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How to Measure Your Garden to Create a Perfect Lawn Space

Creating a lawn space takes careful planning. In the early stages of the process, getting an accurate measurement of your future lawn space is one of your most important objectives. Fortunately, there are several reliable ways to measure the size and shape of your lawn.

A lush lawn space is a great place to play and relax in your garden. But healthy lawns only come about through a careful planning process. One of the most important aspects of that planning process is determining how large your lawn space will be. That is why we’ve created this guide to teach you how to measure your garden to create the perfect lawn space.

Find the Right Measuring Tool

Before you can calculate your lawn area, you’ll need a way to take accurate measurements. Below are three of the most common tools that gardeners use to measure their yards:

Paces – This is the quickest but least accurate way to measure a lawn space. Simply walk along each dimension with even strides. Assume each stride is about three feet.
Tape Measure – Using a tape measure will give you greater accuracy than paces. However, in most cases, you will need a partner to hold the other end of the tape while you take measurements.
Measuring Wheel - A measuring wheel might be the best tool you can use when measuring an outdoor area. Measuring wheels will give you a quick, accurate measurement that you can take by yourself.

Measuring Regular Areas

The easiest areas to measure are those that are rectangular. All you will need to do is take the length and width of the area, then multiply those two figures.

There are a few other regular shapes that you should be prepared to measure as a part of your lawn. While rectangles may be the most common, you may encounter triangles and circles as well. Thankfully, finding the areas of those shapes is also straightforward.

For a circular lawn area, measure the radius. Then square that number and multiply the product by pi. For a triangle, multiply the base by the height. Then divide that number by two to find the area. At times, a garden space may consist of multiple regular shapes that connect to one another. In that instance, measure each shape individually and add their areas together at the end.

Measuring Irregular Areas

Measuring an irregular lawn area is a far more difficult task, which will require you to make some approximations. To help you with this task, we recommend that you use a pencil and graph paper to create a bird’s-eye-view drawing of your garden.

Use the gridlines to make sure your drawing is at an accurate scale. For example, you could imagine that one square on the graph paper represents one square foot of actual garden space. Alter this scale as you see fit based on the size of your lawn.

Next, you will need to sketch your garden in its current state. Remember, your drawing does not need to be aesthetically pleasing. Instead, it will serve a functional role in helping you determine the size of your lawn. After establishing the existing features, draw your desired lawn area. The next step will be easier if you shade in this lawn space.

After shading the lawn on your drawing, count how many squares the lawn fills completely. Use your scale factor to calculate that rectangular area. Then look at the squares that the lawn covers only partly. Evaluate these squares one at a time and estimate the percentage of each square that the lawn covers. Use your scale factor and that percentage to approximate the lawn space area for that square. Complete that process for every partly filled square and add each area to your total.

Once you have your total, you are ready to purchase sod. Our final tip here is to ere on the side of buying slightly more than you need rather than slightly less. After all, it is better to have a full lawn space with some leftover sod than it is to have an incomplete lawn. With that in mind, you are now well on your way to adding a pleasant grassy area to your garden.

All About Earthworms: Is It Good For the Soil?

Did you know that if you find earthworms in your garden, that your soil is healthy? Earthworms help to aerate the soil and to add valuable nutrients in the form of worm castings. These castings provide your plants with some of the essential nutrients they need.

Most seasoned gardeners smile when they uncover an earthworm in their garden. It’s both an indication that their soil is healthy and contains organic matter and that their plants will thrive happily.

Earthworms are, indeed, good for the soil in a variety of ways. Their presence helps to unlock nutrients and aerate the soil. As a result, this helps to improve drainage and the soil structure itself.

Here are the benefits of having earthworms in your soil.

Earthworms Unlock Nutrients in the Soil

Earthworms are voracious consumers. In fact, they can consume half their body weight each and every day. Mostly, earthworms consume organic matter such as leaves, manure, grass and dead roots.

As they eat their way through the soil, they digest the organic material and release it back into the soil as castings. These castings are rich in nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium.

Sometimes, when these nutrients are already present in the soil, they may be locked up tightly and not easily available to the plant roots. However, worm castings are easily available for the roots of the plants growing in the soil to take up and use.

This means that plants growing in soil that contains earthworms will grow healthy and strong because they have plenty of nutrients to uptake from the soil.

Earthworms Aerate the Soil

You may not be aware that plant roots require air as well as water and nutrients. Without sufficient air pockets in the soil, the roots would suffocate. In fact, you may have noticed that plants growing in dense clay soils do not thrive as well as plants that are growing in a more open soil.

This is where earthworms come to the rescue. They move through the soil by building tunnels and consuming organic matter as they go. These tunnels naturally create air pockets in the soil and are usually also filled with worm castings.

This benefits the plants by not only providing sufficient air for the roots but also additional nutrients. In addition, these tunnels also allow the water to move more freely through the soil to get to the plant roots.

Earthworms Improve the Drainage in the Soil

Due to their tunneling in the soil, earthworms create extra spaces that the water can travel through. As a result, this increases the soil’s drainage and means that the water can better reach the roots of the plants rather than sitting on top of the soil.

This is especially beneficial for heavy clay soils that have the tendency to bind the water and restrict its movement. In fact, soils that contain a healthy colony of worms can have a water infiltration that is six times greater than soils without worms.

