We bring you some of the basics of growing a blooming garden that is a thing of beauty and a joy forever! Well, if forever is too long a time to contemplate, then let’s focus on the next few years at least, what say? So, here goes: know the variety of plants you intend growing, their plant food and daily watering and sunlight requirements besides the kind of containers/beds they grow best in. All these are necessary points to learn and apply to the gardening hobby as this factors influence the growth and health of your plants.

Another important factor for ensuring plant life is the drainage factor and resisting from over-doing the fertilizer addition, which many people think is good in any amount – but this if far from true. The fact is that some plants can take the extra water that is contained in the container/bed while others start to perish, so you need to know your plants well in order to apply the guidelines for soil, water, sun and drainage to them in order to effectively make them bloom. After all, you don’t want to be known for killing off your garden blooms prematurely by killing them with kindness, do you, now?

So, water them just adequately so they don’t die a bloated death early in bloom and ensure drainage tray and gravel filling lines the bottom of the plant container. If you really want to ensure a fool-proof method for improving drainage in your garden then the best way to do this is to make a raised bed for your flowers.

To make a raised bed, you need to create a border area with soil and compost so it stands above distinctly as compared the rest of the garden yard; the raised area must measure a minimum of 5 inches. A raised bed works best when working in a grassy or dirt-filled area, but specifications for both varieties are slightly different.

You can try dividing the garden area with simple four by two planks that will act as retaining walls for the soil and manure and ensure your flowers grow well in the raised bed inside these restrictive boundaries; or else, you can cut the sod around the perimeter of the flowering area and slice the edges so after it is turned upside down, simply adding some straw will do the trick for holding the energy sources in for your garden.

You can also consider planting the bulbs in a garden space that ensures the roots are kept out of the soil if it is the kind that saturates easily. After adding plants into your new, raised bed, you will soon see the improvement in your drainage as the extra soil also aids in enhanced root development. Besides the above advantages to having a raised flower bed for your garden space, it is also the twin factors of evaporation and decomposition that are discouraged so that all in all, these combine to provide an ideal environment for all kinds of plants to grow successfully in; just keep an eye on the topography of your garden smooth and bug-free so the plants get their daily nourishment.

Garden insects: know your friends & foes
Learn to identify and manage three basic types of garden pests

Why is it when 97% of the world’s insects are considered to be either beneficial or harmless, your garden attracts only the remaining 3%  that are considered PESTS? Although it may seem this way, there are both “good” and “bad” insects in your yard.

There is a constant battle going on to maintain a balance between these two groups. Toleration of some pests should be allowed as they provide a food source for the beneficial insects, allowing them to thrive in your yard and keep the pests in check. However, even in the best of gardens, uncontrolled outbreaks do occur. Preventing an infestation of bugs is an important part of gardening. By taking several precautions and putting forth a little bit of effort in the beginning, you will hopefully be rewarded with (almost) pest-free veggies and flowers.

Why are some bugs in your yard a good thing? A vast majority of the insects in your yard provide many services that improve your garden and lawn. Insects help pollinate the blossoms, which lead to more fruit, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. Insects improve the soil condition by crawling through the surface layer. Droppings and dead bugs increase the fertility of the soil. Earthworms and centipedes also help aerate the soil during their travels. Insects keep the numbers of bugs in line by capturing and eating other types of insects

Learn to identify and manage three basic types of garden pests:

Soil Insects: This type of pest feeds on the seed in the ground or small tender vegetation. They will also attack larger, established root crops (such as potatoes and carrots). Examples of soil insects include cutworms, white grubs, slugs, and mole crickets.

Sucking Insects: These insects have a mouth type to pierce the skin and to suck the sap from the plant. Sometimes the hole made by these critters is so small that it is unable to be seen without a magnifying glass. Severe injury or even death can occur once your plant has fallen victim to these sucking insects. A badly infested plant will become yellowed, wilted, stunted or deformed. Examples of sucking insects include aphids, leafhoppers, stinkbugs, spider mites, and squash bugs.

