さまざまな種類のヒーリングクリスタル

Rock Collection

さまざまな種類のヒーリングクリスタル

Amethyst

紫色は昔から高貴な色として知られていますが、その色を特徴とするアメジストを身につけると、感情をコントロールする力がもたらされると言われます。物事を冷静に判断できるようになり、所有者の魅力を引き出すといいます。恋愛運アップ効果も期待できるそうです。

ロッククリスタル (白水晶)

ロッククリスタル (白水晶)はマイナスエネルギーを除去し、幸せをもたらす力があると言われます。自分の本当の願いが分かるようになり、信じる方向にまっすぐに前進させてくれると言います。アクセサリーなどで身につけるほか、原石や研磨された石を置物として室内に飾るとよいとされます。

ローズクォーツ

ローズクォーツは愛と美の女神アフロディーテの石とされ、愛と美を育む力があると信じられています。ありのままの自分を愛するようになり、相手に思いやりと優しさを持って接することができるようになるといいます。内分泌系の働きを活発にし、若さと健康をもたらすパワーがあるとも言われます。

ホウカイセキ（方解石）

ホウカイセキ（方解石）は教養と感情をつなぐ力があると言われます。精神状態に安定をもたらし、洞察力や記憶力を高めるため、芸術や科学分野に従事する人に特に有益な石とされます。成功と希望をもたらす動機づけを作り、運命を切り開く可能性も秘めているそうです。

シトリン

シトリンは富と繁栄をもたらす石として古くから親しまれています。黄色がお金と結びつき、財運アップの石として信じらています。また太陽ともイメージが重なることから、希望や元気に繋がるともいいます。第三のチャクラであるみぞおちやお腹に置いて横になると、気力や体力の回復に良いと言われます。

カルセドニー

カルセドニーはいろいろな鉱物が集まってできたという性質から、社交術を高め人間関係を良好にするヒーリング効果があると言われます。身につけると緊張が緩和され、精神が柔軟になり楽天的に物事を考えられるようになるといいます。そして良縁につながる可能性が高まるそうです。

アベンチュリン

アベンチュリンはハートに作用するパワーストーンといわれています。ネガティブな感情を抑え、心の落ち着きを取り戻し、物事を冷静に判断できるように導いてくれるそうです。人間関係を穏やかにし、仕事にも成果をもたらすほか、不眠症にも効くと言われます。

ミルキークォーツ

ミルキークォーツは母のような優しいオーラを放つ石と考えられています。身につけたり所有すると、精神が落ち着き、イライラや憤りが鎮まると言われます。癇癪を起こし、泣き止まない子供をなだめるのに効果的だそうです。

セキヘキギョク（赤碧玉）

セキヘキギョク（赤碧玉）は、地に足をつけ、バランスを保ちながらしっかり歩けるように見守ってくれる守護石と言われています。災難や事故、人間に関わる様々なトラブルを避け、目標を目指す力をサポートしてくれるといいます。マイナスな縁は自然と切れ、純粋に前進できるようになるそうです。

メノウ（瑪瑙）

メノウ（瑪瑙）は結晶が集まってできた石という特質により、結束力を高め、共同作業をスムーズにさせる力があると言われています。また、リラックス効果があり、ストレスや不安を解消したいときに役立つそうです。胸の上に置くと、その効果が期待できるといいます。

ソーダライト

ソーダライトは古代より守護石として利用されてきたと言われています。邪悪なものを遠ざけると同時に、心の内側に作用し、邪念、罪悪感、猜疑心を取り除き、精神力を高めるといいます。それによって勇気と希望に満ち溢れ、良い方法へ向かうようにサポートすると言われます。

ブラックカルセドニー

ブラックカルセドニーは古くから平穏と関連づけられる石だと言われます。精神を落ち着かせ、ネガティブな要因を認識して開放すると考えられています。心の安定を継続させ、忍耐力を養い、至福をもたらすと言われます。

ホタルイシ（蛍石）

ホタルイシ（蛍石）は脳と結びついたパワーストーンだと言われています。脳を活性化させ、判断力、分析力、記憶力を高めるといいます。意識を高次元に持っていくため、勉強や仕事における集中力アップに役立つほか、抑圧された感情を解き放ち、発想を豊かにするとも言われます。

クラックル・クォーツ

クラックル・クォーツはエネルギーを活性化させるパワーがあるとされ、気力が落ちている時、身近にあると効果を発揮し、思考を前向きにしてくれると言います。また自己の中の創造的な一面に気づかせてくれるそうです。

コクヨウセキ（黒曜石）

コクヨウセキ（黒曜石）は昔から持ち主に未来を見通す力を授ける石と言われ、現代ではビジネス面でお守りとしてそのパワーが期待されています。ネガティブなエネルギーに引っ張られるのを排除し、直感力や決断力を高め、決めた目標に向かって素早く進んで結果が達成できるようにサポートしてくれるといいます。

このセクションに含まれる情報は、本質的に形而上学的です。水晶は治療の代わりとして使用されるべきではありません。

Different Types of Healing Crystals

Rock Collection

Different Types of Healing Crystals

Amethyst

Amethyst is believed to be a powerful stone that can provide healing for the spiritual and emotional body. Its positive energy forces remove negative energy to potentially provide for better overall health. Keep it in the bedroom to induce more restful sleep. It can be used in the home to encourage harmony and unity among those who dwell within.

Clear Quartz

Clear Quartz’s association with the crown chakra means it may have significant influences on the brain. It’s said to unlock psychic capabilities, increase focus, and release lost memories. The belief is that Clear Quartz connects all the chakras and encourages the cleansing of the soul. Physically, it’s believed to energize the immune system and metabolism, which could be great for anyone looking to lose weight!

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is often referred to as the “Love Stone” because of strong vibrations of love, joy, acceptance, and emotional healing. It is very helpful to believers when used in the home to heal relationships and bring unity. It works on the Heart, Higher Heart, and Thymus chakras, and when used regularly is said to improve all aspects of life.