Earthworms Improve the Soil Structure

It has been shown scientifically that earthworms do increase the soil structure and also add more friable topsoil. There are certain species of worms that like to live near the surface of the soil.

As these worms feed and produce their castings, they naturally increase the soil level. Therefore, soils that contain many earthworms will have a deeper layer of nutrient-rich topsoil that helps plants to grow faster and healthier.

How to Encourage More Earthworms Into Your Garden

If you want to benefit from having more earthworms in your garden, there are a few things that you can do.

Add a layer of organic matter. Adding compost to your topsoil will give the worms plenty of food to munch on. This, in turn, will increase the number of worms that inhabit your garden.
Make sure the pH of the soil is close to neutral. Earthworms don’t like soils that are too acid or alkaline. Therefore, ensure you soil has a close-to-neutral pH. You can add lime to increase the pH level of the soil. This also increases the calcium levels in the soil which is beneficial to the worms.
Use organic fertilizers. Many commercially produced fertilizers are highly acidic and this is not good for the worms. Instead, try using organic fertilizers such as animal manures. The worms will love it and reward you with a plentiful supply of castings.

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret to seasoned gardeners that earthworms are beneficial to the soil. Therefore, when you see some worms as you’re digging, make sure that you don’t harm them. Just cover them back up and let them get on with their task of improving your soil.

Earthworms release valuable nutrients to your soil and they aerate it as they go. This gives your plants a lovely healthy environment to thrive and grow.

Why Pollinators Are Essential for Your Garden

Why Pollinators Are Essential For Your Garden

Did you know that without pollinators like bees in our garden, we would not have fruiting crops such as tomatoes, peppers, apples and pears? You see, these amazing little insects help to move pollen from flower to flower and this initiates fruiting. Find out how.

Did you know that without pollinators in your garden, many of the vegetables that you grow would not produce fruit or seeds that you can save and use for the next crop? This is because pollinators, such as bees, help to fertilize the flowers that will eventually produce the fruit.

We grow a large variety of vegetables in our home gardens that actually produce fruit that we can consume. These include tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis or summer squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, peppers, pumpkins, peas and beans. Many fruits such as apples, pears, peaches and melons also require pollination.

In fact, there are many fruit trees that need to be pollinated by a different variety of the same fruit. For example, apples and avocados need to be cross-pollinated from flowers of a tree that produces a different variety of the same fruit.

But, for these plants to produce fruit, the flowers have to be fertilized. This involves transferring pollen from one flower to another. Or, it can mean just the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the stigma on the same flower. Each grain of pollen will produce a fine tendril that will grow down the style and into the ovary of the flower. This is where fertilization then occurs.

Therefore, without pollination, most fruit producing plants cannot be fertilized and, hence, they won’t produce any fruit.

What Are the Most Common Pollinators?

You guessed it! Bees are the most common and efficient pollinators that we all know. They fly from flower to flower to gather nectar to make honey. As they visit each flower, their tiny legs inadvertently collect the pollen. This pollen is then deposited on the next flower that the bee visits. Isn’t nature wonderful?

Besides bees, there are many other insects that help to pollinate our plants.

Hoverflies

Hoverflies are small flies with yellow bands on their black bodies. You may have noticed these hovering above your plants before quickly darting off to another flower.

Like bees, hoverflies collect the nectar from flowers and the pollen sticks to their bodies. This pollen is then deposited on the next flower that they visit.

Butterflies

Butterflies are also nectar feeders. Like bees and hoverflies, they collect the pollen on their bodies and then drop it onto another flower as they move around.

Moths

Some moths are also nectar gatherers and will spread pollen from one flower to an adjacent one.

Hummingbirds

As you may be aware, hummingbirds love nectar and they consume copious amounts of it on a daily basis. So, if you’re lucky enough to have hummingbirds visit your garden, you can be assured that they’re busy pollinating many of your plants.

How Pollination Works

Some plants have both male and female flowers. These include pumpkins and summer squash. To produce fruit, the pollen from the male flowers must be deposited onto the stigma on the female flower.

Once this occurs, fertilization begins. Generally, the ovary of the female flower will start to swell and eventually develop into a full grown fruit. This fruit contains the seeds that can be collected to plant the next crop.

Other plants have flowers that are self-fertile. This means that the anthers containing the pollen and the stigma are produced on the same flower. However, the pollen still needs to be moved from the anther to the stigma for fertilization to occur.

There are other factors that can contribute to pollination such as the wind or people and animals brushing past the plants which aids in the transfer of pollen. Additionally, bats and birds can also help with the pollinating process.

However, the most common method of pollination is through the aid of nectar-gathering insects.

How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

The best way to attract pollinators to your garden is to plant the flowers that commonly attract them. This is one of the reasons that many gardeners also plant flowers in their veggie patch.

So, what flowers are pollinators attracted to? Different pollinators are attracted to specific colors. But, most importantly, the flowers that you plant should be rich in nectar.

Here are a few suggestions.

Flowers to Attract Bees

Most bees are attracted to blue, white and yellow flowers. Therefore, you should consider planting lavender, daisies, calendulas, basil and mint. Allow some of the basil and mint plants to flower so that they will attract the bees.

Flowers to Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies don’t have tongues to collect nectar with. Therefore, they need flowers that are open and easily accessible. Popular flowers to attract hoverflies include fennel, dahlias, autumn asters, marigolds, apple blossoms, calendulas and sweet alyssum.

