Beautiful Rose Gardens, featured examples from the major classes that rosarians use to describe garden roses. All roses belong to a single botanical family, Rosaceae, and also are part of the genus Rosa. There are more than 150 different species of true wild roses found throughout the world, spanning native locales as varied as the tropics and the arctic. A few “roses” commonly grown in the garden are actually hybrids between the true roses and other, non-rose species. Read the rest of this entry »

Vibrant boxes, alive with colour, will transform a simple windowsill into an eye-catching display of flowers and foliage — from inside and out.

Troughs laden with flowers offer a bright and cheerful welcome Read the rest of this entry »

Seed pans, wicker baskets and basins make ideal homes for small plants. Choose these containers for succulents and seaside plants, which won’t mind if the shallow soil dries out from time to time on hot sunny days. Read the rest of this entry »

Flowers offer the container gardener not only colour but also texture and shape. When planning a display, you need to look at the size of the plants, the outline of their flowers and whether the foliage is glossy or muted. Striking a balance between colour, texture and shape can create a beautiful tapestry effect. Read the rest of this entry »

When choosing a tree at a nursery, bear in mind all the cha acteristics that make a good bonsai, then try to find a tress that shows potential in as many of these criteria as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

A very wide range of tools can be used to create deadwood features in bonsai. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and it is up to you to decide on the amount and kind of deadwood work you want to do, which will, in turn, help decide on which tool would be the best for your purposes.

Chisels

A set of sharp hand chisels and gouges are good for small tasks such as stripping the bark and wood of a small juniper. Chisels are, incidentally, also useful for experimenting with grafting. Read the rest of this entry »

A beautiful bonsai deserves a beautiful container. The container completes the image started many years before as a seed or cutting. The tree was acquired by the artist, designed, trained and nurtured until it was ready to be planted into its final show pot, resulting in a serenely beautiful image of a bonsai.

The container of a bonsai has been likened to the frame of a picture; it is the finishing touch that makes a good tree an exceptional bonsai. It is more than this, however, as it is also the home of the tree and so needs to provide an environment for the roots that will ensure healthy, vigorous growth to maintain the health of the top parts of the tree. Read the rest of this entry »

It is very important that a balance is maintained between the top parts of the tree and the bottom parts. This means that the volume of the canopy should be similar to the volume of the roots. If the roots of the tree are heavily pruned while the canopy is left alone, the tree will not be able to supply enough water to the top parts of the tree and it will get badly dehydrated, the tree will wilt, some branches may die and, in the worst case, the whole tree will die. Read the rest of this entry »

Old trees have exposed surface roots that anchor the tree firmly to the ground, in both a visual and a physical way. A bonsai needs to start from a solid beginning, so make sure that the tree has a good surface root system. Read the rest of this entry »

Bonsai can be displayed in other ways as well. The most commonly seen alternative method is to plant the tree on a stone or slate slab to give the viewer the impression of a tree in a wide open space. Read the rest of this entry »

Bonsai have to be created. When making a bonsai, bear in mind that you want to create a living tree that stimulates the imagination and makes the viewer feel they are looking at a natural scene that has been distilled from the wider world. This may sound a rather pretentious and high-flown ideal at this stage, but it is important that you understand where the art can lead you if you want to progress further. Read the rest of this entry »

If you will be growing your trees inside there are some considerations to bear in mind. The environment inside a house or office is quite harsh for plant life. It is often much darker than it is outside; the light coming in through windows is very directional; the air is much drier (less humid); there is very little air movement or there are uncomfortable drafts coming through doors and windows; and levels of pollution, from smoking, fireplaces and kitchens are often quite high. Read the rest of this entry »

Bonsai will thrive in a semi-shaded spot that is exposed to a couple of hours of morning sun each day. Try to avoid the hot midday and afternoon sun. A light, airy environment is best for growing trees in, but do not expose them to the cold, dry winds that blow inland, or the drying, salty wind along the coast. They also do not do well in dark, damp corners of patios where there is too little light and all sorts of pests and diseases can breed. Read the rest of this entry »

If you wish to create an instant bonsai collection or are not interested in the technical side of creating a bonsai, you may consider buying finished bonsai. Even if you are passionate about creating bonsai and you want to become a serious bonsai artist, it is a good idea to buy a few ‘complete’ bonsai that will inspire you and maintain your interest until the rest of your collection has developed into fine trees. Read the rest of this entry »

CERAMIC

Ceramic containers have a definite place in the home and there is such a wonderful selection from which to choose.

From the East has come a fine assemblage of ceramic containers, many of them decorated with ornate and intricate designs. These are quite expensive but most of them can be regarded as works of art due to the high standard of workmanship and quality finishes. This also applies to the work of local ceramicists, whose products are on display in many nurseries and garden centres. Many have flower motifs, but there are also those that are more plainly decorated, and thus suitable for a larger selection of plants. Read the rest of this entry »

This ‘fridge garden‘ can be planted using cuttings from almost any house plant. These temporary miniatures are a fun alternative to more traditional house plants and are useful where space is limited (do not use glass containers if you have small children). Read the rest of this entry »

Before you start to plant up your asbestos pond, leave it filled with water for about 7-10 days so that any impurities can be leached out. Then empty the water out of the pond and begin planting. There are a number of water plants suitablefor a garden pond – just how many you use will depend on the size of your pond. Read the rest of this entry »

Gardens, no matter how small, have become incredibly important havens for wildlife. This is because wild creatures have lost many of their feeding and breeding sites in the countryside — either as a result of intensive farming, which makes widespread use of pesticides, or changes in land use. Read the rest of this entry »

This tree grows on my neighbor’s wall. It is awesome. But it is amazing thing is the figs are very sweet and juicy. Read the rest of this entry »

The wormery is a bin (usually plastic) with a lid, and layers or chambers through which the worms move as they eat up the waste.

There is a collector tray at the bottom which holds the liquid that is produced, with a tap to run it off. The lowest chamber has a layer of bedding where the worms live to start with. Read the rest of this entry »