Calcite

Calcite is an excellent stone for removing spiritual energy blockages and allowing for the flow of positive vibrations for healing. It may stimulate the mind and help to improve memory. When used during meditation one can let go of the past and restore their hope for the future. Its high vibrations may also improve vitality and enhance enthusiasm.

Citrine

Citrine is believed to provide powerful healing energy to help manifest abundance and wealth. It brings happiness and joy to many users and provides a positive energy force to relieve fear, negativity, and anxiety. It purportedly also offers clarity of thought and improves mental translucence.

Chalcedony

Chalcedony is considered a powerful healing stone that works on all of the chakras to balance the mind, body, and spirit. It removes negative energy and allows positive energy to flow through. It may help with the emotional healing of grief and despair and is often used during meditation to restore feelings of hope and enthusiasm.

Aventurine

Aventurine is an energy-amplifying stone that can aid in manifestation. It is often considered a good luck stone as it may help attract prosperity and good fortune. It enhances creativity and strengthens leadership skills. It is often used as a mood booster that can contribute to better vitality and happiness.

Milky Quartz

Milky Quartz is believed to be a powerful stone, cleansing the whole body and linking all of the chakras. It’s said to connect explicitly with the third eye and crown chakras, opening up psychic abilities and boosting concentration, memory, and communication. Healers believe that Milky Quartz is excellent at heightening immune function and healing headaches, migraines, motion sickness, bladder infections, and skin disorders.

Red Jasper

Red Jasper is considered a grounding stone that provides the user with a sense of balance and stability. It works on the lower chakras to enhance creativity while providing the will-power to get things accomplished. The aim is to afford the user greater insight so that they may see past current challenges and create solutions that will better serve their higher purpose.

Agate

Agate is considered a grounding stone that has many different healing effects depending on the color of the stone. When used during meditation it may enhance spiritual awareness and stimulate psychic abilities. Along with that awareness comes self-truth and a building of self-esteem and confidence.

Sodalite

Sodalite is a strong stone that when used on the Third Eye chakra, may help in the development of psychic abilities. It reportedly works on the Throat chakra to aid in communication, especially in areas of public speaking. Along the way, it may help to stimulate creativity and encourage cognitive thinking skills.

Black Chalcedony

Black Chalcedony is most associated with the base chakra. This connection is believed to help the wearer/holder by grounding them psychologically and emotionally, allowing them to experience more profound intuition. It supposedly unlocks inner thoughts and emotions, enabling the recognition of harmful patterns of behavior. The stabilization gained from Black Chalcedony may help to bring a deep sense of calm.

Fluorite

Fluorite is believed to stimulate thought and enhance mental clarity. It is an excellent stone for removing negative energy. This may help to alleviate stress and confusion to provide for more powerful healing action of the mind, body and spirit.

Crackle Quartz

Activation of the crown and third eye chakras is said to occur in the presence of Crackle Quartz. Using this stone as an amulet may ward off evil and negative energies and may help the possessor to remain positive. By clearing the mind, Crackle Quartz might make optimism easier and allow you to be more pragmatic.

Obsidian

Obsidian is considered a protection stone, that shields against negativity with truth-enhancing properties. It is said to bring clarity to the mind, drawing out mental stress and tension that sometimes leads to confusion. You can carry it with you to help ward off negative forces or keep the stone in your home, office, or anyplace you need protective energy.

The information contained in this section is metaphysical in nature. Crystals should not be used as a replacement for medical treatment.

Plant Description Creation RFP 2.0 Preview

Plant Description - Content Creation v.2.0.1-20211027

Plant Description – Content Creation

v.2.0.1-20211029

Writing Guide: https://article.picturethisai.com/writing-guide/

 

What's this content for?

This writing task is to draw the first impression of a specific plant to the audience. Try to narrow the distance between unfamiliar plants and people, reducing alienation.

This section is the first section directly talking about the characters of the plant, so it is a “first impression” section. Interesting is in the first place, making an impressive and unique impression of the target plant is the key.

Daily usage or industrial value is encouraged, which is easy to echo the audiences’ memory of this plant. Reduce botanical description and measurement of the plants unless it is characteristic.

Requirement
1. General Requirements:
  • Word Count: Each description should consist of around 30-60 words. (For Japanese and Korean, around 60-120 characters, for Chinese, around 50-90.)
  • Avoid Formulaic Expression: Try to change the choice of content and expression appropriately, preventing similar content with a similar structure from appearing repeatedly within one working set. Overly formulaic content (>50% content is written in the same form) will be rejected.
  • Avoid simple listing: including but not limited to geographical distribution and habitat. Try to use generalized terms, e. g., we should use “Northeast Asia” instead of “Japan, Korea, Inner Mongolia, and Russian Far East”. A simple listing of more than 3 items (countries, habitats) at one time is NOT ALLOWED.
  • Interesting Facts: Each description should consist of 2 or more “interesting facts” (Goto 2. what is an interesting fact?).
2. What is an Interesting Fact?

2.1 These facts are considered as interesting(Dos)

  • Historical use and cultural significance. Connection with local culture is highly recommended.
  • Garden usage and why it is used like this. (for garden plants)
  • Economic value. (for crops)
  • Culinary use. (for crops, vegetables, and spices)
  • Toxicity, invasive, and other harms. (but please DO NOT describe symptoms of poisoning or environmental hazards IN DETAIL here, they will be described in other sections)
  • Insect/bird attracting. (e. g., milkweed is the only food for monarch butterflies’ larvae)
  • For wildflowers, in which season or special ecosystem you can find them.
  • The name origin: why it is called like this.
  • The similarity to some most common plants and how to distinguish them.
2.2 These facts are considered as NOT interesting (Not Suggested):
  • Simply mention the place of origin (only in some limited conditions it will be considered as interesting, such as when it is highly invasive and you are chasing its origin; or declare the usage in a native garden, etc.)
  • Morphological description and measurements. (unless it is very uncommon in the plant world, or directly related to its usage.)
2.3 Do not mention these pieces of information (Don'ts)
  • Scientific synonym, alternative common name. These names are listed in our system in another section, please DO NOT mention them unless there’s an interesting name story behind it.
  • Taxonomy information is neither interesting to common readers nor can it be wrong (because of the taxonomy system that has changed frequently recently), please DO NOT mention it here.
  • Widely cited “NASA Research” supporting the air-cleaning effects of plants is flawed. The air-cleaning efficiency of all the plants is later proven to be too low to be practical. Using any plant to absorb toxic chemicals in your room is not realistic, so please DO NOT mention any air-cleaning effects of plants in this section.
Special Attentions
  • Local information in your country is highly recommended
  • Use common names instead of Latin names whenever possible
  • Italicize any Latin words (other than placeholders) that appear (e.g., genus names, etc.)
  • If you believe that the common name of the writing target is wrong (including singular or plural form), please Report it in the link below and we will change it in time.

