October 6th 2008

February in the Garden

Often in February there is a surprisingly warm day. Everybody sheds their coats and puts a bounce in their step. The next day they hear a snow plow at 4 AM. But the brief warmup gets you thinking “what is there to do in the landscape?”

Here are a few late winter ideas.

Check out your garden tools, patio furniture, window boxes etc. Paint, repair or discard so you are ready to go when it’s really nice out!

It’s a good time to propagate some house plants. Abundant sunshine is on its way!

Order Seeds! Hey that’s always fun. Try something new this year!

Prune decidous trees that need it. Remove dead or problem branches, crossing branches and basal sprouts. Make sure you know the proper way to do a pruning cut and get an arborist for the big jobs for safety and future health of the tree. The ISA consumer site has great advice here. http://www.treesaregood.com/

Try forcing the bloom on some early spring flowering branches. Forsythia is a common choice for this; but pussy willow, quince, spirea, and dogwood can be forced forced to bloom also. It’s easy and gets you out in the garden for few minutes! Gather your branches and when arranging them make slanted cuts to help with water absorption. Put them in a vase and keep the water fresh, changing it a couple times a week.

Contact your local landscape service now for any spring projects. In a few weeks they are going to be very busy!

A garden center manager, writer, musician and webmaster; Lee Goins is often called on as an expert in landscaping and gardening. Residents of Shelby County Ohio have been bringing him pieces of trees, moldy leaves, and jars of bugs for 8 years in spite of the well publicized knowledge he prefers chocolate. His gardening help has been featured on TV, Radio, Newspapers and websites like http://www.shelbylandscaping.com

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October 5th 2008

How To Grow Luscious Tomatoes

The tomato is the most commonly grown vegetable in the
States. Here are some tips on how to grow your own
bountiful crop of tomatoes.

Tomatoes should be grown in full sunlight.

Tomato plants require abundant moisture.

Tomatoes grow well in many types of soil but prefer fertile,
well-drained soil with pH of about 6.5.

Garden soil may be improved by adding rotted manure, leaf
mold, peat moss, or other organic materials.

The ideal tomato plant should be six to eight inches tall,
dark green, with a stocky stem and well-developed root
system.

For each family member three to five plants should be grown
for fresh eating. If production for canning is desired,
then five to 10 plants person needs to be grown.

Plant tomatoes when the weather has warmed and the soil
temperature is above 60

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October 4th 2008

Garden Sculpture

In the ancient world, the most common garden forms were the household gardens of nobles and the holy gardens associated with a place of worship. Sculpture of divines and kings were positioned in the compounds of places of worship. The Romans transported a large number of statues to Italy and placed them in gardens for decorative purposes. As the Roman Empire underwent a transformation and initiated Christian beliefs, these statues were regarded as non-religious, and removed. However, during the renaissance, these same statues were exhumed and placed once again in gardens. Sculpture became a acknowledged as art and gardens have always been a favored setting for exhibiting outdoor works of art.

Sculptures, whether in the shape of birdbaths or metal art forms are noticeable essentials to enhance a garden’s ambience. Mounting an appealing sculpture at waist or eye level can transform a garden into an exhilarating place. Including a garden sculpture helps set the mood or theme of a garden.

Even a modest garden is a work of art and installing a garden sculpture is a popular way to give a small garden, a bit of aura and mystery. A sculpture in a sunlit open space achieves the status of an exalted spot. It is delightful to find a large garden sculpture serving as the central point or to walk down a garden path and chance upon an unanticipated sculpture placed in a small recess. Many homeowners, while designing their homes, seek classically designed sculptures to be placed in their gardens.

While selecting a sculpture for a garden, a buyer must bear in mind that the artpiece should be able to withstand nature’s ravages during different seasons. The best choice of material for a sculpture with this factor in mind, are bronze and marble. When sculptures are placed in the open, they should be of a material that is durable and bronze fits in with this need.

Some art lovers choose a fairly large sculpture to make it the central piece of attraction in the garden. They place the sculpture in a prominent place so it will attract the attention of every visitor to the garden.

While designing a beautiful garden and the sculpture to go with it, one may enlist the services of specialized garden decorators. Most people who are not connoisseurs of art are inexperienced when it comes to selecting sculptures. A garden-decoration agency helps buyers pick a fine piece of art to match their gardens and at the right price range.

Sculptures provides detailed information on Sculpture, Garden Sculpture, Bronze Sculpture, Metal Sculpture and more. Sculptures is affiliated with Interior Painting.

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