Garden Topiary Frames

Topiary is the delightful art of creating sculptures in trees and shrubs. This much loved European art form date back to ancient Rome.

While it doesn't take an Edward Scissorhands to create the stunning, lush creations of topiary, it does take talent and years to perfect the craft unless you use frames!

Regardless of your skill level, topiary frames will make you look like a pro gardener

Topiary Frames How To's

• For years of carefree enjoyment look from frames made of sturdy and galvanized wire with spot welded construction.

• Soak sphagnum moss or green moss in water with a weak solution of fertiizer until it is pliable.

• Stuff the moss in the frame until it is fully packed.

• Secure the moss with clear craft or fishing line.

• Moss-only topiary are beautiful and require no care other than infrequent touch ups but if you want the wow effect, add plants, ivy or other vines.

• Chose your plants and make individual hole in the moss to receive the roots. Leave as much of the soil on the roots as possible. Add moss as necessary.

• Secure the plants to the frame with flower wire.

• Provide the nutrients, water, light and pest control applicable to the vegetation you selected.

• Have fun with training.  Use flower wires to train the plants' growth direction and don't forget to add some sculpting to your design.

• Plants can be easily replaced if they fail to thrive or changed with the season. Don't be afraid to add blooming flowers in the spring.

• Placement is everything.  Put a giraffe next to a trellis, a mermaid beside the pool, a sleepy cat on the patio or a boxer to watch over your roses.

Best Plants for Topiary Frames

• Baby's tears
• Begonia
• Boxwood
• Climbing Hydrangea
• Creeping fig
• Cypress Vine
• English Ivy
• Fleece vine
• Hemlock
• Lavender
• Myrtle
• Pine
• Rosemary
• Yew.

Don't limit yourself to the above list. Use your sense of color and whimsy to explore the wonderful world of topiary.

Lion topiary credit
Bunny topiary credit
Epcot topiary credit

Learn to Grow an Organic Garden

Do you worry about the toxic chemicals in your vegetables but hate the high price and less than optimal quality of organic choices at your local market?

Years of exposure to chemicals can not only make you sick, they can cause long term health problems for your children. Chemicals build up in your system and can cause fatigue, mood changes and weight gain, at best!

Growing organically isn't hard but too often it can feel that way. Go to your local nursery or garden department and you will see aisles and aisles of chemicals guaranteed to feed, protect and produce an abundant food supply... but at what cost.

Fresh organic food tastes better, is healthier for you and your family and is better for our environment. Best of all you can get it right out of your own garden.

Jeff Serland is an organic gardening expert.  His book My Organic Garden will take you through the entire process of getting your organic garden producing the freshest, healthiest food you have ever eaten and you will never go back to chemical laden commercial vegetable.

• Learn how to prepare the soil.
• Learn the right fertilizers.
• Learn about weeds in your garden.
• Learn how to raise your plants from seeds the easy way.
• Learn everything it takes to go organic.

Stop searching book stores and the internet and stop trying to piecemeal all that information together.

If you want to get started on a new way to garden, get Jeff's book today. Gardening can be healthy, fun and stress free if you have the right instructions.

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Easy Grow Mushrooms for a Gourmet Bounty

To the average gardener, growing mushrooms can seem a little alien because they seem to fly in the face of all gardening logic.

Fungi are classified as a kingdom as opposed to the more earthly known plants and animals.   A mushroom garden can add a little gourmet to your harvest and you may just fall in love with growing this quirk of nature.

Good For You

Not only do they make a delicious addition to pizza and stir fry, mushroom are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. You can easily grow most species of mushrooms including Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake, Oyster and the popular button.

Easy Grow How-To

Although you can grow your own spawn (fungi speak for seedlings) from spore (think seeds) and use mediums from mature to coffee grounds, the easiest way to produce a healthy, bountiful flush (harvest) is to purchase sterilized spawn and inoculate (fungi speak for plant) in a log.

