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Having garden benches in your backyard, patio or porch is a great way to sit, relax, and enjoy the day. They are also great for guest when entertaining.

Building your own outdoor garden bench can be a fun weekend project. Building outdoor projects for your garden, porch, or patio is a great way to sharpen your woodworking skills. First step is to find some plans for the style of bench you want. Next gather your tools and material, and now you are ready to build your own garden bench.

If you are a beginner builder this project might seem difficult. Building this project yourself is quite simple with the help of some illustrated step by step plans. You can find lots of bench plans online for free, there are also sites were you can purchase these plans. Bookstores, libraries and magazines are also a good source for finding plans. Having a material list for the project is a good way to get an idea how much you will need to spend.

Do your research when choosing the type of wood you will use. Pressure treated wood is great to prevent rot and decay from the weather. Cedar and redwood is another great choice of wood, it will cost more, but the end results will be nicer, and it will last for many many years.

Benches can be build in many different styles and sizes, and decorated or painted in a variety of ways. Painting or staining will give it a nice touch, and make your bench last longer. You can also choose just to let it weather to get a rustic silver look. Keep in mind if you paint, the paint will eventually peel and flake, requiring touch ups to keep it looking nice. Stain which is available in many tones, will require less maintenance.

Most benches are light and can easily tip over when children are climbing them, or if an adult flings back to much. To prevent accidents look for galvanized iron brackets to anchor your bench to the ground.

Be safe when building your projects. Many of the tools required are sharp or are power tools that can cause injury. If you are a beginner start by reading the tool manual and following the safety cautions. Keep your power tools dry and make sure to plug them in grounded electrical outlets. Keep your fingers away from power blades. When you are working with small pieces of wood make sure to clamp them, instead of holding them. Wear eye and ear protection. Over time power tools can cause eye and ear damage, make sure you take precautions to avoid injuries. When changing blades on your power tools always make sure it is unplugged.

If you are looking for a hobby, woodworking is great. If you are just beginning, start by building some simple outdoor garden projects such as a garden bench. By having detailed plans and following the steps you are sure to build some nice looking outdoor projects. As your skills progress, you can take on more sophisticated projects. Indeed woodworking can be a hobby with great rewards.

About the Author:
If you are looking for free outdoor woodworking plans, visit my website. I have gathered a list of outdoor projects, including garden bench plans. http://www.mybackyardplans.com/benchplans.php

Keyword tags: bench, plans, garden, projects, woodworking

Patio is Spanish word that means “back garden” or “backyard”. We often see picture of beautiful patios that are decorated with beautiful plants and flowers to depth and dimension in magazines and on TV. One way to achieve this with your own patio is with patio container gardening.

If you’re planning to make a patio garden, make sure that you have a definite design in mind so that you won’t have to remodel again and again. A simple design would is easiest for maintenance and often more appealing as well. There should be spaces allotted for green plants, as well as flowers and you really need to put a lot of thought into arrangement. Varying, color, texture height and shape will add appeal to your patio garden.

Remember that patio container gardening is not just about simple gardening of vegetables, fruits, flowers other plants, it involves skills and talents for landscaping as well. It is advisable to get a good-looking container, something that will reflect the look of your garden. Ceramic pots are wonderful for container gardens but remember to buy different shapes and sizes for visual appeal. When using a big and heavy pot, make sure that the plants inside it are the ones who won’t easily die during winter so you won’t have a hard time moving it inside your house.

When you are living in an apartment, you can still make your own beautiful garden by using containers for your plants. Container gardening in a small balcony can be a wonderful option, especially if you’re interested in making your balcony look more alive. Plants are a good source in making a more peaceful surrounding especially if they are well-maintained. One thing good about a patio container is that you can move it anywhere you want; you can arrange your plants in different styles. When it gets cold, you can put potted-plants that are vulnerable in winter inside your apartment or house.

Patio container gardeners can choose from different containers like wooden boxes, ceramic planters, hanging pots, and plastic or resin pots. On the other hand, plastic pots are not really that advisable since they don’t last long due to the weather. Plastic containers can get too soft when exposed to too much sun light and can crack easily.