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vO4wADpXiyJdfwnO4FWJiu0CL_1etZ4zdxapqGraE2U/edit?usp=sharing

Sample Descriptions

Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)

  • _COMMON_NAME_ (_LATIN_NAME_) is a fragrant herb that has a scent similar to rosemary 【special character】. It was cultivated since Ancient Greece【History】, and its essential oil is still widely used today 【economical usage, while AVOIDed talking about their indications and efficacy in aromatherapy】. But take care, internally taking either _COMMON_NAME_ or its essential oil is toxic. 【toxicity】

Callistemon citrinus (Crimson bottlebrush)

  • _COMMON_NAME_ is a shrub commonly found in swamps and near rivers【When and where can you find them】. You can easily recognize this plant by its unique red flowers, shaped like a bottlebrush【special look】, hence it got the name “crimson bottlebrush”【name origin】. The flowers produce sweet nectar which is a source of food for numerous species of birds【wildlife attraction】.

How to Protect Your Plants From Snow

Useful Tips

How to Protect Your Plants From Snow

Unexpected snowfall can harm garden plants and prevent them from thriving in the spring. Winter weather often causes stems to snap and kills vulnerable species. This article will teach you all you need to know about protecting your plants from heavy snowfall.

Winter weather may give you a break from the rigors of the gardening season, but this isn’t the time to leave your plants unattended. Unexpected snowfall can harm young plants and prevent them from thriving in the spring. Too much snow piled on top of fragile stems and branches can also cause them to snap.

If you live in a region that gets lots of snow, there are steps you can take to protect vulnerable plants from snow and ice damage. Here is everything you need to know about protecting your plants from the snow.

Is Snow a Problem in Your Garden?

Before you start your snow protection process, it’s important to determine whether your plants need it in the first place. After all, if you’re growing varieties suited to your growing zone, the odds are good that these plants can withstand some snowfall without issue.

In fact, a thick layer of snow can act as insulation to protect plants from freezing winds and erratic temperature changes. You’ll likely find that sensitive plants fare better in cold weather when there are a few centimeters of snow covering the roots.

Problems with snow mainly occur when you’re dealing with wet, heavy snow that weighs down limbs and stems. Freezing temperatures make branches brittle, so even small amounts of snow can lead them to snap. In addition, delicate plants can be at risk from even a centimeter or two if they aren’t strong enough to survive bending over from the extra weight.

Which Plants Should You Protect from Snow?

Not all plants need artificial snow protection. Most common landscaping plants, including cold-hardy perennials and bushes, should be strong enough to withstand the average snowstorm.

These plants have natural strategies to protect their tender buds from the cold to ensure they bloom in the spring. In fact, some varieties, including many fruit trees, require a set amount of “chill hours” that must be met before the plant gets the signal to start producing buds.

The plants that need the most protection from snow include the following:

  • Young plants that didn’t have time to get established before winter
  • Non-cold-hardy plants like gardenias, aucuba, and lantana that can’t handle temperatures below 15 ℉ (-9 ℃)
  • Bushes and trees with thin limbs
  • Tall plants with delicate stems that bend easily
What About Evergreens?

While evergreen trees and shrubs can withstand cold weather, too much snow can make them lose their shape by causing the limbs to splay out. It’s best to knock off any snow that accumulates on the branches to prevent this. A long-handled broom works well for this task.

You can reduce the risk of snow accumulation altogether by pruning evergreens so that they taper towards the top. If you’d rather not change their shape, consider wrapping the plants with twine from top to bottom (like a Christmas tree) to prevent any snow from building up on the branches.

How to Protect Plants from Snow

Your best strategy for protecting plants from snow depends on their size and type, but in most cases, it’s best to keep them covered. Here are several popular methods for covering plants.

  • Place a clear plastic storage bin over small plants.
  • Cut the top off a plastic milk jug or soda bottle to cover small plants and produce a temporary cloche.
  • Attach plastic grocery bags to the limbs of budding and flowering fruit trees to protect the fruit crop. Remove them immediately when the weather warms.
  • Use a cardboard box with holes cut in the sides to allow ventilation and prevent it from blowing off. Make sure you remove the box as soon as the snow stops falling so you don’t block too much light.
  • Move potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area where they won’t get snowed on.
  • Use metal hoops and clear plastic to create protective tunnels for low-lying plants. The curved shape means that any falling snow should accumulate on the sides and improve the insulation.
  • Surround cold-sensitive plants with black plastic. This will attract heat and melt the snow more quickly to reduce the risk of damage.
Pay Attention to the Rest of the Garden

Plants aren’t the only thing at risk in your garden from too much snowfall. Not only can heavy, wet snow cause damage to roofs, greenhouses, hoop houses, and outdoor furniture, but it can slide off unexpectedly and crush the plants below.

It’s smart to watch the weather forecast carefully and shovel off any snow that accumulates on fragile surfaces to prevent it from building up.

Likewise, be careful about applying salt or sand to pathways to reduce ice buildup. The melted slush can easily leach into nearby garden beds and affect their fertility for the next growing season.

