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Archive for the ‘Best Gardening’ Category

Many construction jobs don’t warrant the use of a monolithic earth mover to do the job, but the project can’t be done only using human labour without being penalised with extended holdups to the project and even chancing the risk of critical injury.

This dilemma brought about the mini skid steer loader which was created to make it possible for small building jobs to be completed rapidly and safely.

Mini skid steer loaders are small, easily operated, while maximizing productivity tremendously. A decent mini skid steer loader will be versatile, with a lot of affixations you can simply add to it to enable you to perform all varieties of tasks : post hole boring, tree planting, digging, digging trenches, moving heavy items, slab lifting, internal and external demolition, groundworks, sweeping and clearing plus much, much more. In other words, a mini skid steer can perform the task of numerous other machines saving much cost to the project and also future projects.

Not only that, skid steer loaders aren’t confined to purely industrial construction jobs. Mini skid steers are rather small and so can be driven into back gardens where there’s access – meaning it’s perfect for landscape gardening and even smaller gardening projects, as well as for house building (e.g. moving heavy materials) because of its compact stature. Finally, it’s simple to set up in the back of a pickup if a project is miles from where the mini skid steer is kept.

This article is geared towards the beginner water gardener, who is comtemplating the installation of his/her first garden pond. The key to a successful do-it-yourself project is to gather as much relevant information that you can. To follow are some preliminary considerations and design tips that must be taken into account, before embarking on a water gardening project.

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

1. Location

Install it as close as the house as possible to maximize enjoyment. For safety reasons, make sure that there are no underground utilities where you will be excavating. Check with your local utility company before you begin digging.

Be sure to consider the slope of the land and the location of the pond in order to avoid rainwater runoff. If the pond is located in a low-lying area, lawn fertilizers and other chemicals can wash into the pond and harm the fish and plants.

To grow healthy aquatic plants, you will require adequate sun exposure. Most aquatic plants require four to six hours of sunlight per day to ensure healthy growth.

2. Size

Make your pond as large as possible, to give you flexibility when you later fill up the pond with fish and plants.

3. Purpose

Do you want to focus on growing water lilies? If so, locate the pond in full sun. Do you want to raise pond fish? If so, shady areas would be preferred.

4. Edging

You can edge your pond with stones, boulders, plants, beaches, and docks. Plan ahead how you would like to edge your pond.

5. Style

Natural style ponds are built to create the illusion of a mountain stream with waterfalls. Larger boulders and flat stones can be used in combination to create the look of a naturally formed stream. The sound of falling water can be fine-tuned through the careful arrangement and placement of stone.

Urban ponds are typically smaller in area, and are designed to fit well in smaller backyards.

Koi ponds must be able to accomodate fish that can grow to about 2.5 feet in length. Many koi ponds have no plants because koi have a tendency to eat certain types of plants. You must plan for an extremely large pond, and provide adequate surface area for the absorption of oxygen into the water. Ponds for koi must be at least 3 feet deep to provide room for mobility. They also require filtration to keep the water clean.

DESIGN

Next, you must make a decision on the type of pond that you want.

Pre-formed ponds come in a variety of shapes, usually with plant shelves built in. They are ideal for first-time pond builders because they are extremely durable, and less susceptible to tears and punctures. Furthermore, their sturdy pond lips ease the task of leveling during installation. Preformed ponds are easy to install and clean, but require more skill to fit the hole in the ground with the shape of the pond. When properly supported, preformed ponds are ideal for above-ground, indoor, and patio setups.

Flexible liners are ideal for the more experienced water gardeners. They allow for easy and very forgiving installations, which consequently promotes greater creativity. Because you can create various shapes with liners, it is possible to construct larger, and deeper configurations (when compared to preformed ponds).

Concrete installations usually require a professional installation. Concrete is a medium that tends to crack as the ground freezes and thaws.

Use a garden hose to lay out your garden pond shape on the ground. This will allow you to experiment with the size and shape of your pond. Once you have a plan for your water garden, it is important to get your design on paper. The design drawing is paramount because it will help you to make an accurate estimate of the material you will need. The diagram also will allow you to plan for the placement of all the accessories. Be sure to take into consideration the space that rocks and aquatic plants will take in the final design. The pond may appear much smaller visually after all the ponds and rocks are added. At this point, you should also plan for the amount of plant material that you may need to landscape the pond.

Finally, it is now time to make a list of materials required. These materials can be purchased from our online store. In our next article, we will provide detailed instructions on how to install both liner and preformed ponds.

