Do It Yourself Gardening

Finding The Best Deals On Poinsettias

2009-10-19T00:21:00.005-05:00

With the holiday season fast approaching you might be looking to score a poinsettia plant to liven up your home or work space. With just a little bit of effort on your part you can save a bundle of money and some time and hassle along the way. And if there's a couple of things most of us find ourselves short of during the holiday season it's time and money.

There are many reputable stores online that can deliver you a beautiful poinsettia plant just in time for the holiday season. One of the bigger and better known retailers online is 1800flowers.com. You can find just about any plant or flower you want at the site. I believe the coupon code CPNALB will work through December 31st. It's good for 15% off your order. Do make sure you check before placing your order. 1800flowers.com also offers a Fresh Rewards membership program which can save you even more. Beside some great deals on poinsettias and other plants and flowers you recieve rewards upgrades that can be used at other sites such as 1800baskets, the Popcorn Factory, Plow and Hearth and Cheryl & Co. Until November 8, 2009 you can earn double points on your purchases and through December 31, 2009 you can earn a $40 Fresh Rewards Pass when you set up 10 gift reminders. As always check out 1800flowers for all the details and save yourself a bundle this holiday season.

Mistakes To Avoid When Edging a Flower Bed

2009-07-01T20:07:00.001-05:00

During my fifty year journey in the world
of gardening, I have made some serious
mistakes when choosing a suitable edging
for the flower beds. There is a wide
choice of materials available to keep the
flowers or veggies contained in specific
gardening areas and the grass from invading
the garden soil. Edging provides a clean look,
and orderliness to the landscape. But make
a mistake here and time is lost and money
wasted. Give careful thought to the
materials used and save yourself some time.

Seed Germination Problems

2009-06-25T19:02:00.003-05:00

Understanding the most common failures for good
seed germination will get your garden up and
growing at the first try. Millions of greenhouse
grown transplants are tucked into garden dirt
each growing season but starting out with seeds
is the growing thing to do. Most gardeners think
"seeds" instead of "plants" for economic reasons,
but another reason is growing vegetables or flowers
that are not available as transplants. While starting
your garden from a packet of seeds may seem like a
daunting task, it is fun and rewarding. Knowing
the reasons for seed germination failures will
give you a head start to success.

Know Those Key Zone Numbers to Avoid Growing Mistakes

2009-06-23T19:43:00.001-05:00

Buy a shrub or tree at the local garden center and
the tag infomation will include two sets of numbers,
the USDA Hardiness Zones and the AHS Heat Tolerance Zones.
These numbers assure us that this particular shrub
or tree will thrive in the region of the country
specific to those numbers. You must know your
zone number which limits making mistakes planting
vegetables that require more frost free days than
you normally enjoy. It is a costly mistake to
choose a tree from a mailorder nursery that will
not survive the minimum average temperature in
your specific geographical area.

Understanding the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones
and the AHS Heat-Zone for your gardening location
is a must for successful growing. Memorize your
numbers and shop with confidence.

Raised Bed Gardening

2009-06-16T13:16:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest plusses of raised bed gardening
is the option of choosing a soil mix for growing
a successful garden. Choose a good quality top soil
ammended with compost or peat moss or some other organic
matter. The planting mix should drain well and be
easy to work with. It is best to loosen the soil
below the raised bed to a depth of six inches,
mixing the amended soil in the top two inches.
Install the framework and fill the bed. It is helpful
to get a soil test to determine fertility before
the seeds or transplants are planted.

Many rules of ordinary gardening don't apply to
raised bed gardening. No need to think in long
single file rows with wide spacing between rows.
In fact, forget the rows. Plant intensively,
in blocks, grouping the early vegetables together.
When that harvest is complete, pull the plants
and continue the season with green beans and squash.
A trellis can be installed to grow vining crops
up instead of sprawling out and taking up so much room.
Straw mulch, leaves or grass clippings can be used
to conserve moisture and keep the soil cool.

Raised bed gardening is a great way for today's
busy gardener to keep fresh food coming to the
table from the first cutting of lettuce in the
spring to the last tomato of the season.
A lot of good nutrition, exercise and reward
awaits the gardener tending the abundant harvests
enjoyed from raised bed gardening.