• Just think of the last place you would grow anything. Mushroom need a dark, humid and cool environment so grow them in a garage, shed, basement, cellar or outbuilding. If your climate and yard allows (dark and dank), grow outdoors.

• Mushrooms are grown on hardwood. You will need a 3-4 foot log, cut 4-12 weeks prior to inoculating.

• Don't use a fresh cut log as it still has the tree's natural fungicide compounds and will kill your spawn. Likewise don't use an aged log as its nutrient and sugar content has depleted.

• Select oak, poplar, elm, maple or alder. Avoid cedar and pine as they are too aromatic.

• Purchase sterilized plug spawn.

• To inoculate your hardwood with the spawn, drill 2" deep holes at 4" intervals in your log.

• You should drill about 40 holes in a 3-4 foot log.

• Pound the spawn plugs into the holes with a hammer (one per hole).

• Seal the holes with a fine coat of melted paraffin wax to prevent insects from feasting on your spawn.

• Inoculate prior to the winter freeze as the spawn will need to go dormant in winter.

• Stand your log on end; just lean it up against something.

• Water every few weeks; never let the log dry out.

• Colonizing can take 9-12 months.

• Your logs have begun "fruiting" when you see dark mottling on the cut ends.

• You can force fruiting by submerging your log in cold water for 24 hours (or putting out in heavy rain) and then hitting it with a hammer or dropping it a rock (aliens!). This arouses the primal instinct of the fungi who apparently think the tree has fallen and it's time to produce.

• Once established and given the right growing conditions, your fungi will fruit in flushes for years.

• Harvest your mushroom with a sharp knife.

• Should you want a steady supply of mushrooms for the whole family, inoculate 1-2 dozen logs.

• By re-soaking with a 6-8 week resting period you can rotate through the logs and be totally flushed in mushrooms year round.

• Start a new crop every year or two.

An even easier way to grow your own mushrooms and make a fun project for the kids is to buy mushroom kits. There are kits for most gourmet mushrooms prepared just right for their specific species and ready to fruit in just weeks. Mushrooms make a great new hobby and a meal too!

How To Plant Bulbs for Spring Flowers

It's Fall. Do You Know Where Your Bulbs Are?

Bulbs are a gift from the gods of winter. Knowing how lonely you will be for the sight of a brightly colored flower, the winter soil incubates the sleeping bulb through the coldest days and just when you think you can't stand another winter chill, a yellow daffodil or purple crocus will lift your darkest spirits and ready you for spring.

But until the thrill of spring, you have some work to do. Bulbs are easy and hardy flowers to grow so your tasks are few but important.

• Plant or store...but keep your bulbs between 50 and 60 degrees. If you aren't planting right away store in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator or in the garage or cellar. Protect from the rodents who will gladly make a meal of your bulbs.

• Don't delay. Bulbs should be planted about 6 weeks before the ground freezes, which is great because you would be hard pressed to dig a hole much afterward.

• Pick a spot in your garden that gets good but indirect light. Cold loving bulbs will die of heat stroke in direct sun.

• As bulbs are prone to rot in soggy conditions, add a little sandy to the soil and give them some protection if you live in a rainy climate.

• How deep you plant depends on the type of bulb. Four to twelve inches is the general range so check the package rather than guess wrong.

• Whoever thought of the bulb auger was surely a genius. They make the perfect hole and hold the dirt patiently until you are ready to refill your hole. Get one with a long handle for the garden and one with a short handle for the window boxes.

• Again, depending on the type of bulb, make your blub holes one to six inches apart. Don't guess or you will be pulling out bulbs all spring.

• Now most bulbs have distinct top and bottom sides. However, in the case of tubers, its another story.  Should you be totally stumped by the top-bottom dilemma, just plant sideways. The bulb is forgetting and God only know how but it will find its way to the top of the soil by spring.

• Drop a couple of bulbs in each hole; they like friends to winter with.

• Fill the hole back up with the dirt your auger held neatly for you while you worked.

