Image via WikipediaI had a question from a new reader.

Karen, desperate to save her flowers asks how to deal with hungry rabbits that find her flowers quite tasty.

Nothing is more disheartening that to look at how well your flowers are doing just before you go to bed and then wake up to find that rabbits have chewed up everything and stripped the bark from most of your shrubs before leaving.

We haven’t run into to this yet as we live in the middle of our city, but if we see deer here every once in a while it won’t surprise me to see a few bunnies around.

I will give you a couple of cheap alternatives to rabbit repellents which tend to be expensive.

1. Ammonia sprayed around the perimeter at dusk will keep them away.

2. Make a pepper spray using cayenne pepper and water. I used the same thing to get my son’s dog to stop digging up the yard.

You may have to do this periodically as the old rabbits may learn to stay away but the newest once still need to be taught a lesson.

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If you want to get rid of pests in your garden or home, you can always get an insecticide at your local store. It may be a harsh chemical that you don’t want in your home, though. You might prefer to use natural insecticide. If you do, you can prepare your own.

If you get some boric acid powder, you can mix up all kinds of natural insecticide. For ants, you can put together a tablespoon of boric acid, a teaspoon of sugar, and some water. Put it on a cotton ball and set it out where ants go. Getting rid of ants will also decrease the possibility of having aphids.

For roaches, it’s simple. Just set out the powder where the roaches run. Boric acid can be mixed with a non-toxic version of anti-freeze called propylene glycol to kill termites. A natural insecticide can be made that is safe for use around children and pets just by using boric acid and household ingredients. You can mix the acid with water in a 10% solution for use on surfaces.

You can make a natural insecticide for use on small pests that you get on plants. You can make a garlic spray. Take a good amount of garlic and chop it up finely. Add paraffin oil and soak it for a full day.

Next, dissolve some soap in water and slowly add that. After you stir it up, strain it in cheese cloth. Only store it in a container that is made of glass. Your natural insecticide is ready to use.

For aphids, you can make a natural insecticide that is a stinging nettle spray. Just take some nettles and soak them in water for about three weeks. After this is finished fermenting, dilute it with water. It is ready to spray.

There are several methods for killing the Colorado potato beetle. You can make a natural insecticide tea by soaking cedar chips. Then make it into a spray to apply to leaves.

Another foliage spray used as a natural insecticide against this destructive pest is tansy spray. Dry out the tansy and grind it up. You can do this with a mortar and pestle if you have one. Then, mix it with water to make the spray.

For cutworms, you can make another natural insecticide spray by using pineapple weed and water mixed together as a natural insecticide. Or, you can use sagebrush extract with water. If you just want to immobilize them, you can mix molasses with bran and sawdust. Put this on plants in the evening.

Tomato hornworms destroy tomatoes and other crops. For a natural insecticide, you can lightly cover the area around the plants with cornmeal they will try to eat it. Their digestive systems can’t handle it and they will pop.

A spray can be made as a natural insecticide for many small soft-bodied bugs. You use a spoonful of canola oil and a few drops of liquid soap. This gets rid of mealy bugs, aphids, and mites.

There are many other kinds of natural insecticide that can be used to get rid of pests. You can’t concoct them all in your own kitchen, either. However, when you can, it makes using natural insecticide that much easier.

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If you want to get rid of pests in your garden or home, you can always get an insecticide at your local store. It may be a harsh chemical that you don’t want in your home, though. You might prefer to use natural insecticide. If you do, you can prepare your own.

If you get some boric acid powder, you can mix up all kinds of natural insecticide. For ants, you can put together a tablespoon of boric acid, a teaspoon of sugar, and some water. Put it on a cotton ball and set it out where ants go. Getting rid of ants will also decrease the possibility of having aphids.

For roaches, it’s simple. Just set out the powder where the roaches run. Boric acid can be mixed with a non-toxic version of anti-freeze called propylene glycol to kill termites. A natural insecticide can be made that is safe for use around children and pets just by using boric acid and household ingredients. You can mix the acid with water in a 10% solution for use on surfaces.

You can make a natural insecticide for use on small pests that you get on plants. You can make a garlic spray. Take a good amount of garlic and chop it up finely. Add paraffin oil and soak it for a full day.

Next, dissolve some soap in water and slowly add that. After you stir it up, strain it in cheese cloth. Only store it in a container that is made of glass. Your natural insecticide is ready to use.

For aphids, you can make a natural insecticide that is a stinging nettle spray. Just take some nettles and soak them in water for about three weeks. After this is finished fermenting, dilute it with water. It is ready to spray.

