Have You Ordered Your Plants for Springs Yet?

Finally this week the weather here in Minnesota is getting into the 50's with thunderstorms in the forecast later in the week. We only have a couple small snow piles left in the yard that should be gone by the end of today. We have been looking at the garden catalogs and dreaming about summer and the beautiful things that we can grow this year.

If you have not already ordered your own garden catalogs there is still time to get them. Just go to our Garden Catalogs web page and select from Gurney's, HenryField's, Spring Hill, break, Garden's Alive and Direct Gardening. You can also place your garden orders right from the website links found on our Great Garden Ponds site. Many suppliers offer FREE shipping on orders.

Want to get a head start on your gardening? How about creating your own Kitchen Garden?

A kitchen garden has a charm all its own. There really is nothing to beat the look and taste of fruit and vegetables that you've grown yourself. If you add a few decorative herbs to the mix, there's absolutely no reason why your kitchen garden can't look as good visually as your flower garden.

It's a fact that fruit, vegetables and herbs are very rewarding to grow. There's an extra special flavor to produce you've grown yourself.

But be warned, a kitchen garden is going to be very labor-intensive. If you're not into hard, manual work in your garden, a kitchen garden may not be for you. The only way you're going to get bumper crops of the fruit, vegetables and herbs that you grow is by lavishing tender loving care and attention on them.

Starting your growing early can produce a bountiful crop weeks ahead of its normal time, giving you a home-grown harvest at a time when those fruits and vegetables are particularly expensive in the shops.

You can make your kitchen garden as visually attractive as possible by careful planning. If space is at a premium you can choose some of the more decorative vegetables and herbs and plant them in your flower beds.

Ideally you need to choose a sunny site in your garden for most herbs and vegetables to do well. If you are growing fruit trees, you should ensure that they do not cast a shadow over the vegetables and herbs.

Remember that although most herbs are leafy and lacking flowers, they will provide greenery in your garden, even in the winter. Just exercise a little thought as to where to place them and think in terms of what your garden will look like in each of the seasons and factor this into your planning.

Most herbs will do very well when planted in containers, so they are an excellent option even if you don't have much space in your garden. Tall herbs can be planted at the back of a traditional flower garden and low-growing herbs make excellent flower garden borders.

The normal method of growing vegetables is in regimented rows. If they are kept properly weeded, this can still look good. Again, if you don't have much space, you can still grow a large range of vegetables in containers e.g. peas and potatoes. Some vegetables are even attractive enough to be planted amongst the flowers - but remember that you are going to have gaps once the vegetables are harvested.

You may be surprised to learn that there's a large range of fruit that you can grow even if you don't have several acres worth of orchard plot. Small apple trees can grow in pots on the patio, you can grow strawberries in containers and there are even certain varieties of cordon-trained apples and pears that can be grown against a garden fence.

Nearly all fruit trees prefer a sunny site. You will certainly suffer from poor crops if you allow frost to damage the blossom on apple and pear trees. Pears are particularly vulnerable because they tend to flower earlier than apple trees.

If you don't have space in abundance but still want to try your hand at fruit growing then you should look at planting trained fruit trees such as espaliers, cordons and fans against a fence or wall. They can look very decorative and take up very little room.

With a modicum of planning, thought and imagination there really is no reason at all why you can't have the joy of growing and harvesting food for your own kitchen table in your own kitchen garden, no matter how small the plot.

How and When to Plant Roses

When spring comes and the ground is thawed, it is time to start planting your rose garden. Roses have been a cherished aphrodisiac since biblical times. They have been around for over 3000 years, yet they still hold a particular mystery and fascination, not to mention the fact that they just look and smell good!

One of the most important rules of growing roses is to plant the rose bush in an area that receives around 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day.

It is preferable not to plant too many trees or other plants around the rose bush because most of these are likely to either mix with the rose or stifle it's growth. If you are replacing an old rose bush, approximately 1 1/2 cubic feet of old soil should be removed, and fresh soil added to replace it. When positioning your rose in the garden or landscape, consider the growth habit of the rose.

For example, place climbers and ramblers along fences, trellises, or next to arches or pergolas. This location offers them free range of growth, and optimal potential for the showiest blooms.

Roses also look beautiful in island beds interplanted with perennials. Miniature roses make great edging plants in front of their taller cousins. Planted singly, shrub roses make excellent specimen plants or they can be clustered to make a flowering hedge. You can also use them to camouflage unsightly garden objects.

Dig a hole large enough for the root mass and loosen the bottom of the hole. You should add bone meal, which is a slow acting source of phosphorus that leads to healthy root growth in the rose plant.

Then the plant should be placed in the hole carefully and the hole refilled with soil, covering the roots properly. Before making the final covering, water the rose plant and let it absorb the water. After this, water the plant more and mound the soil about 6 inches high. The dome will keep the stems from drying out until the plant is rooted. Gradually remove the excess soil as the leaves open.

Special care should be taken with the planting depth. It varies according to the climate you live in.

If you live in a colder area, plant a bit deeper and consult with the people growing roses in your area. If you are buying potted roses, you should plant them about 1 inch deeper than their potted level.

The best time to plant roses varies depending on the winter temperature. Where temperatures don't drop below -10 degrees F; either fall or spring planting is satisfactory. If you live in an area where winter temperatures go below -10 degrees F, spring planting is preferred. Plants should be planted in a dormant condition if purchased bare root, but container grown plants may be planted throughout the growing season.

Spacing of the rose plant is highly influenced by the temperature. In regions where winters are severe, the rose plant does not grow as large as in mild climates. Taking this into consideration, hybrid tea roses should be spaced 1 1/2 to 3 feet apart. Large vigorous growers, such as hybrid perpetuals need 3 to 5 feet of space, and the climbers need from 8 to 10 feet of space.

