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By ., March 17, 2010 2:43 pm

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By ., March 16, 2010 9:06 pm

Image taken on 2008-10-23 15:27:02 by ahp_ibanez.

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By .,

Are you establishing a new garden? Are you trying to bring a long neglected or difficult garden back to life again? You can create a flourishing garden anywhere. All you need is loads of desire, a little imagination and an open mind. In this article I briefly summarize some techniques that I have successfully used for encouraging growth in difficult areas of the garden. By adding a little magick to some basic ecological gardening principles your can create a sensation.

There are a few essential requirements for a healthy garden. These are: soil with the correct texture, nutrient levels, and drainage; water; sunlight and the appropriate plant choice for your local environment. Garden bed preparation is of utmost importance and you would be well advised to ensure that you have provided your plants with the best physical environment possible for their successful growth. But getting the physical environment right is just the first step. To get the best out of your garden you should provide a happy environment, full of positive energy and a little magick.

Visualize

When you first start planting out your garden it doesn’t look much like it will in two, three, five or ten years. Visualization is a crucial part of the garden design and planning process. It is also important for the growing process. To keep your garden growing in the direction would like it to grow, you should visualize regularly. This is just a matter of looking at the garden and imagining what it will look like when your plants are fully grown. In doing so you are mentally sending your plants messages and encouragement. Make a habit of visualizing your garden on a daily basis and imagine it as it will look in, say, five years of constant and healthy growth.

In the meantime … fake it

While you are in the early stages of garden creation, try making a ‘fake it ’til you make it’ garden. This simply means creating an interim garden. You can do this by placing pots filled with colorful plants around the area. This will give you some instant gratification for your efforts. It will also give your new plants some company. After all, plants are communal and are not meant to grow alone.

You can quickly and easily create new pot plants by taking cuttings from other plants in your garden or your existing pot plants. Put the cuttings in water until they sprout roots – some won’t grow roots this way, it will be trial and error but many will grow roots within a week. Alternatively, buy some plants, preferably colorful flowering plants. Of course, choose appropriate plants for the location of your garden – shade loving plants for areas with little sun, etc.

Place the pots around the area where you want the garden to be and in between the plants that you have recently planted. If the garden is located in a harsh landscape that is subject to extreme hot or cold or strong winds, you can place the pots so that young plants are protected from harsh winds or direct sunlight. If your environment is particularly harsh, you may consider adding small screens made from bamboo or other natural materials to protect young plants until they establish. In a dark or very shaded area, ensure that your pots will not block any sunlight that your seedlings may be receiving. Whatever the nature of your garden, use plenty of mulch to keep the moisture in the soil and the weed growth to a minimum.

Attract Native Animals

Life attracts life, so by attracting as many animals to your garden as possible you will increase the life energy of your garden which will help your plants to grow. Place rocks and logs in your garden to provide shelter and homes for small lizards and insects. If you do not have any tall trees, installing a pole that a bird can perch atop (but a cat can’t climb) is a great idea, as birds will contribute seed laden droppings that can bring additional plants to your garden as well as additional nutrients. Show your delight when you notice a new native occupant and let him know he is welcome.

Allow the ecology of your garden to evolve along with the growth and addition of your plants and other components. Resist interfering by killing particular animals that you don’t like such as spiders, if you are so inclined. Instead, become curious and learn about them. Talk to them. You will gain an entirely new appreciation for these animals and improve your karma at the same time.

Avoid Using Poisons

Garden shops are full of garden poisons. It’s big business. It would be easy to assume that weed killers, snail killers and the other exterminators are an essential component to gardening. However, the reality is that they are really bad for your plants and the animals that add value to your garden. There is almost always a natural or more gentle alternative to using poisons in the home garden. It is far more effective in the long term to pull weeds out by hand and you will save a lot of money.

Decorate and Communicate

Celebrate your garden area by decorating it with beautiful things, such as hanging pots, statues, bird baths, sculptures and low lighting, will add positive energy and atmosphere. If possible, include an outdoor table and chairs and spend some time there entertaining friends, laughing and having a good time, or just be there on your own relaxing and smiling upon your garden. Make sure you remove or disguise any ugly or unsightly objects. It is important to keep the area beautiful as you are more likely to spend time in, and give loving energy to, a garden that you like the look of and feel good about.

