About Landscaping

Spring Bulbs That Deer Won't Eat

2009-11-15T06:20:07Z

Marie Iannotti grew tired of losing spring bulbs to pests. "So now I toss a handful of gravel into the planting holes to deter the voles, keep the tulips in sheltered pots and focus on deer resistant varieties," writes About.com's Gardening Guide. The spring bulbs that deer won't eat include:

Deer may not like crocus, but squirrels love them! Spreading blood meal around the planting bed will help deter the pests (and green up the grass considerably, if you're planting these spring bulbs in a lawn area), but a surer squirrel-control method is to lay chicken wire on top of the ground where you have just planted your crocus.

The nice thing about protecting crocus in this way is that, since most crocus plants are relatively small, there's often no rush to remove the chicken wire later, unless it's an area you'll need to mow (for spring bulbs that grow bigger, you'd have to remove the chicken wire before they push up in spring, lest the foliage be cut on the sharp wire).

Spring Bulbs That Deer Won't Eat originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 06:20:07.

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Beech Trees

2009-11-13T05:28:54Z

What do you think of when you hear mention of beech trees? For some of you, their famous beechnuts may come to mind. Others may recall a beech tree from their childhood filled with such engravings as "Bill + Mary 1967," the smooth, light-colored bark of beech trees being a prime target for sylvan graffiti mongers.

But neither of those two things come to mind for me, first and foremost, when I think about beech trees. What I love about them is the way they extend the fall foliage season. Like oak trees, beech trees retain their leaves for a much longer time than do most trees here in New England.

A grove of beech trees in the forest can be an enchanting sight in fall. Eventually, their golden fall foliage fades to a tan color -- but it's still better than what most other trees are offering at the same time! Better suited to be specimens on typical lawns are the smaller tricolor beech trees.

Read article: Beech Trees

Beech Trees originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 05:28:54.

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10 Tree Care Tips

2009-11-11T05:42:38Z

"Think of tree care as an investment," states Steve Nix. About.com's Forestry Guide lists the following as some of the dividends you'll earn on your tree care investment:

Increasing property values
Beautifying your surroundings
Purifying your air
Saving energy by providing cooling shade from summer's heat and protection from winter's wind

But what tree care tips does Steve cover to help you achieve these goals? He recommends taking his Tree Wellness Quiz first. Along with good old common sense, the quiz will help you assess your basic tree care needs. At that point, you can dip into Steve's other resources, which include tips on:

Staking trees
Mulching trees
Fertilizing trees
Pruning trees

Related resource: Ornamental Tree Care

10 Tree Care Tips originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 05:42:38.

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Vermiculture

2009-11-09T05:23:12Z

During the winter, many of us northern gardeners go through withdrawal symptoms, cruelly deprived of many of the plants we came to know and love during the spring, summer and fall. For some, the cure for the wintertime blues lies in drawing up landscape plans for next year -- whether formally or informally. Others take solace in gardening indoors.

Fortunately, we needn't restrict ourselves when gardening indoors to the typical potting soil in which people grow houseplants, nor must we use chemical fertilizers. Composting through vermiculture provides an alternative on both scores. "Vermiculture is a way of composting using earthworms to speed up the process," writes Amy Jeanroy. "It is easily done inside the home as it takes only a small amount of room and creates no odor." About's Guide to Herb Gardens supplies more information in this article on vermiculture.

Vermiculture originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 05:23:12.

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How to Force Bulbs

2009-11-07T07:27:21Z

When you "force" bulbs to bloom out of season, you are using a "technique that imitates the environmental conditions that bulbs encounter outdoors, thereby tricking them into flowering earlier," as Marie Iannotti puts it. So my question to you is: Are you feeling tricky? About.com's Gardening Guide discusses how to force bulbs in detail, in case you'd like some tips for pulling the wool over Mother Nature's eyes.

As for me, I'll leave the trickery to others -- at least until someone finds a way to trick Old Man Winter into staying away. No, in fall I'm much more interested in planting bulb plants in the ground, in anticipation of spring. This, despite the fact that perhaps the last thing on our minds this time of year is a spring flower display. Many of us become too absorbed with fall foliage or Halloween decorations in autumn to think ahead to spring.

