Flowers Garden Plants

We've discussed softscapes, now we shall discus a less colorful, but no less important component of the garden: The hardscape.

The hardscape refers to the parts of your garden that do not involve plants. They may include the patio, benches, gravel and walkways found in your garden. As you may surmise, hardscapes do not just include rocks, but everything that isn't a plant in your garden. While you may think that a garden is just about the plants, you'll soon realize that a hardscape is also essential in making your garden look less of a jungle and more of a living space.

A good-looking hardscape compliments a good softscape. It shouldn't be overlooked.

Perhaps you've heard this term bandied around by your gardener or in the plant store, and being an ignorant lout, you just mumbled a yes or an ambiguous "uh-huh" whenever the term came up. Don't worry, we gardeners, in an effort to give ourselves a sense of prestige, often make up terms to differentiate ourselves from other professionals, and one of these terms is softscape.

Softscape, to be really simple, just refers to the horticultural elements in a landscape. This means that whenever some gardening hotshot refers to softscape, it really just means that he's referring to the plants.

There, that wasn't too hard, was it?

Thatch is a network of grass roots, some dead, some living, that are mostly located jus a few inches below the surface soil. While some thatch is to be expected in a lawn, an excess of it (around a fourth of an inch or more) can be problematic. Thatch happens because of inadequate watering of lawns and the constant use of quick release fertilizers.

When a lawn is inadequately watered, water doesn't seep deep down into the soil, thus forcing grass to take root only a few inches from the surface. The same thing happens with the use of quick release fertilizers. This will result in the formation of thatch.

Although the prevention of thatch (via aeration, watering the lawn for a longer period of time, and the use of slow-release fertilizers) is important, once it's there, not all hope is lost. To remove thatch, you'll just need a thatch rake. This tool will rip them right out of the ground with just a few times of use.

There. You've finally managed to transplant your beloved plant from the far side of the garden to right next to your bedroom window. But after a few days, the leaves start to yellow and drop off! What's happening?

Before you sprinkle the area with fertilizer, let me be the first to tell you not to be so damn stupid. Your plant is suffering from transplant shock, and fertilizer is the last thing a plant going through it needs. Transplant shock happens when a plant is suddenly moved to a new location and the shock to its system caused by the move causes these effects.

The best thing to do in this case is not to encourage the plant to grow. It needs time to re-establish itself and forcing it to grow by adding fertilizer or constant watering isn't going to help it. In this case less is indeed more.

The word vine conjures up many images, especially one of a house completely covered in it from roof to floor. They are often seen as a pest, taking over and suffocating the garden, and moving on to conquer other areas of the home in no time, due to their fast-growing nature.

The situation shown above is an example of the worst-case scenario involving vines. They are often a result of negligence and a lack of pruning. With the proper care and attention, these crawling, choking plants can be wonderful decorations to a bare wall in your garden or even the side of the house.

A rock garden has, as its focus (what else?) rocks and various plants that can grow on and between rocks. These plants are what one would typically find on mountains, where there is little soil but plenty of rock to grow on. Plantlife such as moss, lichens and other hardy plants are often cultivated in rock gardens.

There are two types of rock gardens: The Alpine and the Zen. Alpine rock gardens are more plant-based than a Zen rock garden, and it gets its name from the time when mountaineers would bring back plants from the Alpine regions to grow in their own private gardens.

Zen gardens feature very few, if any, plants. They often will have only one or two large rocks as the focus, with an expanse of pebbles or gravel as the backdrop. They are often used as places of meditation and reflection rather than horticulture.

A beautiful garden is every gardener's aim, if not dream. But if in order to get that dream, you have to be a wastrel, does that make the dream worth it?

The answer is a big, fat NO. Our resources are already limited, so there's no need for any sort of waste when it comes to gardening, such as having exotic plants that require time, effort and resources to grow, especially water.

This is where peraculture comes in. A permaculture garden is a garden that takes care of itself. It saves a gardener time, resources and effort by following the three r's: reducing, reusing and recycling. A permaculture garden adheres to these three r's in every aspect, from gathering rainwater to reusing leaves as mulch and recycling wood from old trees. Banking on permaculture is an excellent way to preserve what's left for our children to enjoy.

Once seen as little more than a weed and a sign of neglect, the moss, like so many historically vilified things, is now getting a better image as of late.

As a weed, moss is a sign that your garden needs aerating and a higher acidity. But now some gardens grow moss intentionally.

Moss is now used as a lawn alternative for shaded gardens, as moss thrives in dark, moist places. They are even used to keep rocks together, forming a function very much like trees on a hillside against erosion.

The misunderstood moss is now gaining a measure of respect from many gardeners, and is sure to become an important part in many gardens soon.

