| Link A Thought |
| Gardening & Landscaping Fun! |
I am always thinking of
new ways to improve my
yard and garden, so I
thought I would share
some great unique idea's
and give you the latest
tips on what's new out
there! Okay, I'm not a
landscaper by far or
artistic, but I did come up
with a couple of idea's
that worked for me! I
made water fountains out
of concrete! I coiled
some wire, placed a pipe
up through the middle,
threw concrete in it. After
it dried, I smoothed it all
out leaving a texture that
simulated rock. Then I
splattered stain with a
toothbrush using about 6
different stain colors and
bam! I had my water
fountain! I made three of
them, one taller than the
other and placed it in my
yard.
new ways to improve my
yard and garden, so I
thought I would share
some great unique idea's
and give you the latest
tips on what's new out
there! Okay, I'm not a
landscaper by far or
artistic, but I did come up
with a couple of idea's
that worked for me! I
made water fountains out
of concrete! I coiled
some wire, placed a pipe
up through the middle,
threw concrete in it. After
it dried, I smoothed it all
out leaving a texture that
simulated rock. Then I
splattered stain with a
toothbrush using about 6
different stain colors and
bam! I had my water
fountain! I made three of
them, one taller than the
other and placed it in my
yard.
| WATER FOUNTAIN |
| Note: Make a square concrete box to hold the water, hose and pumps. Place a grate over the top cover with rocks! |
I want to share another
great idea that is
inexpensive! Anyone can
do it! It's building a patio
out of concrete! Remove
dirt from the area you
want the patio. Fill with
road base gravel and
tamper it down. Take a
plastic concrete mold you
can buy at any hardware
store, place it on the
ground, fill it with
concrete, let stand for
about 2 minute, pull your
mold, and repeat until you
covered your area. Spray
about 6 different colors of
stain over it then put a
sealer over it. Use the
extra dirt to build a
mound in your yard and
make it a flower bed.
great idea that is
inexpensive! Anyone can
do it! It's building a patio
out of concrete! Remove
dirt from the area you
want the patio. Fill with
road base gravel and
tamper it down. Take a
plastic concrete mold you
can buy at any hardware
store, place it on the
ground, fill it with
concrete, let stand for
about 2 minute, pull your
mold, and repeat until you
covered your area. Spray
about 6 different colors of
stain over it then put a
sealer over it. Use the
extra dirt to build a
mound in your yard and
make it a flower bed.
| CONCRETE STONES |
| BEFORE |
| BEFORE |
| AFTER |
| AFTER |
By Vera Pappas
The key to planting beautiful, bountiful planters that will make your neighbors jealous, we
have a few basic rules to follow: 1) The Bigger, the Better! Select a large decorative
container. 18" – 24" works best. 2) Plant the container where you would like to keep it, or put
it on a plant dolly. It will be heavy. 3) Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of
the pot. If there are none, drill a few in a triangle pattern. The planter should also have a
saucer. 4) A drainage medium should be placed in the bottom of the pot, about 2" deep.
Recycle broken terra cotta pots or Styrofoam peanuts as your medium. Pebbles work well
also, but are heavy. 5) Choose a quality blend of soil. Your plants are only as good as the
soil they are planted in. The soil should be loose and light. Fresh potting soil should be used
each year for best results. 6) Choose your plants. You will need a variety of plants in
different heights, colors and textures for the best effect. This is where you need to use your
creativity. Don't think you have any? Have a child help you. Or, plan ahead. Look in
magazines or on the web and write down the names of the plants before you go shopping.
a) First, choose a centerpiece. A tall plant with interesting foliage work best. Suggestions for
sun: Canna, Ornamental Grasses, Mandevilla on a trellis, tall flowering perennials
(Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Penstemon Husker Red) or a shrub such as Sky Pencil
Holly. For shade: Calla Lillies, Caladiums, Day Lillies, Spikes or Hydrangea. b) Next, choose
trailing plants. More than one variety works best. Choose three: Two flowering and one
foliage variety and alternate them around the planter. Proven winners are always a great
choice, and are easily available at garden centers and nurseries. Be sure to look for
varieties that will do well where you plant them. Sun or Shade. c) Last, choose your filler
plants. Medium height, bushy plants. Choose one flowering and one foliage variety. Pick
colorful plants. Hosta and coleus are great fillers for sun or shade. There are some varieties
of Hosta that will tolerate more sun than others, so read the label. d) When putting all this in
your planter, install the plants as they are listed. Fill the pot about half way and place your
centerpiece. Then fill around it until the planter is about 2/3 full and install your trailing
plants. You may need to adjust the amount of soil depending on the size of the pots you
purchased. Place all the plants and then gently fill in around the plants with soil one handful
at a time. Be sure to press down between the plants to avoid air pockets. Water thoroughly
and re-check the soil levels. Settling may occur, fill in wherever necessary. 7) The final and
most important steps for Beautiful, Lush planters are food and water. For large luscious,
stunning planters…water, water! Do not let your planters wilt between waterings. The best
time to water is early morning, before 10 am. This will keep them stress free during the heat
of the day. Planters in full sun will require more frequent watering (often daily) than those in
part sun or shade. Plants that are stressed from lack of water will not bloom well or flourish.
A good quality organic fertilizer will keep your plants happy and healthy. Some organic
fertilizers are slow release, so feedings are less frequent. Read the label for feeding
schedule. A water soluble fertilizer we recommend is Merrill's Compost Tea. Just drop one
tea bag into one gallon of water, let it steep for 20 minutes to one hour and then water your
plants as normal. Feed with this product every 2 weeks throughout the growing season and
your planters will amaze you! This process is how the professionals do it. Design and build
your planters as early in the season as your area will allow for maximum enjoyment.
