Flowering Cherries

Flowering cherries While the briefness of their glory has to be acknowledged, cherries really are the hardy spring-flowering trees for temperate climate gardens. I can think of no others, apart from their close Prunus relatives and some of the magnolias that even come close to rivalling flowering cherries for sheer weight of bloom and vibrance of colour. The genus Prunus, to which the cherries, plums, almonds, apricots and peaches belong, includes around 430 species spread over much of the northern temperate regions and has a toehold in South America. Although including a few evergreen species, such as the well-known cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), the genus is mainly deciduous and generally hardy to the frosts likely to occur in most New Zealand gardens. The genus Prunus is widely recognised as being divided into 5 or 6 subgenera, though some botanists prefer to recognise these as distinct genera. The subgenus cerasus is the one to which the cherries belong. This group... Read More

A Guide for Servicing Your Chainsaw

Chainsaws provide many years of service for very little upkeep. Taking the time to service your chainsaw will help ensure that your equipment will not let you down. For safety reasons, make sure you only service your chainsaw when it is fully cooled, with the spark plug disconnected. If you are working with an electric chainsaw make sure it is unplugged first of all. You should also wear gloves and protection for your eyes.For safe and effective operation having correct chain tension is necessary. As the chain wears, significant stretching will occur. After five to ten cuts a new chain may need to be readjusted. Separation from the guide bar or binding into the wood can occur if the chain is loose. Premature chain and guide bar wear will be caused by a tight chain. A chain that is well adjusted will move easily and smoothly when pulled by a gloved hand. Binding or sagging by the chain should not occur. The chain... Read More

Catch a Leprechaun in Your Garden

There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns in traditional Irish legend, so as to how they came to be .. your guess is as good as mine. These apparently aged, diminutive men are hard-working cobblers, turning out exquisite shoes for other sprites. If you happen across an industrious little fellow hammering out a shoe, look closely - for he may be a leprechaun. Step quietly, for leprechauns will avoid humans, knowing us to be foolish and greedy. A leprechaun dresses in old-fashioned clothes of green, with a red cap, multi-pocketed leather apron, and buckled shoes. He is quite fond of a smoke from his foul smelling clay pipe which is always close by, and he is frequently in an intoxicated state from home-brew poteen. However, a leprechaun never becomes so drunk that the hand which holds the hammer becomes unsteady and his shoemaker's work affected. If you hear the sound of a hammer from behind a hedgerow you... Read More

Lifes a Beach--A Shore Theme in your Outdoor Space

Twentieth century American architect Phillip Johnson once said, "I hate vacations. If you can build buildings, why sit on the beach?" Mr. Johnson evidently didn't how to relax, but as another summer is slipping away, you can. Did you visit the beach this year? Do you wish you had? Either way, you can create a seaside feel in your outdoor space and enjoy memories of the shore at home! Here are some quick tips.Color Your choice of color will be the biggest stress-reliever in your home "beach." The relaxing hues of the beach are sun-bleached and sand- and water-washed. Think cool and inviting water, lapping on the shore; the pale sand underfoot; the tall pale green beach grasses; the pale pink and coral of shells; the white clouds in a the blue sky.For your blue, try Kelly Moore's Essence of the Sea or Sail Away, Beauti-tone's French Blue, or Benjamin Moore's Robin's Egg.If you prefer brighter colors use bright pink or orange, especially... Read More

Camellias

Camellias Named by Linnaeus in 1735 in honour of the Jesuit priest and naturalist Georg Josef Kamel, Camellia is a genus originating mainly from China but with a range covering a large area of South East Asia. The exact number of species is not clear but it is somewhere around 100. Camellia is an important commercial genus because of one species, Camellia sinensis, the plant from which tea is made. Most gardeners recognise two main groups of camellias, the autumn flowering and the spring flowering. However, it is not quite that simple. Whenever a genus of many species (such as Rhododendron, Rosa or Camellia) is used to produce a multitude of hybrids distinct groups tend to form. There are four main camellia groups: Japonica, Reticulata, Sasanqua and Hybrid, with a number of smaller groups based around less common species, such as Camellia hiemalis, and inter-specific hybrids, such as Camellia ? williamsii (Camellia japonica ? Camellia saluensis). It's a commonly held belief among... Read More