But while it's tempting to immerse ourselves in autumn's abundance and leave next year to next year, fall is the time to plant those bulbs that will yield such rich floral color once spring does return. A little foresight goes a long way....

How to Force Bulbs originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 07:27:21.

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What Plants Are the Stars of Your Yard?

2009-11-06T05:46:54Z

What plants are shining most brightly in your November yard? In cold climates, flowers have now taken a backseat to foliage. For me, the stars for November (which include some holdovers from October) are the following plants -- chosen for their fall foliage, unless otherwise indicated:

How about you? Vote in my poll and let us know what plants are shining most brightly in your own yard right now. Or if there's a plant you'd like to nominate that does not appear on the list, tell us about that plant in the Landscaping Forum.

Let Us Know What Plants Are Currently Delighting You!

What Plants Are the Stars of Your Yard? originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 05:46:54.

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Candytuft

2009-11-05T06:11:24Z

There are plants with "white" flowers, and then there are plants with "brilliant-white" flowers -- such as candytuft. In fact, candytuft puts on such a wonderful display that I recommend you go out of your way to grow it somewhere where you'll be able to enjoy its dazzling color to the fullest. That means 3 things that I can think of right away:

Grow candytuft where it will be able to hang over a stone wall or over a raised bed wall, for example.
Orient your planting of candytuft in such a way that you'll be able to appreciate it easily from a much-frequented vantage point (a window or a patio, for example).
Don't grow candytuft under messy trees that will detract from its display.

Regarding this latter point, I speak from personal experience. I have my candytuft growing under a Kwanzan cherry (not directly under, but close by). Unfortunately, however, during the period just after my Kwanzan cherry tree drops its flowers, the visual impact of my candytuft's blossoms isn't as powerful. Why? Because the ground, which otherwise would be dark -- thereby providing a good contrast with the brightness of the candytuft flowers -- is littered with the bright blooms from the Kwanzan. As a result, I feel that my candytuft display is wasted for a few days (until the fallen blossoms from the Kwanzan cherry tree begin to fade).

Read article: Candytuft

Candytuft originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 06:11:24.

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'Arctic Beauty' Kiwi Vines

2009-11-04T05:58:48Z

I grow 'Arctic Beauty' kiwi vines not for fruit, but for the ornamental value of their variegated leaves. "Variegated" is something of an understatement, however, when it comes to the foliage of kiwi vines. For the leaves can become tri-colored, flashing colors of pink, white and green. Nor is "white" sufficient as a description for the light color in this triad: lots of variegated plants have white in their leaves, but the white in these kiwi vines is more aptly termed "frosty." How appropriate, considering the plant's name (although my guess is that the "Arctic" in the name refers to the plant's hardiness).

The first time you see Arctic Beauty in full color, you'll do a double-take, questioning whether the color is even natural! While we often associate a change in leaf color with the fall foliage season, note that the color display put on by kiwi vines is at its height not in autumn, but in spring. How's that for an interesting reversal?

Read article: Kiwi Vines

'Arctic Beauty' Kiwi Vines originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 05:58:48.

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Regional Gardening Calendar for November

2009-11-03T05:59:30Z

"November is when any similarity between gardening zones ceases to be," states Marie Iannotti. "Some of you are just moving into your temperate, gentle garden season and others will have almost no garden to speak of for several months to come." But as About's Gardening Guide points out in this regional gardening calendar for November, even those with "no garden to speak of" right now still have some chores to do. I know it doesn't seem fair, but it's true! No surprise that raking leaves is on the list.

_{Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About.com)}

Regional Gardening Calendar for November originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 05:59:30.

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Organic Ant Control

2009-11-02T05:58:52Z

Why might ant control be a landscaping chore worth looking into? In my article on organic ant control I answer that question. I'll say this much right here, though: it's not so much a "honey do" issue as it is a honeydew issue....

In case you decide that ant control is a landscaping task worth undertaking, my article also suggests some organic ant control measures, including the use of the following plants employed traditionally for organic ant control:

Read article: Organic Ant Control

Organic Ant Control originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 05:58:52.

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