• Cover with mulch, bark and/or dry leaves to protect from winter conditions and to keep the soil moist. It's a good idea to really camouflage your bulbs if squirrels roam your garden. They are sure you have planted this tasty treat just for them and will dig them up should they find them.

• Water well and you're done except for an occasional check of the soil as you never want it to completely dry out.

• The debate rages on whether to add manure or other fertilizer to the hole before adding the bulbs. I personally feel the bulb don't appreciates a hardy meal before a long sleep anymore than I do.  However, for last year’s bulbs, it's a good idea to refeed the soil at this time.

• Keep checking the window, spring will come again. As soon as the first shoots appear and the ground unfreezes you can add a slow release bulb food and be oh so glad you planted your bulbs last fall.

Enjoy Your Mint Harvest

If you added mint your garden you need ideas on how to enjoy your harvest. Mint is not a stingy herb; it gives and keep on giving.

If your mint garden has gotten out of control, you can learn how to establish boundaries for this hardy perennial here but if you just want to enjoy, try these 10 tips for using your mint.

And don't forget to check all the mint recipes below. Your favorite recipes awaits!

Ten Great Ways to Use Mint:

1. Garnish your dinner plate with a sprig of mint. Looks lovely and freshens yours and your guest breath. Chew like gum.
2. Crush a few leave and put a hot bath to simmer like tea. When the water is comfortably warm, soak away to energize and refresh.
3. Toss in the pot, a minute or so at the end of cooking, with those vegetables the kids (or you) won't eat like peas and broccoli. Try mint with Brussels sprouts; the contrast between the bitter and the minty is to die for.
4. Skip the Pepto. Mint tea or milk is super for tummy aches. Crush the leaves and steep in hot water or milk for several minutes. Remove the leaves and feel better.
5. Cut in very thin strips and add to a tossed salad of lettuce, red onions, mandarin orange sections and walnuts.
6. To zip blackhead or acne naturally, put a two-to-one ratio of water and mint leaves in a blender, strain and save the pulp for number >>. Mix with a two-to-one ratio of mild facial cleanser and refresh and destroy zits and pimples.
7. Take the pulp you saved in number << and mix it with half a container of plain yogurt, which you have previously drained for several hours; just so it isn't runny. Spread it over face and relax for 10-15 minutes. Try not to lick it off.
8. Place a smaller leaf in each cube of an ice tray, add water and freeze. Toss a few in a glass of water or your favorite cocktail.
9. For a sore throat put a two-to-one ratio of water and mint leaves in a blender, strain, add sea or table salt and gargle.
10. Make a mint spread with feta cheese, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon zest and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with warm Greek breads. Makes you hungry just thinking about it doesn't it.

All Mint Recipes at allrecipes.com
Mint Recipes at epicurean.com
Indian Mint Recipes at indobase.com

How to Grow Hardy Mint

If you're new to gardening, give yourself a boost of self confidence by growing mint.  Indoors or out, mint is a hardy and prolific perennial and doesn't give up easily even on the brownest thumbed gardener.

In fact, mint may very well take over your entire garden.  If you don't tend to it, mint will spread like wild fire. If left to its own, mint will make a super ground cover so plant with that design in mind.

Mint can get overly friendly with other plants so you may want to restrict it with a container or hanging basket. Should you want to plant directly in the ground, you can control it by planting in bottomless containers or by digging out the full area you want it to roam and laying out a plastic liner about 18 inches deep.  Remember to poke some drain holes in the liner then fill with soil and show your mint you know how to establish boundaries.

Mint is one plant that doesn't start well from seeds so buy starter plants. Then plant as soon as you can first dig in the soil in early spring so that you can enjoy continuous harvests all summer long.  Despite their size, set the plants 12-18 inches apart or you'll be pruning all summer long.

Lucky for you, mint is not a sun worshiper so, where other plants fail, mint is going to make that partially shady spot in your garden look fabulous.  It's only upkeep besides pruning is to keep the soil nutrient-rich and moist but never soggy.

