How to Build a Rock Garden

Rock lovers that enjoy gardening find great satisfaction in combining beautiful stones and their favorite flowers into essential parts of their landscape. Rocks create wonderful gardens. Their size, weight, and stability make them highly suited for use as a border, and even as a containment barrier in a raised-bed garden, as we’re going to discuss in this guide.

Step one is to choose a location for your rock garden. Stroll around your yard imagining possibilities. Popular options include a hill slope that is difficult to mow, a ring or rectangle formed around a favorite shade tree, a focal point easily enjoyed from a large window or the deck, or a corner of the yard, perhaps where fencing comes together. Leaf through some of your favorite gardening books for location ideas, as well as inspiration for design.

Step two is to finalize that design through trial and error, by laying it out in the chosen spot, using newspaper. Explore different shapes, and expand or shrink the design until you are happy with it. Add several layers of paper, which will act to smother the vegetation beneath, while allowing for drainage in the garden.

The third step is to form the outside border with stones large enough to create a bed at least 6-8 inches deep. Bunch stones tightly next to adjoining ones, so they will better hold the soil. When the containment border is complete, fill your garden with quality top soil. Water the soil thoroughly to compact it, and then fill in settled spots. If you plan to add an elevated section within the garden, perhaps with a smaller course of rocks, now is the time to do that, filling it with soil, also. Circles within circles, rectangles within rectangles, or mixed shape combinations can be very attractive.

The fourth step is to begin planting your flowers. Here we have to take a step back and talk about plant selection. Let’s begin with color. Different types of rock feature different color characteristics. Field stone is varied, yet quite different than assorted shades of sandstone or ledge stone. It is important to choose flowers that will complement the colors found in the rocks. The best thing to do is to have a few rocks with you when you select your flowers. You’ll easily see that some colors are a good fit and others are not. The principle is the same as matching carpeting with furniture fabrics or curtains indoors. The other plant selection issue involves choosing the right height plants for where you plan to place them. Shorter plants will go in front, taller, bushier plants should go in middle or back. The point is that as you view the garden, all rows of plants should be visible. Sketch on paper your planting configuration before you start planting. Finally, plan for there to be color through each season. Know when each bulb or plant blooms, and locate them so that all sections of your rock garden will have several plants in full blossom at all times.

The last step is to plant the flowers in your rock garden. The essential thing is to begin in back and plant toward the front, so that you won’t damage what you have already planted by accidently stepping on it, for example. Keep a few of the nicer stones set aside to place here and there in the garden as attractive accents. These basic steps to building a rock garden will produce a unique, natural space employing some of the choicest bounty the earth has to offer.

Books that will help you :

Rock Garden Design and Construction

Rock Garden Plants: A Color Encyclopedia

The Rock Garden Plant Primer: Easy, Small Plants for Containers, Patios, and the Open Garden

Stonescaping: A Guide to Using Stone in Your Garden

Garden Stone: Creative Landscaping with Plants and Stone

The Illustrated Practical Guide to Water and Rock Gardening: Everything you need to know to design and construct a beautiful rock garden or water feature (The Illustrated Practical Guide to…)

Understanding the Basics of Composting

Adding compost to flower and vegetable gardens has been growing in popularity as more gardeners choose natural techniques in their efforts to cultivate a healthier, more productive garden while being environmentally responsible. Making compost out of organic matter is an ancient practice, but with the rise of chemical fertilizers several decades ago, the practice declined. Now, decades later, the benefits of composting are being rediscovered.

Briefly put, composting is the process through which organic matter is returned to a soil-like state through decomposition. The process is aided by insects, earthworms, fungi, bacteria, and other beneficial microorganisms. Compost is rich in nutrients, improves soil structure, aeration, the healthy pH balance of the soil, water retention, and soil fertility. It contributes to healthy root development in plants, and provides essential nutritional value for flower and fruit production.

If you have made the decision to start composting, these basic steps will put you well on your way to a healthier garden and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

First of all, choose the spot to have your composting pile. Employing an unused corner of the yard is popular, out of direct sunlight, and perhaps kept from view by a large bush or section of decorative fencing. Many gardeners build a 2’x4’ or 4’x4’ composting pen to keep it tidy, but that’s not essential.

Secondly, combine the right materials for compost. A good mix includes about 10 to 20 parts brown plant material such as dead leaves, which is high in carbon, and one part green material, like grass clippings and garden prunings, which is high in nitrogen. Other high carbon “browns” include straw, shredded twigs, pine needles, shredded newspaper, dead plants that do not show disease, and sawdust from untreated wood. Other nitrogen-rich “greens” include green weeds, alfalfa, clover, manure, and vegetable scraps from the kitchen.

The third step is to keep the composting material moist, but not soggy. A good time to begin the pile is when you rake leaves in the spring or fall. Mix in the first/last grass clippings of the year, saturate the pile thoroughly, turning the material several times and adding more water. After that, do not water unless insufficient rain occurs. If it’s a particularly raining spring, covering the pile during rains might be needed.

Fourthly, decomposition requires air, so turn the pile once a month or so, perhaps when you add more grass clippings. Stirring it up gets oxygen into the center of the pile where it will aid the processes that are creating compost. The compost is ready to use when it is dark in color and crumbles easily, and when none of the original materials are identifiable. A good test is to seal a small amount of it in a bag for 24 hours. If the compost smells earthy but not unpleasant, it is good to go!