Take a leaf out of Grandma’s Book

Did your Grandmother speak to her plants? Mine did, and that practice was passed down to my mother and now I do it. It works! You don’t need to spend a lot of time in conversation with your flowers. Simply walk around and admire your plants for a few minutes most days. In the difficult spots, stop and talk to those plants that are struggling. Express pleasure when you see some growth. Smile at your plants and talk to them in a light manner as you are attending to their needs.

Crystals for Positive Energy

Use crystals and semi precious stones to add some beneficial energy to the area. Here are some ideas:

Agate

This crystal is known for its ability to produce abundance and increase yields in crops. It can be used to enhance the health of your pot plants or your garden plants.

Jade

Jade represents life and growth and has been associated with the health of plants and the environment. Place jade statues in the garden or use jade in a decoration that hangs above or nearby your plants.

Moonstone

Moonstone helps to enhance the growth and health of plants. Use it in decoration in your garden or wear it when attending to your plants.

Clear Quartz Crystal

Quartz crystal will amplify and enhance the qualities of any other stone and can be used to achieve any goal of pure intention. Use it alongside the other stones or alone in your garden to enhance plant growth. I hang crystals over pot plants to improve their performance.

These are examples of stones and crystals that have specific qualities that can assist plant recovery and growth. However, there are many crystals and stones that have healing and nurturing properties so it may pay to experiment. Crystals can be placed in pots, used as a display on a table, in a bird bath or water feature. They are particularly beautiful when they form part of a hanging decoration.

Add a Little Fairy Magick

Fairies have long been associated with gardens. Flower fairies were thought to live in the flowers of plants. They looked after the plant by ensuring it had everything it needed. You can add your own bit of fairy magick to your garden by placing a hanging fairy near the garden that you want to prosper from this energy.

If fairies are not your thing, hang or place sculptures of other powerful symbols around the area, such as the Sun for positive energy and the Moon for receptivity and supernatural powers. Both of these symbols together represent balance and harmony. There are many other symbols of good fortune such as Buddha that will enhance the energy and the feel of your garden. These symbols and bearers of good energy also look great.

Feng Shui Garden

Designing your garden for good Feng Shui

The Feng Shui garden is designed to allow Chi to flow. To create good Feng Shui, design your garden with plenty of curves. If you have a garden with very straight edges, add features that give the impression of curves. You can achieve this by the way you place your garden features and how you locate your plants. Choose rounded pots and curvy furniture to increase the positive Feng Shui in your garden.

Windchime Magick

Another way to increase Chi in your garden is by hanging a windchime or a windchime bell. Windchimes aid in the flow of Chi and add an additional element to your garden through sound. The right windchime can create a sensation of peace through its harmonic tunes. It is worthwhile selecting a well made bell or windchime that you enjoy listening to as this will make a valuable addition to the atmosphere of your home and give you joy every time the breeze blows.

Water Features

A water feature is also extremely beneficial in the creation of a positive Feng Shui garden. The water must be flowing, however, so that Chi can flow and so that it does not become stagnant. The addition of fish to your water feature will provide more positive energy due to the additional life. Be sure to find fish that do not eat the spawn of local frogs. Gold fish, which originated in China, have become an environmental nuisance in some countries and they will eat frogspawn. For frog friendly fish, check with your Government Fisheries Department.

Frog Magick

Frogs represent good luck in many cultures around the world. The first frogs hopped this earth alongside the Dinosaurs. They are wise beings, worthy of respect and they will bring good energy to your garden. Be sure to locate any pond a good distance from bedroom windows, however, as frogs can croak up a storm at night.

Scent

A wonderful way for a garden to enrich your life is through scent. You can create a special atmosphere by planting the shrubs, trees and flowers in your garden that provide certain scents that enhance particular moods. Add some instant inspiration by filling your pots with lavender, jasmine, geranium, lemongrass or whatever your nose desires.

Burn incenses outside or light a scented candle at night while sitting in the garden. Select the scent that will be most beneficial for your garden’s growth. Try gardenia or lavender for love and healing, ginger for success, patchouli or rosemary for love and growth, the invigorating benefits of sweet orange or frankincense and myrrh for healing and growth.

A closing thought ..

Your garden reflects the relationship it shares with you and the other inhabitants of your home. By increasing the positive loving energy in your garden you will create a place for growth and harmony, a place where life will thrive. In return you will receive much enjoyment. By combining good ecological concepts with a little magick you can turn a difficult garden into a sacred resort for the soul.