When It Comes to Moderate Snowfall, Wait it Out

While you may be tempted to spring into action as soon as you see signs of snowfall, in most cases, your outdoor plants will be perfectly fine with a little icy insulation. You can leave cold-tolerant plants undisturbed, as they will likely be as good as before once the weather warms again. This extra snow layer will also serve to keep the soil from freezing, which prevents far worse damage.

Finally, don’t be in a rush to prune or toss out plants that get damaged from snow, as chances are they will bounce back once the weather warms.

How to Use Eggshells to Improve Your Garden

Useful Tips

How to Use Eggshells to Improve Your Garden

Eggshells provide numerous benefits for your garden. They give your plants a nutritional boost, deter pests, and increase the soil’s pH. Here is everything you need to know about the benefits of eggshells, as well as how to use them in your garden.

Did you know that plants benefit from the addition of eggshells? Using eggshells in your garden can improve your plants’ growing conditions as well as give them a nutritional boost.

Whether you have an outdoor vegetable garden or you’re growing lots of indoor plants, you should hang onto eggshells and use them to help your plants thrive. Here is everything you need to know about using eggshells in your garden as well as a few tips to get started.

Benefits of Eggshells

There are three major benefits that eggshells provide. Eggshells provide plants with nutrients, deter certain pests, and increase the soil’s pH. Below is more information about these amazing benefits.

Nutrition Boost

Eggshells primarily contain calcium carbonate, which is a mineral that plants need for healthy growth. This calcium helps strengthen the cell walls of the plants, just like it helps strengthen bones in humans and animals.

The shells also contain small amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus helps plants form new roots, seeds, flowers, and fruit. Potassium strengthens the stems and helps the plant to grow.

Pest Control

If your garden is overrun with snails and slugs, you can use crumbled-up eggshells to keep them off your prized plants. These pests are not able to crawl over the shells because of their sharp, brittle nature. Any snail or slug that tries to crawl over these eggshells will get wounded easily.

To keep slugs and snails at bay, just spread the shells around the base of your plants on top of the soil. Use the shells to create a barrier that’s around 2 inches (~5 cm) wide for best results.

Balanced Soil pH

Another benefit of using eggshells in the garden is that the calcium helps raise the soil’s pH. It’s very similar to adding lime to make your soil more alkaline. Many plants have a hard time growing in acidic soil, so eggshells can help balance the pH for better growing conditions.

However, if you don’t want your eggshells changing the pH of the soil, then you can mix crushed eggshells with coffee grounds before adding them to their garden. The acidity of the coffee grounds will counteract the alkalinity of the eggshells.

Plants That Benefit From The Addition Of Eggshells

Most plants will benefit from the addition of extra calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. However, certain plant varieties benefit more. These include fruiting vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. This is because the extra calcium helps to prevent blossom end rot.

Calcium-rich vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, swiss chard, and cauliflowers will also happily take up the extra calcium that you provide with the eggshells.

How to Use Eggshells in Your Garden

Now that you know the benefits of adding eggshells to your garden, it’s time to put them to work. Here are few ways you can utilize eggshells to improve your plants’ health and growth.

Add Them To Your Compost

Just as you add all your veggie scraps and your grass clippings to your compost, you should add your eggshells as well. The minerals in the shells will break down and add valuable nutrients into the compost as it’s brewing.

You can just throw them straight in, but they do take a little time to break down. Therefore, if you have fast brewing compost, you might need to crumble or grind them up first.

Put Crumbled Up Shells In The Bottom Of Planting Holes

The best way for your plants and soil to reap the benefits of eggshells and is by placing them directly into your planting holes. This will give your plants direct access to the eggshells, as well as all of their benefits.

Just make sure to crumble the eggshells before placing them in the soil. This helps them break down faster so your soil and plants can utilize the nutrients as soon as possible.

Make Eggshell Tea For Your Indoor Plants

You can give all your indoor plants a healthy boost by making eggshell tea. Here’s how:

  • Wash the eggshells to remove any residue of the egg white.
  • Let the shells dry completely. This removes the risk of any salmonella being present.
  • Once dry, crumble up your eggshells. You can grind up the eggshells using a mortar and pestle or by hand.
  • Put them in a container and pour boiling water over them.
  • Let the concoction steep until the water has cooled to room temperature.
  • Strain the water and use this to water your plants.
  • Throw the shells into the compost as they will break down further to use in your garden outside.

If your plants haven’t been repotted for a while, you should see them looking much better after you’ve applied this eggshell tea.

Turn Them Into Seed Starter Pots

As you now know, eggshells break down over time and add goodness to the soil. But their total breakdown can take quite some time. Therefore, they are ideal to use as seed starter “pots.”

Here’s a quick way to use your eggshells as seed starters:

  • Collect large shell halves.
  • Sterilize them in an oven at 200 ℉ for around 30 minutes.
  • Carefully make a hole in the bottom of each shell with a nail for drainage.
  • Fill the shells with seed raising mix and pop a seed into each one.

Once the seeds have germinated, and the little seedlings are large enough, you can plant them straight into your garden still in the shell.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know about the benefits of eggshells, it would be wasteful not to use them in your garden! Follow any of the suggestions above to give your plants a nutritional boost and improve their growing conditions.

How to Protect Your Plants From Wind Damage in Winter

Useful Tips

How to Protect Your Plants From Wind Damage in Winter

Winter weather can be brutal on plants, reducing their growth rate and making them brittle and fragile. Thankfully, with landscape design and preparation, you can protect your plants from the worst of it.

Winter wind can be the enemy of garden plants. The combination of strong winds and cold temperatures can leave your plants brittle and fragile, as well as slow down their growth. Even low levels of wind can cause long-lasting damage to your plants during wintertime.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take today to help protect your plants from chilling winter winds. With some proper landscape design and preparation, you can keep your plants safe and ensure they don’t suffer extreme wind damage this winter.

How Wind Affects Plants

Wind happens all year long, so why is it especially concerning in the winter? The combination of strong wind and cold temperatures is hard on plants and makes them more brittle. This makes them more likely to snap and experience other significant damage.