The key to planting beautiful, bountiful planters that will make your neighbors jealous, we
have a few basic rules to follow: 1) The Bigger, the Better! Select a large decorative
container. 18" – 24" works best. 2) Plant the container where you would like to keep it, or put
it on a plant dolly. It will be heavy. 3) Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of
the pot. If there are none, drill a few in a triangle pattern. The planter should also have a
saucer. 4) A drainage medium should be placed in the bottom of the pot, about 2" deep.
Recycle broken terra cotta pots or Styrofoam peanuts as your medium. Pebbles work well
also, but are heavy. 5) Choose a quality blend of soil. Your plants are only as good as the
soil they are planted in. The soil should be loose and light. Fresh potting soil should be used
each year for best results. 6) Choose your plants. You will need a variety of plants in
different heights, colors and textures for the best effect. This is where you need to use your
creativity. Don't think you have any? Have a child help you. Or, plan ahead. Look in
magazines or on the web and write down the names of the plants before you go shopping.
a) First, choose a centerpiece. A tall plant with interesting foliage work best. Suggestions for
sun: Canna, Ornamental Grasses, Mandevilla on a trellis, tall flowering perennials
(Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Penstemon Husker Red) or a shrub such as Sky Pencil
Holly. For shade: Calla Lillies, Caladiums, Day Lillies, Spikes or Hydrangea. b) Next, choose
trailing plants. More than one variety works best. Choose three: Two flowering and one
foliage variety and alternate them around the planter. Proven winners are always a great
choice, and are easily available at garden centers and nurseries. Be sure to look for
varieties that will do well where you plant them. Sun or Shade. c) Last, choose your filler
plants. Medium height, bushy plants. Choose one flowering and one foliage variety. Pick
colorful plants. Hosta and coleus are great fillers for sun or shade. There are some varieties
of Hosta that will tolerate more sun than others, so read the label. d) When putting all this in
your planter, install the plants as they are listed. Fill the pot about half way and place your
centerpiece. Then fill around it until the planter is about 2/3 full and install your trailing
plants. You may need to adjust the amount of soil depending on the size of the pots you
purchased. Place all the plants and then gently fill in around the plants with soil one handful
at a time. Be sure to press down between the plants to avoid air pockets. Water thoroughly
and re-check the soil levels. Settling may occur, fill in wherever necessary. 7) The final and
most important steps for Beautiful, Lush planters are food and water. For large luscious,
stunning planters…water, water! Do not let your planters wilt between waterings. The best
time to water is early morning, before 10 am. This will keep them stress free during the heat
of the day. Planters in full sun will require more frequent watering (often daily) than those in
part sun or shade. Plants that are stressed from lack of water will not bloom well or flourish.
A good quality organic fertilizer will keep your plants happy and healthy. Some organic
fertilizers are slow release, so feedings are less frequent. Read the label for feeding
schedule. A water soluble fertilizer we recommend is Merrill's Compost Tea. Just drop one
tea bag into one gallon of water, let it steep for 20 minutes to one hour and then water your
plants as normal. Feed with this product every 2 weeks throughout the growing season and
your planters will amaze you! This process is how the professionals do it. Design and build
your planters as early in the season as your area will allow for maximum enjoyment.
Big, Beautiful Summer Containers
| HARDY CROPS Crops that are hardy typically include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, kale, onions, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, and turnips. Some of these vegetables, such as peas, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, and cauliflower, also are considered as fall crops and can be planted in late summer. Potatoes, beets, carrots, lettuce, and artichokes are some of the half-hardy types, which typically are followed by the hardy varieties in the garden. The most susceptible plants to cold temperatures include beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, melons, and okra. Many of these tender varieties require temperatures of at least 65°F in order to thrive. |
| How to identify poison oak • Poison oak has three-parted leaves, meaning that each leaf has the appearance of three leaves. • Poison oak can appear in clumps of upright stems. Older plants tend to branch; young plants remain single stems. • Poison oak bears small, yellow- green flowers in early spring that turn into small clusters of berries in late summer. |
| GREAT GARDENING IDEAS! |
| -Northeast USA: Best time to plant May -Southeast USA: The best time to plant April -Northwest USA: The best time to plant April -Central USA: Best time to plant May -Southwest USA: Best time to plant April |
| A simple way to stop many plant diseases and insect pests is simply to stop planting the same crops or flowers in the same places each year. Given time, those diseases or pests will die out, giving you a chance to try a particular crop in that location again. For example, if corn rootworm strikes your corn one year, be sure not to plant corn or a closely-related crop there the next year. |
Go to the Hobby page for
instructions on this plant
stand.
instructions on this plant
stand.
Here are some homemade weed killer recipes:
Be careful when spraying these homemade solutions, as they'll kill
everything that they come into contact with it. Put into spray bottle,
or use liquid dish soap bottle for accurate squirting control. None of
these solutions harms the environment!
1/2 gallon of white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup of table salt
2 tablespoon of liquid dish soap (for bonding)
1 cup Bleach
1/2 cup water
1 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup salt
Great Tip!
Sprinkle dry Corn Meal in areas you don't want weeds, it works great
as a natural pre-emergent solution! (The gluten in the corn is what
does the trick!
Boiling hot water kills weeds, too!
Be careful when spraying these homemade solutions, as they'll kill
everything that they come into contact with it. Put into spray bottle,
or use liquid dish soap bottle for accurate squirting control. None of
these solutions harms the environment!
1/2 gallon of white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup of table salt
2 tablespoon of liquid dish soap (for bonding)
1 cup Bleach
1/2 cup water
1 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup salt
Great Tip!
Sprinkle dry Corn Meal in areas you don't want weeds, it works great
as a natural pre-emergent solution! (The gluten in the corn is what
does the trick!
Boiling hot water kills weeds, too!
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