If the winter temperature is below 10 degrees F, roses can grow healthy if proper care is taken. The gardener must prepare for that cold, wet reality as he revels in the summer air conditioning.

In zones 7 and colder, the roses enjoy their last fertilization of the season by August 15th to limit the emergence of new rose canes, which will almost certainly not survive the winter.

Visit www.greatgardenponds.com and order your Garden & Seeds Catalogs and order those new rose bushes.

The Bird Garden - Creating a Bird Friendly Habitat

Are you delighted by the natural show of birds? Flocks of sparrows descending to the ground for a feast, or a lone blue jay making his noisy calls against a winter backdrop - birds offer the observer and listener both pleasure and entertainment.

If you want to enjoy the company of birds in your yard you can do so by creating a garden suited to their needs. Planting a variety of trees, shrubs and natural grasses can make your yard a desirable destination. There are four needs that you can provide for that will encourage birds to your yard: safety, shelter, food and home.

SAFETY

Birds have many predators. Thick trees, grasses and shrubs hide them from enemies and protect their young. Evergreens like pine, fir or hollies provide dense cover throughout the year while deciduous trees are welcome protection in the warmer months.

SHELTER

The trees and shrubs that offer protection from predators can also protect them from the elements. Even tall ornamental grass can be used as a refuge from inclement weather. Planting bushes close together will provide better protection for your birds.

FOOD

Since most birds are not taught to find food from bird feeders you will attract more varieties of wild birds if you offer natural food sources. Berries, insects, nectar and nuts are preferred to seeds by some birds and will be abundant in supply if you choose these trees and shrubs to plant in your garden.

Plan your garden to offer food throughout the year, for example; blueberry and blackberry bushes in the summer, dogwoods in the fall and hollies in the winter. Oaks, pines and walnut trees will provide seeds and nuts during the year.

Shrubs and flowers can be planted to encourage visits from nectar-seeking birds like the hummingbird. Crabapple trees and azaleas provide nectar equally well as flowers. Shrubs and trees with winter berries will attract non-migrating wild birds throughout the colder months. By offering a varied selection of natural food sources you can enjoy the splendor of all your local birds.

HOME

You may create homes for your birds, or notice them being built in your eves, but providing trees will encourage even the most timid birds to your yard for nesting and rearing their young.

Different birds prefer different nesting sites. Some will nest high in a tree, some will prefer nesting in lower bushes, and others will nest on the ground amongst the tall grasses. The variety of planting you do will encourage more birds to nest in your yard.

Since some birds will only nest in your area for the summer, deciduous trees can provide equally well for their nesting needs as coniferous trees. They can also be a desirable home if they provide an easy source of food to feed their young.

A beautiful garden is well complemented by the company of birds. Provide for their needs and they will surely provide the gift of beauty, melody and entertainment to your garden.

Click Here for more Gardening Info!

Growing Your Own Plants from Seed

As we get closer to spring and planting it's time to start thinking about plants for our garden ponds, flower and vegatable gardens too. Here are some ideas and tips to help get you thinking and planning for the work to come.

Whether you decide to save your own seed to grow or germinate bought seed, you'll save money and get a real sense of satisfaction at the same time. Seeing healthy seedlings sprout from your soil is quite a thrill. Knowing you have saved quite a bit on buying plants is great, too. To ensure you don't lose the seeds you've gone to so much trouble to sow, here are some tips to consider.

Prepare small pots or nursery flats, as they are sometimes called, with a good quality potting mix. You can make your own mix if you prefer, using equal parts of coarse river sand, garden soil and vermiculite. Vermiculite is especially good because the tiny roots of your seedlings can penetrate the soft, water-holding grains and so when they are transplanted, they take their moisture with them. This helps to prevent transplant shock.

Make rows by pressing a pencil or piece of dowel into the mixture. Sprinkle the seed in and cover with sand. Water well with a spray bottle and keep covered and damp until germination.

There are some variations on the above rules. You could use an egg carton and sow one seed in each segment. Then, when they are large enough to go into the garden, cut the segments apart with a craft knife and plant the whole thing. The cardboard will soon rot away and in any case, the roots can penetrate it while it is damp. Any seed can be sown in this manner, but it is especially good for vegetables if you want to start them early.

If you've saved seedling punnets from a previous buy, re-use them. It's much easier to transplant a single plant from those sectioned punnets, as their roots are not all tangled together.

You could also 'sprout' the seed before planting. This is good for trees or larger perennials, if the seed takes ages to germinate. Soak the seed in hand-hot water for 3 or 4 hours. Once it has started to swell, place it gently in a plastic bag with some barely damp sphagnum moss. Seal the bag and leave in filtered light until you see roots growing.

Some seeds, like broad beans, beans and peas require darkness to germinate. They can be placed in a dark cupboard. Another way is to sprinkle fine seeds onto damp paper towels, roll them up and seal them into a plastic bag. Watch for germination and never leave out in full sun or you'll cook them. Label them with name and date so you'll have a rough idea of when they will germinate.

Bought seeds are usually sprinkled with fungicide, so if you are growing your own, watch to make sure no mold develops. If it does and the seed is too small to wipe it off, you may need to start again. You can dust your seed with any good fungicide if you want, but mold usually only develops if there is too much moisture in the bag.

When it is time to plant your sprouted seeds, let them dry slightly or they may stick to the container and be damaged when scraped off. Finer seed can be mixed with dry sand. Once the seeds are ready to go into the garden, be sure to protect them from snails, slugs and slaters.