There are several methods for killing the Colorado potato beetle. You can make a natural insecticide tea by soaking cedar chips. Then make it into a spray to apply to leaves.

Another foliage spray used as a natural insecticide against this destructive pest is tansy spray. Dry out the tansy and grind it up. You can do this with a mortar and pestle if you have one. Then, mix it with water to make the spray.

For cutworms, you can make another natural insecticide spray by using pineapple weed and water mixed together as a natural insecticide. Or, you can use sagebrush extract with water. If you just want to immobilize them, you can mix molasses with bran and sawdust. Put this on plants in the evening.

Tomato hornworms destroy tomatoes and other crops. For a natural insecticide, you can lightly cover the area around the plants with cornmeal they will try to eat it. Their digestive systems can’t handle it and they will pop.

A spray can be made as a natural insecticide for many small soft-bodied bugs. You use a spoonful of canola oil and a few drops of liquid soap. This gets rid of mealy bugs, aphids, and mites.

There are many other kinds of natural insecticide that can be used to get rid of pests. You can’t concoct them all in your own kitchen, either. However, when you can, it makes using natural insecticide that much easier.

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Image by ThrasherDave via FlickrSome say roses aren’t climbers by nature and must be taught. Just think….a climber that can grow to forty feet up a tree, yes, it’s possible! If you prefer a smaller version, there is also the miniature climber to consider. Any rose is beautiful, but you might say climbers have a farther “reach”.

Suppose I give you an image flower lovers can appreciate? Imagine a field such as seen under the warm California sunshine. It’s a grapevine field, with rows and rows to fill. Now substitute the grapevines with climbing roses! What a vision that would be to behold.

However, you must choose your climber with care, for some are only able to tolerate small amounts of sunshine and will bloom only with the proper amount of sunlight. You’ll need to keep it properly pruned for the better health of the plant. It will need plenty of room to spread its spectacular beauty. Some climbers grow taller and larger depending upon their climate. You’ll need access to the taller parts of the plant. You may decide to shape it.

Some questions to consider are: ‘how often will you want the climber to bloom’, ‘will you want a certain color theme among your climbers’, ‘would you need to treat it for bugs native to your area’.

A climber and a rambler are different types of rose plants. Climbers need to be tied to a structure to maintain stability. They have heavier vines, or canes if you will, than the rambler. The rambler’s vines are more flexible and must be trained to grow over an object.

As with many flowers, the best time to plant a climber is at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost or in the spring or fall when the weather is cooler, but not wintry. You could start the plant indoors and then move it to the garden. Build a teepee of wooden poles; make sure the height of the legs will suit your container; wind nylon wire or string in a criss-cross fashion around the poles to give the plant places to grab as it works its way up the poles.
An easy idea for use with climbers is a trellis, which is made with either lumber or plastic. Although, personally, I would think the plastic surface would be harder for the plant to grab and hold. You could substitute nylon netting in place of the string or wire.

If you have little ones who want to help garden, you could buy popsicle sticks for them to glue together in lattice fashion for use with your climber. If you are comfortable with the art work of a child, you could have he or she paint the container and put their own pictures and letting on it. One idea that may be of interest to moms or grandmothers is to allow the child their own climbing garden area. It would teach them the wonders of the rose on a level they could accept more readily.

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Image by …Tim via FlickrIf by chance you are using a weed killer and it accidentally gets on to your plants you should hose it off immediately. The sooner you can do this the less chance of damage affecting the condition of your plant.

Sometimes while we are spraying elsewhere a wind can carry the spray to other plants and it won’t be until sometime later that the damage from this appears.

This damage will appear as leaves that have become smaller, narrowed and twisted.

Once this damage is seen there is nothing that can be done other than to remove the damaged portions of the plant and hope that more damage will not occur over the following days. Often a plant will recover if it has only received a light residual amount of weed killer that has blown over from a breeze.

It really depends on how much weed killer it was exposed to and how big, or how durable the plant it.
Some plants are a lot more susceptible to weed killer than others and only a small amount of exposure to this will be enough to kill the plant.

You really need to take care when using weed killer to ensure that none of it drifts to areas where it shouldn’t be.
Only use weed killer when there is no wind and hold the sprayer close to the weeds so it will only go on them and nowhere else.

It is also wise to have dedicated containers for weed killer and other sprays in the garden as residual weed killer left in a container that you would use for other things in the garden could ruin your plants. f it is not possible to have more than one container for poison and another for other garden sprays then you should always ensure that you clean it thoroughly after use to remove all the poison.

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I am learning to love backyard gardening in New Brunswick. It’s a lot of hard work to get it started so we are starting small this year. I have this inner fear that if we try to do too much in our first year we may get discouraged and give up.

