About.com Landscaping

Planting Trees: A Costly Decision?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:21:10 +0000

Steve Nix observes that "the number one reason people plant trees in their yard is that trees have become 'necessary to maintain a public image of the appropriate setting for single family houses.' (Schmid) There are social pressures to plant a tree in one's yard."

While I recognize the importance of increasing one's property value (with an eye to selling one's home, eventually), I still can't help but feel uncomfortable with such a reason for planting trees. I see a new tree as a (hopefully) long-term companion in my landscape. Consequently, I feel that I should be planting a tree because its qualities excite me.

As I finish transplanting a tree, tamping down the soil and watering to eliminate any air pockets, I want to be looking ahead to enjoying such qualities as:

Fall foliage color

Of course, you should, by all means, make a list of unacceptable qualities, too, before planting trees, so that you may obviate costly problems in the future by making sound decisions in the present. For example, About.com's Forestry Guide notes that many avoid planting the following trees as being too messy:

Ginkgo biloba females
Sweetgums that produce gumballs
Mimosa trees
Bradford pear
Mulberry trees

Planting Trees: A Costly Decision? originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 06:21:10.

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How to Make Kissing Balls

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:28:00 +0000

Why have I been put into a mind to make a kissing ball? Well, here in New England (U.S.), we're entering the gray season, as cooler temperatures try to sever our ties with the plant domain. The rest of the year, I pretty much go with the flow -- but not now. My watch word during the gray season is "recalcitrance." With all my might, I resist being cut off from the wonders of the plant world to which I had become so accustomed over the course of the last eight months or so.

Gone now are the days of stepping outdoors to see how, for instance, the leaves on my Virginia sweetspire have changed from last week -- that's true. I realize that, from now on, when I step outdoors, I'll witness plants resigned to a rather static state, until spring returns. But that doesn't mean I have to take it lying down! I'm not a big fan of houseplants, but there are plenty of ways to keep the memories of better times alive....

One way to maintain a connection with the plant world during winter is to dry certain plant parts during fall, then bring them inside. For instance, I have some dried hydrangea flowers hanging up right next to me, as I type these words. I also like to dry hardshell gourds to work on my gourd craft.

Likewise, I enjoy using materials from the plant world to make Christmas decorations, such as kissing balls. While not all the materials in my kissing ball project are natural (heck, a Styrofoam ball lies at the very center of a kissing ball), I do discuss several natural materials in the process of showing you how to make kissing balls. For all the instructions, please click the link below.

View tutorial: How to Make Kissing Balls

How to Make Kissing Balls originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 05:28:00.

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Winterizing Sprinkler Systems

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:32:34 +0000

If you rely on a garden hose to water your lawn, you understand what a nuisance hoses can be. I'm continually annoyed, in my own yard, by the fact that the plumbing for the garden hose is on one side of the driveway, while the lawn is on the other. This means, of course, that the hose must run across my driveway in order for me to water my lawn. The driveway is a small one, with barely enough room for the two cars that call it home. Inevitably, it seems, there's a car in the way when I want to reposition the hose. Sometimes, the hose even winds up pinned under a tire.

November is the one time of year, however, when I'm glad I water my lawn with a hose (or so I tell myself). Why? Because winterizing garden hoses is a breeze: just detach 'em, let the excess water ooze out, bring 'em inside and turn off the outside water supply.

But as About.com's Lawn Care Guide reports, winterizing sprinkler systems is another matter altogether. It's easy to put the hose's upscale cousin to bed for the winter only "if you have the proper equipment." Winterizing sprinkler systems requires an air compressor -- which, let's face, the average person tends not to have just lying around.

It's a small victory for us "hose people." Enjoy it while it lasts!

Resource related to winterizing sprinkler systems: Lawn Irrigation

Winterizing Sprinkler Systems originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 07:32:34.

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Leaf Raking or Leaf Blowing?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:55:19 +0000

Do you have all the leaves removed off your lawn yet? If not, don't be ashamed: you have a sympathetic ear here with this procrastinator! But if you do, while your leaf-removal work is still fresh in your mind, it's a good time for you to share your leaf-removal method with the rest of us.

I admit to harboring some skepticism about leaf blowers. What gets them off on the wrong foot with me is the noise that they emit. While bothering with the task of leaf removal, I take great consolation in being able to enjoy a peaceful fall day, and the blare of an engine definitely detracts from that. Leaf raking is work, yes, but I find it more pleasant work than leaf blowing.

Of course, there's more to it than that. Some may not be up to leaf raking, physically.

How about you? How do you prefer to remove the leaves from your lawn: by leaf raking or leaf blowing -- or both? Click the link below to tell us your preference.

As for you procrastinators out there, the opinions sent in may provide the catalyst you need to get you moving before the snow flies!

What's your leaf-removal method: Leaf Raking or Leaf Blowing

Leaf Raking or Leaf Blowing? originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 06:55:19.

