloom is left to fade. That is why deadheading is necessary. Trimming is also getting rid of dead twigs or training the bush to grow a certain way.

There are many gardeners who believe that no garden is complete without one or various rose bushes. A decently cared for rose bush can produce blooms from the month of June until it begins to frost. Rose bushes decorate the yard and adorn your home with elegance. With a little attention can turn your rose bushes into a perfect bush supplying an abundance of roses.