My wife has a good friend that has been gardening for more than 10 years and you can be sure we will be picking her brain for backyard gardening tips and tricks that will make our learning curve a bit shorter.

What we have done so far is to remove some of the bushes that the previous owners let run wild. I spent the better part of yesterday cutting them off at the ground so they are out of our face. We will remove the roots another day but for now our backyard garden area is starting to look a little better.

Backyard gardening is becoming more of a reality every day. These past few days of warm weather, above freezing, is awesome. New Brunswick seems to be a bit behind everyone else when it comes to getting rid of this snow though.

I think this year is going to be more focused on getting rid of the things we don’t want to keep. We have some shrubs that are across the front of our yard and they are way out of control plus it’s not something we care to look at. I would rather have flowers with a shrub here and there but not a big shrubby mess.

We will see if we can find anyone who would like the shrubs and let them have them. All they have to do is dig them up and take them. We don’t even care if they fill in the holes, we can handle that.

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You would expect a natural insecticide to be perfectly safe for people and pets. The truth is that some cause irritations or burns or are even toxic to humans and animals. If you are going to use a natural insecticide, you should be aware of whether it causes problems beyond the pest.

Rotenone is a natural insecticide. It is made from derris plant roots. While it is fairly safe for people, it does harm fish. If you use it, you should take precautions to keep it away from water where you have fish. Rotenone is somewhat toxic to warm-blooded animals. It is even somewhat toxic to humans. You should therefore protect yourself during application of the natural insecticide. The good news is that it doesn’t affect the safety of vegetables grown using it.

A natural insecticide that causes eye and respiratory irritations is Sabadillia. Although it causes discomfort, it is not toxic. However, you should take care not to breathe it in when using it. A mask should be worn.

Dried peppers can be ground and mixed with water to make a spray. This is used as a natural insecticide. However, it too can cause eye and respiratory irritation. The crucial time to be concerned is when you are grinding the peppers.

Termite control products that contain nicotine sulfates are actually more toxic to mammals than synthetic products are. These natural insecticides should be used with caution by an experienced exterminator. Some people use nicotine either in a commercially made product or they make it on their own from tobacco leaves. They use this natural insecticide for many different insects. The trouble is that it is toxic to people. You can’t breathe the vapors. You’ll want to avoid letting it touch your skin.

On the other hand, many a natural insecticide is completely harmless to people and pets. Boric acid is so safe that it can be used in areas where children play. It is toxic only to insects. Diatomaceous Earth is a very popular natural insecticide that is safe for all mammals, including people. Bacillus thurengiensis, Bt, is safe for use on plants as well. It does not harm humans or animals.

Orange, lime, and grapefruit oils are being developed as products to be used as natural insecticides in Third World countries. They are very good at killing many different insects. At the same time, they are completely non-toxic to humans. The natural insecticide from the neem tree is not just non-toxic. It has actually been used as an antiseptic. It has also been used by herbalists to treat many diseases. It has been used for over forty years.

If you use a natural insecticide that contains harmful ingredients, you need to be sure to use it properly. If it is a commercial preparation, follow instructions on the label and use in recommended amounts. It is also important to be aware of how long you need to wait between use of the product and harvesting the crop.

Some kinds of natural insecticide are harmful to people and/or pets. Some are not. The key is to know which natural insecticide you are dealing with. Then, be sure you know everything about it.

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Image by Jon Wiley via FlickrMiniature roses are actual roses but bred to stay small in size. Most mini roses also have smaller flowers than standard rose bushes but they come in a variety of types and colors. Miniature roses are quite hardy plants despite their small size. In fact, they are more winter hardy than most tea roses. Miniature roses also tend to be repeat bloomers which is an advantage in adding them to your gardens. Listed below are a few of the more popular miniature roses.

Climbers: Minis with a vertical growth habit and can become trained to grow against supports.

Miniflora: An American Rose Society classification for newly developed mini roses that have a slightly larger plant and bloom size than miniature roses.

Micro-Mini: Term for the smallest mini roses.

Trailers: Minis with a cascading growth habit that are wonderful in baskets, window boxes and over walls.

In planting your miniature roses, you plant just like full size roses. Dig a hole the same depth as the pot the rose came in and about a foot wider. Carefully loosen the rose from the pot and remove while gently loosening the roots. If the plant seems to be tightly root bound, use a knife to slit the sides of the root ball and try again to loosen the roots. Place the rose bush in the center of the hole with roots spread out. Place soil in the hole and press firmly. Before applying a layer of mulch be sure to thoroughly water your rose bush. In feeding, regular fertilizing is necessary all season. Use general purpose fertilizer or commercial rose food and follow instructions on label. End feedings approximately six to eight weeks before first expected frost.