This article was reproduced with permission from http://www.gardensupermart.com/tips.asp

To view the complete article (with pictures), please go to http://www.gardensupermart.com/tips/intro.asp

One reason why the perennial plant is sought after is because of its remarkable ability to survive year round through most weather conditions. Not unlike your local mail delivery person, perennials lives on through rain, sleet, or snow – perfect for the year round gardener. What is it about perennials that enables it’s winter survival abilities, whereas other plants will shrivel up and die as soon as the going get tough? Why can’t scientists engineer annuals or biennials to last as long the perennial plant?

As with most things in the natural world, not all plants are created equal, however some biologists have succeeded in re-engineering annual and biennial plants to last longer. To do so, they must examine the perennial plant and find out what allows it to survive in the same environment that causes other to perish. Although stretching the life of a non-perennial would certainly make the plant and floral businesses flourish, marketing isn’t the only reason scientists and many others have this question. If we had vast amounts of plants that have medicinal and life saving properties, we could study their curing capabilities at an exponential rate. The longevity of the perennial plant is definitely an exciting curiosity for many people.

Interestingly enough, the perennial plant is able to thrive year after year due to a few survival tricks it has up it’s sleeve. Take trees and shrubs for example. These drop their leaves and protect their next year’s growth with waxy scales. Examine the bud of a perennial plant and you’ll see that it covered with a sticky looking waterproof wax.. When the bud begins to bloom, it scars as its scales fall off and the distance between its scars are an indicator of how many times a year that perennial plant grows.

The perennial plant gears up for the winter by draining its own food supply from its leaves down inside its trunk, branches, and twigs. As the weather gets colder, the tissues of the perennial plant will slowly change and become cold resistant in a process called “hardening.” During these changes, the chlorophyll of a perennial plant will decompose and lose its propensity to project a green hue – leaving the tree with its trademark red, yellow, orange, and brown autumn leaves.

Contributed By
The Perennial Flower Guide
Perennial Flowers

Planting a backyard garden can be a fun and rewarding experience if you approach the planning and preparations aspect of gardening in the right way – but a lack of planning and preparation can cause your hard work in the hot summer months to yield mediocre results (if any) at the end of the growing season.

Perhaps somewhere in the world, the key to successful gardening is simply dropping a handful of seeds into the ground and watching them spring up. But most garden soils require careful attention and preparation.

Choosing a Plot
A common mistake among beginning and experienced gardeners alike is to plant more than they can possibly care for. A successful vegetable garden plot does not need to be big. A small, well-tended garden will grow as much or more produce than a larger one that the owner cannot keep up with.

Backyard gardeners should choose a sunny spot where water is readily available. Most vegetables do best in full sun if possible, but at a minimum, your garden should get at least 6 hours of sun a day.

Try to select a spot with good, rich soil. Good garden soil is deep, loose, fertile, well drained, rich in organic material and has a neutral pH. The ideal garden soil composition is about 5% organic matter, 25% air, 25% water, and 45% mineral matter. If you are planting a garden in a desert area with naturally not fertile soil, plan on working to improve the soil that is there.

Prepare your soil
Although organic material is only 5% of the “ideal formula” for good growing soil, applying the right organic matter to your soil can make worlds of difference.

Nearly all soils, whether clay, sandy or humus, benefit from the addition of organic matter. Spread a layer of organic matter two to three inches thick over the soil surface and incorporate it six to eight inches deep. Organic matter breaks up clay allowing for air and water circulation, and helps hold water in sandy soils. Good sources of organic matter include straw, twigs, leaves, peat moss, sawdust, grass clippings and well-rotted manure.

Organic matter will tie up nitrogen as it decays. Add nitrogen fertilizer to the organic matter to aid in the decomposition process. This addition of nitrogen is not intended to aid future plant growth, but to act as a facilitator to help in decomposition. More nitrogen fertilizer will be required when you begin planting. You’ll want to use one pound of ammonium sulfate, or 2/3 pound of ammonium nitrate, or pound of urea for each inch of organic matter placed on one hundred square feet of soil. As a word of caution, if you are using well-rotted manure for organic matter, reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer you apply by one half.

Tilling
Finally, before you are ready to plant, the soil should be tilled thoroughly. Tilling breaks up hard soil and allows air to circulate around the roots of your plants. Us a tiller, shovel or fork to churn the soil at least eight inches deep. Do not try to till your soil too early in the spring before the soil has had a chance to dry out a bit. Tilling muddy soil only causes mud clods that choke tender roots of needed air and water.

Once your soil is ready, consult your local extension or the back of your seed packets for the proper time to plant your garden fruits and vegetables.

By following these simple preparatory steps before you plant, you will increase your chances of having a bountiful harvest at the end of the growing season. Good luck and happy gardening!

Jeremy Wycherly writes gardening tips and garden advice for backyard gardeners.