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Spring Bulbs That Deer Won't Eat

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:20:07 +0000

Marie Iannotti grew tired of losing spring bulbs to pests. "So now I toss a handful of gravel into the planting holes to deter the voles, keep the tulips in sheltered pots and focus on deer resistant varieties," writes About.com's Gardening Guide. The spring bulbs that deer won't eat include:

Deer may not like crocus, but squirrels love them! Spreading blood meal around the planting bed will help deter the pests (and green up the grass considerably, if you're planting these spring bulbs in a lawn area), but a surer squirrel-control method is to lay chicken wire on top of the ground where you have just planted your crocus.

The nice thing about protecting crocus in this way is that, since most crocus plants are relatively small, there's often no rush to remove the chicken wire later, unless it's an area you'll need to mow (for spring bulbs that grow bigger, you'd have to remove the chicken wire before they push up in spring, lest the foliage be cut on the sharp wire).

Spring Bulbs That Deer Won't Eat originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 06:20:07.

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Beech Trees

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:28:54 +0000

What do you think of when you hear mention of beech trees? For some of you, their famous beechnuts may come to mind. Others may recall a beech tree from their childhood filled with such engravings as "Bill + Mary 1967," the smooth, light-colored bark of beech trees being a prime target for sylvan graffiti mongers.

But neither of those two things come to mind for me, first and foremost, when I think about beech trees. What I love about them is the way they extend the fall foliage season. Like oak trees, beech trees retain their leaves for a much longer time than do most trees here in New England.

A grove of beech trees in the forest can be an enchanting sight in fall. Eventually, their golden fall foliage fades to a tan color -- but it's still better than what most other trees are offering at the same time! Better suited to be specimens on typical lawns are the smaller tricolor beech trees.

Read article: Beech Trees

Beech Trees originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 05:28:54.

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10 Tree Care Tips

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:42:38 +0000

"Think of tree care as an investment," states Steve Nix. About.com's Forestry Guide lists the following as some of the dividends you'll earn on your tree care investment:

Increasing property values
Beautifying your surroundings
Purifying your air
Saving energy by providing cooling shade from summer's heat and protection from winter's wind

But what tree care tips does Steve cover to help you achieve these goals? He recommends taking his Tree Wellness Quiz first. Along with good old common sense, the quiz will help you assess your basic tree care needs. At that point, you can dip into Steve's other resources, which include tips on:

Staking trees
Mulching trees
Fertilizing trees
Pruning trees

Related resource: Ornamental Tree Care

10 Tree Care Tips originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 05:42:38.

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Vermiculture

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:23:12 +0000

During the winter, many of us northern gardeners go through withdrawal symptoms, cruelly deprived of many of the plants we came to know and love during the spring, summer and fall. For some, the cure for the wintertime blues lies in drawing up landscape plans for next year -- whether formally or informally. Others take solace in gardening indoors.

Fortunately, we needn't restrict ourselves when gardening indoors to the typical potting soil in which people grow houseplants, nor must we use chemical fertilizers. Composting through vermiculture provides an alternative on both scores. "Vermiculture is a way of composting using earthworms to speed up the process," writes Amy Jeanroy. "It is easily done inside the home as it takes only a small amount of room and creates no odor." About's Guide to Herb Gardens supplies more information in this article on vermiculture.

Vermiculture originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 05:23:12.

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How to Force Bulbs

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:27:21 +0000

When you "force" bulbs to bloom out of season, you are using a "technique that imitates the environmental conditions that bulbs encounter outdoors, thereby tricking them into flowering earlier," as Marie Iannotti puts it. So my question to you is: Are you feeling tricky? About.com's Gardening Guide discusses how to force bulbs in detail, in case you'd like some tips for pulling the wool over Mother Nature's eyes.

As for me, I'll leave the trickery to others -- at least until someone finds a way to trick Old Man Winter into staying away. No, in fall I'm much more interested in planting bulb plants in the ground, in anticipation of spring. This, despite the fact that perhaps the last thing on our minds this time of year is a spring flower display. Many of us become too absorbed with fall foliage or Halloween decorations in autumn to think ahead to spring.

But while it's tempting to immerse ourselves in autumn's abundance and leave next year to next year, fall is the time to plant those bulbs that will yield such rich floral color once spring does return. A little foresight goes a long way....

How to Force Bulbs originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 07:27:21.

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What Plants Are the Stars of Your Yard?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:46:54 +0000

What plants are shining most brightly in your November yard? In cold climates, flowers have now taken a backseat to foliage. For me, the stars for November (which include some holdovers from October) are the following plants -- chosen for their fall foliage, unless otherwise indicated:

How about you? Vote in my poll and let us know what plants are shining most brightly in your own yard right now. Or if there's a plant you'd like to nominate that does not appear on the list, tell us about that plant in the Landscaping Forum.

Let Us Know What Plants Are Currently Delighting You!

What Plants Are the Stars of Your Yard? originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 05:46:54.

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