Many gardeners are using compost bins, a fantastic way to produce usable compost quickly. They come in several styles that allow you to add material and water and easily turn the bin for proper mixing and aeration. New composters and veterans alike will want to consider these handy, effective units that produce high quality compost. Whether you use a simple pile, build a pen, or purchase a composting bin, your plants will benefit immensely from this organic, nutrient-rich plant food.

Composting bins:

Mantis 4000-00-02 ComposT-Twin Composting Bin

Scotts 100164 Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Compost Bin

Bosmere K767 Garden Compost Bin 11-Cubic Foot Capacity

Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter

Composting Bin: Extendable

Garden Composter

Earthmaker Aerobic Composter, 120 Gallon

A-Z Beginners Gardening Guides

 

• Beginners Gardening Guide #1 : How To Start Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #2 : Steps for Designing Your First Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #3 : Choosing the Right Tools for your First Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #4 : How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #5 : A Beginner’s Guide to Planting Flowers and Trees
• Beginners Gardening Guide #6 :How to Choose What to Plant
• Beginners Gardening Guide #7 : First Steps in Vegetable Gardening
• Beginners Gardening Guide #8 : Maintaining Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #9 : Lawn Care for Beginners
• Beginners Gardening Guide #10: Blossoms for Every Season
• Beginners Gardening Guide #11 : Your Garden During the Fall
• Beginners Gardening Guide #12: What Steps to take as Winter Approaches
• Beginners Gardening Guide #13: Preparing for a Great Spring Start

Choosing the right tools for gardening

Any house will look beautiful with colorful and fragrant flowers in its garden. This not only adds aesthetic as well as monetary value to the house but also helps the inhabitants to relax and enjoy a natural and serene atmosphere. It is a popular belief that gardening is a therapeutic hobby, as you get to do some manual labor which allows you to ease out your worries and cope up with your troubles.

Whether you want to have a garden full of flowers or vegetables, choosing the right gardening tools will help you in doing all the jobs easily, quickly and comfortably. If you are a beginner in gardening, then choosing the right gardening tools may not be that easy for you. There are several tools available out there and you may easily get confused about which one you should purchase. So, let us take some steps back and have a look at which tools are extremely essential for gardening.

A spade is a very important gardening tool that will be needed all through your life dedicated to gardening. This tool is used to dig holes for moving soil, planting, taking away the sods and edging beds. These are in the form of shovels that have short handles and square heads. Another imperative gardening tool is a hand trowel which is used for placing the plants into the soil. It is better to purchase a hand trowel which is made up of stainless steel and which has a rubber grip.

Different types of hoes are also available and you have to choose the one as per your type of garden. If you have a vegetable garden, then a stirrup or standard hoe will be appropriate for you. But if you have a perennial garden, then choose a super-thin hoe for more delicacy in the touch. You will also need a rake that will help you in cleaning up your garden effortlessly. In this way, you will be able to round up the litter quickly and easily and also get rid of weeds and unwanted parts of the plants. A rake made of plastic is a long lasting and durable option.

It is very important to have your garden weed-free and for that, you will need hand cultivator. This is used for turning the soil for seeding, whether you are gardening in containers or garden beds. This has to be used with a pulling and chopping motion and you should choose the one that is attached securely to its base. A pruner is used to shape the plants and remove the spent foliage. Although this is an expensive tool to buy, it will prove to be very useful for you in the long run.

If you are going to do gardening, then you will also need to water your plants regularly. Therefore, having a water hose is just impeccable. It should be enough in length to reach all the areas of your garden. Purchase a hose that is high in quality standard and which also comes with a warranty. Gloves will also be needed to keep your hands clean and away from stings and bruises.

Doing gardening is not very easy and it is extremely rewarding. You will need to keep in well-maintained and for that, you will need most of these gardening tools that you should buy today itself.

Gardening Tools – Online Shopping

Yardiac.com – The Ultimate Garden Center

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Gardening Tools & Outdoor Power Tools at Amazon.com

Gardening Tools

To get the job done right in your garden you will need the proper gardening tools.  There are literally hundreds of tools that you can purchase, but you will only a few of them.  At every gardening center or nursery, there will be all sorts of gardening tools to choose from.  Below are a few pointers to help you choose the right tools for your need.

Before deciding which gardening tools to get, you need to know how big of a garden you have.  Since gardening tools comes in many different sizes, it will be best to choose one that right for your garden.  For example, a ride-on mover is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn.  Another factor to consider is who will be using the tools more frequently. Some tools are too heavy for use by women.

Some of the popular and most widely gardening tools to buy are hedge trimmers, forks, shovel, rakes,  pruning saw, chipping how and a rake.  These tools are what is mostly used to get the job done.  Beside these, there are other tools available to choose from.

The best way to know what tools to get is to look at what you want to do to the garden.  For example, if you are planning to loosen the soil for planting, getting a tiller will be a good option.  It can help save a lot of time and energy than using a shovel.

Gardening tools will help you get the job done faster and easier than using just your hand.  Gardening tools can get quite expensive depending on the brand and what type of tool it is.  You can buy them separately at different time or shop around for the best deals.  If you have a garden, make sure you have the proper gardening tools on hand to make your gardening work easier.

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