http://www.cookinggarden.com has lots of gardening information.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Backyard Fire Pits
18
Aug
Most people love those small back yard fire pits that you see in the stores. They offer a great source of heat and relaxation in the evenings when you’re ready to unwind and enjoy a conversation or spend time with the family. Or you can simply use that space as alone time – an area for you, your thoughts, and maybe a book.
We’ve gathered a few photos o what you typically see in the stores. We’ve also pulled together some photos of pits that most people don’t see. The ones we prefer are not the small, dinky, rusting store bought type, but the brick or stone, homemade or contracted kind.
While the difference in cost may be significant, the quality and longevity of having one that is permanent and fixed in a spot in the yard, far out ways the benefits of those small ones that are sure to rust out within three years.
The one above is perfect for a small backyard gathering. Notice that the house appears to be inside a residential neighborhood.
Above, the owners decided to embed the fire pit into the patio foundation, then use ceramic tiles to add color and decor.
Beautiful Garden Statues
08
Aug
Find more crabs and animals at Adams Art Antiques
Once you’ve finished creating the garden of your dreams; everything’s planted, growing beautifully, the patio furniture is to your liking and the scenery is just what you wanted – maybe as a final touch, you might be interested in placing a statue as the crown jewel to your small slice of paradise.
There are so many different types of statues that you are sure to find something that works for the look and feel you are going for.
Above is a small beautiful statue of two children playing on a see saw. This would be perfect for young parents all the way up to grandparents, who would like to be reminded of the time when their little ones as they get older.
Above is a bronze statue of two lovers holding in embrace.
For you lovers of the seas and myth, here are statues for you.
You can find statues like this one at Garden Ornaments
If you like the garden statues you’ve seen above, be sure to do a simple search through your web browser – you’ll be surprised at the different types, sizes, and prices of these beautiful statues that are out there.
Modern Garden Sheds
01
Aug
This is probably what you envision when you think 'shed'
Garden sheds have been around for almost as long as gardeners. They started as small sheds or building used to store large and bulky items, such as tools, inventory, barrels, and so forth.
Now, with technology, prices, and versatile materials, people are still building their sheds, but they are building them in such a way that more use can be gained out of them.
The shed, while most people still provide space for it’s intended purpose, are becoming more of a retreat area and not just a storage space.
Your common stink bug
13
Jul
Stink bugs are those shield-shaped bugs that look incredibly harmless, forage on native plants, emit an odour when provoked and generally keep to themselves. All in all they have very little effect on our daily lives or our gardens yet we’re intent on ridding the planet of these “apparent” nuisances.
Stink bug control is a term that could colloquially be ranked with “witch hunt”. It assumes that as gardeners we are intent on removing, or at least managing, the devastating effects of these bugs. It offers us some solace that if we spread a few chemicals around we’re sure to hit the target and kill every stink bug in the vicinity. While this may be your method of gardening it goes against the grain of natural organic horticulture.
Stink bugs have a place in our gardens. As do the praying mantis, Aphidius Wasps and even sow bugs. They’re all part of the wider ecological habitat that occurs in our garden with each part playing their part.
So what do stink bugs do? Primarily, they eat. They favorite food source is native vegetation and they will only move onto exotics if their preferred diet is in short supply, or begins to mature towards the end of the season. They will sometimes eat fruit but usually they are unable to pierce its protective skin so can only consume those that are already damaged. In other words, they’re very helpful scavengers.
However, there is the reality of the reproducing stink bug. Control in this area is possibly one that needs attention, especially if you live in warmer areas where the stink bugs have the possibility of laying two egg deposits. Each deposit consists of hundreds of eggs and unless there are some natural predators available they can grow quite rapidly into plague proportions.
Therefore stink bug control is all about encouraging their natural predators into the garden – mainly local bird species. While it may seem like the best way to rid stink bugs from your garden is to grow exotics instead of natives, your exotic plants won’t attract their predators and hence the population will increase. It seems like a roundabout way of controlling these insects but the exotic option will only hinder your stick bug control efforts.
The odor that stink bugs emit when provoked is a natural defense mechanism. It is also the way these bugs find their way back to your garden once their winter hibernation period has ended. Hard-pruning your natives prior to spring is one method of control that may hinder their return to your garden, in any great numbers at least.
However, the humble stink bug does very little damage within the garden environment and unless their numbers grow to plague proportions can easily be allowed to enjoy their surroundings as we do.