Top-heavy winter vegetables like Brussels sprouts are especially at risk, as strong winds will rock them back and forth, damage their feeding roots, or even topple them out of the ground.

Even lower wind speeds are dangerous for plants when paired with wind chill. Blowing wind removes heat from around plants faster than still air, leading to frost damage for sensitive varieties. Without proper protection, you’ll deal with blown-off leaves, broken stems and branches, and soil erosion.

How To Design Your Landscape for Wind

The best way to prevent winter wind damage is to prepare for it while designing your landscape. By utilizing stronger plants and other elements of your landscape, you can protect your garden plants from harsh winter winds and prevent them from becoming damaged.

Add Some Windbreaks

Many gardeners establish windbreaks such as hedgerows, trees, and fencing to slow down gusts of wind entering their yard. Some even plant around buildings and other structures to provide their plants with year-round protection.

Keep in mind that these physical barriers can also increase the risk of wind damage. Think of walking past a tall building on a windy day. Depending on the wind direction, it channels and concentrates the wind within it so you feel it more intensely.

Plants will feel the same effect when planted near walls or fences. Pay attention to the typical wind direction in your area so you can position plants where they will be most sheltered.

Allow Plants to Support Each Other

One of the most natural ways to protect plants from winter wind damage is to allow them to support each other. One summer example is the “three sisters” Native American planting method, where squash and bean vines are supported and protected by corn plants that grow nearby.

You can follow a similar strategy by planting perennials or placing potted plants near tall shrubs and trees to protect them from the wind.

If soil erosion is a concern, consider laying mulch or planting in containers of raised beds that aren’t filled to the brim. This protects the topsoil from direct wind exposure.

Three Steps to Prepare for Wind Damage

No matter your garden setup, there are steps you can take to protect your plants from wind damage.

1. Secure Anything Loose

When the forecast shows a winter storm is coming to your region, it’s smart to prep your outdoor space by clearing up anything that could go airborne. This means moving potted plants, putting garden tools away, and securing any outdoor furniture that could get blown away by strong winds.

Be especially careful to remove overhanging branches from places where they could cause damage when they fall. The combination of cold weather with wind makes branches brittle and far more likely to fall than during pleasant conditions.

2. Stake and Trellis Tall and Fragile Plants

The taller the plant, the more likely it is to suffer damage from winter winds. Fragile bushes and newly planted perennials that don’t yet have deep roots are also at risk.

Your best option is to stake them in place with posts or secure them to sturdy objects so that they will have some support against the wind. Ideally, you want them to be able to sway slightly with the strongest gusts without facing the full brunt of it. This lowers the chance they will break off at the base.

Climbing vines should be securely tied to their trellising at regular intervals so the wind can’t cause them to break off. In cases of extreme weather, consider pulling the vine off the trellis entirely and laying it on the ground where the wind won’t affect it.

If you want to avoid these problems altogether, consider pruning susceptible plants in late fall. By keeping plants small, you can ensure they are less likely to catch the wind and get damaged in the process.

3. Provide Wind Protection with Cloches

One of the best ways to protect small plants from winter wind is with cloches. These small, translucent covers go directly overtop plants to protect them from cold temperatures. They act as miniature greenhouses to retain heat and keep out the worst of the elements.

It’s wise to keep cloches on hand to use when the forecast looks bad. Any glass or transparent plastic container can work, so consider keeping mason jars and old food containers to use. Don’t leave the cloches on plants too long once the weather improves, as they can quickly overheat.

Looking to cover more plants at once? You can set up net cloches over entire garden beds. These are made from wire or polytunnel frames that are covered with greenhouse plastic outdoor netting. They let some wind through but keep out the worst of it to keep plants protected. Again, remove plastic once the weather warms to prevent overheating.

Set Up Wind Protection for Vulnerable Plants this Winter

Keeping plants safe through the changing seasons can be a challenge. You can remove the risk of wind damage this winter through innovative planting strategies and added protection when the forecast calls for it.

Taking the time to think through your wind protection plan will save you time and heartbreak by guaranteeing more plants make it to spring unscathed.

How to Decorate Your Garden Into a Thanksgiving Theme

Landscaping

How to Decorate Your Garden Into a Thanksgiving Theme

If you love Thanksgiving and the fall season, why not let your garden show it? There are many decor items that will reveal your holiday spirit. This article will teach you how to decorate your garden with a theme that celebrates Thanksgiving.

As winter approaches, there remain only a few final opportunities to enjoy your garden before the year ends. One such occasion is Thanksgiving. While plant life typically doesn’t thrive in late November, there are other ways that you can decorate your garden to celebrate the holiday. 

Through the use of gourds, fall-blooming plants, and other decorative items, you can show the world your love for Thanksgiving through your autumn-inspired garden style. This article will teach you how to utilize these items to make the perfect Thanksgiving-inspired landscape.

Arrange Pumpkins and Gourds

At its core, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the year-end harvest. To fully embrace the Thanksgiving spirit in your landscape, you need to add decorative elements that evoke a bountiful harvest season.

One of the most effective ways to achieve that character is to arrange pumpkins and various gourds throughout your garden. These items are popular emblems of fall and will add a rich sense of celebration to your garden.

There are special varieties of gourds known as ornamental gourds that make for perfect autumn décor. Farmers who grow ornamental gourds simply allow some of their regular gourds to stay on the vine for longer. On the vine, these gourds mature, dry out, and harden, which allows them to last longer than normal gourds. Their longevity and vibrant colors make them popular garden décor around Thanksgiving.

Find Haystacks and Corn Stalks

While the pop of color that an assortment of ornamental gourds can add to your garden is eye-catching, there are some subtler ways to enhance the agricultural theme of your garden’s Thanksgiving display.

The next décor items that you should incorporate into your garden in fall are haystacks and corn stalks. These items hold neutral tones while serving as strong textural elements in your overall design. They can also go a long way in adding some structure to a holiday display.

