There are many different varieties of deer repellent plants available to assist the homeowner in protecting his garden. These plants, for the most part, were not designed for this purpose but serve it well. Many of these plants not only accent an already meticulously crafted garden but will keep it very well protected.

Deer have a nasty habit of going straight for the closest vegetable garden when they are in search of food. One of the easiest ways to create a beautiful perimeter fence is by planting certain shrubs and trees around the area that deer do not like to eat. This type of natural fence will aid greatly in keeping the deer away from the more important plants behind them.

The most effective forms of bushes that can be planted on a perimeter are those containing thorns or prickly leaves. Thorny bushes such as rosebushes or wide variety of cactus can aid in creating a perimeter fence to keep the deer out. For gardeners in a more arid climate, yucca plants contain extremely pointed leaves and thrive in low moisture soil.

Layering is a safe, sure, simple way to increase many types of plants, and particularly the climbers and danglers with which this book is concerned. The first requirement is that the plant have long, lax or drooping stems - which vining plants do. The rest is easy, because the stem is not severed from the parent until the new plant is well rooted and can survive on its own. Humidifying devices, bottom heat, and close protection are seldom called for.

Garden plants layer readily, sometimes even spontaneously. And layering is equally easy for indoor or greenhouse vines. A wandering stem or runner is simply pinned down on the soil in a nearby pot, and severed when it is securely rooted.

Ground layering in the garden takes place at the base of the parent plant. Loosen and lighten a small section of soil, and mix in some peat or other humus to help hold moisture. Select a firm, semiwoody stem, and open the thick skin in one of several ways to speed up rooting. The stem can be nicked underneath with a sharp knife, or split and held open by a small piece of toothpick or match, or simply twisted just enough to break the outside skin and separate a few of the inside tissues. Some plants insist on rooting at or near a node, others don’t care where. And some softer stems don’t even need to be nicked.

If you have a greenhouse in which you can give cymbidiums cool nights and bright light, you should surely try a plant or two, for they are very handsome orchids. The plants have rounded pseudobulbs about the size of a fist, which bear eight to twelve long, slender leaves. The roots are fleshy and stay within the compost. They are variously called semi-terrestrial and semi-epiphytic. The flower spike arises from the base of the pseudobulb, within the axil of one of the lower leaves, and grows two to three feet tall (sometimes more). It appears in the fall, and the flowers open from December through April, depending on the habit of the particular plant.

The flowers are waxy, three to five inches in diameter, in colors ranging from white through shades of yellow, green, brown, pink, and various subtle combinations of these. They keep for several weeks on the plant, and almost as long when cut. Unlike cattleyas, the flowers will open after the spike has been cut. If a spike is cut when the lower blooms arc open and put in water, it can be enjoyed for a long time while the other buds open in turn.

When we breathe inside our homes we don’t give a second thought as to how it affects our health - but the truth is that indoor air pollution is often more of a problem for us than the air outside of our homes!

Symptoms of Home Pollution

We are often unaware of what this pollution does to our bodies, to such an extent that many of us don’t even think of it. However, pollution can have a number of negative effects on our health, leading to symptoms such as…

Fever, Headaches, Nausea, Fatigue, Cancer, Irritability, Depression, Dizziness, Anxiety, Respiratory problems, And more!

The Sources of Indoor Pollution

Whilst our homes are becoming more insulated and helping to save us money on heating, this has a negative side effect in that it’s much harder for all of the toxins to escape. And these toxins can come from a wide range of sources, including natural ones.

One of the most worrying places that these toxins originate from is chemical products. You may not realise it, but just about all the products we use contain chemicals, such as our cosmetics, our detergents, cleaning products and perfumes.

Can orchids be raised in the average home? Yes, if one wants to grow them badly enough and will be content with those which will thrive and bloom under home conditions.

There are a number of lovely types which reward those who care enough about orchids to study and meet their chief needs: light, water, nutrition, humidity and temperature. Here in the United States, most orchids are aliens in a strange and climatically hostile land, but they respond gratefully to efforts to make them feel at home.

Beyond question, orchids grow best in greenhouses. This fact has barred many people from enjoying this fascinating hobby, since they may have neither the means nor the space for a greenhouse. What can be done then? Some success can be had by placing orchid plants in sunny windows and staging them over trays of moist gravel. Though much success has been claimed for this method, I have found results over a period of two or three years most disappointing both in lack of blooms and in a gradual deterioration of most plants. However, the majority of plants can be placed in sunny windows over gravel trays during their blooming period where they can be enjoyed by neighbors as well.

