Labor Day Weekend

Watching Charlie Dimmock swing her garden tools around on my TV screen is one way to achieve inspiration for getting out in the garden and actually tidying the place up Yes, the Groundforce team, with good ole salty dog Alan Titmarsh advising just where I should stick my Buddleia for best effect is a veritable tableau of gardening knowledge that would rival the creation of the Garden of Eden Well, maybe that is taking it a little too far; the garden designed by the omnipotent overseer would probably ditch the decking and go for silver lined clouds with rainbow struts Jesting about the religious influence on my back yard aside, gardening shows are a wonderful place to pick up new ideas for re-landscaping However, a bit like tribal tattoos, some of the more aesthetic gardening tips involving landscaping can become outdated and dare I say, a little bit common For example, back in the nineteen eighties, crazy paving was all the rage Now there are incalculable numbers of pathways, driveways and patio areas of concrete trip hazards and an uncontrollable weed problem thanks to this landscape design trend A later, but equally atrocious trend was for decking Yes, the aforementioned Groundforce programme may have well been known as Deckforce due to the fact that every owner of every garden featured on the show asked for the ultra slippery death platforms to be installed amongst the herbaceous borders! Poor Alan was often left twiddling his thumbs as the owners snubbed the idea of any plants, generally to avoid maintenance, anmd basically wanted the wjhole area paved and decked over to provide a place to drink beer and eat half cooked sausages of a damp bank holiday weekend It is actually the very nature of Britain's climate that has lead to gardening becoming a hard landscaping and house extension business In my opinion, and which is generally the advice I give, is to save your money by not flooding the garden with concrete and half the Amazon Rainforest All you need is a bit of shelter This will keep the sun from scorching your skin (yes, the chance would be a fine thing I know) and the rain from puddling your pathways Simply by providing a barrier of sorts from the elements, you will have halted the flight of a whole flock of proverbial birds with a single sling of the shot Garden shades come in all shapes and forms, and as their appearance on a prime time green-fingered show has been low, are unlikely to ever become a aesthetic faux pas Traditionally, the good ole tree was the way that gardens achieved their shade, but with the prolific rate of new builds in the country, sometimes it can be 20 years before a sapling provides enough shade for an afternoon Pimms and lemonade Gazebo's and marquees often make an appearance, but the way these are generally of a fixed nature means that the space of a garden is not taken advantage of The suggestion I am inclined to make to anyone in this situation is to invest in a garden shade of a more temporary nature Sail shades for example can be erected quickly and effortlessly and are suitable for any size garden They also have the benefit of being used as a feature through creative positioning It is something that Charlie and Alan are likely to keep to themselves, a top tip too hot to share as it were So hot in fact, that it calls for a small siesta after a sun soaked sangria Well, we can dream can't we!

Gardening can be a tricky proposition for new comers to central Texas At first glance, it seems that the long summer would be ideal for growing all kinds of fantastic items, but in fact no The heat is too intense, the rain too infrequent, to support most of what northerners consider viable summer crops If you insist upon gardening in the summer, you must plant early Long-maturing crops, that is crops that need 90-120 days, are best for summer gardens The average last freeze date in Austin is March 18 With that in mind, plant the following from mid-February to mid-March: * Beets * Your cole crops, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi * Carrots * Chard * Garlic * Okra * Onion * Parsley * Radishes * Spinach * Turnips * Asparagus April to May is good for corn, cucumbers (if you are brave enough to even try), beans, peas, tomato and pepper transplants, and watermelon You'll find that more traditional southern crops, like okra, greens, and black-eyed peas, are generally more resistant to hot temperatures and low moisture Simply adhering to the schedule will not necessarily ensure your success Before planting, preparing your beds by tilling or working them by hand is critical to aerating the soil Try planting the same day or the day after you have prepared your beds, to prevent tiny weeds that have been brought to the surface by your ministrations from germinating and becoming a nuisance You'll also need to add nutrients to the soil Compost is one of your best fertilizers and can be made at home or purchased from garden supply stores One garden shopping gem in Austin is the Natural Gardener on Old Bee Caves road There, you can buy a wide variety of organic composts in a more economical bag-it-yourself format Once you have planted your seeds or transplants, you really must well mulch them to protect them from the harsh Texas sun After planting, cover with at least 3 inches of mulch, though the amount you use varies according to the type of mulch being employed The best mulches include shredded cedar, hardwood bark, or native tree trimmings, as well as leaves or compost Even hay can be an effective mulch if used in sufficient quantities Mulch protects the soil from the extreme temperatures, shades out weeds, conserves moisture, and helps supply nutrients to the soil Winter gardening may be an easier pursuit, because of the more gentile climate The average first freeze date in Austin is November 22, so vegetables that mature in 30-70 days are ideal for fall planting September is a good time to plant from seeds the following: beans, the cole crops, carrots, cucumbers, summer squash and potatoes If you hanker after corn, pumpkins, or winter squash, plant those seeds in early August You can put mustard greens, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips in through early to late November Before planting your winter garden, you should amend the soil with a good few inches of compost, again working by hand or tilling so that the soil is well aerated If you are planting seedlings, you need to shade your soil so that they won't be instantly fried Cool off the soil like this for a few days before planting When you are ready to plant, do not set your transplants out in full sun in dry soil Without recent rain, you need to well water your soil for a least a day or two before planting And again, don't forget to heavily mulch Leaves, grass, or any of the mulches mentioned above will help keep your newly planted beds at a reasonable temperature until your seedlings can really take root