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By ., March 15, 2010 8:44 am

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:

Gilson Garden
Address: 3059 N. Ridge Rd., Perry, OH
Telephone Numbers: 440-259-4845 (wholesale), 440-259-5252 (retail)

The Gilson Gardens is situated right in the center of Lake Country historic nursery industry. It is a trade garden center, wholesale nursery, as well as florist. This year-round service store provides an assorted selection of trees, shrubs, and floral and perennial creations. As for their wholesale nursery, it offers ground covers, ornamental grasses, vines, perennials, and shrubs for the garden centers as well as landscapers all over the Midwest.

The Gilson Gardens has been founded in the year 1947. This family-owned garden company has started with only one greenhouse. Plus, it acts as a type of “along the side” road stand, which offer bare-root perennials as well as field-grown shrubs. At present, the Gilson Garden Company has about fifty employees and lets them be engaged in growing and retail operations of the company’s five farms consisting of forty acres in manufacture.

In addition to this, the company believes that a nursery plays an important and unique role in every community. It also must be a mellow and pleasant place to work or visit, an area where plants and people are connected, providing each to learn and to grow. A cherished and respected place alongside Lake Erie and the surrounding beautiful ecosystem, the Gilson Garden does all it can to be the finest and responsible steward of nature for years to come.

Dickman Farms Greenhouses & Garden Center
Address: 13 Archie Street Auburn, New York 13021
Telephone Number: (315) 253-3030
Garden Center Fax: 315-253-2983
Wholesale Fax: 315-253-3377
Here at Dickman Farms Garden Center, everyone is surely welcome!

In Dickman Farms, one will have the opportunity to find out the biggest array of lovely hanging baskets, specialty annuals, exhilarating new perennials, and designer-styled container gardens.

You can also stroll along its nursery. There, you will discover how it blooms together with its beautiful fragrant roses, and a wide collection of ornamental trees as well as flourishing flowering shrubs. Thus, the Dickman Farm Garden Center Division of expansive wholesale also offers its customers the ability and edge to transport an extensive range of beautiful perennials and specialty annuals that are fresh from its greenhouses straight to its garden center.

Hidden Timber Gardens
Address: 462 S. Chana Rd. Chana, IL 61015
Telephone Number: (815)751-4162

Hidden Timber Gardens dedicates itself to producing native plants, hardy perennials, specimen shrubs and trees, ornamental grasses, plus, stunning collector hostas, which range in more than sixty selections.

The Hidden Timber Gardens is located on five and a half acre land and is surrounded by eight hundred white pine trees as well as undisturbed woodlands. It also has planted numerous specimen trees. Moreover, it displays gardens for everyone to see and to relish. By touring its gardens, one will witness the occurrence of plants in its natural habitat, helping its customers decide on which plant is perfect and suitable right in their gardens. It also offers different ideas for several plant amalgamations.

Aside from this, the Hidden Timber Gardens possess perennial plants, which are ascertained to be hardy in both zones four and five, disease resistant as well as low maintenance. It also prides itself in choosing plants, which will provide its customers all seasons’ varieties. Picking out from the large variety of lush specimen trees, shrubs and evergreens, one is in no doubt of being bestowed with a unique garden setting perfect for its owner!
Visit and delight in Hidden Timber Garden’s beauty and tranquility!

Beachside Gardens
Address: 3725 E.U.S.HWY 12 Michigan City, IN 46360
Telephone Number: (219)879-8878

The Beachside Gardens has celebrated more than twenty-five years of excellent service, particularly in its Northwest Indiana region. This garden specializes in the natural and beautiful Dunes Landscape. In addition, it also produces its own hanging basket or containers, and bedding plants in the location. Moreover, it houses a large array of exuberant perennials.

The Beachside Gardens has a big selection of water garden tools and supplies such as pumps, fountains, liners, Koi fish and an assortment of water garden plants. Furthermore, it offers the one and only hardiest Michigan Grown Rhododendrons and Azaleas. All of these and more are a great addition to any beautiful garden.

Wanczyk Nursery
Address: 166 Russell Street Hadley, MA 01035
Telephone Number: 413.584.3709
Fax: 413.586.9698

The Wanczyk Nursery was established in the year 1954. It grows excellently featured nursery stock. This nursery stock is sold both in wholesale and retail, all the way to New England. This excellent nursery, based in Hadley, Massachusetts grows burlaped and balled nursery stock right on seventy-five land acres. It also containerizes plants on its eight-acre retail site near Route 9.