Flowers to Attract Butterflies

Butterflies are attracted to many different nectar-rich flowers. These include marigolds, nasturtiums, calendulas, sage, daisies, oregano, phlox and buddleia (butterfly bush).

Practices to Avoid

If you want to attract pollinators to your garden, and you should, avoid using insecticides. Most insecticides will not only kill the harmful insects but they’ll also kill beneficial ones.

It’s far better to attract beneficial insects to your garden and create an ecosystem where nature helps you to produce a lovely crop. Consider hoverflies, for instance. They’re not only useful pollinators but their larva also feeds on aphids.

Final Thoughts

Attracting pollinators to your garden is vitally important if you want your fruits and vegetables to produce a healthy harvest. Bees, butterflies, hoverflies and hummingbirds help to spread pollen from one flower to another to stimulate the fertilization process.

Without pollinators, your plants would not produce any fruits. Plus, as fruits also contain seeds, there will be no seeds to plant another crop. In fact, if there were no pollinators left on the planet, all the plants would eventually die out.

So, now you understand why it’s so important to attract and protect the pollinators that visit your garden. Most importantly, avoid using insecticides if you can, so that these beneficial insects are protected.

It’s also important to plant lots of nectar-rich flowers around your garden to attract these beneficial insects. You can plant flowers within your veggie patch or as a border around the edge.

This way, you’ll be assured of a bumper crop of deliciously fresh vegetables and fruits.

Flower of the Week: Peruvian Lily

The Peruvian lily or Lily of the Inca (Alstroemeria × hybrida) originated from South Africa is a perennial ornamental plant. It is one of the most common types of cut-flower. Their petals roll upwards and the inside layers of the flowers have purple or red line-shaped spots. These spots are their key characteristics.

The Peruvian lily has different colors of flowers. The most common are orange, yellow, pink, watermelon red, purple, and white. The variety of colors make them easy to be mixed with any color scheme. This makes them common guests of every-day flowers and often appear in wedding flowers and valentine’s day flowers.

In gardens, Peruvian lilies are well-suited to be planted at the borders of flower beds. As a succulent rhizome rhizocarpous plant, they are easy to cultivate and reproduce, which makes them a good choice for beginning gardeners. Although they have bold spots and lines, Peruvian lilies are not poisonous. They are safe for dogs, cats, and horses.

Can I Grow Peruvian Lily Well?

Peruvian lilies are somewhat strict about the requirement of their environments. They like warm and moist environment with ample sun. Avoid flooding and avoid moving the plant. It cannot sustain cold temperatures nor does it sustain hot temperatures.

Their peak growing season is usually in between early spring and early summer. As soon as the temperature exceeds 32°C (90°F), Peruvian lilies are likely to grow blind stems that do not bear flowers. Therefore, in regions with hot summers, they are more suited to be planted at planting spots that do not receive sun exposure in the afternoon.

In the hottest summer, the Peruvian lily can enter a hibernation period. At this time, reduce watering and stop fertilization while keeping them dry. In late summer when the weather turns cooler, they will recover their growth. At this time, reestablish the regular watering procedure.

Peruvian lilies have rhizomes that are below the ground, with latent buds on them. If planting them in gardens, they are likely to develop and expand. You can dig out some portions of rhizome with latent buds for reproduction. The best opportunity to reproduce with latent buds is in late winter. Of course, if you give the rhizomes to your neighbors, they will be welcomed. Because of the expansion of the rhizomes every late winter, Peruvian lilies in pots need to be moved to new pots.

How Can I Have High-Quality Cut-Flowers?

If maintained well, Peruvian lilies have abundant blossoms. Collecting a portion as cut-flowers to decorate indoors is a good choice. When cutting flowers, pick ones that have 2-3 flowers on one scape that have just started to bloom. In the year of planting, it is recommended to cut at the scape using a scissor. From the second year of planting, you can even directly pick the scape and pull it off.

If you are purchasing this flower at a store there are three tips that can help you select fresh Peruvian lilies:

How to Lengthen Peruvian Lily's Bottle Life?

Usually, the vase life of Peruvian Lilies is 7-10 days. If you are willing to give it some care, its vase life can be extended to half a month.

Before putting them into a vase or container, pay attention to water quality. Peruvian Lilies are sensitive to the chlorine residues in water. Therefore, if you are using tap water, let it sit in the sun for a few hours. What’s more, you need to thoroughly clean the vase and scissor you use with this flower. Use a clean plant scissor to cut off all leaves below the water.

After adding them to the vase, change the water once a day. Every time when the water is changed, cut off 2-3 cm (around 1 inch), and dissolve fresh flower food in the water. Keeping the room temperature between 20-25°C and avoiding direct sunlight can also extend the vase life of Peruvian lilies.

Please note, Peruvian lilies are sensitive to ethylene. Therefore, keep them away from fruits and vegetables because many fruits and vegetables release ethylene during or after ripening.

Size: 1-3 ft in height

Hardiness: USDA Zone 7-10

Sunlight: Full sun, afternoon shade in hot areas

Soil: Acidic, well-drained, fertile

Bloom time: Late spring to summer

10 New England Native Shady Plants With Spring Blooms

In the wild, New England native plants thrive in areas of low light and offer a splash of color in the springtime. If you want to add some vibrancy to your garden after a long winter, look no further than this fantastic selection of spring-blooming plants!