A wide haystack will act as an excellent platform to support your other fall decorations. Decorative corn stalks will add a much-needed vertical element to the appearance of your Thanksgiving garden. Both will do well to boost the farm-like feel that is so closely related to a classic Thanksgiving.

Select Plants with Fall Appeal

All of the decoration ideas so far are based on the idea that living plants will be relatively scarce for many around the time of Thanksgiving. But while the best garden growth does occur in spring and summer, there are still several plants that stand a chance of looking great in late fall as well. As you set your Thanksgiving garden scene, be sure to make use of these attractive plant varieties.

Fall-Blooming Annuals

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that numerous annual flowers bloom into fall. These plants will add a vibrant splash of color to your landscape which will only increase the ornamental value of your holiday displays.

Another beneficial aspect of using fall-blooming annuals in your Thanksgiving garden is that these plants allow for some design flexibility. Since all annuals live for a single season and are typically small, they are an ideal set of plants for garden containers. The advantage here is that using containers will allow you to position and reposition your annuals as you please. This gives you the freedom to alter and improve your display design as the holiday approaches.

If you’re interested in fall-blooming annuals for this purpose, here are a few of the best varieties you can use:

  • Chrysanthemums
  • Flowering kale
  • Croton
  • Ornamental cabbage
  • Pansies
Perennials with Late-Season Interest

In addition to the annual plants mentioned in the last section, there are just as many perennial plant species that will also add interest to your garden in late fall. Some of these perennials have blooms that persist late in the year. Others will impress you with their interesting foliage and overall textures.

However, there is another trait of perennials that can add to their value in the fall. When a perennial dies, its above-ground parts dry up. While it is common to cut these parts of the plant back to the ground at the end of the season, leaving them often creates a distinct appearance that is surprisingly pleasing. The dried stalks and seed heads of certain species can look charming as they collect snow and can also be highly beneficial to bird species that struggle to find food in the colder seasons.

Here are some of the best perennial plants that fall into that category and will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving garden:

  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Purple coneflower
  • Feather reed grass
  • Fountain grass
  • Russian sage
Set Up Thanksgiving-themed Flags

The previous section introduced you to a few of the best plants that will perform well in late fall. Still, despite these viable options, the majority of your favorite plants will not be looking their best in the cold temperatures that accompany Thanksgiving. Thankfully, there are other ways that you can compensate for that lack of color and vibrance.

One fool-proof way to make up for a lack of vigorous plant growth in your garden is to use garden flags. These flags come in sizes that are appropriate for a garden, and they can also feature interesting designs. Plenty of these flag designs have a Thanksgiving theme and will look great in your garden as you anticipate the holiday season.

Add Décor to Your Home's Exterior

This final Thanksgiving garden décor tip has little to do with your garden at all. Instead, this idea focuses on one of the structures that you are sure to see while you spend time in your garden—your house. Decorating your house with Thanksgiving-themed items is an excellent way to put the final touches on your garden display.

You can always use some of the decorative items mentioned earlier to dress up your home’s walkways and entrances. Many decorations can be mounted on your doors and windows, as well. Thanksgiving wreaths and other pieces are all fantastic choices. Find some items that match your home and your garden, and soon you will have a complete Thanksgiving theme for your property.

Microclimate Design for Cold Weather

Landscaping

Microclimate Design for Cold Weather

It can be disheartening when cold weather prevents you from enjoying your outdoor spaces. Creating a microclimate allows you to utilize your landscape well into fall and winter. Here are some tips for creating a warm and cozy microclimate.

If you love spending time outside, it can be a bit disheartening to find you have reached the time of year when it is too cold to enjoy your outdoor living spaces. If only there was a way that you could make those spaces a bit more comfortable even when the temperature drops.

Fortunately, microclimate design gives you the chance to do that. Read on to learn a few microclimate design tactics that will help make your landscape spaces more livable in late fall.

What is a Microclimate?

A microclimate is nothing more than a small area with a climate that is different than that of the areas surrounding it. In other words, a microclimate is a space that is noticeably colder or hotter than the rest of the landscape in which it exists.

Many microclimates arise naturally. You can observe a prime example of this in early spring when the winter snow is melting. You’ll notice that piles of snow that sit in shaded areas take a lot longer to melt than those in the sun.

That is just one example of a microclimate that occurs without human intervention. But what is more intriguing is that designers have some specific approaches they use to manipulate and create microclimates of their own. Often, the goal of these microclimate designers is to use shade and wind protection to maximize the pleasantness of their spaces. With just a slight understanding of how that process works, you can do the same for your yard.

Designing a Cold Weather Microclimate

Designing a microclimate is easier than you might expect. If you want to learn how to make one, use the sections below to learn some of the basics of microclimate design.

Determine a Distinct Area for Your Microclimate

Begin by selecting a distinct area where you would like to make a microclimate. There are a few criteria you should keep in mind during this stage.

The first is the size of your microclimate. Choosing a relatively small area is often the best approach. As you might expect, altering climatic conditions becomes more difficult when attempting to impact a broad area.

You should also plan your microclimate in an area that you love to use often. After all, the main purpose of a microclimate design is to make your favorite outdoor living spaces more usable for more parts of the year. With that in mind, don’t bother making microclimates in areas of low use. Instead, focus your microclimate design on gathering spaces such as:

  • Patios
  • Decks
  • Grilling areas
  • Firepit areas
  • Hammocks and lounge areas

Location is also critical when making a microclimate. Since microclimate design depends on environmental factors beyond your control, such as wind and sunlight, you should study the conditions of your yard thoroughly before you locate your microclimate.

Once you have your location set, you are ready to begin addressing the wind and sun in that area to create the ideal microclimate.

Block Cold Winter Winds

Late fall and early winter come with cold air temperatures. What makes those temperatures feel even colder is the presence of strong winter winds. One of the first priorities for anyone trying to make a cold-weather microclimate should be to block as much of the winter wind as possible. Here are some of the best design elements you can use to do that:

  • Evergreen hedges
  • Solid fences
  • Earthen berms

Each of those elements will be effective for blocking wind. But the degree of their effectiveness relies on their placement.