Chewing Insects: This group causes the greatest amount of damage to gardens and yards. They chew off all parts of the plant including leaves, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Chewing insects include Colorado potato beetles, tomato hornworm, cabbage looper, webworms, leaf miners and various caterpillars

There are even parasitic insects that live off “bad” bugs, eventually killing them! The braconid wasp larvae infests the tomato hornworm and uses it as a food source. Insects act as janitors for your yard. They search out any dead plants or animals and feast on them, which provides a cleaning service for you. Most important of all is the insect population control created through fighting among themselves.

Surveillance of your garden
Plant your garden in a location so you can constantly see it. If an insect attack occurs you can take care of it early.

Choose resistant plants
Your local nursery or Extension Office can help you select some plants that are less tempting to the pests in your area. Other information sources are seed catalogs and plant reference books at the library.

Proper conditions
Plowing and cultivating you garden brings soil insects to the surface. Birds and other predators can then feast on them as a snack.

Fertilize
Follow an organic fertilizing program and provide the proper amount of water. Strong and healthy plants will be less likely to come under attack by pests.

Practice “clean culture”
Remove debris, including old or dead fruit and veggies, before planting the next season’s crops. By either burning, burying or removing the debris, you will rid the area of insect infestation or disease. Keep surrounding weeds under control.

Encourage beneficial bugs
Do not use an indiscriminate insecticide. Try to use target-specific sprays.

Rotate crops
By moving your plants around yearly, any bugs specific to certain crops will be forced to relocate. Garden pests can be placed into three separate groups: soil insects, sucking insects, and chewing insects.

Be sure to check out Spray-N-Grow’s organic and environmentally friendly insecticides

Bonide Bon-Neem Insecticidal Soap Concentrate
Bonide Rotenone-Pyrethrins Concentrate
Sluggo Snail and Slug Killer

Water-wise “naturescapes” offer savings

When it comes to watering your lawn and paying water bills, sound gardening practices can cut down homeowner investments of effort, time and money, reports the American Association of Nurserymen. And, you don’t have to turn your lovely colorful landscape into a rock garden featuring a sprinkling of cactus plants.

This popular approach to water management and water-conserving landscape design has been commonly known as Xeriscaping, and because the term comes from the Greek for “dry” many people assume it describes desert landscapes. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In contrast, the approach focuses on working with nature’s guidelines to create a lush looking landscape. As a matter of fact, “naturescaping” can be another way to describe this water-wise landscape design and management.

Turning your yard and garden into a “naturescape” requires some common sense and planning. That entails choosing the best plants, soils, locations, and irrigation systems for efficient water use. Some of those water-wise plant materials include vibrantly colored perennials and lush varieties of shrubs.

The keys to “naturescaping” involve how, when, and what you water in taking care of your property. Low-volume irrigation systems such as drip-watering devices reduce water use by 50 percent. Early-morning watering cuts down on evaporation.

Water-wise “naturescapes” offer savings. Grouping plants by water requirements is a smart way to guard against overwatering some plants and underwatering others. Save water by replacing leaky parts of irrigation devices and positioning sprinklers to shower areas of vegetation, as opposed to the driveway, garage, or deck.

A constant among guidelines for being water-wise is maintaining the health of your plants. Strong plants don’t need as much water as weak ones do. We have many reports from gardeners that Spray-N-Grow helps their plants withstand drought much better than those not sprayed with Spray-N-Grow. That’s because Spray-N-Grow helps plants develop a better root structure-more roots that are larger and longer. Plants that have a better root structure are more able to “find” any available moisture.

Be sure to add the needed soil amendments and mulch around plants to keep the roots moist. When adding to your landscape, don’t forget to include drought-resistant plants and grasses to those you already have.

Before you begin planning your new “naturescape” or planning how to convert your current landscape into a more water-efficient one, be sure to check with the experts at your retail nursery/garden center. They can offer the most valuable assistance for getting the best results.