Most gardeners today are looking for natural controls for pests, disease and other gardening problems. Often the best natural control begins with healthy soil … one of the great maxims of natural gardening is “Feed your soil before you feed your plants” and adding a good layer of compost to your lawn or garden on a regular basis may be all you need to keep pests and disease under control.
But that’s not always sufficient and if you need a little extra fire power, here’s an article you might want to check out … Natural Controls. for:
* Aphids, Scale & Mealy Bugs
Grubs & Beetles
* Weeds & Grass
I think spring just might be my favourite season. In this picture a raised bed has flowering pink bergenia in the foreground accented with my husband’s favourite yellow pansies, flowering purple bugleweed and a lovely dark heuchera in the background.
- Sheila Sim (The Garden Coach)
More Spring Pictures.
With good bones (and of course lots of fresh snow!) the garden can be beautiful even in winter …
Click here for more winter garden pictures.
From: Amaryllis Bulb Company at http://www.amaryllis.com/pac.htm
I’ve heard and read several different approaches to growing amaryllis but perhaps the most straight forward comes from The Amaryllis Bulb Company. They have a very good website with easy-to-follow tips on how to grow and re-grow your amaryllis. Here is a brief summary of their tips for success:
October - November
* Plant 7 - 10 weeks before you want the amaryllis to flower. For Christmas flowering, plant mid October.
* Plant the bulb up to its neck in a nutritious compost.
* Place the pot in a warm place (68 to 70 degrees F) with lots of light. The bulb needs heat to begin to grow.
* Water sparingly until the leaves and bud appear then water more frequently.
April - May
* When it is done flowering, cut the old flowers from the stem, and when the stem starts to sag, cut it back to the top of the bulb.
* Place it outside for the summer. Water and fertilize regularly. It should grow outside for 5 - 6 months.
September
* When the leaves yellow in fall cut them back to 2 inches and remove the bulb from the pot.
* Store the bulb in a cool dark place (refrigerator crisper is ideal) for at least 6 weeks.
* Remove and repot 8 weeks before you want it to bloom again.
Click here for more detail from the Amaryllis Bulb Company.
From: How Does Your Garden Grow? by Sheila Sim
Everyone has their own approach to preparing the garden for winter. Some like to leave many of the plants up for winter interest - especially things like the purple coneflowers and grasses - others prefer to cut them back. Here’s my 10+ step fall “to do” list (in the order I try to get it “t’done”).
1. Build new beds to be ready for planting in spring.
2. Fertilize the lawn with a superslow release 10-4-4 fertilizer.
3. Take clippings to root indoors over winter.
4. Bring plants, summer bulbs and tubers indoors to winter over.
5. Plant bulbs.
6. Make up outdoor winter pots with interesting objects and foliage.
7. Pull annuals and cut down perennials (with some exceptions).
8. Clean leaves out of the garden beds until freeze up.
9. Dig in compost or manure around perennials.
10. Water beds well (especially evergreens).
11. Cover beds or individual plants after freeze up & protect beds from winter road treatments.
Click here to read more about each of the above steps.