Growing mint in poor soil and full sun or all shade will keep its growth in check but that's just being cruel to this beautiful herb.

Don't hesitate to pinch off sprigs frequently. This will keep keep the plants bushy and reward you with one of the most tasty and versatile herbs.  Mint doesn't just make a great tea, it has healing benefits that have been relied upon for centuries.

Now fast forward two or three months after planting and you'll more mint than you can think how to use. Fear not; here are ten ways to enjoy your bounty.  There are hundreds of  more ways to use mint. When you find your favorite way, come back and share it.

Fall Tips For Your Garden

Winter can be brutal, so take the time in the Fall to prepare for the dark days of winter and ensure a healthy, happy bounty again in the Spring.

It's time to trim and toss in the compost pile, foliage that will not survive the winter. Don't ever waste nature's bounty by tossing the clipping in the trash.

Your lawn mower can make quick mulch of large jobs and hand crushing is just fine for small ones. The clippings will soon break down into carbon and nitrogen rich material to use either as a last pre-winter feeding or a superior mulch for next Spring.

Cut back stems so plants can go fully dormant. This will encourage new growth at the bottom of the plant in the Spring.  Start protecting the soil with mulch to discourage weeds, retain warmth and moisture and prevent pest infestation. Depending on your climate, you will start this in either early or late autumn.

Use natural mulches such as leaves, pine needs, straw and bark. They will naturally enrich the soil preparing it for your Spring bloom. If you live in an especially wet climate, to prevent water retention and rot use stones and add non-organic materials such as burlap, plastic, felt and paper.

In extreme cold climates, use up to six inches mulch but avoid covering the plants, which still need light and fresh air. Snow itself is a good insulator and makes for strong,  hardy plants but should snow, winds or freezing require additional plant protection lay some evergreen boughs lightly over and around your plants, still allowing for some light and circulation.

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

Now it's time to plant your bulbs, daffodils and crocus. Make sure you get them in before the ground freezes, not just for your own sake for the digging but so that these spring surprises have time to root before winter hits.

Most people fertilize their lawn in the summer but fall is the best time for this chore.  Like bears, grasses store food for the long winter and, if fertilized in Fall, they will awake in the Spring ready to go.  Don't wait until the first freeze through, early Fall is the best time.

Mustn't forget the birds in autumn.  In your trimming and tossing process, don't include the plants' seeds. Leave them as a snack for your feathered friends and let them spread the harvest al natural.

Finally, make time for your garden decorations and, especially, your tools. Clean, oil, polish, dry and store as necessary and you will save yourself time and money when spring arrives.

Growing Begonias from Tubers

Begonias remind me of dressing in my Sunday best. Ruffled and creased in flashy reds, yellows, whites, oranges, salmons and pinks the begonia is always ready to show her style and grace.

Her abundant and bright floppy-hat type leaves are almost as much an attraction as her flowers.  She loves to adorn the porches and window boxes of those lucky enough to welcome her to their home.

Begonias are either tuberous (pea-sized bulbs at the base of each leaf for propagation), semperflorens (a hybrid with fibrous roots producing a more waxy variety) or perennials (that usually die with the first frost).

Tuberous begonias are native to South America and South Africa. They are delightfully fun and easy to grow and make excellent gardening lessons for children.

• To grow begonias from tubers start in the late winter or early spring so they'll be ready to bloom in June or July.

• Using a loose well-drained soil mix, start your tubers in a seed tray or box.

• Do not add fertilizers as the tubers are abundantly filled with nutrients.

• If you start the tubers outside, just make sure the last frost has passed.

• If you're going to be working with last year’s crop, remove the tubers from the ground before the first frost;  they will not survive a winter freeze or a rainy season.

• Should you live in a warm, dry climate, tubers will likely do fine left in the ground but they must dry up over the winter so use your best judgment.

