Garden Interest

There are many ways that you can add interest to a garden. Anything that becomes a focal point will add interest and that can range from garden sculptures to the types of plants you choose.

Adding block planting of a particular specimen can become a focal point in the garden. Even adding areas of variegated foliage can create a focal point in the garden. Truly, the sky is the limit.

Seats, especially the eclectic ones, are another item that can add interest to the garden and additionally they can offer a nice place to rest and relax while you admire your work.

Mirrors that are strategically placed can enhance the garden in many ways. They can bring reflected light to dark corners of the garden. They can also give the impression that the garden is bigger or alternatively they can give the impression that the open space is bigger.

Placed at various angles, mirrors can add a lot of fun and interest to a garden and help to lead a visitor on to other areas.

Using hedges can also add interest to the garden while offering protection to the plants. Hedges are also an excellent way to gain privacy without feeling closed in.

Water features are a favorite for many people and the sound of running water in the corner of a garden can add an atmosphere of calm and relaxation.

Water features can also be good for the birds in the garden particularly in the summer months when they might find it difficult to find water lying around to suit their needs.

As with sculptures, stones, rocks and pebbles can add interest and offer areas where you can walk even when the surrounding ground might be too wet. Shells also make a good cover on the ground for paths that can remain dry in the wet season. Being that I am living near the beach, driftwood can add a great deal of interest to the garden.

There are so many different things that you put in your garden to add interest. Everything from old cartwheels to wind chimes, aviaries or anything else you can imagine. Others I can think of include old wicker baskets, unique planters, glassless window frames (the old wooden ones), just to name a few.

What else can you think of? Leave your comments below.

Bulb Planting Tips

And now this tip from.... ABC7Chicago.com: Fall Planting Tips: "Secrets to Success with Bulbs and Other Fun Fall Items:

Planting 'bulb bouquets' gives the most bulbs in the garden with the least amount of work to get the best display. Avoid planting bulbs all in a row to look like soldiers all standing guard. Dig a hole 8 inches deep x 10 inches wide. Place 8-10 major bulbs like tulips, daffodils or hyacinths in the bottom with 1 inch between each bulb. Fill the hole half full (cover the first bulbs with 4 inches of soil). Place 10 minor bulbs like grape hyacinth around the edge of the hole. Fill the rest of the hole with soil, apply bulb fertilizer on top and water thoroughly.

If planting tulips you must use a repellent to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from digging and eating them. There are repellents based on odor and taste that are made from different ingredients like blood meal, fish meal, hot peppers, fermented eggs and castor oil that work for tulips.

Bulb fertilizer is important. Bulbs are heavy feeders and they need to be fertilized every fall and every spring. Try Bulb Tone and Bulb Booster.

Gardening Health and Safety

from the CDC....

Whether you garden 15 minutes a day or all weekend, gardening can be satisfying once you learn the basics. Health and safety should be a primary concern for all who garden, whether novice or expert. Take precautions so that your time is spent enjoying your garden, and not seeking emergency room care. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2003, more than 71,000 consumers went to emergency rooms because of injuries related to push mowers, and nearly 15,000 suffered injuries related to riding mowers and garden tractors. Additionally, nearly 39,000 consumers went to emergency rooms with injuries related to garden tools and supplies.

To read some great tips, see the Health and Safety Guide for Gardeners

Alaskan Gardening?

For those of us in more moderate climates, we might forget that gardening takes palce even in places that seem well....unlikely. I've watched people be amazed that people garden in Alaska - and yet Alaskan have some terrific gardening weather with the looong summerdays.

Here is some news from the gadening top of the world:

Gardeners, and their gardens, have spent the last month shivering. After two glorious summers -- or so gardeners lament -- it looks like 2006, in Alaska gardening lore, will be a "lean" year and not a "bean" year. More...

Home Garden Decor

There's a new trend emerging among gardening enthusiasts. Since space constraint is a common problem among those who enjoy gardening, a new breed of this hobby has developed. It's called indoor gardening, or home gardening as it is called in other circles.

Home gardening involves the cultivation of plants inside one's home. This can be accomplished in many ways.....

Read more about Garden Decor

Container Gardening

I do a lot of container gardening. I'm always looking for creative ways to use containers...be it the containers themselves or the plants that go in them.

Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you'd rather make something really modern with timber or tiles. If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don't want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.

Click here to read more on Container Gardening

Great Plant Picks

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, Great Plant Picks has got to be one of the sites you visit regularly when looking for plants for your garden.

The purpose of this eductional site, is to alert all of us to the plants that will perform best in our unique climate. It's a wonderful resource...

So if you garden, if you are interested in plants that will do best year after year, then do visit Great Plant Picks.