When watering your rose, bush the amount required depends on the local soil and weather. An inch or so of water per week should be sufficient unless there are dry spells wherein you will need to water more frequently. Water the rose bush deeply so the soil is wet a minimum of twelve to eighteen inches below the surface. Try not to wet the leaves during humid weather to omit fungal disease. Pruning is not a big issue with miniature roses. Prune before new growth starts in early spring. Just prune back around one third of the plant to maintain shape and encourage new growth.

Miniature roses are just as suspect to diseases as larger roses. Always keep an eye out for early signs of insect damage and treat quickly.

Miniature roses are great in the house too. Most are disappointed by their performance indoors and realize being roses they need lots of sun and good humidity. Most roses if given for gifts will be long lasting if transplanted outdoors. Miniature roses if properly cared for can give you years of enjoyment and bring color, fragrance and vibrancy to your yard.

Whether adorning a seaside cottage trellis, adorning the stone at the Vanderbilt House or growing wildly along your fenced driveway, miniature roses are timeless and bring spectacular images to the most discriminate of gardeners.

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Since learning to be a gardener I have wondered who determined what was a weed and what was a flower. There are some delightful looking weeds that grow in the garden even when we don’t want them to be there.

I guess the best explanation of what represents a weed, and what represents a flower is, a weed is a plant that is growing somewhere that it shouldn’t be.

I’m sure that if we started planting these plants that we call weeds, the ones that we call flowers now would start sprouting up everywhere.

I have known people who will happily leave weeds in the garden if they think their color and style will add to the variety of their garden.

More often than not however, we fight the never-ending battle to eradicate these unwanted residents from our gardens only to have them grow back faster than ever.

Adding a covering of mulch will help to reduce the return of weeds. Another method that helps is to lay dampened newspaper on the ground before covering it with mulch. This is very effective.

The problem with weeds is the fact that many of these plants are better at seeking out the nutrients in the soil and by doing so they are using the goodness that we want for the plants that we choose to have in the garden.

Many weeds also attract insects to the garden that can affect the condition of other plants.

No matter how diligent we are at removing weeds from the garden they will always reappear as their seeds are transported by insects, the wind, and even on the clothing and shoes that we wear.

Replanting from one garden to another can easily introduce new weeds so it is always important to check the soil and the roots of the plants that you are moving to ensure you aren’t transplanting weeds also.

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A week ago I was wondering if spring was really here or if it was some cruel trick from Mother Nature. We still had a couple of feet of snow in our backyard and no sign of dirt.

Today we have our first Crocus of the season and chutes are shooting up all over the place.

I finally got some batteries for my first digital camera and will try to document the new arrivals.

I know this is a bit off topic but I am also a fisher and I love nothing more than getting out of the city and hitting a few streams for a nice feed of brook trout. That is a lot of fun but at this time of year, well in another week, when fishing season opens it is truly a blessing to see all the life returning with snow still all around us.

Our backyard garden doesn’t look so far away now. A little sun, a little patience and things come around.

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Even though we didn’t really have a backyard garden at any of the homes we have rented or owned we usually had a little garden of some sort, mostly flowers but the odd tomato plant.

I have always had plants indoors, some of which did quite well outdoors during the heat of summer. My wife on the other hand had one plant when I met here and it was a gift from her mother.

Now we are learning how to have a garden that is bigger than anything we have attempted to this point in our lives.

Container Gardening

I wish we had learned more earlier because now we know we could have gardened in large flower pots and other containers. This way we could have moved them to the best places for them as the summer moved forward and sunny areas became shaded areas.

We just didn’t really think of having a container garden.

Our original plan to dig a garden this year was coming along fine until a close friend of my wife, who has show gardens, told us that it took her ten years to realize that container or even raised beds for gardening were so much easier to maintain.

That started me thinking about my health and how much more I would get done if I wasn’t tired so easily because of heart issues. She saved us a ton of work that we don’t need to do. Thanks Judy.

So our plans have been tossed out the window and a new plan is brewing. Just in time I might add as the snow that just one week about was still over two feet deep in our backayard is all but gone and we would have been digging.

We just learned how to have a garden in our backyard that will cost us less to create and require less bending and lifting.

The fact that I have been out of commission for just over 4 years with health problems has me more excited than a little kid at Christmas.

learning to be a backyard gardener even has a few of my guitar playing friends interested. I had one guitar friend that was going to prepare our garden for us but now she is looking at doing the same thing.