Where you place your windscreen relates to where you live in the world, as different regions experience different wind patterns. But broadly speaking, those living in North America will feel most winter winds coming from the north and the west. In response, you should locate your windscreen along the north and west edges of your microclimate space. This will minimize the wind chill that you feel while you are in that space.

Let as Much Sunlight in as Possible

Blocking the winter wind is an excellent way to stop your microclimate from becoming extremely cold, but there is another climactic factor you should also address. Allowing the most amount of sunlight into your microclimate is one of the best ways to keep it warm, even late in the season.

Again, the direction of the sun’s rays will be different depending on where you live in the world. But if you are in the northern hemisphere, you can count on the sun to cast its rays from the south. This means that your microclimate should be open to the south to capture as much sunlight as possible.

Don’t place any trees or structures to the south of your microclimate as they could cast an unwanted shadow on the space. Sunlight is the main influence over how warm your microclimate will be. You may be surprised to find how warm a sun-soaked space can be even when the weather is cold.

Advantages and Limitations of Microclimate Design

Designing a microclimate is both challenging and highly rewarding. If you create one successfully, you will enjoy the ability to spend time outdoors in seasons when you would otherwise hunker down indoors. This opens the possibility of inviting friends and family over to spend time in your garden, even in the late fall months.

However, while microclimates can be highly effective, they do have some limits. No matter how careful you are during your design phase, there will still be some days when it is simply too cold to be outdoors, regardless of how well-designed your microclimate is.

Still, with proper planning and implementation, you can make a microclimate in your yard that lets you spend a few extra weeks in your favorite outdoor spaces. Just use the guidance in this article, and you may be shocked to feel how warm and comfy your landscape can be late in the season.

The Basics of Healthy Garden Soil

Garden Plant Care

The Basics of Healthy Garden Soil

Keeping your soil healthy can be a challenge but reaps many rewards. This article will teach you the basics of soil health as well as how to improve your soil for healthy and thriving plants.

Your garden plants are only as good as the soil they grow in. If you want a good harvest or beautiful blooms that last through the season, then you need to give them a nourishing place to grow by developing healthy garden soil.

Many factors go into creating healthy soil, and putting in the effort will pay off in a big way all growing season. Here’s what you need to know about the basics of garden soil.

Soil Health 101

Far from just dirt, garden soil is alive and complex. It contains a mix of minerals, water, air, organic matter, and plenty of microorganisms. Achieving the right balance between these components is the key to developing healthy garden soil.

Organic Material

Like all living things, garden soil needs to be fed regularly. Failing to add nutrients back into the ground after growing plants in it will cause the soil to become deficient, leading to lackluster plant growth.

You can support soil health with regular doses of organic matter, such as shredded leaves, aged compost, animal manure, and grass clippings.

Soil Microorganisms

Microscopic life plays a massive role in the health of garden soil. Soil microbes improve soil structure, break down nutrients into forms that plants can access, and help plant roots better absorb water and nutrients.

It’s best to boost soil microbes through regular doses of organic material. As these microorganisms break the material down, the soil texture will improve, and nutrients in the soil will become available for your plants.

Soil Structure

Beyond its nutrient content, the soil needs to have a good physical structure. It must contain enough space between particles for oxygen and water to infiltrate to keep microbe populations healthy. The soil’s composition of three main types of particles will impact its overall structure:

  • Clay: These tiny particles stick together and form large clumps. Clay soil tends to be fertile, but it’s challenging to work with and quickly becomes compacted.
  • Sand: While sandy soil is loose and easy to work, it dries out quickly, and nutrients tend to wash away.
  • Loam: Considered the ideal garden soil, loam is crumby, rich in organic material, and retains water well.
Four Factors That Affect Soil Health

Is your soil performing at less than its best? Many factors affect soil health, including the following.

  • Too much compaction: Compact soil reduces pore space in soil, limiting the air, water, and microorganisms within it.
  • Growing on a new construction site: When homes are built, the topsoil is often removed from the site, and lower-quality subsoil from the excavation site is spread over the yard.
  • pH extremes: Overly acid or alkaline soils reduce microbial activity, leaving it less healthy in the long run.
  • Too many synthetic amendments: Using synthetic fertilizers might give your plants a boost in the short term, but they reduce soil organism diversity and deplete the soil in the long run.
How To Improve Your Soil

Improving your garden soil takes time and research. Following these steps will give you a head start towards achieving healthy garden soil.

1. Get a Soil Test

Before you can improve your soil, it’s important to understand what’s lacking in the first place.

A soil test will provide a comprehensive overview of the nutrient profile and let you know what amendments will make the most significant difference. Most soil tests will identify the pH level, the amount of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sulfur in the soil, and the concentration of organic material.

It’s possible to purchase soil testing kits online, or you can connect with your local extension service for resource help and more in-depth analysis. Make sure you conduct a soil test every few years to see how the soil changes over time so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

2. Add Compost (and Other Amendments)

Adding compost is one of the best ways to build up healthy soil. Compost is made from decomposed organic material, and working it into the ground improves the soil structure, boosts its nutrient profile, and even helps with drainage and water absorption.

Take care to apply compost as directed by the seller, as too much can overwhelm your growing space with specific nutrients and lead to problems. For example, excessive amounts of nitrogen will cause plants to put all their energy into leaf production at the cost of growing flowers or fruit.

This is also the time to add other lacking soil amendments. Garden lime can reduce the soil’s acidity, while bone meal adds an infusion of phosphorus and calcium.

3. Mulch the Soil Surface

A proven way to protect the soil for the long term is to apply mulch on top of it. Not only does mulch stimulate natural growing conditions in a forest system, but it helps retain moisture, suppresses weed growth, and prevents soil from eroding or blowing away in extreme weather events.

Best of all, mulch will slowly decompose into the soil to increase its fertility.