Lilies are making their appearance in garden center stores in ever-increasing numbers during October. The southern strains of Easter lilies are now ready for planting. These are hardy in southern gardens and produce great quantities of pure white blooms every spring. Plant them 6 to 8 inches deep in rich, well-drained soil.

Don’t overlook the wonderful ever increasing new hybrids. They grow beautifully in our gardens and can be had in nearly every shade and tone of white, yellow, orange, pink and red. You can have lilies in bloom from April to August by proper selection of varieties : Madonnas and the other new hybrids, April and May ; regales and tigers, June; rubrums and auratums, July; and formosanums, August.

Peonies can be planted in the Upper South only. They are too far out of their natural range to be grown successfully below Atlanta, Birmingham and Greenwood. Plant in a rich soil to which well-rotted manure has been added. Don’t plant the crown or eyes more than 1-1/2 inches below the soil level. They won’t bloom if you do.

No rose garden is truly complete without including climbing roses into the mixture of rose species. Climbing roses, also known as pillars, ramblers, trailing roses, and everblooming roses depending on how they grow are not considered true vines. They don’t grow their own support structures to hold onto surfaces. But they are the ideal decoration to grace any arch, fence or any other structure in and around any garden.

Because climbing roses do not have the capabilities to hold onto structures like vines do, they need help from us. Grower can loosely tie the plant to a structure or wind it through the structure. Some types of structures you can grow climbing roses on are trellis , arbors, fences, sheds, columns, walls or virtually any other big, solid structures. Climbing roses that are educated to grow laterally instead of vertically often produce more blossoms. Vertically trained climbing roses will produce little spines along their main stem or canes which will develop blooms. Besides the direction they grow, growing climbing roses is not unlike growing other types of rose plants. Climbing roses need about 6 to 7 hours of direct unfiltered sunshine a day. Even climbing roses that are said to do good in the part shade still need about four to five hours of direct sunshine a day.

Down through the ages various nations and races have developed certain styles in gardening largely because of the different climates and topographical features in their particular parts of the world. If you want to do some extra reading on the history of the landscape art, you will find good books on all phases of the subject in public libraries. The important thing concerning the evolution of the landscape art in America is the fact that there has been developed a distinct style which is admirably suited to our modem way of life. Consequently, in professional circles, it is referred to as the “American Style.”

Years ago I remember meeting the famed Brazilian landscape design visionary Roberto Burle Marx who’s style fascinated me but was of a completely different flavor than American Style.

Public Area

Basically, American Style is built around the theory that for maximum efficiency, privacy, and beauty, the property shall be divided into three distinct sections: the public area, the service area, and the private area.

The reasons for requiring to transplant roses are numerous. It could be because you favor to allow it greater sunlight or it could be that you are simply switching things around a bit in your garden. But, whatever the cause, there are various matters that you will need to recognise before you begin plucking your plant out of the ground.

First things first; organize the ground where you are preparing to set your roses. The last thing you want to do is to let the root ball to be exposed to the hot sunshine or release any of its moisture. If your plant must travel by vehicle to get to its new location, make sure that you cover the roots with a moist piece of burlap.

A great tip to remember is to water your plant well the day before you plan to move it. Water is the secret of a victorious transplant. The chances of transplanting a dry, wilting plant successfully are low.

Planting a rose plant goes beyond how deep the hole should be and if fertilizer should be utilized now or later. The first and most essential step in rose planting that should not be ignored is picking the position of where you are going to plant your roses. It is as true in planting as it is in real estate; location, location, location. There are several matters that need to be studied when choosing a placement for our rose plants.

Will the space you care preferring to establish your roses get decent sunshine? The majority of rose species should get at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunshine a day. Yet rose plants that are shade tolerant call for about four to six hours of direct sunlight to do best.

Is the land where you plan to plant your roses healthy? Roses are avid feeders and require to have nutritious soil. They do not like soil that has too much clay or too much sand. A quick test you can perform with your soil to find out if it has too much clay or sand is to clump it in your hand. If the soil holds the mold and does not crumble easily, it has too much clay. If the soil crumbles too easily and does not hold the shape, it has too much sand. Great soil should hold the shape in your hand but fall apart easily. The soil should also not be too acidic, contain too much limestone or too much chalk.