We currently have a couple of planters that are about 10 feet long by 3 feet wide and about 3 feet deep with an edge I can sit on to work. Those will be the same type planter we will use in other parts of our yard for both flowers and vegetables.

I plan to document what I do and learn in a journal and on this site so others can learn how to have a garden in their backyard without all the trial and error we were going to be going through.

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Image from WikipediaWhen sending flowers, fragrant flowers are usually at the top of the list. Fragrant flowers just keep on giving long after the initial flower gift is received. Who can argue that flowers are so delightful and make our spirits rise for so many different reasons. When considering sending flowers or planting a garden, choosing fragrant flowers will definitely be a nice addition. Everyone has their favorite fragrant flower but the list below might offer you a good idea of the most fragrant.

• Roses: Roses are the irresistible fragrant flower. Who can resist the temptation of the first thing being is to smell the intricate rose? All roses are not the same so be sure to use your sniffer and find the fragrance you like best.
• Sweet Alyssum: If you do not readily think of sweet alyssum when you think of fragrant flowers, try putting some by your window or door. These dainty flowers can be planted as ground cover or potted in a plant and given as a gift. Wherever these fragrant flowers are, you will catch their delicate scent. These are a lovely, fragrant addition to your garden.
• Carnations: Carnations have a very distinctive fragrance that is spicy and sweet. It is a fragrance that once you have smelled you will always recognize it’s odor. Carnations have a wonderful lingering that will fill your house. Carnations also seem to last longer than other cut flowers.
• Gardenias: Gardenias, what is there to say about such a beautifully fragrant, gorgeous flower? Gardenias are all alike so a container full of these fragrant treasures are “oh so heavenly.” This lovely flower is always a great choice!
• Freesia: This very sweet flower is very pleasing to our senses and is used in room spray, candles and hair supplies. Freesia is a very popular scent and always a safe choice.
• Jasmine: Jasmine, oh how sweet it is! This delicate flower packs a powerful punch. This adorable, tiny flower is filled with exquisite perfume and is used in candles, incense and many perfume products. Needless to say, Jasmine is a thumbs up all the way around.
• Lilies: The lilies make a beautiful, fragrant, large bouquet of flowers and are especially given at Easter. Entering a room where lilies are present, you are greeted with an aroma that is quite notable and lingering. Lilies make a beautiful centerpiece and have special memories attached to them within most families.
• Sweet Peas: Sweet peas are a generational favorite and have graced many gardens with their powerful fragrance. These delicate flowers are adored for their lovely pastels and the sweetness in the air. A simple flower, with a simple name, with anything but a simple fragrance.
• Lavender: Lavender flowers have been a long time favorite due to their powerful and recognizable fragrance. When planted along the front porch or in window boxes, the sweet and spicy fragrance will greet you in your coming and you’re going. Add this lovely scented flower to a drawer, pillow or just wherever you long to smell this delectable fragrance.
• Honeysuckle: The distinct fragrance of the honeysuckle is undeniably succulent. Kick off your shoes and lie near a honey suckle bush and be caught up its fragrance. Once planted, this hardy flowering bush needs little care and will take off in growth. Year after year, it will produce the pretty, colorful, fragrant flowers and will be a country style addition to a down home bouquet.

Your favorite fragrant choices may not be the same as on this list but hopefully this will be a guide to inspire you to add the charming and fragrant flowers to your gardens or ideas of flowers to give. Plant or give what you like and your choice will not only touch your heart but the hearts of others.

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Image from WikipediaOne of the best soil conditioners you can get for your garden is seaweed. What makes seaweed even better for the garden is the fact that it doesn’t need to cost you anything if you are prepared to collect it when it gets washed up on the beach, or alternatively from the surface of the water when you are out in a boat.

If you don’t live near a beach then you can still get the benefits of seaweed in your garden by buying dried seaweed in very affordable packs from garden centers.

This is the most convenient way to use seaweed on the garden, as it has already been prepared in a state that allows you to spread it evenly throughout the garden. There is the added benefit that the seaweed sold in the stores doesn’t smell as much as the seaweed that you would collect from the beach.

Seaweed is also very good as a plant stimulant. It is particularly good for people who are reluctant to use any types of chemicals on the garden, as seaweed is completely safe for the plants, people and also for pets.

Many people are unaware that seaweed is also used commercially as it has proven to be a very powerful soil conditioner and in many tests has worked better than some of the manufactured soil conditioners that are commonly sold on the market.

By buying dried seaweed from garden centers you can be assured of the quality and consistency of the product and you can expect results while having the convenience of it being readily available when needed by being able to store it until required.

Seaweed has been used for centuries in gardens around the world and is becoming more popular as people are looking for alternative natural products in preference to chemicals based products.

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