4. Avoid Soil Compaction

The more soil is worked, the more likely it is to become compacted. That’s a problem for soil health, as it prevents air and water from reaching plant roots.

Clay soil is most likely to become compacted, and over time it can become barren and nearly impossible to work.

Prevent this problem by creating garden paths so you don’t step into the planting space. Wait to work the soil until it’s completely dry.

5. Rotate Crops Yearly

It’s a mistake to grow annual vegetable crops in the same garden beds each year. Doing so increases the chances of depleting the soil of nutrients, spreading disease, and promoting pest populations.

Instead, plant crops in different locations every growing season so that each plant family only grows in one spot every three years. This prevents any plant family from pulling too much of one nutrient out of the ground and ensures that disease spores and insect pests die out before they return.

Improving your garden soil is a long-term task that takes careful planning and experimentation to get right. Following the tips in this article will help you start out right on your journey to achieving perfect garden soil. With some patience and effort, your hard work will result in healthy soil that lasts for growing seasons to come.

Cleaning Your Garden After the Fall

Garden Plant Care

Cleaning Your Garden After the Fall

There’s a lot that needs to be done in the late fall to prepare your garden for the winter months. Here’s what to prioritize to get your garden in good shape for next spring.

For most gardeners, fall is one of the busiest seasons. Vegetable plants are still in full production mode, and flowers are blooming every day.

The finish line to the growing season may be in sight, but it’s a mistake to call it quits before giving your garden a proper cleaning before winter.

Taking the time to clean up your garden after the fall will make for a healthier, more productive growing space once spring arrives. Here’s what to prioritize, so the process isn’t overwhelming.

When to Start Cleaning the Fall Garden

The best time to start cleaning the garden is after the first frost of the fall. This freezing weather will kill off most annual plants so you don’t need to worry about cutting the season short. It’s also possible to start the cleanup earlier in the season once most of the plants start fading and slowing down production.

Be careful about starting the cleaning process too early with your perennials, as cutting them back when the weather is still warm might trigger new growth, which weakens the plants before winter.

If you live in an area without frost, wait until the annual plants begin to brown and die before starting the fall cleanup.

Seven Important Steps for Cleaning the Garden

Taking care of the fall garden doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Follow these steps to ensure the most critical projects are completed.

1. Take Care of Weeds

It’s tempting to give up on weeding once the weather starts to get cold, but doing so sets you up for disaster in the spring. That’s because each weed will go to seed and disperse hundreds of new seeds into the garden to sprout next season

So, if you only prioritize one project for cleaning the fall garden, make sure you complete one final round of weeding. If the ground is bare, consider covering the soil with cardboard or tarps to prevent any weed seeds from germinating.

2. Remove Diseased Plants (But Leave the Rest)

There are different opinions on the best way to take care of dead garden plants in the fall.

In the past, the popular gardening advice was to remove all plant material from their gardens in the fall to make the growing space clean and tidy. Now, people better appreciate the importance of leaving things more natural to create a habitat for beneficial insects over the winter.

The best strategy today is to carefully inspect your growing space and remove only the plant material that shows signs of disease or extreme insect damage. Throw this material away — don’t compost it — so you don’t spread the disease to next year’s plants.

Many healthy plant stalks can be left in place. Not only will they anchor the soil against erosion from winter storms, but they provide a habitat for beneficial organisms. Flowers with seeds, like sunflowers, also offer birds and other wildlife a winter food supply.

Note: Consider cutting back early blooming perennials and other self-seeding plants if you don’t want them spreading throughout the garden in the spring.

Also, you should always cut back irises to a few centimeters above the soil line so iris borers can’t overwinter in their foliage.

3. Make a Plan for Fallen Leaves

Fallen leaves have a place in garden beds. Rather than throwing your yard debris away, shred some of it with a mulcher or by running over it with a lawnmower to layer it over the garden beds. It will decompose over the winter and add fertility back to the soil.

You can also add a few piles of leaves to out-of-the-way corners of the garden to supply habitat space for butterflies, native bees, and other valuable pollinators.

Finally, add shredded leaves to your compost bin to balance any green material and make a nutrient-rich soil amendment for the spring.

4. Plant New Shrubs and Tend to Established Ones

Fall is the best time to plant new bushes, shrubs, and trees in your garden. The soil is still warm enough to give them a head start before winter dormancy so they can take off in the spring.

You can help your established plants by watering less in the early fall to slow down growth. Once the leaves have dropped, you can give each plant a deep watering before mulching around their trunks to protect against dropping temperatures.

5. Amend the Soil

The best time to restore fertility to your garden is early fall, once the growing season is starting to wrap up.

Once the perennials have gone dormant, you can add organic material like compost, shredded leaves, or rotted manure to the garden beds and mix it into the top few inches of the bed. It will break down over the winter and be ready for plants to access in the spring.

This is also the best time to get a soil test to determine what nutrients the space may need.

Note: Minimize tilling as much as possible, so you don’t disturb any burrowing insects that are hibernating.

6. Mulch for Winter Protection

Unless you’re growing a winter crop, it’s best to mulch garden beds in the fall to protect the soil and less hardy perennials.

Spread a ten-centimeter layer of shredded leaves, straw, or wood chips on bare ground and around existing plants (leaving space between the stems and mulch) to offer some insulation. Rake away or till in any material that didn’t decompose by spring to clear up the planting space.

7. Take Care of Equipment

Finally, fall is the best time to take care of all your gardening tools for the season. Wipe down every hoe and trowel to prevent rust, and winterize everything with a motor to ensure it won’t freeze. You’ll likely need to drain the gas out of lawnmowers, weed-whackers, and other power tools.

Bring ceramics and clay pots indoors to prevent breakage, and wipe down every planting tray with a diluted bleach solution to protect against disease spread.

Clean the Fall Garden for Success in the Spring

Though it may feel like a lot of work, taking time to clean the fall garden is the best way to enjoy a better growing space in the spring. Taking steps to prep the soil, remove weeds, and support beneficial insects helps everything stay healthy and thriving in the future.