Grow a beautiful garden the water wise way

Saving water and enjoying the beauty and environmental benefits of plants are not only possible, but easy says the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN). “Water Wise” gardening is built on some basic, commonsense principles:

Planning

Planning a water wise garden or landscape is as easy and fun-as planning any type of garden. Talk to the professionals at your local center/landscape firm to see which plants will do well in your area. You may be surprised to find that some very beautiful, colorful plants are low on water consumption-and they may fit into your landscape perfectly.

Group together plants that require the same amount of water. Plant trees and shrubs to provide shade to cool buildings, air conditioning units, patios, decks, and other landscape features.  Shelter container plants by moving them to shady areas. Spike or aerate lawns to insure maximum water penetration. Control weeds which compete with useful plants for water.

Soil Improvement

Soil improvement is another easy and beneficial step in building a water wise garden. Soil that is well prepared at the time of planting influences the plant’s initial development and yields the best results. And plants placed in the proper soil will be healthier, often needing less water.

Soil characteristics include texture, structure, depth, and nutrients. To find out more about your soil content, test your soil with the following garden products: Accugrow Soil Test Kit or the Sunleaves Three-Way Meter.    Read more...

Great kitchen furniture can really enhance the look and feel of your home. Today’s kitchens are designed to embody style, functionality, and accessibility. Considering the wide variety of kitchen furniture available, finding items that will improve your décor may prove much easier than you think. The key is finding kitchen furniture that not only looks great in your home, but also serves an additional purpose.

For most of us, there is a need to decrease clutter in the kitchen. Kitchens often become the home for plants, decorative items, and cooking utensils. If this is the case in your kitchen consider incorporating a baker’s rack. Depending on the style that you choose, a baker’s rack provides additional shelves space, small wine rack, utility hooks, and/or small table top. This additional space could be used to free up areas by holding plants, pitchers, spices, and practically anything else. If you are excited about the organization that a baker’s rack would bring to your kitchen, then you will love the variety of styles you can choose from. A baker’s rack will also look good in a hall or area that is close to your kitchen. This will give your home more of a contemporary look and keep your kitchen open for better flow.

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Garden centers are known to be retail firms, which sell products and plants related to the different garden needs. A garden center is also considered as a primary business. It caters to the general public and is open in showcasing its display and facilities for plants and gardens.

The items one can find in the garden centers in the United States are the following:

•Perennial and annual flowers
•Shrubs
•Trees
•Roses
•Hanging baskets
•Container gardens
•Houseplants
•Water gardening
•Bulbs and seeds
•Potting mixes
•Mulch and soil amendments
•Chemicals and fertilizers
•Garden supplies and tools
•Pottery
•Garden decors, and
•Fountains.

Numerous garden centers in the United States consist of various departments, which include feeds for wild birds, gifts, floral displays, barbecue grills, and outdoor furniture, along with home decors, landscaping services and designs, as well as pet supplies. Usually, during the Christmas season, a lot of garden centers host large holiday season shops. Others also contain an additional coffee bar or cafe, unlike other restaurants situated in several garden centers in Europe.

In addition to this, a greenhouse is also commonly found in garden centers. Hence, a greenhouse protect plants from cold snaps, renders the store to safeguard houseplants in excellent condition, as well as provides the garden centers’ customers dry area to stay in during the rainy season. Furthermore, the horticulturist employees of garden centers are skilled and knowledgeable in diagnosing problems as well as in giving recommendations to all gardeners. In most garden centers, they are considered to be free service providers.

The following are the garden centers located in the United States:  Read more...