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Gardening is one of life's purest pleasures. It's a delight to all the senses -- sight, scent, touch, taste and hearing. And it's good for you. Besides being good exercise, gardening soothes the soul. And that has its own benefits. Nurturing plants, seeing things grow, brings beauty into the world. It gives gardeners a sense of accomplishment and something to look forward to, every day. Tending a garden shifts your viewpoint outwards and puts you in touch with the rhythms of the earth. It's a tonic in a worrisome, time-pressured world. Stay in the garden as long as you can. Read on to find ways to Garden Forever. Smart steps to lighten the load Gardening doesn't have to mean chores. Get great results with less effort. If managing a full-grown compost pile is more than you can handle, cut things down to size. Grind veggie scraps in a blender and scratch them in around your plants. (Be sure to cover with a couple of inches of soil.) You can collect bits and pieces in a bag in the freezer until you have a full load. Water is heavy, about eight pounds to the gallon, so plan ahead to satisfy thirsty plants. Put soaker hoses down in spring for easy, season-long watering. Mix high-tech polymer crystals into potting soil or deep below the surface around moisture-loving garden plants. The crystals soak up water and release it slowly, minimizing watering chores. And always mulch bare soil to reduce water loss. Don't try to be a garden acrobatic -- invest in tools that extend your reach. Lightweight, medium-length loppers are great for pruning and deadheading hard-to-reach plants. Watering wands gently irrigate containers and the back of borders. Add a long-handled reaching tool to your garden shed and you'll scoop up twigs and bits of litter without a twinge. Investigate no-dig methods for making a new bed or border. You'll need sheets of cardboard, newspaper, lots of leaves and other organic materials, all layered and left to blend together into rich loam. It takes time -- start in the fall for the next growing season -- but it saves backbreaking labour. Every body's no-ache guide to gardening You don't have to be a weightlifter to have a beautiful, healthy garden. But you do have to recognize your body's capabilities and work with them. Avoid post-garden pain with this eight-point plan. 1. Prioritize your jobs. Put your energy into the most important ones; leave the rest for another day. 2. Loosen stiff joints and muscles with gentle warm-up exercises , and stretches. 3. Backs are a weak spot. Never bend from the waist to lift things. Bend from the hips or, better still, squat down and let your legs do the lifting. 4. If you're reaching to one side or behind you, turn your entire body, don't twist just one part of it. 5. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your sides when you're raking or moving heavy loads. That brings your upper arm muscles into action, as well as those in your hands and forearms. 6. If you're having trouble with hand tools, choose a longer handled tool and grip it with two hands, held close to your body. You'll gain more power and better control that way. 7. When wrists and fingers are sore, avoid digging with typical jab-and-twist-up motions. Find tools that let you "chop" a hole by using your arm muscles to pull earth towards you. It's less painful on sensitive hands. 8. Don't do any one activity for too long at a time. Shift positions, change hands -- and take frequent rest breaks. Ready and able New tools are now available designed especially for gardeners with special needs. Some, like Sure Grip and Fist Grip hand tools, help gardeners use their arm and shoulder strength, rather than weaker hands, wrists and fingers. Others feature longer or adjustable-length handles that are comfortable to use from a seated position. Kneeler pads are kind to aching joints and kneeler benches come complete with "arms" to help stiff gardeners stand upright again. A new look for the toolshed The equipment you use can make gardening a joy -- or a burden -- for you. When you're working with gardening tools, keep these tips in mind. |
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Many of us think of spring tulips and daffodils when we talk about bulbs but there are different types that bloom for most of the summer. The gardener with limited space can take advantage of the special attributes of bulbs that require little room for root space, take up little space above ground as they mostly grow straight up rather than spread sideways and have foliage that dies back after blooming. Layering is the perfect way to maximize the flowering potential of a small garden. In a hole as little as 18" wide by 12"-14" deep, you can get a wonderful display of bloom from early spring until well into August. Start by choosing bulbs carefully, the bigger the bulb the larger the bloom is a good rule-of-thumb when purchasing bulbs. There are basically four main "layers" of bulbs that work particularly well for this method of planting: Any layer can be left out and the scheme still works quite well. Larger areas can also be planted using this method of layering types of bulbs. Within a layer you can vary the bulbs, putting 2-3 Asiatic lilies with a couple of Oriental ones, thus extending the final blooming time. Early and late blooming tulips also work well this way. It is recommended that you choose one type of early bloomer and one late one, rather