If you don’t want to flood your plants with water, remember to cut holes about half an inch at the bottom of your container to make way for excess water. Do not cut big holes to avoid soil breakage or loose soil.

Proper lighting should be noted as well. Remember that any plant grows better when exposed to proper sun light. However, do consider watering the plants regularly so that it wouldn’t end up too dry and die. Do not over do it for too much water can also kill the plant.

If you want to make your patio more beautiful and enjoyable for your family and even for yourself, try patio container gardening. It will definitely add more color to your life!

About the Author:
Enjoy gardening, specifically container gardening. Liven up your place and create a space that looks, smells and feels good to you. Be a frequent visitor, and leave your comments. Want a free container gardening e-course, go to: http://www.containergarden411.com/blog

Keyword tags: patio-container-gardening, container-gardening

To start, you will need the proper tools to complete your project. For building a garden bed, you will need a digging spade and probably a digging fork (or spading fork). D-handled tools are best for this. If the cutting edge of the spade is blunt and burred, sharpen it. Also, smaller tools will be needed for the actual planting, weeding and upkeep.

Start with a garden bed. Try not to over do it and go big, smaller is always wiser when it comes to beginning any project. A good size for a beginner would be approximately 6 ft X 10 ft. If you plan to plant pumpkins, squash or zucchini, be prepared to go much bigger. These vegetables tend to need a lot of room, and often will spread out into the rest of you vegetables. Because of this, either start a bed specifically for these, or do not attempt at all if you have only a smaller garden. A raised bed can be advantageous to both you and the garden. It will allow the garden more warmth in the spring as well as keeping weeds at bay. It is best to create a framing for the bed; it will allow you to stand outside your garden without upsetting the plants and their root systems. Your garden should be able to get up to 6 hours of sunlight a day, so plan your location appropriately. If you do not have a yard big enough, container vegetable gardens are an option. Many plants including lettuce, tomatoes and peppers are just as good and hearty if planted in a large enough vessels. There should be at least 1-2 feet of soil to properly handle the root system.

Back to the garden, always fill the top 4-6 inches with a mixture of top soil and compost or fertilizer. Let it sit for 4 or 5 days before planting to ensure a healthy mixture. This will create a soil rich in nutrients for your garden.

When your garden is ready for planting, you will need to add your plant choices. As this article is for beginners, I am not going to discuss seeding methods. The following instructions are for warm season vegetables. For example: tomatoes, squashes and peppers. Keep in mind to grow only what your family will eat. Wasteful gardens tend to lead to a slacker approach to your gardens maintenance. To reap the rewards of winter planting, it is best to plant in August. However, nurseries don’t seem to carry vegetables at that time of year, so it would be best to purchase earlier in the summer and keep through to the fall. Plant your vegetables with enough space between each other for best results. Root systems tend to strangle each other when planted to close. Also, spacing allows you to weed, water and tend to your garden without interfering with its growth. Plants always need more space than you might think, so always read the planting and spacing directions that come with each plant. Tip: tomato plants should be planted with half of their greenery underground to yield best results. Also, if you want a rewarding, productive garden, do some research to find out what grows well in your area. Liquid seaweed emulsion is one of the best sources of micro nutrients and a real soil and plant health booster. Use some in the watering can every two weeks. Remember to spray transplants with seaweed emulsion before you replant them, especially bare-root transplants. This will give your plant a good start to the growing season.

Weeds are the scourge of all gardens, so weeding is very important. Weeds rob moisture from your vegetables, and block sunlight. Always be sure to destroy all weed roots, they are insidious and will return. Do not walk on new garden beds. The soil will get compacted, lead to weed germination, and destroy the soil’s texture. Use boards if you need to walk through the planting bed. Another good tip is to place mulch between rows. Straw, grass clippings and tree leaves and needles are great at benefiting the soil when they break down. It also helps with moisture and temperature, it’s best to mulch when the soil is moist, and watering is best done early morning before the days heat sets in.

