My Home Gardening

Snowdrops stand guard over tiny daffodil buds. Daylight is lingering a bit longer. The snow is receding and the robins are returning. The big thaw has begun. There's no denying the signs. Spring is right around the corner.

If you're like me, you can't wait to get your hands into the soil. While you're holding out for higher temperatures, there's plenty you can do today to jumpstart the spring gardening season.

Sow Seeds Indoors

Take a trip to your local nursery or home store and buy seeds to start indoors. In March I like to start annual flowers for my pots and containers. Currently, I have Coleus, Zinnias, Impatiens, Petunias and Marigolds germinating. Follow the seed packet instructions and you'll get excellent results. Some plants will take longer than others to bloom or bear fruit, so plan accordingly. This is also a great time for starting culinary herbs and vegetables. If you're looking for something new this year, try moonflower vine or cathedral bells to climb your fence or trellis. Both can be started from seed. If you have children, get them involved. Many children have a natural affinity for gardening. It's a great quality to encourage and nurture in them.

Dust Off The Birdhouses

I put my birdhouses out in early March. Small birds like chickadees will be actively searching for appropriate homes to raise their families. Mine were up for less than 24 hours before the home tours began.

Give Your Garden Tools A Checkup

Take your pruning shears and other cutting tools to your local hardware store for cleaning, oiling and a good sharpening. On a warm day you may want to assess your lawnmower. Take it in for servicing or a tune up now-while you can. Many lawnmower repair centers are swamped shortly after the season starts. It's one tool you don't want to be without.

Get Inspired

Order your garden catalogs. Purchase your favorite garden magazines. Here in the northeast, there's nothing like winter time to remind me how valuable my summer garden space is. Create a wish list of new plants, design features and outdoor furniture. With a little planning, you won't be overwhelmed when May rolls around.

Seek Out Indoor Gardening Events

In March there are countless indoor garden, flower and landscaping expos. If you can't find anything in your local area, a day or weekend trip to a flower show might be just what you need. Look for a botanical garden or arboretum with indoor facilities. In my area we have Longwood Gardens. It has year round indoor gardens and the displays are fantastic.

Clean Out Your Beds

As soon as the snow has melted and the weather permits, you can clean out your beds. It's a good time to rake and clear your planting areas of dead branches, leaves and debris. I like to mulch as soon as possible in the spring, while there's still plenty of space between the emerging bedding plants.

Learn A Landscape Design Software Program

There are so many inexpensive landscaping software programs available today, many of them under $50.00US. During the winter months you'll have plenty of time to learn how to operate the system. Create and sample new designs before digging. Take advantage of the overhead and 360 degree views. Many of the programs now offer a 3D walk through feature. It simulates the experience of walking through an actual garden. You can also advance the garden timeline into the future to see what it will look like when the plants and trees mature. It's a wonderful creative tool to beat the winter blues!

Call Your Landscaper Now

If you're planning to use a professional landscaper this year, make sure to schedule your work as far in advance as possible. When the ground is soft enough for digging, landscapers will be working overtime to keep up with the volume.

Book Your Garden Tours Now

Scour the internet for local and regional garden tours. Find out when tickets go on sale and plan ahead. I've often read announcement lists in the newspaper after I've already made other plans. There's nothing like visiting other people's gardens for encouragement and inspiration.

I hope these suggestions get you motivated to take action. The sooner you get started on your garden plans-the more time you'll have to enjoy the rest of the season. Happy Gardening!

John Conti is a landscaper and publisher of http://Stellasyard.com

Labels: gardening, snow, spring

To have a healthy pond you must have pH balance water, to get this balance after the pond is filled you must proceed like this:

Analyse the water.

The first time you fill your pond, the water might contain chemical pollutants and minerals that are toxic for the fishes and the plants. Those chemical substances are the chlorine, the chloramines, the ammonia and many more found in the tap water. The chlorine found in tap water dissipates generally after a few days. But for other chemicals like a combination of chlorine and ammonia, take much more time to decompose.

Before introducing plants or fish in the pond, you must analyse the water. After the pond is fill, wait at least one week before testing the water. You can detect almost every toxic substance in the water when testing the pH, the ammonia, the chlorines and the hardness of the water. The pH is the measure of the acidity or the alkalinity. The scale goes from 0 (very acid) from 14 (very alkaline), 7 is neutral and it means that the water is pure. A healthy water has a pH that range between 6.5 and 8.5. You can buy the test kit in pet store, where you bought your pond or online. The indication included in the kit will tell you witch water conditioner to use to correct the situation.

Rectify the water parameter

A variety of water treatment is offered to balance the water pH and eliminate the toxic substances from your pond. But you should not use them unless the test tells you to. Some fish and plant retailer suggest that you put a conditioner in the pond before you introduce the fishes or the plants in the pond, just for precaution. However, if the test marks that the water is correct, it doesn't need conditioner. If you decide to go with the conditioner anyway, follow the instruction on the label.

Labels: garden, pond, vegetable, water

Flowers are one of the great beauties that you can find in nature. As there different varieties it is quite possible for you to have a personal favorite. This preference can be based on the scent of the flower or it can be the color. You may even like the flower because it brightens up your room. The lilly flower is one type of flower that holds an appeal for many people.

The lilly flower is not confined to one particular look as with roses. You can find the lilly flower in different colors, shapes and even sizes. For instance you are probably familiar with the common garden lilly flower - that is the Lilly of the Valley - or as it is called in French, Muguet. This tiny lilly flower is seen in the early spring months. The delicate white flower clusters give off a sweet scent that fills the air.

This lilly flower is used for perfumes as well because so many women seem to adore having some lilly scent on them. The other types of lilies that you can find include the Calla lily, which is said to be a very fragrant flower.

This lilly flower has a golden yellow center to its petals and the outside of the petals which curve around the stamen of the flower is a royal purple color. This lilly flower would look very beautiful in your garden. Besides ground growing lilly flowering plants there are different varieties that grow in water.

These water lilly flowers are well known in many cases. You have heard of the white water lilly flower. This lilly flower grows in mud filled lakes where the current is not that fierce. The lotus flower that many of us have heard of is also a lilly flower. This water lilly has different shades that you can buy and plant in your garden.

The lotus water lilly flower is usually a pale pink in color. You can however find this water lilly in a soft butter yellow and a snow white color as well. The scent from these lillies is very mild yet you will still feel the scent wrapping its way around you. The water lilly flower also comes in a magnificent blue color.

Other than using lilies in perfumes and table décor, there is one other use that a lilly flower can be seen to have. This is in various funeral flower arrangements. Since the lilly flower is symbolically linked with death you will see different varieties being used for this purpose.

Regardless of the many different uses for the lilly flower you will find some beautiful flowers like the tiger lilies in their varying shades to have in your garden or even your home pond. These elegant and fragrant flowers are wonderful additions to any garden.

Labels: flower, garden, gardening, gardening tips, lily