The Wanczyk Nursery’s broad assortment of notable burlaped shrubs and balled stock include Carol Mackie Daphne, Rhododendron, and Arborvitae. In addition, it also possesses an extensive collection of perennials, which has several arrays of Hemerocallis (Day Lilies) and a variety of annuals. It prides itself on its high quality and numerous selection of reasonably priced nursery stock.

The Wanczyk Nursery is the grower. Please do visit them!
Abbott’s Landscape Nursery
Address: 2781 Scio Church Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Telephone Number: (734)665-8733

The Abbott’s Landscape Nursery is known as a family-owned landscaping center, which serves the Ann Arbor community since the year 1981. Its property is a farm from the 18th century refurbished into a beautiful plant nursery as well as garden center. It offers products that ranges from topsoil and mulch through the hardiest shrubs and trees as well as astounding perennials.

In addition to this, it provides a wide variety of potting supplies, garden ornaments, garden tools, books, and wind chimes. Its services also range from great expert advice regarding the garden center, to consulting services, landscaping designs, and excellent work crews that are friendly and helpful with installing, planting, and mulching one’s landscaping dream into reality.

The Abbott’s Landscape Nursery greatest positive feature is its service. Far different from the usual big-box stores, which sell plants, it’s there for its plants and also loves to share its expertise with those found of gardening.

Please visit the Abbot’s Landscape Nursery and experience its beauty!

Gro-Rite Greenhouses & Garden Center
Address: 30 Hillview Road Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
Telephone Number: 973-694-7495
Fax: 973-305-8497

The Gro-Rite Greenhouses and Garden Center is a foremost family-owned garden center and green house situated in New Jersey. Having two attractive locations and a wide array of endless varieties, it has become a principal seller and grower of wonderful and vibrant perennials, annuals, landscaping and nursery products.

At Gro-Rite, one can discover the delights of gardening. By just touring its growing facilities, perennial and nursery yards, picking up unknown facts regarding plant care, planting, the latest stones as well as landscape products, it sure makes for a great experience.

Princeton Garden Center
Fax: 305-971-6719
Address: 26100, SW 177th Ave., Homestead, Fl 33031.

The Princeton Garden Center’s garden decors and outdoor patio furniture, which are from its garden center collection, are truly ideal embellishments to one’s home. With its outdoor patio style piece, it helps create the mood of your garden atmosphere. It also provides you with great garden decor selections to choose from in order to bring out the life of your garden setting. Thus, at this garden center, one will discover numerous decor items like statues, water fountains, solar garden lights, and plaques.

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By ., March 14, 2010 2:57 pm

Why go and spend a fortune at the nursery on new tools, when there is probably a wealth of unused stuff tucked away unused in your own kitchen, or someone you knows kitchen that will more than adequately do the exact job you want, without having to spend a cent.

Just make sure that anything taken from the kitchen really is not wanted there. As well as the fact that such stuff is on a one way permanent trip out to the garden shed.

Here are just a few suggestions of stuff that are useful kitchen refugees,

Old dinner knife for digging weeds out from between concrete sections or pavers.

Old kitchen fork for light weeding in around tight places or where you do not want to disturb root systems that are close to the surface.

Good sharp kitchen knife or a pair of kitchen scissors are great fro dividing up clumps of plants, or for taking cuttings off of a branch.

Kitchen tongs can be used to pick up thorny cuttings or to help you repotting thorny plants like cacti.

Serving tray or placemats to keep things organised or for carrying produce, cuttings or even weeds.

Potato Masher for pushing past a thorny plant or rose.

BBQ or Carving Forks for digging out stubborn rooted weeds and root vegies.

Kitchen funnels for pouring various liquids into containers or for accurate pouring around plants. or to get seed or even small screws & nails into storage packets or bottles.

Chopsticks make great little pot stakes (metal and wooden skewers work too), or construction sets even for some jobs.

I’ve seen bamboo placemats and chopsticks cut down to make scenery pieces for bonsai planters, along with old aquarium ornaments.

Set of measuring cups and measuring spoons are great as scoops for fertilizers and potting mixes.

Icecream or soup scoops for measuring and scooping potting mix in around new potplants.

Egg rings and biscuit cutters for shaping growing fruit just for fun, or as a simple handheld hoe for light weeding in around plants.

So theres a few things which can obtain a second life out in the gardenshed and garden, nstead of being stored for years in a drawer, or being thrown out or passed on to a charity store.