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Jack-in-the-pulpit gets its name for the rounded spadix in the midst of its large “pulpit” of a spathe. It thrives in moist floodplains or within deciduous forests. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic. Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers are pollinated by gnats; they visit male flowers, where they pick up pollen, but are unable to escape female flowers, so the pollen can get drawn from their dead bodies.

Interrupted fern

The Interrupted fern is native to parts of Asia and North America. It gets its name from a gap that’s left when the fern’s fertile portions wither and fall off. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for native, traditional and wildlife gardens. It has also been used for erosion control.

Bunchberry dogwood

Bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis) is a herbaceous, flowering perennial plant that grows along the ground and spreads by underground rhizomes. Bunchberry dogwood flowers bloom in the spring, followed by clusters of red berries that ripen in summer. This plant attracts birds, deer and other wildlife. It is commonly planted in gardens.

Dutchman's breeches

Dutchman’s breeches gets its name from the shape of its flower petals. The petals form an upside-down “V” which resembles a pair of pants, or “britches.” Dutchman’s breeches is found in the woods and blooms in early spring, making it some of the first food for bees and pollinators. It goes dormant towards the end of summer.

Yellow trout lily

Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is a spring-flowering plant found in woodland areas throughout North America. The common name Yellow trout lily was given to this plant because its leaves coloration resembles a species of trout.

Virginia bluebells

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is native to eastern North America. However, it’s being increasingly threatened in its original environment by both destruction of habitat and the obstruction of natural river flooding. It has nearly hollow stems, so they’re fragile and break easily. Flowers start off pink, and then gradually turn light blue.

Wild blue phlox

Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) also goes by the names of woodland phlox or Louisiana phlox, and it’s indigenous to eastern North America. The flowers sit atop hairy, sticky stems. In the wild, it loves to grow along stream banks. ‘Phlox’ is Greek for ‘flame’ because some flowers of this species have intensely vibrant colors.

Bloodroot

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a plant species native to eastern North America. In the wild its early spring blooms can be seen spreading across the forest floor or along riverbanks. Its common name comes from its reddish orange-sap, which can be made into a dye. Bloodroot seeds are often spread by ants who take them back to their nests.

Columbine meadow-rue

Thalictrum aquilegiifolium is a species of flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family known by the common names Siberian columbine meadow-rue, columbine meadow-rue, French meadow-rue, and greater meadow-rue. Its native range extends through Europe and temperate Asia, with a naturalized distribution in North America limited to New York and Ontario. Growing to 100 cm tall by 45 cm wide, it is an herbaceous perennial, with leaves composed of frilled leaflets resembling those of aquilegia. In early summer it bears clusters of fluffy pink flowers in flat-topped panicles. The plant contains an alkaloid ‘Thalidisine’, which is also present in other Thalictrum species. The cultivar ‘Thundercloud’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Heartleaf foamflower

Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a perennial plant that will grow to 14 inches tall. It has lobed, heart-shaped leaves at the base and tall hairy stalks ascending from the base. From May to July, white flowers bloom profusely along the stalks. It produces seeds from June to August. It prefers moist soil with partial shade such as in woodland and forest areas.

Create Your Own Indoor Jungle Step by Step

Does the idea of living in a jungle excite you? If so, you will be pleased to learn that you can create one in your home. Just follow the steps in this article, and soon you will have your own indoor jungle to enjoy.

What is more exciting than the idea of exploring a lush jungle landscape? Now imagine that jungle exists in your own home! While this may seem too good to be true, creating your own indoor jungle is much easier than you think. In this article, we’ll teach you what you need to know to pull off this impressive look. Read on to learn about some of the design principles you should follow as well as a few ideal plants you should use.

Types of Jungle Plants

A jungle can look like a chaotic mix of wild plants, but you might be surprised to find that these plants all exist within a few specific categories. Each one makes a different contribution to what a jungle looks and feels like. Of course, you won’t be able to make a full-sized jungle in your home. But what you can do is create a miniature version of a jungle that includes all of the core components. To do that, you’ll need to find plants that can fall into these four groups.

Canopy Plants

Canopy trees are the tallest plants in the jungle. They grow to extreme heights and cast shade on the jungle floor below. In a true jungle, the shade that the canopy casts plays a key role in establishing the conditions in which the plants below will live. Canopy plants are also home to many jungle animals. The best way you can recreate this effect indoors is by including some trees that will grow indoors. There are numerous species that meet that definition, and many are dwarf varieties that will remain small enough to fit in your living room. Here are a few of the best indoor trees to add to your indoor jungle:

Understory Plants

Canopy trees are the top level of the jungle, and the next level down is the understory. Understory trees are a bit smaller and often thrive in the filtered light that the canopy provides. In a jungle, these plants may take the form of a small tree or a large shrub. They also add intriguing layers to the jungle that contribute to the sense of mystery that these landscapes invoke. Without a healthy understory, your indoor jungle will be incomplete. Here are some of the plant varieties that you should consider using:

Ground-Level Plants

At the lowest level of the jungle, you will find plants that are small and grow just above the ground. While these plants may not stand out as much as the taller trees, they still add a degree of depth to your indoor jungle. Ground-level plants also add additional greenery and interesting textures to your planting scheme. For those reasons and more, you should not neglect these smaller plant species in your indoor jungle:

Vines and Hanging Plants

The three categories of plants that we have already covered will get you very close to your goal of creating an indoor jungle. But there is one variety of plants that we are still missing. When most of us envision a jungle, our imagination includes vines that drape themselves along the branches of larger trees. These vines add to the wildness of the jungle and are a set of plants that you should grow in your indoor jungle as well. But rather than having your vines grow on another plant, it is best for you to set up a few hanging pots throughout your indoor jungle. Here are some of the species that you can use to fill those hanging containers:

Pothos
English ivy
Wandering Jew
Creeping fig
Heartleaf philodendron
Peperomia
Arrowhead plant

Tips for Your Indoor Jungle

Now that you have a great understanding of the plants that you should include in your indoor jungle, it’s time to add to that knowledge with a few helpful tips. After all, an indoor jungle is a place like no other, and as such, it calls for some special treatment. Continue on to learn what you should do to ensure your indoor jungle is a success.