• If you've removed from the ground,  you must remove all the excess soil from the roots, clean off any rotted spots with a knife and give them a good rest indoors while they dry. Fear not as you remove all the roots, stems and remaining leaves from the tuber. If the parts don't pull off easily, dry a little longer and try again.

• Once cleaned of debride, place your tubers in a paper bag or cardboard box and place in an area you are sure will remain dry and slightly cool. The tubers must remain dry or they will rot and be goners.

• Depending on your climate, let the tubers lay dormant until February or early April. Then place them in soil mix, hollow/concave side up.

• Don't bury the tubers all the way; they need their tops slightly exposed at the soil line.

• Keep the soil moist but don't over water or the dreaded rot will take over.

• Soon you'll have little sprouts shooting up but wait until they reach 4 to 6 inches, before taking them outdoors for repotting. Again, make sure that there is no chance of another frost or all your efforts will be for not.

• Whether you replant in baskets, containers or the ground, provide excellent drainage and cover the soil with a couple of inches of mulch or bark.

• Set the tubers about 2 inches apart and keep that little top barely covered by the soil.

• Begonias make excellent houseplants so feel free to keep one indoors.

• Tuberous begonia can be a bit brittle, so it's a good idea to secure them with a little support.

• Begonias are shade lovers so don't make the mistake of setting them in full sun. Early morning and late afternoon sun is best.

• Because they are not fond of the wind, planting in containers placed on the porch is a perfect home for your begonia.

• Keeping your begonia close will also allow you to check the soil frequently for proper moisture. Begonias will not forgive you if you let them dry out. If you are losing buds, your begonia is too dry.

• Begonias are susceptible to mildew. The sign of the disease is a white or gray powder on the entire plant. If humidity is high or nights are too cool, moisture will germinate spores.

• Make sure you aren't overcrowding your begonias with other plants or leaving them in a corner spot with poor circulation. A dilution water spray of either baking soda (1:100) or milk (1:10) will kill the fungus if it gets too out of hand.

• Now that the begonia is in the growing phase again make sure you fertilize often so it produces the perfect blooms and stores up for propagation next year. Begonias prefer a liquid feed that is high in potash. If you can't find a begonia feed mix, get one for roses or tomatoes.

• Go ahead and pinch the blooms to encourage a busy growth.

• Begonias are loved by vine weevil, aphids, mealybugs and mites and occasionally caterpillar and gnats will cause a problem.  Try dish soap and neem oil first and insecticides as a last resort.

How to Garden in Containers

Just because you don't have chunk of land doesn't mean you can't have a great garden; just put it in a pot!

Whether your plants need mobility due to living in an apartment or living in your office or you just like the aesthetics of container gardening, pots have come a long way in design and functionality.

But don't rely on what you can buy; using your imagination almost anything is fair game as long as it has a drain hole or two. Before you toss that old chair, wheel barrel, kitchen sink or boot think: what could I plant in that.

Container gardens aren't just for city dwellers. They make a great artist addition to any garden. Don't forget hanging baskets and windowsill gardens to add some good old Southern charm to your home.

There aren't many rules to container gardening but be aware of a few:

• Remember your contained plants can't go searching (with their roots) for water or food. They will need more time and attention than yard plants so before you set a single plant in the pot, commit to its care.If you select a large barrel-type pot, use a long stick to check for over or under watering. The stick will also help aerate the soil, just don't poke too much and upset your roots.

• You will want to replace the container soil, or at least the top portion of it, yearly. If you grow annuals, start afresh every year, otherwise you can remove all the loose soil and replace around the perennials.

• A slow release fertilizer works best in containers. Use the correct soil for the plant. Some plants are acid lovers, other demand an alkaline soil. Add some organic materials occasionally but don't over fertilizer; there's nowhere for excess to go.

• Don't mix edible with non-edible plants. Some plants are poisonous, other just change the taste of your edible bounty. Don't take a chance on gastric upset.

The Art of Container Gardening

Container gardening is art so let it bring out the Picasso in you.