With these few tips, you can begin growing a vegetable garden of your own. It isn’t too difficult as you can see, and you’ll find it a rewarding experience to see something which you have planted from a small sprig, grow into tasty, hearty vegetables which will eventually end up on your plate. Delicious.

About the Author:
Courtesy of http://www.masterlandscapers.ca Landscape Construction Professionals based in Vancouver BC, Serving Major Landscape Construction Projects worldwide.

Keyword tags: garden,gardening,vegetable,fertilizer,how to,soil,roots,leaves,planting,landscape,landscaping

Why Organic?

It has been said that the externalized cost of chemical agriculture is being paid in the form of resource deletions, contaminated water, co2 emissions and greenhouse gases, soil depletion, and loss of species. The human cost is equally large. Loss of family-run farms and agriculture, the extermination of small towns and local economies, the sickness and cost caused by unregulated chemical and pesticide use, the loss of nutritional value in our food, and the hunger, and death of poor countries who produce for export instead of feeding it’s own people.

With this knowledge, it’s no wonder people are looking for alternate forms of farming. Organic is the next logical step. From the soil to the table there are organic options for every level of gardener. This article will discuss the virtues and options in organic fertilizers.

For the organic purist, organic fertilizer is something that comes from the surrounding land (manure from your own livestock or “waste” from your own garden). The fertilizer is recycled, often composted. Organic purists focus on soil health and use rotations, fallows, green manures and compost to maintain fertility.

For the not so purist, resources used in organic fertilizer must be sustainably used, and come from natural resources.

Whatever your reason for choosing to go organic, it is important to know that there are organizations which have strict international guidelines to deem an item ‘organic’. This includes fertilizers and food.This Organic Guarantee System (OGS) brings together the organic world through common standards, verification, and market identity. These organizations are very important in setting standards for a guaranteed organic product.

Basic principals

Organic foods and other products are made from organically produced ingredients that are processed primarily by biological, mechanical, and physical means.Natural, renewable, biological and regenerative resources are the basis of organic production and processing systems. Organic matter is recycled to maintain the soil fertility of organic agriculture. Availability of nutrients in the soil is primarily dependent of its own soil organisms. Cultural and local practices manage the problems of pests, weeds and disease. As well, livestock is managed with organically produced feed, and kept in living conditions conducive to natural behavior, and lack of strain.

This Organic Guarantee System (OGS) lists these as the acceptable natural organic fertilizer choices.

Plant and Animal Sources:

• Farmyard manure, slurry and urine
• Guano
• blood meal, meat meal, bone, bone meal
• hoof and horn meal, feather meal, fish and fish products, wool, fur, hair, dairy products
• biodegradable processing by-products, plant or animal origin, e.g. by-products of food, feed, oilseed, brewery, distillery or textile processing.
• Crop and vegetable residues, mulch, green manure, straw
• wood, bark, sawdust, wood shavings, wood ash, wood charcoal
• seaweed and seaweed products
• peat (prohibited for soil conditioning) (Excluding synthetic additives; permitted for inclusion in potting mixes.)
• Plant preparations and extracts

Most countries follow these strict guidelines, some with their own discrepancies. For instance Canadian standards are more stringent than some other countries. Raw manure and human sludge are not permitted on their organic fertilizer list.

Mineral Origin organic fertilizers

• basic slag
• calcareous and magnesium amendments
• limestone, gypsum, marl, chalk, sugar beet lime, calcium chloride
• magnesium rock, kieserite and Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
• mineral potassium (e.g. sulfate of potash, muriate of potash, kainite, sylvanite, patent kali) (Shall only be obtained by physical procedures but not enriched by chemical processes)
• natural phosphates
• pulverized rock, stone meal
• clay (e.g. bentonite, perlite, vermiculite, zeolite)
• sodium chloride
• trace elements
• sulfur

Microbiological organic fertilizers

• Biodegradable processing by-products of microbial origin. For example – by-products of brewery or distillery processing.