Humidity for Jungle Plants

Jungles are notoriously humid places. With that in mind, it is no surprise to learn that many of the plants that grow there require plenty of moisture in the air. In an indoor setting, that moisture can be difficult to recreate. And if the air in your home is too dry, you may find that many of your jungle plants are failing. One of the best ways to avoid this is to use a spray bottle. Begin by identifying the plant species that have the greatest need for air moisture, then mist them regularly to keep them healthy and recreate the humidity they love.

Sunlight Needs for Jungle Plants

Sunlight is a prerequisite for anyone who wishes to grow an indoor jungle. The lack of sunlight in indoor spaces is a challenge to anyone who wishes to grow plants inside. However, this issue is especially important for many jungle plant species. Determine which areas of your home receive the most sunlight. Then, you should situate your indoor jungle plants so that they get as much of that light as possible. If you can’t provide enough natural sunlight, hope is not lost. You can choose to use an indoor grow light instead.

Find Attractive Containers

Our last tip to help your indoor jungle look its best is to be highly selective with the containers you use. Plants that grow indoors still need soil to survive. A great container is essentially the only way to give your plants a place to live. Choose containers that are lovely to look at and that complement your existing interior design. The right set of containers can be extremely useful in putting the finishing touches on your indoor jungle design.

Why Did My Succulent Change Colors? Signs to Notice

Succulents change color because they’re under stress. However, this is not a bad thing and not something you should be worried about. In fact, we explain exactly why your succulent has changed color and what you can do to promote this.

Succulents are such striking plants that they’ve become a favorite with many people. They’re relatively easy to grow making them ideal for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.

But, if you’re new to succulent growing, you might be concerned that your succulent has changed colors. More often than not, this is not something to worry about as it’s the plant’s natural reaction to certain stresses or changes in environment.

There are primarily three reasons why succulents change color. These are related to the amount of available sunlight, the amount of water they receive and the temperature range that they’re growing in.

You see, when conditions change, the plant will react with a change in color. Many succulents that have signs of red or orange around the borders of their leaves are under stress. But, this is not a bad thing. It’s just the plant’s response and can even be initiated if you want that tinge of red on your succulent leaves.

The Amount of Light the Succulent Gets

Most succulents do prefer some bright sunlight in the morning. This will encourage that brightly colored foliage. However, if your succulents are mainly growing in the shade, they will revert to green.

You might have noticed this if you’ve ever ordered succulents online. When these plants arrive on your doorstep, and you open the box, they will be green in color. This is because they’ve been deprived of sunlight for a few days.

To encourage these plants to display their more vibrant colors, simply give them some sunlight. Morning sun is ideal as the hot afternoon sun may scorch the plants and turn them brown instead.

If your succulents are growing indoors you can either place them on a bright windowsill or even place them outside for a couple of hours each day.

How Much Water the Succulent Gets

Succulents that get the ideal amount of water for their needs will generally turn green. This is because they are not under stress and are putting all their energy into growing.

Therefore, if you want to encourage some colorful growth, give your succulent a little less water. This might take a little bit of trial and error to get exactly the results you want.

For example, if you normally water your succulents once every week, try missing a week and see what happens. Don’t worry. This won’t do any long-term harm to your succulent but you might be rewarded with some vibrant color appearing on the tips of the foliage.

Whatever you do though, don’t ever overwater your succulents as this is the most common reason that succulents die. These plants don’t like having wet roots and sitting in water as this causes them to rot.

In the long run, it’s far better to underwater your succulents than to give them too much.

The Temperature Range the Succulent Is Exposed To

Once the temperature starts to drop, you will notice that your succulents start to change color. They’ll display more vibrant shades of red and pink. Especially when the temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is why succulents that are grown outdoors will be much more vibrant during winter and early spring. Then, once the temperature rises again, they lose some of their vibrancy.

To initiate a little color change in your indoor succulents, you can place them outside for a short period each day as long as the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Final Thoughts

Succulents change color because they are under stress. However, this is not something to be concerned about because it’s perfectly normal. Stress-free succulents that grow out of direct sunlight will generally revert to green.

To encourage your succulents to display some of their brighter colors, you can induce a little environmental stress to your plants. This won’t harm them but you’ll be rewarded with vibrant colors.

There are three things you can do to induce more colorful foliage:

Now that you understand why your succulents change colors, you can have a little fun with them to see what results you can produce. Remember though, that each succulent variety is different. So, try these different experiments in small doses to begin with.

Observe how your plant reacts and changes and then adjust your routine to get the best results.