Ah, your garden. So many hours spent watering, mulching, planting and fertilizing. Now on a beautiful weekend day, you can kick back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Then, you spot it. You see something so hateful, something that boils your blood like nothing else, save blight or an invasion by fire ants. This thing you see drives you to your knees, clawing and tearing at it like a madman, unmindful of the grass stains and dirt you get on your best lounging clothes. Too bad, you think, that your tools were all in the shed.

Then, after a struggle, you succeed in pulling them out. It turns out that there was more than one of these things, and you were fortunate enough to spot them before they spread out like some plague on your delicate garden.

What were those things? Why, nothing else but the bane of every garden: Weeds.

Plant allergies are often caused by pollen which is released by plants in an effort to pollinate and reproduce. These microscopic particles will cause an allergic reaction in some people, sometimes so severe that they cannot even leave their homes during times of pollen release.

But this should not stop those who are allergic to pollen from growing a garden. Contrary to popular belief, people with pollen allergies can grow gardens. They just have to find the proper plants to grow. It's best for them to grow "native" or local plants because these will require little maintenance and care, thus minimizing the risk of a pollen exposure. It is also recommended that they grow plants that have bright flowers or require insects to pollinate. This is because these plants' pollen are often too large and heavy to be airborne, and to pollinate, they need the help of insects.

With a little research and planning, even those allergic to plants will be able to grow a garden.

We've often heard gardeners refer to plants as either annuals or perennials. What's the difference? And what's an annual plant?

The difference between the two is their length of life. While a perennial might and can live for years before it expires, annuals only have a year or a little more to bloom and propagate.

While annuals may only live a year and some months long, there are some that won't bloom until very near their expiration. This is why it is important to take care of annuals even if they aren't blooming just yet, to ensure that they will have a beautiful flower and bountiful seeds to replace the one that will expire.

The Eupatorium, commonly known as Joe Pye weed, is a very robust perennial that can grow quite tall, from 3-10 feet high and whose leaves have a vanilla scent when crushed.

We often take these plants for granted, given their tough natures, but they make excellent additions to any garden. Their purple or pinkish mauve blossoms attract any number of nectar sipping insects.

These hardy plants are best grown in the full light of the sun, and requires a lot of water. They can even survive periods of inundation.

If you're looking for a nice, low-maintenance plant for your garden, you can't go wrong with the Joe Pye weed.

You've finally decided to start a garden. You've bought all the tools, stocked up on fertilizer and began storing mulch. Now it's off to the plant nursery and get a bunch of plants you like.

Not so fast, garden boy. You just can't pick up any plant that strikes your fancy and plop it in your plot. A good thing to know before you begin purchasing plants is to know the soil acidity content of your garden.

A test for the amount of acidity in your garden will greatly influence the type of plants you can place in your garden. The acidity of soil is measured in a scale of one to ten. An acidity of six to seven is excellent for most plants, and anything higher than that will be considered as being too acidic for gardening. To make an acidic patch of soil more hospitable to gardening, lime is often used to lower its acidity.

We more commonly know that the Eucalyptus tree is the preferred food of Australia's marsupial mascot, the Koala bear, and that these cuddly critters were once endangered because of the lack of Eucalyptus leaves.

Now the Eucalyptus is back with a vengeance. This tree is now considered a threat in the fragile ecosystems where it is imported. As it grows and regenerates very quickly, it disrupts and upstages the native plant life and would soon disrupt the animal life there as well.

Eucalyptus trees are also considered health hazards to people as they have a tendency to shed off large branches as they grow, usually without any external signs. This has led to many injuries and casualties and has earned the Eucalyptus tree the moniker "widow maker”. Campers are warned not to camp under a Eucalyptus tree for any reason.

But the Eucalyptus tree isn't all bad. Its sap, although highly toxic, is commonly used as an herbal medicine and flavoring agent, albeit in very small quantities.

Chrysanthemum morifolium (commonly known as Florist Chrysanthemum) originates from China, where it has been used as an herbal medicine for centuries. The name Chrysanthemum comes from the Greek words "chrysos" meaning gold and "anthemum" meaning flower.

As famous as a decorative plant as it is an edible one, the Florist Chrysanthemum is but one of a multitude of chrysanthemum cultivars, each with its own distinctive color and bloom. When used as an herbal tea, it is said to ease fevers and sore throats. As a decorative flower, the Chrysanthemum's uses are markedly different from culture to culture. In Asian cultures, Chrysanthemums are often used to decorate graves and are often associated with death. The flower gets a much more cheery use in the Western world, however.

In vitro means "within glass" and is a term often used in fertilization for childless couples. A more colloquial term for it is "test tube fertilization" with the product being called a "test tube baby". In general it is a term for any organism grown outside an organism or natural state. Cloning may be considered a form of the in vitro process.

This technique is now being used for agricultural purposes as well. There are many more practical uses for the in vitro process in agriculture than in other fields, especially in the fields of food production and plant conservation.