• Microbiological preparations based on naturally occurring organisms

About the Author:
Courtesy of http://www.masterlandscapers.ca Landscape Construction Professionals based in Vancouver BC, Serving Major Landscape Construction Projects worldwide.

Keyword tags: Organic Fertilizers,gardnes,gardening,green,landscape,agriculture

Sparrows, blackbirds, starlings, great tits, robins, doves, greenfinches and blue tits are the wild birds you are most likely to see in your garden in the UK. If you would like to attract any particular species you can encourage them to visit your garden by providing their favorite food.

Some wild birds, including thrushes and chaffinches are more likely to search beneath bird tables for food. If your garden borders on woods you may have woodpeckers, marsh tits, coal tits and nuthatches visiting your bird feeders. Wild birds belonging to the thrush species such as fieldfares, mistle thrushes, song thrushes and redwings love fruits and berries so add these to your bird table to attract them.

Some wild birds, such as treecreepers and wrens are insect feeders so will not be interested in the foods you provide on your bird table or feeder. To attract these birds let an area of your garden grow wild with native plants and flowers. These will then attract the insects that are insect eating birds food.

Attracting Finches To Your Garden

Many people love to see finches in their gardens and it is easy to attract these lovely birds if you provide their favorite food. Finches love thistle seeds which are best placed in a specialised thistle feeder. The seeds are tiny and thistle feeders enclose the seeds in a mesh which finches, with their long beaks, can easily reach through.

These types of feeder also prevent the tiny seeds from dropping to the ground which would be a problem if you placed thistle seeds in a conventional feeder designed for larger seeds. Seeds spilled ion the ground will also attract predators such as squirrels. Commercially prepared thistle seeds have been treated to prevent germination. You could also put out some sunflower or millet seeds on your bird table as finches also enjoy these.

Provide Fresh Water for The Birds

You can also attract wild birds by giving them a source of fresh water or bathing and drinking. This can be as simple as a shallow pan of water on the ground but make sure you replace it regularly. A bird bath is an attractive alternative and if you incorporate a dripper or other means to agitate the water the sound will attract the birds. This is particularly valuable in the winter months when water can be a problem for the birds.

If you place a small heater or agitator in the bird bath to keep it ice free the birds will have a source of fresh water all year round. Place the bird bath in a quiet area of the garden away from your bird feeders as wild birds need quiet when they bath. They also prefer a place underneath branches or other perches for a quick escape route from any lurking cats or other predators.

Feeding Wild Birds in Throughout the Year

Wild birds require different nutrients depending on the season. In the winter feeding is especially helpful as natural food sources may be scarce. They need high energy foods during this time with high fat content. Feed them twice a day and remove any uneaten food regularly.

In the spring and summer they will need high protein foods such as raisins, seeds, mealworms, sunflower seeds etc. You can also buy specially prepared summer mixes for insect eating wild birds. Fruit can also be put out for the fruit loving birds. They will enjoy chopped up apples and pears, grapes and bananas.

During the summer do not put out fat, bread or peanuts as they can be taken back to the nest and harm the baby birds. Home made fat balls are also a bad idea in the hotter months as they will become rancid very quickly.

About the Author:
For more information on attracting birds to your garden and some good deals on garden bird feeders check out http://www.gardenbirdfeeders.co.uk/garden-bird-feeders or http://www.gardenbirdfeeders.co.uk/garden-bird-houses

Keyword tags: garden bird feeders, garden bird houses, garden birdhouses,attract wild birds,feed wild birds

Rain Bird produces the best of the best in irrigation control systems. The Rain Bird ESP-4TM 4 Station Indoor controller combines the best features of the ESP Modular controllers with a slim, unobtrusive casing to make a perfect indoor control panel for home landscape irrigation systems. “ESP” means “Extra Simple Programming” and programming this controller is just that. These models are best for home and small business landscapes without more than four zones, and for people who do not plan to expand their irrigation needs. In order to add more stations to this irrigation controller, you would have to install different controllers, or upgrade to a controller with more stations. The ESP-4TM models come with either four, six or eight stations, but they are not modular.