How to Grow a Balcony Flower Garden? Start From Here

Growing flowers on your balcony can be both fun and immensely rewarding. It helps to brighten up your living space and gives you the pleasure of growing when you don’t have a garden plot to tend.

If your green thumb is itching, but you don’t have a yard to dig around in, a balcony flower garden just might be what you need. These flower gardens will add a beautiful look to your balcony, delighting you and passersby. And live plants really brighten up a home and make it feel like your space. Living in an apartment or condo doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden! Keep reading for tips on a how to grow a flower garden on your balcony.

Start Small

If you are just starting to flex your green thumb, don’t worry about going all out. It is so easy to go pick out a ton of very pretty flowers you want to grow. Nurseries and other stores selling plants will have a lot to pick from and you likely will be drawn to many plants. Try not to fall into that trap just yet. Start small with only a few pots for your balcony. Three or four plants is a great starting place. You can care for them, get a taste of gardening, and most importantly not get overwhelmed. Plus this means a smaller initial investment as you test the waters of balcony gardening.

What to Think About Before Selecting Your Plants

Once you decide you want to go for it and start a balcony flower garden, you really need to decide what can grow. You don’t want to just pick out pretty flowers to have them die because they can’t get what they need to survive in the space. This will only make you frustrated. Plus it’s a waste of your time and money.

Above all, if you live in an apartment or condo, check with the building to see if there are any specific rules you need to follow. After that, there are a few basic things you need to consider. How much sun does the space get? And when is it getting the most sun? There are some plants that do best with a little morning sun, but can’t tolerate the harshness of heavy afternoon sunlight. Does it get really hot on your balcony? Sun reflecting off the windows can really heat up the space.

Is the space windy? If so, you might need to consider a lattice or trellis for support. Don’t worry they sell these specifically for pots. Also with wind, the plant will need more water as it will dry out more quickly. If so you might need self watering pots.

You also should consider how much space you have. Will having large pots take away from seating space? Can your balcony accommodate large plants and their pots or would a vertical garden be a better use of the space?

Also think about how much time you will be able to spend taking care of the plants. If you are constantly on the go, you might want to look for a hardy plant that doesn’t need a lot of help from you. There are so many finicky plants that will give you trouble if you miss even a day of watering or temperatures change too much too quickly.

Select Your Containers

As you select containers for your plants, consider the size and weight of the container. This means thinking about how heavy it will be when it is full. Check to make sure your balcony can support the weight of the containers at their heaviest. You might even need to consult your building’s maintenance staff. To make your containers weigh a little less, you can add filler to the bottom like empty milk jugs or coco coir. This will take up some space you would have otherwise filled with potting soil.

You can find all sorts of garden containers at your local hardware store, box store or garden nursery. They will range in all sizes, shapes and weight. Not only that, but you will find they are made from a variety of materials and quality. You can also find containers at garage sales. This is especially good if you are trying to keep costs low to start.

Adding some hanging baskets into the mix is just another great way to create another layer to the overall look of your balcony flower garden. Just make sure they are secured as high winds can knock them around.

Picking Your Plants

Now that you know what the conditions on your balcony are and what size you are looking for, it is time to select your plants. Some balcony gardeners will start out with a mix of annuals and perennials. Annuals live only for one season, while perennials can winter over and return year after year. With perennials, look for native plants, as they will have an easier time growing in your location.

Here are some flowers that work well as balcony plants in containers:

Petunias
Begonias
Fuchsia
Chrysanthemums
Pansies
Marigolds
New Guinea Impatiens
Roses
Sweet Alyssum
Hydrangeas

In addition to flowers, succulents, ferns and herbs can also make great additions to balcony gardens. If you find you want to expand your balcony garden, there are fruits and vegetable plants you can also look into.

Try Combining Plants in Containers

Not all plants need to grow in separate containers. Annuals especially can make a beautiful arrangement when planted together in the same pot. Doing this will give you several different textures, levels and colors in one container. If you need help selecting annuals that go together, nursery workers are always ready to work with you to create the perfect combinations. As with any container plant, make sure you aren’t overcrowding them. You want to give them plenty of space to grow and not be fighting for resources.

Caring for Your Balcony Garden

You’ve determined what you need, picked the plants and the containers, and set everything up. Now you get to enjoy the space you have created, but you also have to remember to care for them. Different plants will need different care. Some need a lot of water and others not so much. You will also need to think about regular checks for pests, ensuring your hard work doesn’t go to waste with an invasion. This is often considered easier because you are working in such a small space and you don’t have expansive beds to check over. Regular pruning and dead heading might also be necessary.

As winter begins to set in, consider if you want to save your plants or not. Perennials may survive outside on their own if the containers are large enough, but you may have to bring them indoors. Your annuals won’t survive outside if you leave them, but this means you can start over next year with new combinations. These pots of annuals can be brought in and placed in a window. With care, you might just be able to keep them around to go back out once the spring comes.

Flower of the Week: Garden Rose

Flower of the Week:

Garden Rose

It’s hard to imagine that there is such an elaborate library of variety in garden roses, the popular garden plant – from shrubs to vines, from rose-scented tea to elegant cut rose, from rose tea to essential rose oil. The garden rose has been deeply grounded in our lives, admired by generations of breeders, and conquered both Eastern and Western gardeners from different cultural backgrounds. In fact, both the United States and England use the garden rose as their national flower.

