Most yards exhibit some problem areas before serious gardening begins. In some cases, lawn problems will persist even after years of gardening know how has been applied. What the most successful gardeners understand is that pinpoint lawn problems early allows for quick application of long-term solutions. Common lawn problems for home gardens are: bare spots dry zones eroded areas Remedying any of these problems in your own future or current garden requires only the simplest eye for detail. Stepping back to consider these no-grow zones, assess the...

Can you imagine owning a gorgeous garden? You can have a lovely place where plants, shrubs, flowers and trees fill your own backyard with beautiful scenery. Even if you don’t know how to cultivate a breathtaking garden yourself, you can hire someone who can help...a home gardener . The Cost Of A Gardener Many people spend weeks toiling over gorgeous greenery to make their garden a reality. If you want to spend the time and energy on your gardening efforts, this can be an investment for the future. The more you spend time on your garden,...

If you have wooded areas around your home, you may be looking how to plant your woodlands spaces with colorful plants that bloom in early spring. Spring really brightens up wooded areas with lots of colors just bursting out a big “Hello!” I think that is what sparks us to want to add color to shaded areas . The artist part of us comes out wanting to splash color into our surroundings and the fun part is that it doesn’t stop with spring just as Claude Monet did at his garden in Giverny . He even planted his woodland areas with colorful plants . Monet's pond garden as well was carefully planned...

Selecting plants for bordering or edging a garden or path can be just as frustrating as accessorizing a room or an outfit. You want the overall picture to look pulled together with your choices. I like to divide plants for this purpose into two divisions: compact and spreaders . These plants grow in the 3 foot and under height range. Compact plants are just that. They will grow within a defined space only getting slightly larger over the following years. If the area needs a strong barrier, consider a low growing shrub or grass such as Hameln Grass, Spiraea Gold Mound, Cotoneaster Little...

"What exactly is solarizing?" That was a question that was sent to me recently by a reader of this column. Because the subject is somewhat unusual and the results are very effective, I thought I would share the answer with you today. "Solarizing" might sound like a cosmic phenomenon or something you'd do to the windows in your greenhouse or conservatory. However, the real definition is, quite literally, much more "down to earth." A simple definition of solarizing could be the act of trapping the heat from the sun and concentrating it on garden soil in an enclosed environment. Most often,...

Gardeners and landscapers can learn a lot from other artists and craftsmen. For instance, think of the people who work in the picture-framing business. Take a picture to one of these experts and you can find that what might have seemed a no-brainer turns out to require a lot of thought to achieve the desired result. They’ll naturally spend some time selecting the ideal frame. But notice how much thought they put into finding the perfect mat. The mat – that beveled piece of card that serves as a border between the picture and the frame – is essential to the optimum...

When you have serious soil problems, it can be almost impossible to grow anything successfully. But when you nurse your sick soil back to health, you’ll be amazed at the exciting variety of plants that thrive in your formerly barren wasteland! Let me reassure you that you CAN revive “bad” soil. Add a little “landscaper know-how” to some of the excellent products that are now available to homeowners and you’ll see a major improvement. Here are a couple of recent questions from readers who are having soil problems. Like these folks, you can send an e-mail to steve@landsteward.org if you need...

QUESTION: "We have about 300 live oak trees on our property, and almost all are covered with what I term "boles" on the leaves. Not just a few; but literally many hundreds. Do these "critters" harm the trees? Is there a cure? If so, what should we do to eradicate them?" – Len & Janice Westra ANSWER: Any insect or beetle that is foreign to the tree will harm it. You may try some of the insecticides like Sevin or Malathion. However, before you do anything, I suggest you try checking with the agricultural extension agent in your area. If it a problem you are having...

Looking for something a bit out of the ordinary to plant this fall? I have a few suggestions you might want to check out. Weigela Ghost We saw this variety in a grower’s greenhouse and had to get some for ourselves because it has the most unusual foliage we had ever seen in a Weigela. In spring the foliage starts out green then gradually changes to a ghostly iridescent buttery yellow as summer progresses. In the spring it produces deep ruby-red flowers that can last for quite a while. We found that it is best to shear it after the initial spring...

Arborvitae (Thuja) is probably one of the most popular landscape plants being used and sold today. For an evergreen, they are fast growing and quite easy to care for. Most varieties of Arborvitae grow almost perfectly with very little pruning required. However, some of the low growing varieties do need regular pruning. Rhinegold Arborvitae, a low growing evergreen that ranges in color from yellow to burnt orange. This plant is a fast grower, and very easy to propagate. It does require pruning at least once a year in order to maintain a nice shape, and the pruning is best done in the late fall...

Shade gardens of all kinds are somewhat hard to plant in. Plants that suit shade gardens are fairly picky about exactly what kind of shade they like- from dappled to diffuse to deep shade, some still needing some amount of sun to look their best, but not too much of course! Morning shade, afternoon shade, midday shade, shade that’s “bright” (what does that even mean exactly?!) to wet shade and dry shade and on and on. In contrast, plants that love the sun seem to do well in just that-the sun. Bonus on the sunny plants that do fine in rocky spots or don’t mind drying out, as sunny hot...

The Shade trees are grown for their size and creating shade. The relevance ofthese trees lays in those regions which are very hot and where you need to grow plants in its shade. There are many such plants which can grow only in shade and thus they can be grown under the shade of shade trees . Shade trees are generally large in size with spreading canopies and are used in public as well as private gardens for decoration. 7 of the best shade trees which are popular and fast growing are described here. RED MAPLE : It is the tree which grows very rapidly and is called as red maple...