• Give it a trial run - lay out your plants before taking them out of their little containers to get the best design possible.

• Color it pretty - contrast colored plants make a more drama statement. Likewise, a single color in a variety of species and shades will capture the attention.

• Keep it balanced - big pots need big plants and vice versa. Rule of thumb is the plants should be 1 ½ times the height of the container. Balance the tall plants with shorter and trailing plants.

• Find a superstar - one plant should be a total knockout and the focal point of your creation. Find that plant first and find complementary ones to work around it.

• Pick potmates - when your sharing a pot, you better get along with your potmates. Choice plants with similar light, soil and watering requirements. Otherwise, one will be drooping while the other is thriving. Planting cactus and iris together will never work.

Now go get your container and start planting!

Lilac Growing Tips

If you love a fragrant garden but live in a cooler climate and want a low maintenance plant, then lilacs are for you.

Lilac is a prolific shrub originating from Europe and Asia. The unofficial Lilac Festival of the U.S. is in the Lilac Capital of the World: Rochester, New York. The ten day festival is held in early May and crowns a teen Lilac Queen who reins for the year and gets a $1,000 college scholarship. If you make it to the festival be sure to stop by Highland Park which has over 1200 lilac bushes on its 155 acres!

Far hardier than the fragrant gardenia, lilacs can grow in just about any soil from sand to clay as long as it has good drainage. Plant them as soon as you can dig in the post-winter soil or in late fall. Doing otherwise will likely stunt the growth of the bush. Set the bushes about six feet apart or you will be digging them out in short order. Lilacs have surface roots that radiate far and wide so give them room to spread.

Lilacs are popular in the north and northeast U.S., because they love the cold weather and require a good winter chill to produce their Spring bounty. If your lilac blooms aren't blooming it is likely due to too warm weather. Once the buds are ready to burst, a heat wave can keep the beautiful bloom unwrap for good.

If you simply must have a lilac garden but live in a warmer climate,
you can find a hybrid that can stand the heat.

While the lilac's blooms are truly beautiful, they are also truly brief and you'll only get one bloom per year. Botanists have come up with a great solution for this by breeding early, mid and late blooming varieties. Buy and plant your lilacs with this in mind. Make sure you get one or more of each so you will have many weeks of continuous blooms.

Finding varieties of lilacs won't be difficult as there are more than 1,000 in gorgeous whites, pinks and purples. There is also a wide variety of sizes from about four to thirty feet! The taller varieties make great hedges.

Keeping with its low maintenance reputation, lilacs don’t require much watering. Because they have such long roots, they need to be watered thoroughly but will nearly drown if watered too often or if their soil lacks good drainage. If you have a sunny hill, your lilac will feel right at home.

This plant likes an alkaline soil between pH 6 to 7.5 and a full sunny day. It will do best if it gets at least six hours of sun daily. If your blooms aren't prize winners, check that nitrogen in the soil is not too high.

For an extra treat, give your lilacs the ash from your fireplace.
They will reward you with even bigger blooms.

Fertilize regularly with a mix high in phosphorous during the bloom period and a general fertilizer the rest of the time. They also love the organic stuff so layer on the compost.

Lilacs require little pruning and weeding; just enough to keep it attractive is fine. Be sure to cut at the point of the next new bud to keep your bushes bushy. Also, lilacs like their blooms as much as you do. You will sacrifice the following season's bounty if you take too many of the blooms from the bush.

Lucky for you and the lilac, pests are not usually a problem. The scale, a stem borer, will attack new growth so keep an eye out for sawdust and damaged leaves. Use miscible oil spray if the infestation occurs in summer or a dormant oil spray if infestation is detected during the other seasons. If you overwater, you will likely find fungus growing on your lilacs. Clean it off with a dish soap bath and stop watering so much!

The scent of the beautiful lilac will enchant both you and your neighbors. This Spring favorite is simply a must after a long hard winter.

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