Places of Interest

1. San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, California, USA

Located in San Jose, California, the garden is home to more than 4,000 grass clumps and hundreds of rose varieties. You will find it hard to believe that this rose garden was originally an orchard full of plums. In 2010, the garden won the first “America’s Best Rose Garden” contest. From April to November every year, you can see different kinds of flowers. Undoubtedly, if you wish to see the spectacle of your life, May is your best bet with all roses gracefully blooming and exuding aromatic fragrance. Furthermore, a leisurely walk in the garden is also a decent option to relax and you can even get a detailed map at the entrance to learn the names of these roses in detail.

2. Royal National Rose Society Gardens, Hertfordshire, UK

As the name suggests, the Royal National Rose Society Gardens is the official garden of the Royal National Rose Society, located at its headquarters near St. Albans. After four years of closing and redesigning, it finally reopened in 2007, containing more than 7,000 plants of 2,500 varieties. Features of the park include the display of rose related history and roses with companion plantings and designs. If you want to plant garden roses in your own little garden, you can definitely get your inspiration from this place.

3. The City of Sakura Rose Garden, Chiba, Japan

From Narita Airport on the outskirts of the Metropolitan of Tokyo, it takes only 30 minutes to reach this famous rose collection. Although it is only 20 years old, its vintage style is very enchanting and is highly prized by authorities around the world. The traditional rose varieties here give off on outstanding aroma, far surpassing the modern hybrid varieties which usually have no fragrance. Among the thousands of roses in the park, the world-famous Rose breeder in the 20th century, Seizo Suzuki, donated 200 rare varieties, including many Japanese, Chinese, and other Asian varieties.

Brief History of Rose

The garden rose has a long history. It symbolizes love, beauty, war, and politics.

According to fossil evidence, the garden rose is 35 million years old. In nature, there are about 150 species of garden roses in the whole Euroasia, North America and North Africa. Rose gardens for viewing purposes started its cultivation in China about 5,000 years ago.

Lady Banks’ rose, originated from China, a rare yellow rose

During the Roman period, garden roses were widely cultivated in the Middle East. They were used as raw material for medicine, perfume, and confetti in celebration activities. The Roman aristocrats also built a large-scale public rose garden in the south of Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of the garden rose had its ups and downs in the gardening trend at that time.

War of the Roses

In the middle of the 15th century, a civil war broke out in England to fight for the throne. The two rivals in the royal House of Plantagenet – the House of Lancaster and the House of York – engaged in many wars in 32 years. The war ended with the marriage of Henry VII of the Lancaster family and Elizabeth of York. It also ended the rule of the French Canary Dynasty in England and opened the new rule of the Welsh Tudor Dynasty. This famous war in history is called the War of the Roses. After that, England’s Middle Ages ended and entered a new Renaissance.

Framed print after 1908 painting by Henry Payne of the scene in the Temple Garden from Shakespeare’s play Henry VI, Part 1, where supporters of the rival factions pick either red or white roses

In fact, the name “War of the Roses” was not used at that time, but in the 16th century, Shakespeare marked the beginning of the war with the plucking of two garden roses in the historical play Henry VI. The name comes from the family emblem chosen by the two families – the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.

In order to commemorate the war, England took the garden rose as the national flower and changed the Royal insignia into the red and white rose – a combination of the two family insignia.

Queen Josephine's Garden

In the 17th century, garden roses were very popular. The royal family even used them as legal tender. They were used for barter and payment. In the 19th century, Napoleon’s wife Josephine collected a large number of roses at Chateau de Malmaison, seven miles west of Paris. This garden became the creative background of the famous plant illustrator Pierre Joseph Redout é. In 1824, he completed his watercolor collection Les rose, which is still considered one of the best plant illustrations.

Rosa centifolia foliacea From Les Roses, Pierre-Joseph Redouté

The Birth of the First Modern Rose

At the end of the 18th century, China rose was introduced into Europe from China. Before that, the native rose in Europe only bloomed once, but China rose had the decent nature of a long blooming period, repeated blooming, and even a rare yellow rose, which aroused great interest of breeders. In 1867, in Queen Josephine’s rose garden, the world’s first hybrid of China rose and European rose was born. The famous rose hybridizer Jean-Baptiste André Guillot successfully bred Rosa ‘la France’, the star that changed history, which also marked the arrival of the modern rose.

Rosa ‘La France’, the first modern rose variety, still popular to this day.

Can I Grow a Decent Garden Rose?

Through the efforts of generations of breeders, the garden rose finally has a rich variety of appearance and friendly prices, and now appear in all gardening greenhouses. However, the maintenance of the garden rose has always been a problem. After all, the garden rose is too fragile, easily gets sick and grows yellow leaves. As long as you master the following points, your garden rose can easily sprout healthy and beautiful flowers.

First of all, don’t blindly pursue new varieties. You should get familiarized with the actual situation of your garden or balcony, and choose a more suitable variety. Many garden roses like to have more than five hours of full sunlight and good ventilation every day, so it is very important to plant them in open and ventilated places. If your balcony is enclosed, it’s hard to grow garden roses well. For a small area of the balcony, you can choose some miniature garden rose varieties.

In the season when the garden rose will be in full bloom, you can apply more fertilizer. After the flower is withered, the remaining flowers need to be cut immediately to preserve nutrients and promote other flowers to bloom. Try to prune it on sunny days so that the wound is less susceptible to infection.