Dual Programming Provides Plant Health

This feature of the Rain Bird ESP-4TM indoor controller allows homeowners to set two completely different programs for use in various areas of the landscape. Areas of sun and shade can be split up, as can lawn areas and flower beds. The two different programs can be customized to meet the watering needs of various micro-climates within your yard. The water budget feature lets the user change watering schedules in times of extreme drought or heavy rains to save water and money, while ensuring plant health. Each station can accommodate one 24VAC, 7VA solenoid valve, in addition to a master valve for the system.

So Simple a Homeowner could Operate It

This Rain Bird irrigation control is perfect for landscape installers because it is so easy to teach a homeowner with no previous irrigation experience how to use it. It has a large, easy to read LCD screen and an intuitive programming interface. The battery backup helps maintain the time, date and programs in the event of a power outage so that the entire system does not have to be re-programmed. The controller also has advanced surge protection to keep damage from lightening strikes or man-induced surges from ruining the controller. This keeps costs down by limiting surge transfer from control box to individual valve controllers.

Lots of Features without Complication

The Rain Bird ESP-4TM indoor controller has all of the features of a professional controller with the precision of Rain Bird parts built for much larger systems. The controller has a three year warranty, a five year lithium battery, dual programming capability, advanced surge protection, day of the week watering programming, self-prompting display, manual start/stop capability and more. Along the spectrum of residential/commercial irrigation controllers, this controller falls somewhere in the middle. It is easy enough for a homeowner to use, yet does benefit from attention of a landscape contractor. The automated programming features make it an ideal controller for landscape technicians that oversee several different irrigation systems. Lastly, the fact that the homeowner can control the irrigation system from the comfort of the indoors means the system is more likely to be used, maintained and accessible.

About the Author:
Richard Gilliland is VP of http://GreenMarkIrrigation.com one of the largest online wholesale dealers and distributors of ESP-4TM controllers visit: http://www.greenmarkirrigation.com/Rain-Bird-ESP-4TM-4-Station-Indoor-Controller-p/esp-4tm.htm or http://www.greenmarkirrigation.com for more info.

Keyword tags: esp-4tm, sprinklers, irrigation supplies

Sprinkler controllers can make using your sprinkler watering system even easier and can save water, which is good for the environment. Saving water is an important step in conservation and using sprinkler controllers can help you to use the water in a more environmentally responsible way without sacrificing the growth or your grass, greenery, or crops. From timers to zone controls to sensors and more, sprinkler controllers can give you more control over your water usage and the way that you care for you lawn and garden.

“Smart” controllers have many great features that will help make watering your lawn or garden and controlling your water usage easier. Separating your yard into zones based on the water that the particular zone needs and then programming these zones into your sprinkler controller will allow you to customize the watering for your plants and greenery. This can save money in the long run and can help your plants to grow more quickly.

Another feature that is found in “smart” sprinkler controllers is the ability to know whether the yard or garden needs watering or not. Two basic methods are used for this purpose. One method is when weather information is received by the sprinkler controller and the other method uses sensors that are placed in the ground to monitor the soil to determine if it needs watering. Both ways helps to keep your water usage to a responsible level, because your land or garden is only watered when it is needed, such as when Mother Nature is not cooperating.

The ability to program your sprinkler controllers when you want your entire lawn or just parts of your lawn watered is another very valuable feature. You will be able to set the timer to water your lawn as frequently or infrequently as you wish and for the exact amount of time that you wish. Multiple programs will allow you to run different watering programs to make the most of your sprinkler watering system.

Keeping your lawn or garden watered at an optimum level will allow your plants, grass, or crops to grow strong. Sprinkler controllers can give you the ability to keep your land watered exactly the way that it wants and needs, which is difficult to do if you are watering manually. The zone controls, timer function, and programming function will allow you to customize your sprinkler system to water your lawn exactly the way that it needs.

Sprinkler controllers will make watering your lawn or garden as easy as programming your VCR or DVD player. This ease of use is a great benefit that can make watering your land less stressful and less time consuming. The fact that the sprinkler controllers also help you to save water makes you more environmentally responsible and allows you to cut down on your water bill. You will be delighted with the many different features that are available with sprinkler controllers that will make your life easier and your lawn or garden flourish.

