Home Removal Services Blog

For those who have Christmas and Lenten roses that bloomed this spring the seed will probably be ready to collect, even though the pods are grass green, about the first week of June. If any of the seeds are getting dark, pick them immediately because by the next afternoon they may have dropped.

I put my seed in moist peat moss in plastic bags as soon as I gather it. I label the bags with a wired plant label and throw them on the ground under a shrub and put just a little peat moss over them to protect them. In late November I sow them out of doors in a cold frame. Its amazing how early they start germinating. The first, last winter, were pushing leaves above ground the third week of January.

Everybody in the east should be able to grow Christmas or Lenten roses. My mother had them for years in Ithaca, New York. My sister has them in East Lansing, Michigan. Years ago I discovered a few plants thriving in a garden in Virginia, Minnesota. They do not like a very dry spot. Once you have planted them leave them alone and they should remain for at least a generation, maybe more.

As the temperatures start to rise it will soon be time to put a mulch on your roses and flowers. It may be partially rotted leaves, it may be coarse sawdust, shavings or even spent hops from a brewery. A two-inch layer is ample, but remember that if the mulch is not decomposed, an extra application of fertilizer must be given.

Towards the end of June is a good time to take softwood cuttings, the tip two inches of growth of shrubs, evergreens such as chinese evergreen, hardy flowers and houseplants. They will root well in the coarse grade of vermiculite. Use shallow plastic bedding plant flats about two inches deep. Later transplant to a cold frame or nursery bed.

Dont forget that you can keep planting gladiolus every week or ten days up until mid-July to give you a succession of bloom. And all of your glads will probably need a weekly spray of Malathion for the control of thrips.

Landscaping is the art of gardening and the science of beautifying your surroundings. It entails planting, growing, building, installing, constructing, and sculpting in a large scale. The landscaper must be in tune with the earth, and with the site he wants to develop and beautify. Lighting, wind, and weather conditions are all-important components in a landscapers repertoire of resources.

Any landscaper should know a thing or two about the flora and fauna of the area and what type of soil is in the ground. Plants perform differently in different types of soil and some research should be done to find out what might work best. You have to take into consideration the pest that might be a problem as well as the weather conditions. After you think about all those things, then it is time to plan how everything will be put together.

Designing a garden will allow you to pick from a wide spectrum of colors, shapes and sizes of plants and flowers. There are plants that have purple, yellow, blue, pink, and red colors and of course there are also vines and shrubs that have all sorts of looks. You will also need to decide whither you want your trees and plants to be evergreens where they always stay green or whether you want ones that lose their leave at winter time.

You can also plant trees and shrubs for practical purposes as well as for looks. Trees that grow bushy will provide shade from the sun during the summer months and help keep the house cooler. If you need some privacy from a street or neighbor, you might choose to put in a hedge rather than build a fence. The natural beauty of a green hedge is always better than an ugly wood fence.

For the landscaping of a backyard, on the other hand, other ideas come into play. The more practical use of space is to be considered in a backyard. Front yards are usually for aesthetics and for show. Backyards are living spaces. In a household with children, the backyard could be landscaped as a mini playground for young kids. A house with no kids and plenty of backyard space might consider a wading pool for a cooler house atmosphere. A young couple as homeowners might want an entertaining area for the occasional get-together with friends and family. A busy homemaker might want an herb or vegetable garden in lieu of the flowering plants.