Informative Articles at Landscaping | Gardening | Info Center
Fighting Insects, Diseases, Weeds
Weeds in an old lawn, or in a new lawn, can best be combated with chemical weed-killers such as 2,4-D compounds. Using a granulated chemical with a spreader is sometimes preferable to a liquid spray. Spray must be used on a day when there is little or no wind as drifting spray kills and harms veg. . .
Fences
Fences are either open, to use as a trellis for roses or other plants, or they are closed to serve as a wind, sun or privacy screen. The materials will depend largely upon the use to which the fence is to be put. The most popular, and probably the most attractive, fences are built of wood in vari. . .
Flowerbed Soil Requirements
Preparing the soil for flower beds or borders requires greater care than planting a lawn. For one thing, digging must be deeper. It is not too much to dig the bed 2 feet deep, although 1 1/2 feet is suitable. It is, of course, possible to grow flowers in a shallower bed than this, but the deeper . . .
Foundation Planting
The special planting set close to the house is called foundation planting and has great importance since it improves and enhances the proportions of your house as well as relates the house to the grounds. Evergreens are widely used for foundation planting not only because they can thrive in the s. . .
Flowers
THE loveliness of flowering plants needs little embellishment by description. Certainly every gardener seeks the beauty and color that can be brought to his grounds by a variety of flowers. The proper arrangement of flower beds in your garden and attentive care to them can insure you a continuing. . .
Construction Problems
NOT every house is blessed by ideal surroundings, with promise of easy creation of outdoor recreation and entertainment areas, a good lawn and a good garden. Often it is necessary to undertake a certain amount of construction to insure the quality and life of tree gardens you wish to plant and th. . .
Annuals
An annual, from the point of view of the amateur gardener, is any plant which must be replaced each year and which flowers only once in its life. Annuals generally are grown from seed. The chief advantage of annuals over perennials is their low cost. Thousands of plants can be grown from a single. . .
Driveways, Paths and Walks
Planning your driveway and walks so that they take up a minimum amount of room and yet provide a strong enough surface for the traffic they will bear, calls for careful thinking. The well-designed house and grounds have the garage close to the house and near to the street. The garage situated way. . .
Feeding Trees
When trees grow naturally in the forest, the leaves fall around them, decay and form a good soil. The leaves also preserve moisture in the soil. On a lawn, however, the tree must compete with the grass for moisture and nutrients, and the leaves are raked up to prevent grass disorders, so that the. . .
Evergreens
Evergreen trees and shrubs are more expensive in general than deciduous trees (trees that drop their leaves in winter). But they are worth their cost because of their year-round beauty, hardiness and longevity. Evergreens range from the broadleaved shrubs like rhododendron and laurel to the tall-. . .
Sowing seeds indoors
The two most important factors in outdoor sowing are soil texture and drainage. Texture is of greater importance in germinating seeds than soil fertility. A mixture of equal parts of good soil, coarse sand and peat moss makes a fine bed. The bottom of the seed pan should be filled with gravel or . . .
Outdoor Living Room
Today, when building costs make large houses prohibitive, one way to extend your house is to use your outdoor space to full advantage. And many contemporary houses make many a room look larger by visually extending it into the lawn or garden. Tricks such as glass walls, using the same wall materi. . .
Propagation of plants
Certain varieties of perennials can be used to create new plants. This is accomplished by the use of various propagation methods. The general methods used include cuttings, division of old clumps, propagation from leaves, and budding. Some varieties can be propagated by a number of methods; for o. . .
Perennials
Perennials are the basic flowers of any garden. Each year they die and renew themselves for the next growing season. They are long-lived and last for many seasons. Perennials are also, historically, among our oldest plants. They have been cultivated for centuries and often, as a result of breedin. . .
Sowing Grass Seed
Every authority states unequi-vocably that fall is the best time to seed, preferably in September after the months of hottest weather and when there is a good moisture condition. If you seed in the fall the grass will thrive, but, nevertheless, the heaviest sales of seed are in the spring. If you. . .
Designing and Planning
FOR the most attractive and beneficial use of your grounds, you will want to include in your plans most of the features outlined in this chapter. Such essentials as a good lawn, thriving shade trees and paths and walks are usually taken for granted, yet often they are the most difficult to acquir. . .
Seed Selection For Your Lawn
When you select seed for your lawn, the main consideration is the exposure to sun and shade your grounds afford. Most commercial blends are adapted to full sun or medium shade. A special blend should be used where there is less than three or four hours of sun-light a day, as under trees, or where. . .
Hedges
A hedge that is well kept and attractive can do much for your grounds. Used in the front of the house and on the sides of your lot, hedges are a barrier against traffic, noise and all things unsightly; at the same time they enhance the proportions and general appearance of your house and lawns. A. . .
Other Ground Cover
In many cases cover other than grass is desirable. Foundation plantings, banks, shady places, all often require other cover. Good covers are dependable, inexpensive and not weedy.For open sunny areas, banks, or where a large, high cover is wanted, wild trailing rose with its white blossom is most. . .
Selecting the Right Tree
Summertime brings hot weather. It is the time of year when we appreciate the shade of a big, beautiful tree. Trees provide other benefits, too. They can block the wind, help clean the air, provide fruit and nuts, and create a hospitable habitat for wildlife. And, trees make a great hideaway where. . .
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