About the Author:
Devin Gilliland is president of http://www.greenmarkirrigation.com for more information on Weathermatic controllers visit: http://www.greenmarkirrigation.com/Weathermatic-Controllers-s/114.htm

Keyword tags: weatermatic smartline controllers, sprinklers, irrigation supplies

Trees can give life. It can produce the air that people need in order to breath and reduces the carbon dioxide which can pollute and bring harm to one’s respiratory system. But aside from playing this role in our environment, trees can also offer more. It can give food, it can provide shelter, it can be created into medicine, and so much more. Every country or region has their so-called “tree of life”. Find out what these plants are and why are they considered as one of the most important trees that exists today.

In Asia, particularly in the country called Philippines, there is a certain tropical tree called the Coconut. The coconut tree was considered as the country’s Tree of Life because of the unlimited benefits that you can get from the tree starting from its leaves up to its roots. The roots and the trunk of the coconut tree can be used in creating durable materials from wood. More often than not, the trunk of this tree is turned into furniture and materials needed for constructing a home. On the other hand, the roots of the coconut tree can provide extracts that can be used in creating beverages and medicines at the same time. Meanwhile, the leaves of the coconut tree can be turned into baskets, hats, trays, and other novelty items. But it is widely used in the country as brooms since vacuums are not really popular in Philippines. Of course, who could forget about the fruit about this tree of life? There is a wide array of products that you can get in this one fruit alone. The coconut meat can be made as chips, flour, milk, and even candy. From the same fruit, you can also create coconut oil that can be used for cooking and even for automobiles as well.

India also has its own plant that they consider as the Tree of Life such as the peepal and the banyan tree. Also known as the Bo-Tree or the Sacred Fig, the peepal is famous among the Hindus as well as Buddhist. But unlike the coconut tree, the peepal does not give as much products compared to the other tree. In this case, the Sacred Fig is just symbolically called as the tree of life. This is where many Buddhists and Hindus do their meditation. Many believe that this must be called as the tree of spirituality rather than the tree of life.

From the same country, there is another plant that they call as their tree of life called the banyan tree. Unlike the peepal tree, the banyan tree is widely used in the country for making herbal medicines. Aside from that, it is also considered by the locals of India as a sacred tree and most of them call the banyan tree as the Ashwath Vriksha which means The Light Within. Most of the trees of life here in India are their sacred trees where they get faith instead of usable items. It might not nourish their bodies or give them a source of income but it does feed their souls with faith, which is essential part of their religion.

About the Author:
http://MishoBonsai.com sell tree seeds suitable for bonsai culture. Provides tree seeds of tropical, deciduous and evergreen trees. The website is design towards bonsai adepts as it provided many detailled article on the bonsai tree hobby.

Keyword tags: bonsai, karate kid, movie, juniper, tree, seed, bonzai, pot, garden

Here’s an interesting story about my latest miracle, my new Muck Boots Hoser Classic Boots. Turns out my wife is always right, after all…I work as a general contractor in the Northeast part of the country. Have you ever been there? Winters are very cold and very blustery. This week, I had a job fixing a leaky second-story window for some lady who has been bugging me for a while, claiming it was raining inside her house in the front foyer. Time to get this job done and over with. Being just a week or so after Christmas, I happened to be wearing the new Muck Boots Hoser Classics that my wife just bought me for a gift. Now, I had thought my old boots were good enough, but she insisted that she had heard about these great boots and that I should really get a pair. So, mostly I wore them just to humor her. That’s me, trying to please all the ladies.

On the day I was doing this particular job, it was well below freezing. In fact, the temperatures weren’t much above zero degrees Fahrenheit. People in the southern states may not comprehend this, but it means it was very cold outside. The kind of day that you typically don’t want to be outside, but, a job’s a job.