Garden roses can easily produce diseases and pests. Compared with spraying a lot of pesticides when the pest problem is serious, the better way is to carefully observe and prevent it in advance. If there are diseases and insect pests, it is also necessary to find out the types of pests and select the appropriate control.

Size: From tiny garden rose to rose vine, the size varies greatly with varieties

Hardiness: Zones 5 through 9

Sunlight: Full sun

Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.0-7.0

Bloom Time: From spring to autumn

How to Control Common Garden Pests Active in Summer?

The most common garden pests in summer are Japanese beetles, aphids, slugs and snails, caterpillars and grasshoppers. You might also have problems with rodents, rabbits and other animals such as deer. Here’s how to keep them out of your garden.

There is nothing more frustrating than putting so much hard work into your garden only to have it destroyed by pests. Gardeners can face many hurdles on the path towards harvest, and pests often give gardeners a ton of headaches.

Knowing what pests you are likely to find in the summer months and how to keep them in check will ensure your garden continues to thrive. Continue reading as we break down some of the most common pests you might come across and what you can do to keep them from destroying your garden this summer.

Japanese Beetles

Have you have seen a metallic blue-green insect buzzing around your yard? If so, you saw a Japanese beetle. These insects wreak havoc on not just vegetable plants, but flowers and trees as well. The adults eat leaves, chew flowers and consume fruits and veggies and their larvae aren’t much better. They devour plant roots in your garden and your lawn.

Insecticides are one option when it comes to controlling these pests. If you are looking for a non chemical option, floating row covers can be implemented in gardens and you can physically remove them by shaking the plants in the early mornings. Baited traps are also commonly implemented.

Aphids

Aphids appear on fruits, vegetables, shrubs and trees, sucking the sap and causing leaves to drop. The waste they produce is called “honeydew.” It is a sugary liquid that can encourage sooty mold on your plants branches or leaves. Honeydew also attracts ants. The tiny, pear shaped insects have long antennae and their abdomens have two small tubes projecting from them. Aphids populations multiply quickly and it won’t be long before your garden is overrun, so catching them early is so important.

Spraying cold water on the leaves of an infested plants is used to remove aphids. This knocks them off the plant, and don’t usually go back to the same plant. Your pantry might contain an aphid deterrent. Flour is used to get rid of aphid infestations because when dusted on the plant, it constipates the aphids.

Other options include wiping the plants and its leaves with a mild soapy water solution. You will only need a few drops of dish soap in the water for the solution to be effective. Adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dish soap water solution is just another variant.

If you aren’t sure about these options, add diatomaceous earth around the plant. This non-toxic material kills aphids, but use with caution, as it can also kill the good insects you need to pollinate your plants. Avoid using this when your plants are blooming.

Slugs and Snails

These slimy pests definitely put a damper on a gardener’s day. Slugs and snails devour your garden produce, munching on leaves as they move along.

Slugs and snails can be controlled by welcoming their natural predators into the garden. Garter snakes eat these slimy pests and many other garden pests that might be bothering your garden plants. It might be hard to think about making your garden snake friendly, but these animals only help in your garden and they don’t hurt people.

If snakes aren’t something you want to encourage, another option would be to add gritty substances, like egg shells or diatomaceous earth, to the area. These substances will cut the snail or slug’s body, injuring them. Eventually these pests will either be killed or be deterred from bothering your plants.

Caterpillars

Ever heard of the very hungry caterpillar? Well it isn’t just a children’s story. These garden pests will eat their way through your vegetable garden, especially your cabbages, broccoli, kale and cauliflower.

Besides removing these garden pests by hand, insect barrier fabrics are often used to keep them away. The benefit of using the barrier fabrics is you aren’t just protecting your plants from caterpillars. Other insects won’t be able to get through either.

There are also insecticides available if you want to go with a chemical approach. These can be found at local hardware stores. Follow all the directions and recommendations on the label for the safest and best results.

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers will consume everything in their path if they make it in the garden. They eat leaves, flowers, fruits and veggies non stop. They can eat as much as half their body weight each day.

Making your garden friendly to their predators is a great way to control grasshopper populations. Bluebirds for example are a great eater of grasshoppers. Toads and snakes also make these pests a meal.

Another option would be to explore insecticides that target grasshoppers. There are many options when it comes to insecticides to help control infestations of grasshoppers.

Rodents, Rabbits and Other Animals

If you are an avid gardener you probably have had some run ins with some other kinds of pests that aren’t insects. Chipmunks, mice, rabbits, raccoons and even deer can wreak havoc on a well planned garden. They nibble on seedlings, and decimate harvests. Raccoons often like to dig up plants you just put in the ground.

Fencing is an animal friendly prevention method to keep your garden plants safe, but be sure you are using fencing with very small openings. Small garden pests, like chipmunks can easily slip through common fencing. One option to keep even some of the smaller pests out would be to use hardware cloth. This is available at hardware stores. When it comes to keeping out the big pests, like deer, your fencing should be tall. White-tailed deer are able to jump over fences as high as eight feet.

For some animals adding plants they don’t like can act as a barrier. Marigolds, onions, garlic, lavender and catnip are just some options you might look into if you have a rabbit problem. This is an animal friendly way to keep those pests from getting your tasty garden produce.

Other wild animals can be trapped in live traps and taken to another location where it is safe for them and your garden. If you are nervous about trapping animals, contact your local animal control or a pest removal service and they can help.