than mixing too many variations. To determine quantities to buy there are a few points to consider. The more intensely you plant, the more blooms you will have next spring. As well, though, bulbs like narcissi will form offsets and will need dividing sooner if planted extremely close together. In a hole about 18" wide, about 4-5 lilies, 3-5 daffodils or 2-3 alliums (or a combination of the two), 5-7 tulips, and 20 or so small bulbs would be adequate. Again, size of the bulbs comes into play here as daffodils that are top size can be very large indeed and can have so many offsets that you would have a tough time fitting 5 in a hole this size. There are two points about colour selection worth mentioning. First of all working with an organized colour scheme for bulbs blooming at the same time helps bring continuity to a small garden where lots of different colours can make the eye jump around and give a chaotic feeling to the space. On the other hand, bear in mind that different bulbs will be in bloom at different times so that the bright cheery yellow tulips in May will never see the deep pink Oriental lilies in August. The first step in the garden is to find a space about 16-18" wide. Often just such a bare spot is evident between perennials during the summer. Come bulb planting season, though, the flower garden can look pretty barren and it can be hard to recall where the perennials of summer were once in full bloom. A little pre-planning can help in this situation. One gardener we know, surveys her garden throughout the summer and when she sees a "hole" in the bed, she puts in a marker stick to remind herself that this is where she wants to layer-up her bulbs. Since the goal is to have something in bloom from the first crocus of spring through June Allium and August Oriental lilies, the spot really does have to be empty of other plants to begin with. Step 1 Dig a deep hole at least 12" but 14" is better and about 16-18" wide. This can, of course, vary according to the space you are trying to fill. Think of it as an "infill project" much like architects design in existing residential areas where there is a vacant lot. Step 2 Remove the soil and mix it with a good quantity of compost (a shovelful or two) and a couple handfuls of a bulb booster. Set soil mixture aside. Step 3 In the bottom of the hole, place about 2-3" of course sand. This will provide good drainage for the bulbs. Step 4 Next fill in about 2-3" of the soil mixture. Step 5 Now you can start to plant. Lilies go in the deepest. You might fit 4-6 or even more in the hole, depending on their size and that of the hole. They bloom last, from late June for the Asiatics, July for the Trumpets to August for the Orientals (depending on your location and summer conditions). Cover with about 2" of good soil mix. Step 6 Next plant daffodils and alliums. Basically you try to fit them in around the bulbs below but don't worry too much as they will find their way to the surface around other bulbs planted above them. Again cover with 2" of good soil. Step 7-9 Continue with tulips and soil and finally the smallest bulbs that are also the earliest blooming, the Iris reticulata, crocus, etc. Finally cover with the last of the soil for about 2 more inches above the last bulbs. After the blooms have faded, be sure to let the foliage die back on its own as this is how bulbs replenish themselves for next year's flowers. Don't worry that bulbs like tulips might be planted a little deeper than they would be if you just planted them on their own. The extra coverage will provide better protection from any freeze-thaw problems in winter and the worst that will happen is they might bloom a week later than your neighbor’s tulips. |
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GARDENING POEMS (author unknown) On the path that we travel, Delight, if you will, In the beauty that gardens Most likely instill. Gardens give us a place we can grow. Always a comfort, that we already know. A garden inspires, allows us to transcend.. Our cares and our worries We give to a friend. Take a section of Garden And add shovels of love. Lit with kindness. The light comes from above. A rainbow's vivid reflection Of all who walk there. Our Garden boasts colors that Can not compare.. Tranquil garden's shelter there. To reflect with one who will care. Started with the tiniest seed, Given a miracle chance to proceed. What we gather, what we find, Left to each individual mind. Blooms flourish and wither As seasons change. But the Garden among us It always remains... ---------------------------------------- Quote He who plants a garden, Plants Happiness. ---------------------------------------- Garden of Love Let your Garden Be an Island Where you can vacation at will. refreshed by it’s message of Endless Renewal. Know that the life you have given to your Garden. will give back to your Life. ---------------------------------------- The Garden Of Friendship The garden of friendship is always in bloom whatever the season or day With flowers to cheer us though sunshine and rain lovely blooms to brighten our way. Flowers of hope and encouragement, understanding, compassion and care, Blooms that grew sweeter as time passes by in the beautiful memories we share. And no matter how far we may wonder away, no matter how long we’re apart, We’ll still know the joys of the flowers that grow in the garden that blooms in our heart. author unknown |
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