Let’s just say that usually I have to take frequent breaks to thaw my hands and feet during these outside winter jobs. But, I found something quite interesting during this latest outdoor assignment—my feet were warm all day long. I worked longer than ever, and got more work accomplished than usual without needing to take time to defrost. At first I thought it was a fluke, then, after it happened again, I realized that these Muck Boots Hoser Classic Boots were really rather remarkable.

The Muck Boots Hoser Classic Boots are 100% waterproof, and definitely the warmest boots I’ve ever come across. Believe me, I’ve tried quite a few. I have the Mid version, which comes up to my mid-calf. There is also a Hoser Classic Hi for those folks who would like the boots to come up even higher. The upper is snug around my calf, and keeps any snow or rain out.

Walking around in these Muck Boots Hoser Classic Boots, climbing ladders to fix those high windows, and carrying heavy boxes through snowbanks is no problem with these boots. Not only are they incredibly comfortable to wear all day, they have great traction, and plenty of flexibility so that I don’t feel clumsy at all.

So, I guess I would like to take this opportunity to offer my very public thanks to my wonderful wife, who has made me forget about those old boots by giving me a great gift of Muck Boots Hoser Classic Boots to keep me warm, dry, and comfortable all day long while I work. She might be hoping I’ll take up an outdoor winter hobby that might keep me out of the house even longer. Thanks, Honey!

About the Author:
Don VanPelt is a writer for Muck Boots Direct, who has published many articles about boots. You can read his comments and get his recommendations on the best places to purchase Muck Boots at http://muckbootsdirect.net

Keyword tags: muck boots, classic boots, warmest boots, hands and feet, temperatures, job, zero degrees fahrenheit

Flower garden plants can be used effectively to produce a stunning garden that has blooms the entire season long. The type of garden plants used should figure prominently in your garden design. Annuals, flower bulbs, ornamental grasses, perennials, biennials and climbing vines are all excellent flower garden plants. These plants will have their own growth requirements and will only grow in specific conditions. Additionally some plants may require special treatment to grow properly.

Flowering plants that last year after year are called perennials. These plants will return every year but they only produce flowers for about two to four weeks a year. You can chose perennials that bloom at different times of the year so your garden should have a mix of early, mid and late blooming perennials in order to have blooms all season. Perennials will multiply on their own, so you can plan on dividing yours and having new plants for another part of your garden every 3 years or so.

Annuals are flower garden plants that only last for one season as their whole life is contained within one season. These plants produce colorful flowers that will last the entire season. Some popular perennials are nigella, sweet alyssum, blue salvia, spider flowers, marguerite daisies, Brazilian verbena and cosmos. These flowers do produce seeds each year so they can grow again.

Biennials are similar to annuals but their life span lasts for two years. The first year they grow leaves and then it is during the second year that they produce flowers. Despite the fact that they die after two years many gardeners love biennials, as their flowers are exquisite. Verbascums, foxgloves and hollyhocks are all very popular biennials. Many times you will find biennials next to the annuals in your garden store.

Tuber and corms are also called flower bulbs and these plants hibernate underground. Each year they store energy for the following year in their bulb that is stored underground. In order to grow the next year they need to go through a cold season though some bulbs, mainly summer bulbs cannot tolerate temperatures under freezing. Tulips, crocuses, daffodils and snowdrops are all early blooming bulbs and gladioli, dahlias, begonia, calla lilies and canna lilies are summer flowering bulbs. If you live in a very cold climate and want to plant bulbs that can’t tolerate the freezing temperatures, you can dig them up in the fall and overwinter them in your cellar or a cold area, then plant them again in spring.

If you have a small yard and need to focus on vertical space then climbing vines are the flower garden plants for you. These plants are great on a trellis. Some easy growing vines that have lovely flowers are the hyacinth, sweet peas, morning glories and clematis. Ornamental grass is also a different type of flower garden plant as it is mainly used to add texture to a garden. The grass will change color throughout the year while flowering in the fall and it moves when touched by the smallest breeze.

About the Author:
Visit http://www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com for more on flowers, gardening and landscaping.

Keyword tags: flower garden plants