Kirengeshoma palmata

Kirengeshoma palmata Sometimes known as yellow waxbells, Kirengeshoma palmata is a late-flowering rhizomatous perennial up to 1.2m high with arching stems and is native to the woods and mountain lowlands of Korea and the Japanese islands of Shikoku and Kyushu. The unusual name? No, it doesn't come from an obscure Danish botanist called Kirengeshom. It's really just a Latinised version of the original Japanese name. Palmata, a common specific epithet, means shaped like a hand and refers to the foliage. Formerly classified in its own family, it is now a member of the hydrangea family, although its flowers, which are around 3cm long, are more reminiscent of those of a single-flowered Japanese anemone. The flowers of most of the plants seen in gardens are a fairly deep yellow, though the colour of wild specimens ranges from white to apricot. While beautiful and graceful, the fleshy-petalled flowers, which are borne in sprays on wiry stems that bend under their own weight, never really... Read More

Fuchsia procumbens

Fuchsia (named after Leonhard Fuchs, a 16th century German botanist) is a genus of over 100 species of shrubs and small trees. Although there are four New Zealand native species (colensoi, excorticata, perscandens and procumbens) and one from Tahiti, the vast bulk of the genus occurs in Central and South America. Think of fuchsias and chances are the fancy garden hybrids come to mind first. Showy as they are, it is not difficult to see they are related to wild species such as Fuchsia magellanica, Fuchsia denticulata and Fuchsia triphylla. Some species, however, are less easy to distinguish. Our common native tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) has fuchsia-like flowers, though it can be hard to see the connection with the garden plants when it is not in bloom. But the likes of Fuchsia arborescens from Central America, with its panicles of tiny flowers, scarcely matches the common idea of a fuchsia. The most widely grown of New Zealand's native species is Fuchsia procumbens and... Read More

Gallica Roses

Very soon stocks of new season's roses will be arriving in the garden centres, if they're not already there. Indeed, to be sure of getting the most sought after varieties it may have been necessary to put an order in some time ago. However, in their rush for the new, those who are slaves to fashion often overlook gems, leaving some of the best tried and true plants for those prepared to simply wait and see what is available. Gallica roses are a case in point. While the popularity of Old Roses waxes and wanes as each new generation discovers them and then seeks something new, the best of them carry on regardless.Rosa gallica, also known as the French Rose or Provins Rose, is a species that grows wild from southern and central Europe to the Caucasus. Because it readily produces sports, has a tendency towards double flowers, and may have hybridised naturally with other species, it is likely that the... Read More

Tuberous Begonias

If you appreciate plants that have no hesitation in boldly stating their presence with huge, almost artificially perfect flowers, then tuberous begonias are for you. While some may find them rather too overstated, downright brazen even, if you like colour, and plenty of it, with subtlety an option rather than compulsory, then look no further. Flowering from late spring, as the days exceed 13 hours long, until well into autumn when the foliage dies back, these tuberous-rooted perennials have been extensively hybridised and refined to the point where the larger-flowered forms are nothing short of spectacular. For those with greenhouses or a very mild winter climate there are even types that flower well into winter, if not right through the cooler months. Description and classification and groups Begonias are among those convenient plants where the proper name is also the common name. The genus is found in the tropics and subtropics, particularly in the Americas, and is made up of around 900 species... Read More

Growing Palms

Palms Everybody recognises palm trees, they are the universal symbol for the tropics but many are hardy enough for our temperate climate gardens. Until recently New Zealand gardeners have had only a very limited range of palms to choose from. In the last five years the range has grown enormously as nurseries have been encouraged by gardeners eager to experiment. Nevertheless, palms are, on the whole, slightly tender plants. Those that will tolerate regular frosts of -6?C. or more are few in number. If your minimum temperature does not drop below -2?C or if you are in a frost free area the range of suitable plants increases considerably. There are two main styles of palms; the fan and the feather. The names refer to the layout of the fronds. Fan palms have the leaflets of the frond arranged just like a hand operated fan. The most widely grown fan palm is Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chinese Fan Palm. Feather palms have the... Read More

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Feeding the Hummingbirds

Early in May here in west central Wisconsin, I can count on seeing a Ruby Throated Hummingbird hovering in front of my kitchen window, flitting back and forth, as if to say, "there... Read More

Xeriscaping is Waterwise Gardening

What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as a way of landscaping in the Southwestern United States. You may picture xeriscaping as a lot of gray gravel and cactus in a... Read More

June Gardening Tips

These are just a few gardening tips for you to consider here in late June. Many people seem to think that just because all the plants have been put into their places for... Read More

Winterizing Your Pond

For many parts of the country, it's getting to be that time of year again. Time to start thinking about getting your fish and plants ready for old man winter...Every year, as the... Read More

Marjoram: The Herb of Happiness

Called the "herb of happiness," Origanum majorana, commonly known as sweet marjoram or knotted marjoram, is an herbal symbol of peace and well-being. Marjoram is grown as an annual in the colder parts... Read More

Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners... Read More

Basics of Pruning Roses

Pruning your roses does not need to be a dreaded task. Follow these tips and make rose pruning an easy gardening job. Prune from the ground up. Most people start at the... Read More

A Little Known Secret to Successful Outdoor Gardening

Pruning...Outdoor gardening is so much easier when you know how. Outdoor gardening is much more enjoyable when you know a few secrets.Much of the enjoyment of outdoor gardening comes from the care and... Read More

Lazy Fish Worries

If your fish hang out at the bottom of the pond, or act restless and lazy, then it's likely that your pond is suffering from poor aeration.When oxygen levels drop below 7 PPM... Read More

How to Care for Long Stem Roses

Widely considered to be the most popular roses for all occasions, what many people think of as classic long stem roses are in fact Hybrid Teas. A mixture between the Hybrid Perpetual... Read More

The Flower Garden in August

Our flower garden in August can be brimming with activities we can do at this time of year, as we can for most of the year. We have some flower gardening tips to... Read More

Basic Lawn Care - Mowing, Scarifiers, Aeration, and Watering Tips

The arrival of summer heralds a time of increased wear and tear for the average garden lawn. Children's yard games, barbecue parties, outdoor sports and generally more activity in the garden means your... Read More

Caring For Tropical And Exotic Flowers

Tropical flowers make an exciting change from the more traditional floral gifts such as roses and gerberas, assuming that they're available in your area. Their stark and colorful beauty makes them an impressive... Read More

Green Thumb Gifts: Beyond Gardening Gloves

Ahh, spring! It has sprung! Gardeners (and budding gardeners - no pun intended) have begun the quest for a weedless lawn, or a bountiful garden. But if you're looking for gifts for someone... Read More

How to Grow Apples

The first thing you need to grow apples is a long-term commitment. Growing apples takes considerable time and quite a bit of work. Still, if one of your fondest childhood memories is the... Read More

Bare Root Roses, What To Look For When Buying

The first thing to look for is the plant's grade. Nearly all bare root roses sold today are grown in the field and are approximetly two years old. They are sold in three... Read More

Grow Organic Vegetables

There are more reasons than ever why anybody with access to a few square feet of the outdoors should grow their own organic vegetables.You may be shocked at how much of the produce... Read More

Tips On Caring For Your Cut Flowers

Imagine it's a special occasion and you've just received a glorious bunch of roses. You put them in your best vase and you stand back to admire them. You'd love to make them... Read More

History of the Adirondack Chair

If you were to travel to Blue Mountain Lake, New York, you would come across a very unique museum called the Adirondack Museum. According to experts that run this museum, the Adirondack chair... Read More

Gardening with Bamboo

Myths and facts A misconception about bamboo is that they spread like wildfire. This is not entirely true as only a some species of bamboo will be invasive. Spreading, however, can easily be... Read More

Environmentally Safe Ways to Remove Weeds

There is a lot of concern about herbicides and what they are doing to our environment. Large amounts of chemicals leech into our groundwater polluting our water supply. Cancers and strange diseases with... Read More

Why Teak Coffee Tables Are Essential For Your Outdoor Space

One of the best ways to bring together the many pieces of furniture in your outdoor space is to accessorize with teak furnishings such as teak coffee tables. By placing a teak coffee... Read More

Daphnes for Scent and Colour

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of plants knows that daphnes have wonderfully fragrant flowers. And because some of them - usually the most scented - flower in winter, they're the sort of... Read More

Introduction to Botany

Botanists are individuals who conduct extensive study on plant biology - from the simple to the most complex plant organisms; studying all aspect of an individual plant or an entire ecology. Many botanists... Read More

Teak Furniture: The Premier Outdoor Furniture

When selecting furniture for their outdoor spaces, many people purchase pieces made with teak, a hard strong durable golden-brown wood, which is both resistant to the elements and requires little maintenance.Teak grows in... Read More

No Dig Gardens - How to Build One

The no dig garden is exactly what it describes...a fertile garden bed with no digging at all. It involves layering clean, organic materials that will literally compost around your plants as they grow.The... Read More

How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone

When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem cutting, the cutting will be more likely to form roots and create a new plant if a rooting hormone is used.While commercial rooting... Read More

Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly gardening is not only a joy, it is one way that you can help restore declining butterfly populations. Simply adding a few new plants to your backyard may attract dozens of different... Read More

Teak Umbrella : Add the Final Touch to Your Patio

Okay, so you have agonized for weeks and finally went out and purchased that gorgeous teak patio table that you have had your eye on for quite a while. And now that it... Read More