Also, the ethical concerns about the process, when applied in the animal and human sciences are not a concern when in vitro is applied to the agricultural field.

In vitro cultivation may soon be the trend of the future as land space for crop growing becomes scarcer by the day.

We normally associate grasses as weeds. But there is one grass that is considered as more than a garden invader: Bamboo.

Indeed, in some parts of the world, this "super grass" is considered as food, construction material, shelter and a great deal more. This grass can grow from a height of one foot to a towering 100 feet in height.

Bamboo is a hardy plant, able to thrive in a variety of environments and its fast growth rate makes it ideal as a source of building material and even food, as young bamboo sprouts are considered a delicacy.

Bamboo is an incredible plant, perhaps one of the most beneficial in the world. Perhaps in the near future we may all depend on a weed to provide us with what we need.

We've discussed before that a garden, at any given time, plays host to a multitude of living things besides plants. Some of these critters are bad. Some, like the creatures we'll be discussing today, are actually beneficial to keep in your garden.

These insects, like the common ladybird, commonly called a ladybug, devour harmful pests like aphids or scale insects by the bucket load, and even their young are voracious predators as well. The praying mantis, still as a twig, lures other insects in with its seemingly harmless stance. Once they realize what it is, it is too late. One species of wasp lays its eggs on caterpillars. Once they hatch, the young eat their way inside and out of the caterpillar, leaving their host an empty shell.

But not all beneficial insects are exclusively predatory. Pollinating insects help flowers propagate and multiply, and chief among these insects are the venerated honeybees. They not only pollinate flowers, but provide man with a myriad of products for his own use.

So you see, not everything that crawls in your garden should be exterminated. Take a closer look and take it easy on the bug spray, ok?

"But Johannes, “you say, " I live in a condo on the 21st floor in a major American city. What good is your blog to me?"

Ah, ye of little faith. If you do want to have your own little garden blooming soon, I suggest you stick around. I'm going to tell you about a little thing called urban agriculture.

Urban agriculture is the practice of agriculture in an urban area, such as cities or the area surrounding them. It can be done on private land, public roadside land or even river banks.

Those living in condominiums can practice this by using available space such as balconies or rooftops, or even small containers like discarded bathtubs, cans or other suitable items.

Most people practice urban agriculture to earn income by selling their produce on the market. Their prices are usually higher as they are fresher than those shipped in from farms.

See? All it takes for you urbanites to appreciate the beauty of plants is just the correct application of your imaginations! Now get cracking, people!

Just don't let your mulch spill over someone else's balcony, okay?

If you've ever stopped and smelled the roses, especially in a garden, you've surely noticed that aside from plants, there are many other creatures lurking among the leaves and flowers. And most have more than four feet.

Most likely these critters are pests. Not in the annoying way, but in the destructive way. Most garden pests devour plant material, from roots to leaves to even bark. The most destructive and most numerous of these pests are aphids, small, green insects that suck the sap out of healthy plants. Snails are also very troublesome pests, eating leaves of every kind. Caterpillars are relentless in devouring leaves while in their larval stage, but it almost seems that they make up for it by transforming into one of nature's most beautiful creatures, the butterfly. Mosquitoes are a danger not only to plants, but to people as well. Male mosquitoes feed on plants, while female mosquitoes feed on us.

But not all things that crawl in a garden are pests. We'll take a look at these more beneficial insects soon.

The idea of cutting your own plants, especially if they are not diseased or dying, must seem appalling to a normal person. But to someone who's been gardening for quite some time, they realize that such an act is sometimes necessary.

This seemingly destructive act is known as pruning. It is often done to remove diseased, overmature and unwanted parts of a plant to encourage flower or fruit production. An example of this is in the removal of several branches from a fruit tree during the harvest season, or just before. This is done so that the energy of a plant used in maintaining those branches will go to the production of more fruits instead.

So if you see a gardener chopping off a branch or two from an otherwise healthy tree, don't be alarmed. More likely than not he's pruning the tree for its own good.

This may get quite technical, so please, bear with me.

Grafting is a process by which one type of plant is made to fuse with another. One plant, chosen for its roots, called the stock or rootstock, is combined with the other plant chosen for its stems, leaves or flowers. This other plant is called a scion.

Why is this done? There are a number of reasons, such as to meld the characteristics of one plant to the other, to produce stronger varieties of plants, and sometimes just for plain old curiosity.

For a graft to be successful, the tissue inside a plant's stem must be in contact with the respective tissue of the other. This connection must be held together until a successful melding takes place, usually taking several weeks. But a gardener must be careful when grafting, even after a successful graft takes place; the point of contact is usually a weak one, as the structural tissue of the plants may not merge.

But not all plants can be grafted to one another, and sometimes not even the same species take well to it.