I am sharing some tips with you, which have worked for me wonderfully For valuable tips on gardening, here are some sources from where you could take help: internet, gardening clubs, books, magazines and of course your local nursery What type of fertilizers should you use? What about mulch and the kind of soil that the plot has? The type of tools needed including the kind of tiller and watering system that are required, are information that are important This can save valuable time Tip #1: There is nothing as great as writing down the entire gardening plan on a piece of paper Keep the plan in front and debate the pros and cons of it First make sure how you want your garden to look Gardening Tip #2: How well you prepare your soil can be a deciding factor whether your garden would be a success or not Take into consideration that soil quality varies according to plants If your garden is planned to be vegetarian or herbal, make sure to use only organic fertilizers if you want the natural flavor of the food to remain Try to replace ordinary fertilizers with good compost or even wooden chip mulch You could easily have a backyard compost heap Fresh home brew compost is filled with essential nutrients for our herb and vegetable garden, but after all it may not be a very realistic idea Mulch is a good substitute for a home compost mixture but make sure to use the softer woods like redwood or pine because the faster it breaks down the better Whatever you use mulch, compost or fertilizer, just make sure that they are mixed well Gardening Tip #3: to have a final look at what your garden would look like, lay the plants on top of the soil, once it is prepared According to some guides, plants with like characteristics should be planted together Plants with larger spread should be planted together You can see all the plants if you plant taller plants at the back with shorter ones in the front Gardening Tip #4: Remember to water your garden Of course the size of the garden also matters Use an automatic watering system, if you want your garden to grow on its own Ranging from a big sprinkler system to a timer on a hose sprinkler, these automatic systems can provide the solution Remember, that it provides shade, beauty and sometimes food also

Life has given us so many reasons to celebrate: birthdays, anniversaries, wedding, graduation, special days like Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, New Year, Christmas and many more Flowers have always been an integral part of all celebrations Flowers symbolise freshness, purity, beauty, vibrancy and life The age-old tradition of giving flowers as a way of expressing one's emotions has still not lost its magical touch The type, color and fragrance of flowers is what attracts people the most towards them Specially so, when they are arranged in the most exquisite and innovative manner The present day has seen a rising trend in the way flowers are arranged into baskets or bouquets The good old conventional flower arrangements have made way for chic and elegant designer ones Florists today use the best of flowers and the most innovative ideas to arrange them into attractive bouquets and bunches Many famous fashion designers today have also come out of their restricted area of couture and started designing the most intense flower arrangements These designer flowers reflect the best of moods and myriad forms of expression But how to pick the right flowers for different occasions? Here are some useful tips: 1 Select flowers with the colour that suit the occasion 2 Get flowers that suit the personality of the recipient or what the recipient likes 3 Choose the flower arrangement that best convey your feelings and thoughts 4 For birthdays, choose flowers according to the months of the birthday 5 For Valentine's Day, pick flowers that epitomize love, passion or admiration 6 For weddings, select flowers according to the preference of the bride and groom or based on the colour of the bride's dress or wedding theme etc Flowers are the best gift for just about any occasion They enhance relationships by spreading love, cheer and warmth Flowers24hours, U K's on line florist provides direct, reliable and timely delivery anywhere in the U K To order flowers, plants and gifts for any business or private occasion, log on to www flowers24hours co uk

There is no better gift than a beautifully decorated basket of flowers But, decorating a bunch of flowers is an art and needs special expertise There are many important points to consider while decorating a bouquet for your loved ones Things like colour, preferences, flower types, arrangements etc , play an important role while decorating flowers for an occasion Firstly, take time to find out what flower varieties and colour your recipient likes to make sure that your gift is well appreciated Always choose fresh flowers and time it with the delivery of the gift so that your flowers remain fresh when you hand over to the other person Secondly, the choice of the basket is also very important and it should not be too large or too small How you arrange the flowers is also an important consideration which can bring a marked difference to the beauty of your gift Flowers have been a favorite for house decoration amongst home makes since centuries Even in the ancient times women spent time looking for fresh flowers in the surrounding areas to decorate their homes However, now you don't have to tread the meadows in order to look for flowers Rather, you can just order the best of them on line There are many companies today that provide exquisite flowers from all parts of the world, available just a click away Out of the many that you might have come across till date, the one that deserves special mention is Flowers24Hours, a London based on line company specialising into providing the flowers in their purest forms Not only for decorating your house, the company provides flowers and eloquent arrangements of the same to grace all occasions of your life such as birthdays, anniversaries, romance, to congratulate occasion of your life such as birth of a new born baby, get well soon wishes and much more You can know more about the art of decorating baskets with fresh flowers from on line resources like Flowers24Hours You can also book a wide range of fresh flowers by visiting www flowers24hours co uk and decorate it in a basket to make a wonderful gift for your loved ones